WEEK 8 ASSIGNMENT
Do not research on the Internet.
This week's work represents your final exam but in the form of a speech. Your speech is due Wednesday, 11:55 p.m. ET and must be at least 500 words.
SITES: http://www.prindlepost.org/2016/05/removing-slavery-textbooks/
https://newsone.com/977835/tenn-tea-party-wants-slavery-removed-from-history-textbooks/
http://www.umsl.edu/services/cps/files/ross-presentation.pdf
A new movement has started since the early 2000s, w here some political groups https://newsone.com/977835/tenn-tea-party-wants-slavery-removed-from-history-textbooks/ are trying to remove American history from our children's school curriculum and textbooks , http://www.prindlepost.org/2016/05/removing-slavery-textbooks/ specifically slave history. However, these groups also do not want to cover segregation or civil rights. By removing the history that we have just covered in these last eight weeks, the African American communities are denied their connections to American History. Recently, African Americans have created movements such as "Black Lives Matter" to counteract these other groups. Many tie slave history to the development of segregation and racism that has spread throughout our country. A Historical Trauma http://www.umsl.edu/services/cps/files/ross-presentation.pdf has affected generations of African Americans http://atlantablackstar.com/2016/06/05/post-traumatic-slave-syndrome-and-intergenerational-trauma-slavery-is-like-a-curse-passing-through-the-dna-of-black-people/
because of what their ancestors had to endure just to survive in this country. This distrust has developed towards different groups, agencies and organizations. For those who are not affected, trying to understand what it means to be an African American in the United States showcases the need for this history to be taught in all schools and to every American.
Your final forum is to prepare a speech that would explain to all of America why African American History from after Reconstruction to the present should be taught.
Explain why every American should know African American history. You will be expected to use specific facts, events and people that you have learned from this course.
These facts, events, and people must come from your required work this term and from research in the library or from the course bibliography.
In your speech, demonstrate the breadth of knowledge you have gained from this work. Do not forget to use in text citations because you will be using multiple sources. This post must be at least 500 words.
Remember, I want to see that you have a solid understanding of African American history and that you ground this final post in all the required work during the term.
Please remember that as this replaces your final exam, you must clearly demonstrate what you have learned from all the required work starting with Week 2 and ending with Week 7. I want to see the breathe of your knowledge gained in this class. Your grade will primarily be based on that. You have at least three posts. Use them to further demonstrate how much you have learned from the required material and your research.
Remember that this forum is worth 10 percent of your grade.
My week 2 post
Legislation "It is powerless to eradicate racial instincts or to abolish distinctions based upon physical differences, and the attempt to do so can only result in accentuating the difficulties of the present situation." What effect did Plessy versus Ferguson have?
In the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson the United States Supreme Court decided that racially separate amenities, if equal, barely violate the instilled regulation. As such, discrimination, the way the Court judged the Plessy case, was not discrimination. As Administered by Chief Justice Melville Fuller, the Court proved and discerned the separate-but-equal decree (Hoffer, 2014). With respect to the Supreme Court of the United States, in the year 1890, a new-fangled Louisiana regulation made it compulsory for railroads to offer “equal albeit separate places for white, and African-Americans, or basically races.” Having had enough, the black community in New Orleans opted to assess the law. Such That on the day of June 7th 1892, Homer Plessy decided to be arrested for declining to change from a seat meant for whites. The Judge of the day honorable John H. Ferguson espoused the decree. As such whereas, power was the main impetus that helped in thwarting alienation of African-Americans in society, it hardly did much with respect to this law. Since, it was law that espoused more division and inequality in society. The law that is supposed to protect and uphold rights of every individual citizen was set, in as much as people were racially different, it still espoused some sort of segregation putting whites and blacks and their basic facilities. This excerpt seeks to discourse the Plessy vs. Ferguson case that revolved around the law being equal but not to entirety; and a landmark decision that the courts of the land took. Plessey’s dispute was that his lawful rights were violated, and that the Court decided to rule that regulation inferred that “it was simply a lawful distinction” between blacks and whites and hardly diverged with the 13th and14th law adjustments (Mcloughlin, 2014). Obstructive legislature because of unrelenting following Plessy resolve was that it was rational perception barely reversed until Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in the year 1954. In that way physical differences did not mean much at that time, but to the people affected (African-Americans) it was still a nagging issue that ought to have been resolved. The Plessy vs. Ferguson case was a classical instance that was a linchpin to a number outcries directed towards civil rights and civil liberties for disfranchised African-American (Hoffer, 2014).
References
Hoffer, W. H. (2014). Plessy v. Ferguson: The effects of lawyering on a challenge to Jim Crow. Journal of Supreme Court History, 39(1), 1-21.
Mcloughlin, W.G. (2014). After the Trail of Tears: The Cherokees Struggle for Sovereignty, 1839-1880. UNC Press
African American Women in History
In discussing history of African American, much focus is put on the likes of Martin Luther King among other renowned activists but women are left out, and their contribution is never recognized. The omission paints a picture that African American women never contributed to history that they are enjoying right now. This paper examines some women who significantly contributed to African American history though much has not been covered about them. Few people have indeed acknowledged their contributions especially in African American Women and the culture at large through the struggles that is stated in the book, Radical Sisters.
Anne M. Valk is one of the authors who wrote on the black liberation in Washington DC and women activism in the 1960s and 1970s. She attributes to the formation of female organizations during that era that aimed at championing for women and African Americans (Thompson, 2002). The body formation was one of the initiatives that were initiated in Washington to ensure the voices of African American women were heard and well addressed. The second-wave feminism although it was embraced by all women in America it was thwarted with the division based on race, class, and sexuality. Anne is one of the leaders that use her ability to write, and as an African America, she writes about the struggle that they went through in the fight for their welfare rights and reproductive control and against sexual atrocities (Anne, 2008). She acknowledges how second- wave feminism and the black liberation moulded the grassroots and the perceptions of other African American women in general. Apart from writing this book, the Radical Sisters, Anne has also written other books about African American women at the culture.
Indeed Anne is a good example of women who are not celebrated in their leadership roles and their contribution to history as their counterparts. Anne contrary to the likes of Luther who used civil movements to fight for space, she uses her novels to talk about the plea and the liberation of the African Americans. Most of the women were not on the battlefields or the streets, but they used other platforms to impact African America history and not to acknowledge them may be seen as a mockery of them.
References
Thompson, B. (2002). Multiracial feminism: Recasting the chronology of second wave feminism. Feminist Studies, 28(2), 337-360.
Valk, A. M. (2008). Radical sisters: second-wave feminism and black liberation in Washington (Vol. 117). University of Illinois Press.
Week 3 post
Education and personal development are important factors in the life of any human being, and so are political rights. Focusing only on one area of development and ignoring another leads to an imbalance in society. I am an African American domestic worker in support of Du Bois. With the illegalization of slavery, life for3 African Americans did not get any better. How could it? We still 7suffered discrimination, brutality and abuse from whites for a prolonged period of time. The justice system was not available to us and for a long time, we had to get used to the inequalities. Anyone who dared rise up against these wrongs risked cruelty and even execution. To change such a system, advocating for political rights and equality is important. Du Bois is well aware of this. He stood up publicly against segregation. While he was completely in support of education and personal development, Du Bois also understood that focusing only on these two led to submission. How, for instance, were African Americans supposed to advance their political interests and ensure the fulfillment of their political needs it they did not have any representation in politics? How are we to achieve better pay, better education and other social services if we are not even allowed to vote for a leader we believe will advance out interests? I support Du Bois because I believe that equality is important if we are to accept that the days of slavery are truly behind us. Du Bois acknowledges that allowing ourselves to conform to the norms of this society, to do only that which they allow us to do is equal to submission. We are limited to the kind of jobs that whites allow us to have, and the amount of money, which is in most instances a meager pay, that they think we deserve. Why would we appreciate and be jubilant because of emancipation yet accept to be treated as second class human beings?
References
The Guardian, 2012, How the end of slavery led to starvation and death for millions of black Americans. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/16/slavery-starvation-civil-war
Chester Fontenot, 2014, Life and Legacy of Booker T. Washington. Retrieved from https://www.c-span.org/video/?321185-1/life-legacy-booker-t-washington
W. E. B Du Bois, 1903 , The Souls of Black Folk
Week 4 post
How did James Baldwin compare the African-American experience to the Algerian experience in France?
African-Americans are treated not equal to whites. They are seen to be less human. At a time they are compared with animals because of the skin color. On the other side, the Algerians have a good and a smooth relationship in France. They are treated equally, they go to the same school and have access to better healthcare just like other citizens in France. This is an indication that in France, they don’t treat people according to their skin. They have respect for humanity. This is very different from the discrimination the African Americans are subjected to. They are enslaved and forced to work hard with meager pay.
Why James Baldwin went to France
He started to realize that he was a gay when he was still a teenager. In the year 1948, knowing that he would not be served in a restaurant and he would be denied services, he went to the waitress and was told that African Americans were not allowed to be served in that particular restaurant. He threw a glass at the waitress which shattered the mirror that was behind the bar. Because he wanted to distance himself from the American prejudice, he decided to go to France.
In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s which African Americans were model figures to African Americans? How did they influence white Americans to see African Americans differently?
The model figures was 1940s and they influence white Americans to see differently African Americans by staging several human rights organization.
Reference
Schwarz, B., & Kaplan, C. (2014;2011;). James Baldwin : America and beyond. Ann
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Gilda Jackson
Women for a very long time where not given opportunities to serve in the militaries all over the world. United States is among those countries where women were not considered so much with regards to military opportunities. To add on to the already existing prejudice, African American women were even much disadvantaged when it came to being given chances to serve in the military. However, with much prejudice that African American women had in regards to being given opportunities to serve in the military, some like Jackson A. Gilda managed to become soldiers and even rise through the ranks as will be seen in the discussion.
Jackson Gilda is a highly decorated soldier and was the first African American woman to be promoted to the rank of colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. She served for nearly 30 years and ultimately retired as a lieutenant colonel. She was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1950. Her father died when she was the age of 16. She graduated from high school during the escalation of the Vietnam War, and not long after that she was enlisted in the Marines. She served in the military for three years, where she rose to the rank of sergeant. When initial obligation to the military ended she went back to finish college as she had promised her mother when joining the military. She attended Ohio Dominican College, where she enrolled in the Marine Officer Candidate Platoon Leader Course.
After she had graduated college, Jackson returned to military life. She was then commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1975. She began her career in the marine aviation that included stints as a supply officer for the Stations Operations and Engineering Squadron in El Toro, California. These experienced prepared her for the Marine command and convinced others to allow her to pursue more training. She attended and the graduated from the Amphibious Warfare School in 1983. From there she served in the Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron of the Marine Aircraft Group 13 in El Toro once again.
Jackson continued to rise in the military, and the Marines selected her to attend the War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. After graduation, she reported to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and shortly earned a promotion to colonel and received the command of the Naval Aviation Depot at Cherry Point, North Carolina. At the time of her retirement in 2001, she had received Defense Meritorious Service Medal with gold star among others. After retirement, she briefly pursued a career in politics where she ran unsuccessfully for a seat in North Carolina House of Representatives.
References
https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/223160914?pq-origsite=summon&accountid=8289
https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/367963751/DD0C2905B8B24833PQ/3?accountid=8289
week 5
What effect did the World War II wartime experience have on African Americans? Did their experiences help or hinder the progress toward equality in America? How were they treated during World War II? Did the government take any steps to ease discrimination against African Americans in war industries?
According to Kelly (2014), the Second World War had a positive impact on the experiences of African American individuals. They had been going through hardships discriminated against not offered jobs, given little aid by concerned agencies and men could not be given equal chances to participate in the military just like their white partners.
During this era of World War 2, black people gained new industrial opportunities and men were called into the army in rising numbers. African American community regained a foothold in the industrial economy and was able to break the job ceiling. Semiskilled and skilled employment opportunities were open for them. However, the process to implement these possibilities was slow as many employers, government agencies and labor unions still discriminated blacks, and their efforts in participating in Warfield was undermined (Lewis, 2014).
African Americans’ experiences during the depression years did not hinder progress toward fighting for equality. Holloway (2012) says that they refused to close ranks of Second World War as they supported the nation's declaration of war against Germany and Japan. They could not dream of post pining their struggles for full citizenship and civil rights; they wanted a double victory, at home and abroad. Despite their thirst for freedom against racial injustices, African American community still faced prejudice. The U.S protests against racism of Nazi Germany, black people were discriminated against in their homes and abroad. In the job industry; blacks were only given janitorial jobs. During the war, as white pilots were trained to fly warplanes. On the other hand, blacks were barred by the war department for Air corps and instead was admitted to the army in large numbers. They were segregated and made responsible for maintenance, supplies, building and taking care of wounded and dead bodies. Black women also faced same treatment during the war period. They could be assaulted but they resisted such treatment, and this led to eruption of racial violence.
With continual fight and efforts to seek justice against apartheid, African American community faced with many challenges managed to get through. With aid of those in government, despite many oppositions from some of the leaders, associations were founded that would advocate for civil rights and equality. For example March on Washington Movement (MOWM) and FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Committee).
References
Holloway, J. (2012). African American History: From Emancipation to the Present. http://oyc.yale.edu/african-american-studies/afam-162/lecture-11
Kelley, R. D. G., & Lewis, E. (Eds.). (2014). To make our world a new: a history of African Americans.
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy2.apus.edu
Letter to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt
August 23, 1934.
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt,
The first lady of the United States,
Dear Mrs. Roosevelt,
First I wish to thank you for giving us a chance to write to you. I am writing this letter as a government representative of African Americans in Atlanta. Madam you are closer to the president than any of us and that is why I want to highlight some of the issues faced by my fellow black Americans in Atlanta .The first issue is discrimination, securing a job for most of us in the south is a problem because jobs are awarded to whites only.
Joblessness means many families have no money to buy food and other basic commodities. Some charities refuse to provide relief food to the blacks and violence against the blacks here in the south is an everyday affair. The living conditions of African Americans in the south are not good; we face rejection and discrimination daily. In fact most of the whites still think we are slaves and it is not our right to live in America. This is why I am requesting you in my capacity as a representative of my people that you may intervene in any way you can and advocate for the equal rights of the blacks. Madam please let the president know that black people are only asking for equal rights and fair treatment. We need jobs, education, housing, food and basic commodities. I know you are a mother too and the children here are suffering, they have no food, clothing and most are homeless. I believe every American whether black or white should be given equal rights. We as the African Americans have a lot to contribute towards nation building; all we are asking for is an equal chance to do so.
With the deepest respect and admiration,
Carol Richards,
Black American representative,
Atlanta, Ga.
The reason why I would write such a letter is because; one, Mrs. Roosevelt was in fore-front in advocating for the rights of the blacks. Second is because the blacks in the 1930s were still facing discrimination (Cohen, 2002). I would have taken that chance to write to the first lady about the problems faced by the blacks and maybe the grievances of blacks would have reached the president.
References
Cohen, R. (2002). Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: letters from children of the Great Depression. Univ of North Carolina Press.
WEEK 6
The evolution of the status of black people in the community has been achieved through a lot of blood and sweat. There were various organizations that were formed then in order to consolidate and coordinate activities of the activities of blacks. These activities were the beginning of a great revolution and the civil rights movements in America. The most successful strategy for me was to consolidate organizations rather than people. This is because of the pre established influence of organizations and the man power availed by them.
Two of these organizations that existed during the revolution were Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). These were major civil rights movements at a time when there was need for revolution. The two were however formed for a different purpose. SCLC was formed for the purpose of facilitating non violent protests, while SNCC was interested in the speeding up of the ruling in Brown V Board of Education where racial segregation in the education sector was held unconstitutional.
This debate is in exaltation of SCLC. It appears that the impact of SCLC was felt much more than SNCC. This is because with SCLC it was about scratching the surface and taking it as far as possible. The formation of SCLC was to bring together major organizations in the civil rights movement in order to join forces and achieve a common objective. The membership of this organization was not individual but rather organization based. This was a much stronger approach because ideally there was still fear and doubt as to the extent to which black community revolution could go.
One of the most outstanding characters in the organization was Dorothy Cotton. Her role is definitely not one to ignore. She was actively involved in public awareness. This was the most powerful strategy of most organizations. They intended to reach out to as many individuals as possible so as to sensitize them on voting in order to enact revolution in a powerful way. She was also involved in educational programs. Due to the colonization and black community oppression, a lot of black people ended up illiterate. Dorothy was therefore actively involved in the elimination of black illiteracy. (Carson, 2016)
Other reasons as to why SCLC was more influential than SNCC was because of the diversity of objectives. This debate does not aim to discredit the efforts of SNCC, not at all. The problem with SNCC was that it was specific in its objective. They organization was focused on ensuring free access and resources to all black children as those accorder to white children. The SCLC on the other hand was trying to stretch its muscle as far as possible. It was aimed at peace, equality, economic stability, elimination of illiteracy and so on. While there are numerous similarities such as the encouragement of immense voter registration, the differences are in the objectives and strategies adopted. (Kelley, 2014)
REFERENCES
Carson, C. (2016). CEP: Challenge to the ‘New Education,’. King Center , 3-7.
Kelley, R. (2014). To Make Our World Anew : A History of African Americans . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
WEEK 7
Part One
Taking into consideration the history you have learned this term, why is poverty so persistent among African Americans?
From the readings, the reason why poverty is so persistent among African Americans is because there was violent jailing and repressions of black radicals that fully changed the movements. In some occasions, African leaders became ineffective because of oppressions and they also turned into martyrs.
The other reason why poverty is persistent in Africa American is because, from history, Black women in general got exploitation and oppression from black men. Black women have been particularly oppressed (Robin, Kelley, and Earl Lewis, 2014). On job matters, women are taken to be low the totem pole. In African Americans, white women have several problems, leading to high poverty levels. These women are interviewed for their floor mopping and other stuff like that. This represents exploitation. Feminism is apparent in African Americans and there is domination by male in government and family and this has led to inferior status of women in society.
The other reason why poverty is persistent in African Americans is because, in the past, women were taken to be as passive and weak or as sex objects for the pleasure of male. Feminists did not simply need to take the place of men in power positions, to change the dominance of male for female dominance, they fought struggled to change the domination of male with a more simply equitable society (Robin, Kelley, and Earl Lewis, 2014). In irony, this novel wave of black feminism was partially a reaction to male bigotry in Black Power, Civil Rights, and student actions of the period.
Several political movements that were formed and later the challenges from other groups makes African Americans to remain poor. After some time, women who were active in welfare rights started to feel some movements for example the NBFO eluded the challenges of poor women, and several African-American who were lesbians criticized this movement for homophobia ignorance for concentrating to simply matters impacting heterosexual women. All these challenges that encountered black American from history still enables the persistent of poverty among black Americans (Robin, Kelley, and Earl Lewis, 2014).
Part Two
How did Ronald Reagan's presidency change the economic reality for African Americans?
Ronald Reagan as a president did a lot than just say, “to hell with ‘em,” however accepted a role that is proactive in the rolling back civil rights and the progress of black and thus improving the economic reality. In the administration terms, clearly and direct visible actions against the interests of African American, a person will have to go back to an administration that is Democratic. For the African Americans, President Reagan era demonstrated to be an uncompromising test of the maturity and strength of its political organizations after numerous decades of development and growth.
In the past, the bombing was orchestrated by white supremacists reacting for civil rights protests in Birmingham. And a child who was very young lived in a neighborhood in which black-owned homes were firebombed so regularly that it was labeled “dynamite hill.” This bombings were as a result of white residents trying to keep black families out of that section of Birmingham. The bombings greatly impacted the economic for black African Americans.
In the regime of Regan capitalists or business owners, are capable of exploiting labor by denying the access of workers to other income sources through private procession of factories and land (Robin, Kelley, and Earl Lewis, 2014). Therefore, workers had no choice but to labor for wages in order to survive, a position that breeds conflict and dislike between those who have wealth and the ones that lack. Marxists understands that, this conflict between workforces and owners is an essential feature of capitalist society (Berlin, 2009). In the Reagan era, to resolve it, they believe in substituting capitalism with “socialism”, an organization in which people who are working, in theory share the fruits of their effort. Factories and land would not be processed by private people but by individuals who work them (Robin, Kelley, and Earl Lewis, 2014). Labor objective of will not be to enrich the few but to raise life quality for all. In the Reagan’s administration, education quality and health care would not be stuffs one would pay for exclusively but would be compensated for by and accessible to all society.
References
Berlin, I. (2009). Generations of captivity: A history of African-American slaves. Harvard University Press.
Robin D. G. Kelley, and Earl Lewis, (2014). To Make Our World Anew: A History of African Americans. Oxford University Press, ProQuest Ebook Central, .Created from apus on 2017-09-19 17:30:31.
Academics presently take cognizance of the fact that women were aggressively involved in the deliberations that coupled the civil right movements and wars prior to independence, and that subsequently the war a notable number sought a more extensive political role for themselves. In addition, men applauded women’s backing for the war initiative. The aftermath of the civil war (similarly noted as the Civil Rights Movement) that took place through the year 1865-1896 saw the upshot of American women that were ready and willing to take part in the fight for justice, universal suffrage, equality and basically civil liberties (Richardson & Luker, 2014). America history, documents earning the privilege to vote in 1920; the impact of women civil rights movement accomplishment with respect to racial equality and social change were a positive incentive to promote women concerns including affirmative action. Even so, the role of women dynamically transformed bit by bit following the American civil war, the eminent economic reforms and the First World War, a number of women activist, were initiating resolves that safeguard suffrage for their citizens who were disfranchised. On the other hand, other exponents carry on to underline the conduit in which the period of Reconstruction and the First World War afforded women a political voice they barely enjoyed previously. Women's civil rights crusade had been mounting up a following prior to the war, and later picked up from where it left off after the end of the war (Ponton, 2015). Albeit, quite a number of women were compelled to go back to their customary domestic duties, this era marked an important decisive moment in women's history. In fact, women were certainly receiving credit, like an instance where former President Andrew Johnson drafted a letter of commendation to Sarah Thompson a Union spy, terming her an individual of utmost decorum. The appearance of women liberation at the time of wart gave rise to the civil crusade new impetus. The war had afforded women an opportunity to control their affairs freely, to make a living, control their own monies, self-determination among other restricted liberties. Other women were hardly prepared to contentedly take up the roles they had had prior to the war. This excerpt seeks to discourse how women in the American history contributed to espousing civil liberties for others in society with particular reference to the Maya Angelou.
It is impossible to mention Women civil rights movement in America (and the world) without touching on Maya Angelou. Born in St. Louis in the year 1928, this incredible woman had been an active member of society since her childhood. For instance in 1960 she encountered the great Martin Luther King and took an initiative to raise money for a cause termed ‘Cabaret for Freedom’ a sort of leadership conference. At the time she was living in West Africa (Ghana), she was an energetic member of the African-American émigré community. At this point is where she encountered Malcolm X with whom she later becomes a close friend too. Later on after returning to the United States in the year 1965, Maya Angelou assisted Malcolm X form the “Organization of Afro-American Unity”. Nonetheless, before the association could certainly initiate any operations, Malcolm X was slayed. In the same token, in the year 1968, while assisting Dr. King consolidates a peaceful picket, he too was murdered in public (Ponton, 2015). The demise of these great civil activists is what ultimately motivated Angelou to become a renowned civil activist, writer and author of many incredible literal pieces. Angelou was not only known as a champion of civil rights and social justice, but she equally advocated for women rights during her lively years.
Looking back in retrospect, in the 19th century, quite a number of women participated in the drive to obliterate slavery at the same time working to safeguard self-determination for African Americans, such women started to perceive lawful comparisons between their state of affairs and that of subjugated black women and men (Richardson & Luker, 2014). Because of the abolitionist movement, feminist school of thought was engendered, and a majority of women who took part in the early abolitionist crusades turned out to be key leaders and inspiration to other later on who rose between the period of Restoration and World War II in the initial women's suffrage and rights activities.
References
http://www.hssu.edu/ae/aefiles/50/MLK%202015%20Calendar%20of%20Events1.pdf