...It is apparent to most that African Americans have faced profound adversity in their quest for equality. In the late 19th and early 20th century blatant discrimination plagued many aspects of life for the newly freed blacks of America. Economic inequality, social injustice, formal legislation and lack of opportunities were but a few of the trials and tribulations African Americans endured. Through these challenges numerous leaders emerged to pioneer the pathway to equality with the main goal of improving the quality of life for blacks in America. Many great leaders approached this great and historic debacle with differing leadership styles, strategies, and philosophies that have shaped the progression of the African American race in the United States. This paper will examine the similarities and differences and the effects of opposing leadership styles, strategies and philosophies of prominent African American activists such as Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Dubois. In accompaniment, an original argument on the best strategy for the advancement of African Americans will be explored. Educator, renowned speaker, former slave, mentor, mentee and African American spokesman are but a few adjectives to describe Booker T. Washington. Washington’s strategy for the advancement of Blacks was largely ingrained with subservience, patience, perseverance, and hard-work. It is widely argued that his unusually charmed and positively affected past with Whites shaped his outlook, strategy...
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...Equal rights has always been an issue for the minorities especially for the African American people in the United States.The African American people went through hardships throughout centuries. First they came as slaves from Africa to United States. Mostly all of them were in the south, where they were owned by farm owners. They were not seen as an equal individual, they were seen as properties only. When the founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, they stated that all men are equal, but they were not seen as men, therefore, they can’t be treated as equal. However, when the American Revolution occured, many slaves were granted their freedom because they helped with the war, but they were still mistreated, and slavery was still...
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...In 1967 the president, Lyndon Johnson, nominated United States Court of Appeals Judge, Thurgood Marshall to join the Supreme Court. In August of the same year he was confirmed. This made him the first Black American to ever take occupation in the highest American courts. Thurgood was one of the most effective civil rights activist in history, and he was a firm believer in the constitution. He strongly believed the constitution was the source to get Black Americans the equality they were striving for. He was dedicated to being a voice for his people, and he knew what was politically correct when coming from both sides of a good argument. Some say it wasn’t in the best interest of the country to let a black man on the supreme court at the time, but President Johnson’s response was simply, “I believe it’s the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man, and the right place.”1 Thurgood Marshall was born on July 2, 1908, in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, William Marshall, the grandson of a slave, worked as a steward at an exclusive club. His mother, Norma, was a kindergarten teacher.2 One of William Marshall's favorite pastimes was to listen to cases at the local courthouse before returning home to rehash the lawyers' arguments with his sons. Thurgood Marshall later recalled, "Now you want to know how I got involved in law? I don't know. The nearest I can get is that my dad, my brother, and I had the most violent arguments you ever heard about anything. I guess we...
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...advocated to have the research and study of the African-American experience and history incorporated into our higher educational systems. In his essay “The Origin and Growth of Afro-American Literature”, Clarke presents us with a timeline of African American literature from the fourteenth century in Timbuktu to James Baldwin in the 1960’s. He describes that little known history of intellectual centers of education and culture in West Africa during the 1500’s when scholars such as Felix DuBois and Ahmed Baba were prominent during the height of the University of Sankore, and takes us through every major milestone in Afro-American literature after that. I appreciate how he shed light and emphasized that the ancestors of those who became slaves in the U.S. lived in a society where scholarship was present and appreciated. Clarke felt it necessary to emphasize and elaborate on this because of the contrary misconception that Africans at that time were uneducated and uncivilized compared to other society’s such as those in Europe. The section about petitioner Prince Hall gives us a glimpse into Afro-American history during the 1700’s. Hall’s questioning of the concept of freedom at the time lead to his great achievement of founding the first African Lodge in the U.S. in July 3, 1776. Hall’s use of the petition to fight for justice and equality shows how literature played an important role in the struggle for Afro-American civil rights. Writers such as David Walker,...
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...and professional success. Despite being illegal for several decades, segregation is still existent in many public schools in the United States. However, it has become institutionalized; it is hidden deep inside society. Many Black Americans live in poor communities. Therefore, they attend poorly equipped and worn out schools. Without the necessary materials and environment needed to learn, they lose interest in school. Consequently, many of these students drop out of school before graduation. In turn, their potential to achieve higher education and economic status severely diminishes. As discussed in class, prejudice and discrimination are closely related. Prejudice is the thought one has towards another group while discrimination is the action performed towards another group. Prejudice often leads to discrimination. Derogatory terms towards other races or ethnicites have been the cause for genocides, population transfer, and segregation (Witt 2010:302) Discrimination is a great obstacle for Black Americans who seek to achieve a higher economic status. More specifically, racial profiling has been an impediment towards Black American employment. Better known as the glass ceiling, this has caused many well educated and qualified Black Americans to become unable to commence a career. According to a study conducted by the federal Glass Ceiling Commission in 1995, the majority of workers at corporations and firms were white men (Witt 2010:297). Diane Sawyer’s documentary,...
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...Biddy Mason MBOGO .W. APOLLO ( MOI UNIVERSITY) Institution’s name: Professor’s name: Date: Biddy Mason Biddy Mason was an African-American philanthropist who desires to offer challenge to many people especially in her quest to overcome life challenges. Popularly, the African American citizens were readily held as slaves. She was not an exceptional. She had three daughters who are predicted to have been fathered by Smith, their master. Although slaves were lowly regarded in the society of the time, Biddy makes a series of maneuvers in an attempt to make life better until her focus as well as devotion changes her life, her close relatives and community at large. Her legacy in the community is evidenced in two main ways. Firstly, a tombstone that marked her commemoration was elected on March 27, 1988. Secondly, November 16, 1989 was purposely declared as Mason day. An erection of a statute to remember her achievements was made at Broadway spring centre. Biddy Mason presents a typical visionary parent whose success not only benefits her but also other people especially the needy. Her determination in life is worth praise. She struggles a lot with her three daughters. Even though slaves are lowly regarded in the American society, she still focuses to make sure that all goes well. Her master, Smith and her wife keep on changing their residents with time. She never takes any experience for granted. For instance, she uses...
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...Gail Horton AAS 131 Dr. E. Davis October 4, 2011 Student Sit-ins in Nashville, 1960 James Lawson, A theology student who decided that is was time to start a movement to stop segregation in Nashville. He and other student form a nonviolence workshop that consists of student’s witting in restaurants waiting to be service as customer. Nashville had some integrated areas school, council, board of education, police force and city buses, but hotel, libraries, theater and restaurants remained segregated. The nonviolence workshop was formed so everyone in Nashville could have a chance to enact with one another and to create a more just society. Black student was tired of segregated not been able to eat lunch and to do their homework. In November of 1959 the student planned a series of workshop to stop segregation four student went into Woolworth and sat at the lunch counter were black never sat before people look at them in disbelief and many of them were black worker. The media became of aware of what was happening day after day there were more and more students sitting in restaurants and at the lunch counter waiting to be serviced. Before long the student sit-in became cities wide at least 15-16 cities began to have though-out the South and most parts of the county. The student had some difficulty some of the student was beaten even jailed, but though it all Lawson and the students were determined to stop segregation. The purpose of the nonviolence workshop was to...
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...James Baldwin writes about two African-American brothers growing up in Harlem, a black ghetto in New York, during the 1950's. During this time black people were forced to live in a world of prejudice, discrimination, poverty and suppression. The life of a black person was very difficult; many opportunities afforded to whites were not afforded to blacks. Sonny and his brother lived in the projects and had many obstacles to overcome that white people didn't have to. Sonny chose music to outwardly express his suffering, his brother chose to bottle it up and keep it inside, but this is the common thread they both shared. Suffering is also shown in the story when Baldwin says "it came to me that what we both were seeking through our separate cab windows was that part of ourselves which had been left behind" (P 47). I think this quote means that both Sonny and his older brother want to retrieve some of their past so that it can help them cope with what has happened in their lives. If Sonny and his brother can both cope with what has happened in their lives and get over it, I think t they both can start moving forward and putting this behind them. I feel having Sonny's brother narrate the story in the first person is Baldwin's way of telling us that Sonny's brother is also suffering but inside, unlike Sonny who takes drugs and sings the blues. Sonny's brother remains nameless because I feel he prefers to remain anonymous; he's too embarrassed to have people know that this college...
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...ASA PHILIP RANDOLPH JONATHAN D. DUPREE WEBSTER UNIVERSITY HRMG 5930 DANNY KAIL, INSTRUCTOR ABSTRACT Asa Philip Randolph, civil rights leader and trade unionist, was born in Crescent City, Florida on April 15, 1889. He was the second of two sons of James, a traveling minister, and Elizabeth, a devoted member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Both parents were strong supporters of equal rights for African Americans and had an overwhelming influence on Randolph. He and his older brother William would often play childhood games that included role playing in which they worked for African American rights. Randolph and his brother were both superior students and attended the Cookman Institute in East Jacksonville, the only academic high school in Florida for African Americans. Randolph excelled in literature, drama and public speaking. It would be Randolph’s strong family influence and academic ambitions that would provide the foundation for his journey on the quest for fair economic and trade rights and racial equality for African Americans. After graduating high school and working numerous odd jobs Randolph devoted his time to singing, acting and reading. Influenced by W. E. B. Du Bois’ “The Souls of Black Folk”, Randolph was convinced that the fight for social equality was more important than almost anything else (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Philip_Randolph, 2011). Segregation and racial discrimination against blacks was increasing exponentially each...
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... economic, and political forces. | |Segregation |The separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. An example would be seperate schools for| | |African Americans seperate from European Americans. | |De jure segregation |Segregation that existed because of local laws that mandated the segregation. | |Pluralism |Used to denote a diversity of views, and stands in opposition to one single approach or method of | | |interpretation | |Assimilation |The process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the | | |prevailing culture and customs. | Part II Answer the following questions in 150 to 350 words each: • Throughout most of U.S. history in most locations, what race has been the majority? What is the common ancestral background of most members of this group? Throughout most of American history the majority race has been causasian. This may be different now in different parts of the country due to increasing “minorities” that are quickly becoming more of a majority. The likelyhood of...
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...understanding. In the opening scene we are introduced to the premise of the movie as the man says “We crash into each other, just so we can feel something.” This is the thesis statement for the movie, setting up the idea that our interactions with each can be as traumatic and life changing as a vehicle collision. Each character in the movie played a role in showing the viewer the different influences and behaviors the numerous cultures have towards their very own culture and that of others’. Ethnocentrism, prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination are the core themes presented in the movie “Crash.” At the very beginning of the movie, two African American men are seen leaving a coffee shop, Anthony, the obviously more dominant of the two, and Peter. Anthony is complaining about the poor service they received, blaming the poor service on being African American. Peter is quick to point out that the waitress was also black. Anthony expresses to Peter that black women can also think in stereotypes believing that they, as black men, would not her leave a tip thus not putting forth the effort to provide them with good service. This is an example of stereotyping within a culture. This ties in to the social-conflict theory in that the woman did not see them as worthy of her effort because they would not enhance her economic situation. This stereotype has possibly come from experiences with young, black, male patrons in the past and when Anthony and Peter left without paying for the bill, they...
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...for a wrong or injury; it is something done or given as amends or satisfaction; the payment of damages compensation in money or materials payable by a defeated nation for damages to or expenditures sustained by another nation as a result of hostilities with the defeated nation” (merriam-webster.com). “The paying of descendants of enslaved Africans for free labor of their ancestors. Supporters argue that the government of the United States at one time sanctioned enslavement and now it should try to remedy the effects of it by paying the descendants of the enslaved for their work” (Asante, Molefi Kete 486). I interviewed a diverse group and asked if they felt that due to the long stretch of years of oppression and torture African Americans have gone through in this country should they be given reparations and if so how. The group I interviewed included family, friends and co-workers: my son a seventeen year old African American male who is Baptist, a co-worker a twenty-five year old Caucasian female who is Catholic, a co-worker a forty-four year old Latin American male who is Catholic, and a good friend a thirty-five year old African American female who is Muslim. The twenty-five year old Caucasian female believes that there is no price for compensation applicable to those today that had their enslaved ancestors suffer. Even if compensation were given it is impossible to determine who would receive what depending on who were their ancestor and their direct relation. The amount...
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...Deyanna Johnson The effects of Alice Walker’s life on her writings Alice Walker is a short story writer, poet, and author of children’s books. Her writings have become a favorite and popular read in the literary community. Some of her writings have transcended from the written version into screen writings. Drawing from her emotions, Walker’s writings range stem from personal pain, abortion and suicide. er HerAlice Walker writings were influenced by her unusual childhood, her literary mentors, and struggle with self- esteem. Initially, Alice Walker’s writings were influenced by her unusual childhood. Alice Malsenior Walker was born February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia, to Willie Lee and Minnie Tallulah (Grant) Walker. Walker’s family included five boys and three girls. She was the youngest of her eight siblings (Alice Walker para1). By the time she was eight years old, her family knew she would rather play more exciting games with two of her brothers than spend time playing with her dolls. The children sometimes acted out stories from the westerns. As a little girl, Alice Walker also went through hardships in life. At the age of eight, Walker was accidentally injured by a BB gun shot in her eye by her brother. Her partial blindness caused her to withdraw from normal childhood activities and begin to write poetry to ease her loneliness. She found that writing demanded peace and quiet, but these were difficult things to come by when ten people lived in four rooms....
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...behaviors. Systemic factors, such as education, poverty, and economic change, strongly influence on an individual’s behaviors such as teen pregnancy and substance abuse. Education, poverty, and economic changes are systemic factors that have created major shifts in general behaviors of teen pregnancy. According to the article “After the Sexual Revolution,” some factors contribute to these shifts: success of abstinent education, positive effect of comprehensive sex education cultural backlash against sexual revolution, fear of disease. Nationwide in 2007, 47.8% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse during their life. Overall, prevalence of having had sexual intercourse was higher among African American and Hispanic than white students, and higher among African American than Hispanic students, according to the data of National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. This statistic indicates that the...
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...King, on the other hand was a social activist, specializing in civil rights. He grew up in the segregated South and received his Doctorate at Boston University in 1955. His exposure to the liberated North provided the motivation to fight segregation back home. Doctor King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his civil rights work. The political environment for Jean-Paul Sartre was war, but primarily influenced by World War II and communism. His philosophy on communism was to judge it by its intention and not by its actions. While Doctor King’s social and political environment was the opposing views of the North and South relating to segregation. The position up North promoted racial equality while down South; African Americans were treated worse than women. They...
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