Mid-Term Essays

Listed below are discussion questions and my post as it relates to the essay questions that must be answered correctly.

Questions:

-From the U.S. Census data, etc., what is unique or surprising about the African American (AA) demographics: population size/percentage, locations, etc.? -What is at least one disparity between AAs and whites in each of the following 4 categories:   A) economics (employment, wealth, education, etc.)  B) politics/power (elected officials, voting, incarceration, ... )  C) health (cardio-vascular diseases, food deserts, HIV/AIDS ...) D) perception/views of racism/disparities? -Why do you think these disparities exist/persist today, even 60 years after the modern Civil Rights movement's achievements and in the era where a "Black" person was elected President of the U.S.? -Despite the disparities (as outlined in the resources), what are any 2 specific strengths/resources of AA communities (culturally, politically, educationally, etc.)? -What is your US congressional district number; who represents you in the U.S. Congress from that district; and who are your 2 U.S. Senators from your state? (If you are not a U.S. resident, use Wilberforce your congressional area and Ohio as your state) -What wonderments/questions remain in your mind after engaging the required resources (what aspect/s of this subject was not addressed by the resources provided)? (mandatory!)

My Post:

What surprised me most is that the population of African Americans is only 14.6% and then that’s percentage is broken down into different categories. Those categories being only black, black w/ another race combination and only black non-Hispanic and then when it’s broken down like this the population for African Americans that are only black is 13/4%. I found it odd that the population of AA’s was greater in the Northeast than in the Midwest considering that you have some heavily populated cities with AA’s in the Midwest like Detroit, Chicago and St. Louis.

A. Economics – When looking at the chart for black educational attainment for black males under 25, I fall in that 7% because I have an associate degree. What surprised me most about this chart was that 5% more males obtained a high school diploma than females. Could this be that parents were pushing the male child more or we just finally woke up and wanted to do better.

B. Politics/Power – Voting is something I think people of all races take for granted and people have died for us to have this right. When AA’s turn out to vote, it’s generally in our best interest because a candidate has promised new legislation that’s good for us or we want to elect the first AA as president. This was the case in 1964 and 2008 when the Civil Rights Act was signed into law and Barack Obama was elected president.

C. Health – When you look at the life expectancy data for AA men and white men in 2016, white men are expected to live at least 7 years longer. I think this is due to lifestyle that AA’s live. AA’s have a history of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease that runs in the family and this mainly have to do with what we eat and the lack of exercise. So, we are predisposed before it happens to us, but we know it’s coming but I feel if we just exercise more and make smarter food decisions, we should be fine and live long healthy lives. My great granddad turned 90 years old last Sunday and he got there by making those adjustments that I mentioned.

D. Racism will always be a big problem among AA’s, and nothing can change that, but you have some AA’s that think differently, and race relations have gotten better. In the article “5 facts about black’s in the U.S.”, eight out of ten agree but who are those two people that say this is not a problem, Ben Carson and CSU alum Omarosa Manigault. If you have white people saying racism has gotten worse, it must be true and finally they see it from our perspective.

I think these disparities exist/persist because we need to figure out a way to help ourselves first by opening grocery stores, clinics and other types of businesses and stop looking for the government to save us and our community. The neighborhood can’t survive with a diner, the barbershop and the beauty salon to save it or wait for gentrification to happen. The people in the community must change these disparities by talking with activist, council members and other community leaders for this to happen.

The 2 strengths are the increase number of AA’s completing high school and the decreasing of the wealth gap among low-income black and white families. When talking about AA’s getting high school diplomas as a strength is great because that says that education is more valued now than what it was in the past. I say this because back in the day people didn’t finish school specially the male child in the family. They were the ones that had to get jobs or work in the fields to help the family out. With the wealth gap decreasing among low-income black and white families, shows that we are making strides in getting jobs that pay a decent wage and we are holding on to them. I think this is possibly due in part to those AA’s getting high diplomas that the gap is closing.

The question is, why do we as AA’s complain about what’s being done to us by the government and we don’t voting? I feel you shouldn’t say anything if you’re not participating in the process that your elders died for.

Questions:

-What is at least one example of slavery in the U.S. as a system that is: A) legal (U.S. Constitution, slave codes, etc.)  B) forced C) resisted (revolts, day-to-day, cultural, escape)   D) contradictory?

-What was at least one problem/challenge each of being an antebellum Black free northerner, free southerner and enslaved southerner?

-What was one example of a strength/achievement/advantage/blessing of being an antebellum Black free northerner, free southerners and enslaved southerners?

-Given the pros and cons of each antebellum Black status, which would you prefer the most; which the least and why so? 

-Concerning the emigration movement, do you think it was a good solution for antebellum Blacks; would you have wanted to or considered emigration out of the U.S. if you were an antebellum Black?  

My Post:

Massachusetts Bay Colony is an example of legal slavery and it was the first legal slave holding colony in New England. Chattel slavery is a type of forced slavery that is called traditional slavery and is defined has an enslaved person who is owned forever and whose children and children’s children are automatically enslaved. These slaves are treated as property, to be bought and sold and this was supported the US and Europe in the 16th through the 18th centuries. Escape is an example of resisted slavery and this was usually done at night, so that they wouldn’t be seen leaving their masters land for freedom. 5,000 Black Revolutionary War veterans is an example of contradictory slavery because if I fight for you in your war, I could possibly be free at the end and with no pay.

A challenge for a free southerner was that they always that they had to carry their freedom papers with them, to prove they were free. A challenge for free northerner was that even though you had skills as a carpenter, you were only going to be hired as a cook. A challenge for the enslaved southerner was that they were often separated from their family because they or them were being sold away to neighboring or distant plantations.

The advantage for the free southerner was that 60% of the “freemen” in Charleston, SC held skilled jobs such as masonry and carpentry. An achievement for free northerners was that the Black Elite in New York City owned $1.4 million in taxable real estate. The enslaved southerners had the strength to create back trails in Virginia unfamiliar to whites.

I would not want to be an enslaved southerner because you don’t know if you are going to be sold off and moved away from your family and you have no say, in how your life will go. I would prefer to be a free northerner because no one in the north is asking me to show my “freedom papers”

          Yes, it was a good solution for those antebellum blacks that were just tired of fighting and just wanted to live life free of status. Yes, it would have crossed my mind to move to Canada but I’m down for the cause, to fight for freedom for all.