African-American Studies papers

This paper discusses the song "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy released in 1989 as a part of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" soundtrack.

Examines the relevance of the message from Paul's "The Book of Love", used by Martin Luther King in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail"

This paper examines the life and contributions of Sojourner Truth nee Isabella Van Wagener, black abolitionist and women's rights advocate.

An examination of Joseph Conrad's novel, showing that by lacking agency, Conrad's purpose is not of a racist perspective.

An examination of the fight for literacy as portrayed in "Learning to Write and Read", an excerpt from Frederick Douglas' autobiography.

Examines the "feminism" in the works of women poets, Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley.

Examines the pros and cons of this bill which aims to prevent the collection of racial data.

This paper discusses the life of jazz musician Louis Armstrong especially his early formative years.

This paper discusses Ira Berlin's book "Many Thousands Gone", which traces the evolution of black society in the New World.

A look at folklore and its role in African-American literature.

A discussion on the role of music in the 20th century black American community.

Shows why this American writer is considered a phenomenal woman and feminist.

A discussion of race issues and how they have corrupted the administration of the death penalty in the U.S. Judicial System.

Speaks of the parallels between the oppression that existed before the civil rights movement as spoken of in Ernest J. Gaine's famous novel, "A Lesson Before Dying", and the societal oppression that is still felt today in 2005.

An analysis of the theme of the emasculation of the black male in Spike Lee's "Bamboozled".

A personal critique of Frank J. Webb's "The Garies and Their Friends" ("Race in the Americas"), written in 1857 and compares this book with William Wells Brown's "Clotel" ("The President's Daughter: A Narrative of Slave Life in the United States.")

Evaluates the institution of slavery in both Brazil and the US, including abolition and the civil rights movement.

This paper examines the inherent bias in the death penalty and attempts to establish the root of this bias which has seen an unequal proportion of minorities and blacks executed compared to whites.

An examination of the history of slavery in America and an explanation why racism and slavery are clearly related.

Examines how to create a non-discriminatory workplace environment.

Examines whether racial profiling exists in the United States.

Examines the theme of conflict in the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker.

An examination of the book "Blake" by African-American activist and social changer Martin Delany.

An analysis of slavery in three areas of the New World, the New England, Middle and Southern colonies.

A paper about the sporting achievements of Josh Gibson - the Negro Leagues greatest all-time baseball player.

Describes how racism plays a role in Hollywood and how it is depicted in the movie "Crash".

An analysis of "The Emergence of an American Ethnic Pattern" by Nathan Glazer.

A literary analysis of three works by author Richard Wright.

An analysis of Maya Angelou's influence on African-American society.

An analysis of the works of photographer, Lorna Simpson.

A look civil rights advocate and former slave, Frederick Douglass and his stance on women's rights.

A paper on the life of Anne Moody and how, even as a child, she knew that she did not want to follow in her parents' footsteps as sharecroppers.

A paper on the relationship between racism and student achievement.

A look at the central role that Marcus Garvey played in the "back to Africa" movement.

This paper discusses the use of the English language in African-American literature by Ralph Ellison's novel "Invisible Man" ("The Battle Royal" scene) and Harryette Mullen's poem "Sleeping with the Dictionary".

A look at the leadership of slain civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.

An historical essay concerning the forced Americanization and de-culturalization of Native Americans and Africans through the misuse of education.

This paper analyzes the rhetoric of persuasion used in President John F. Kennedy's speech on civil rights from June 11, 1963.

An introduction and discussion of Mary Stanton's book about Viola Liuzzo, a white civil rights worker and mother murdered in Selma, Alabama.

This paper reviews "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd, the story both of a 14-year-old girl trying to resolve guilt for her mother's death ten years earlier and of the civil rights movement of the 1960's.

An analysis of affirmative action, the supposed solution to racism.

A summary and review Hansberry's story about the lives and times of one black family in 1950s.

A literature review on African-American boys and their socialization into youth sports.

An overview of the horrendous genocide against the Tutsi tribe in Rwanda in 1994.

Examines stereotypes towards slaves in early America and how slavery resistance went against these stereotypical images.

An analysis of the life and ideas of Marcus Garvey, a major figure of the Harlem Renaissance.

Examines Abraham Lincoln's views on slavery and his decision not to take an official stand in removing it from the American nation.

This paper is a research proposal to analyze the current compliance rates of African-American men for prostate cancer testing in Los Angeles County.

A brief biography of the all black singing quartet, "The Ink Spots".

This paper argues that Herman Melville's "Benito Cereno" fails to project his abolitionist position.

An analysis of Ralph Ellison's "The Invisible Man".

This paper discusses the relationship between past prejudice, racism and discrimination and life satisfaction in African-Americans.

This paper discusses Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God", which has been the subject of much debate.

An analysis of historically Black colleges and universities, with reference to Tuskegee University.

A discussion of the Almoravid and Almohad-Berber kings and the impact on Africa today.

This paper discusses the controversy of slavery in American history in the 19th century, especially the status of free blacks.

This paper analyzes Frederick Douglass' speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July", delivered on July 5th, 1852, one of the most provocative, powerful and persuasive speeches in American history.

An overview of various incidents of racial profiling and the reaction from the government.

An essay explaining why celebrity talk-show host and actress Oprah Winfrey is a great leader.

This paper discusses the American Constitution as a living, evolving document, from guaranteeing the right to enslavement in the 18th century, to modifications in favor of freedom of slaves in the 19th century.

This paper discusses one of the predominant themes in Toni Morrison's novel "Beloved" - self-discovery.

Examines group identity in Langston Hughes' poems and individual identity in Andrea Thompson's poetry.

An in-depth study of environmental justice and environmental racism with a focus on the state of Illinois.

Examines the works of W.E.B. Dubois, A. Locke and Richard Wright and shows how they affected African-American thinking.

A look at the concept of Orientalism using in Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings".

Traces the history of organized crime among the blacks in the United States.

An analysis of some of the radical activists of the American Civil War and their anti-slavery efforts.

This paper reviews "Slave and Citizen: The Life of Frederick Douglass" by Nathan Irvin Huggins, specifically the issues of rights, slavery and the major reform movements of the time.

A research study concerning the high dropout rates for African-American males in secondary education.

This paper is a contextualization of the life and contributions of actor Whoopi Goldberg.

A look at how this book can be used in the classroom to teach some important lessons on history and ethics.

An examination of Baldwin's exploration of the narrator's personality in 'Sonny's Blues.' Baldwin portrays a young African-American who has successfully assimilated into white society and contrasts this success with his brother's failure.

An analysis of the view taken by the Black churches on the topic of homosexuality.

Explores the contrasting lives of two African-American brothers in twentieth-century New York. The paper focuses on issues of assimilation, hope, faith and cultural preservation.

Analysis of an article on the value of the reparations movement in the U.S.

An analysis of the life and struggles of the African-American minister, Richard Allen.

A look at the theme of race in modern cinema through a comparative analysis of "The Two Towns of Jasper" and "Do the Right Thing".

A look at dolls from the 1940s to the 1970s and what impact they had on black and white children.

A look at the themes addressed in Mary Patillo-McCoy's book "Black Picket Fences".

A thorough examination of the hip hop culture and its impact on a person's identity.

This paper argues the question of reparation for the slavery of African-Americans.

A comparison of how slavery is addressed in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe, "Sociology of the South" and "Cannibals All" by Charles Fitzhugh.

This paper discusses the blues, a form of music which originated among African-American.

A short history of black women legislators in Florida - Gwendolyn Cherry, Carrie Meek and Arthenia Joyner.

Examines whether minority students are over-represented in special education classes in the United States.

Book report on Sellers' autobiography "The River of No Return".

A discussion of various issues of discrimination and prejudice.

An analysis of the hip-hop culture, its origins and the effect globalization has on it.

An analysis of racial disparity within prisons and corrections institutions.

An overview of the phenomenon of slavery in the northern and southern regions of America.

An analysis of David Walker's use of the Bible in his appeal to the American public to abolish slavery.

A look at why involuntary minorities have experienced far less academic success than voluntary minorities.

This paper discusses June Jordan, the most widely acknowledged African-American writer and social activist.

Examines the cultural geography of two styles of music.

This paper compares the writings of George Washington, J. Hector St. John Crevecoeur and Theodore Roosevelt to the writings of Frederick Douglass as expressed in his book "My Bondage and My Freedom".

A history of the Ku Klux Klan from its beginnings as a social club during the post-Civil War Reconstruction period to its eventual weakening at the hands of the U.S. government in the 1870s.

A comparative analysis of the lives of two American idols: Joe Louis and Mohammed Ali.

This paper discusses the antithetical Christian aspects of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

This paper discusses the Holocaust, racism at the extreme and compares it with the historical treatment of African-Americans.

A critical analysis of "Love Across the Color Line" by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz and Kathy Peiss