Abstract This paper is a review of the collection of essays in W.E.B. Dubois' "The Souls of Black Folk." The writer presents a short biography of William Edward Burghart Dubois, who was active in the civil rights movement and is identified as one of the most influential black intellectuals of the last century. Dubois' life experiences influenced his political and personal agenda and set him aside from other black leaders of his time. The book includes chapters on the civil rights movement and the history of the American Negro, with most of its content being influenced by his own experiences.
From the Paper "The Souls of Black Folk was first published in 1903 with Dubois declaring in the foreword ?the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line,? (The Souls, ?Forethought,? p. 1) and setting the stage for a groundbreaking treatise on the condition and soul of the black community. It is interesting to look at what the critics and the white community thought of the book at the time. In a review published in the New York Times on April 23, 1903, the reviewer attacks Dubois? credentials for understanding the Southern black folks, as he was a black man of northern education who could not feel what the Southerners (Black or White) felt. The reviewer concluded that the fundamental attitude (of the whites about blacks) was the product of conditions prevailing over centuries and was comparable to the attitude of the gentry over the peasantry in other countries. (Quoted by Rydell, 1996)."
Abstract This is a paper that analyzes and evaluates the disagreement between Martin Luther King Jr. and Lewis Van Dusen Jr. over the ethics of civil disobedience. The writer details each argument, asks how each argument can be doubted, discusses why the disputants disagree and concludes the paper by discussing which of the two arguments is stronger.
From the Paper "However, if one considers the implication of the argument of both the revolutionists, it could be seen that King bases most of his arguments on his observation in society. His knowledge of the law as well as his years among the poor, contribute a great deal to his opinion. In formulating his argument, King did not consider how civil disobedience would affect the "other half". The question is whether it is justified for the other half of the society to raise the issue of civil disobedience in the same manner that he is presenting for the African American society. He may have astutely presented the fact that civil ethics dictates everyone should have equal rights but did he consider what would happen if everyone were to have legal say in the matter of governing a nation?"
Abstract A paper which presents a detailed examination of history. Using Anne Moody's book, "The Coming of Age in Mississippi" where one can get a clear picture of what civil rights meant to many African-Americans, the writer of this paper discusses many aspects of coming of age and historical significance. The paper also discusses the themes of anger and black poverty in the book.
From the Paper "Moody's legacy was relevant in the 21st century because without it the changes may never have taken place. The changes were slow in coming and without the anger and approaches that Moody took and encouraged others to follow we might still be in the ages before the civil rights movements and that would be a tragedy not only to the black population but to the entire nation for the contributions the world would be missing for keeping the blacks down and oppressed."
Tags: 1960?s, Civil, Rights, movement, Martin, Luther, King
Abstract This paper reviews and summarizes the book, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl". It looks at the various degrees of treatment of slaves, raised in the book and establishes the stance that slavery was a prevalent practice throughout America before its abolishment, existing in varying degrees of freedom, from slave, through free-colored individual, to white American.
From the Paper "In her book, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs relates to the readers her experiences as a slave girl in the Southern part of America. Her story started from her sheltered life as a child to her subordination to her mistress upon her father's death, and her continuing struggle to live a dignified and virtuous life despite being a slave. Her struggle involves her constant degradation from her master; the danger of being sexually exploited by her mistress? husband, Dr Flint; her broken relationship with a free colored man; her pregnancy to a man named Mr Sands; and her fight for her and her children's freedom from slavery. All of these experiences helped Linda learn to fight justly for her right to become a free individual, but most of all, to be subordinated to Dr Flint, the man who wanted so bad to exploit her, yet, was not able to because of Linda's vigilance and determination not to be forever bounded by the rule of slavery, that is, that she, her children, and her descendants will forever be the slaves of the Flint family."
Abstract This paper presents a discussion of issues related to transracial foster care and adoption.The issues outlined here include those of identity and role-modeling, and the ability of parents to understand fully the experiences of their child of a different race. A review of the relevant literature on racial identity is provided.
From the Paper "A multiracial/cross racial/transracial foster care arrangement can be described as one in which there is a "foster care arrangement for a child who is of a different racial heritage than the individual or individuals who are providing the foster care." (Kenny)
Closely related to the issue of transracial foster care is transracial adoption. Transracial adoption presents the same kinds of problems as does transracial foster care. Children of ethnic minorities who are adopted by white parents do not have a minority role-model in the immediate family to look up to, and therefore may be more influenced by the wider society's devaluation of their ethnic identity. Development of a strong ethnic or racial identity will be hampered by not growing up in a home where the parents and siblings are members of that same group. Additionally, white parents will never be able to fully understand discrimination in the way that minority parents can, and therefore, however well intentioned they may be, they will never be able to provide the kind of support and advice regarding societal discrimination that adoptive parents of the same race would be able to provide."
Abstract This paper examines the play "A Raisin in the Sun", by African- American playwright Lorraine Hansberry. The paper describes the playwright's life and provides a synopsis of the plays events. The paper states that the moral of this play is as long as people try to do their best for their families, they can lift each other up.
From the Paper "Lorraine Hansberry's " A Raisin in the Sun" was the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway in 1959. Moreover, Hansberry was the youngest and the first black writer to receive the New York Drama Critics Award. She was deeply committed to equality and human rights, and her play approaches important issues and concerns regarding the African-American racial identity and discrimination, and poverty."
Tags: africian, american, play, playwrite, new, york, drama, critics, award, balck, women, racial, identity, a, discrimination, poverty
Abstract The paper introduces Benjamin Banneker, an African American born in 1731, who made enormous contributions to the study of mathematics. The paper discusses his spheres of interest in the field, including clock building, astronomy, tide and weather. It discusses, too, his widely publicized almanac that served as a contradiction to the American belief that blacks were inferior, and his contribution to the building of the city of Washington D.C.
From the Paper "In addition to creating America's first clock, his studies in astronomy made a mathematical calculations of the stars and constellations, which he used to correctly predict a solar eclipse that took place on April 14, 1789. Furthermore, Banneker was not quiet about this contradiction. Infact, he was a social critic of slavery. Thus, it was this reason and an attempt to promote change; he sent a copy of his first Almanac to Thomas Jefferson."
Abstract This paper examines the Ann Petry novel "The Street". It describes the story of the female African-American heroine's life as a single mother in Harlem. The paper demonstrates Petry's use of her main character to explore the limitation of the American capitalist system, when issues of gender and race are concern. The author writes that the novel is a tragic reality of the sufferings of African-American people in one of the most prosperous capitalist societies of the world. The paper describes how the novel is American naturalistic tradition through the depiction of real life on the streets of Harlem.
From the Paper "Ann Petry's "The Street" is a story about Lutie Johnson, an intelligent, strong, and beautiful black woman who does her best to raise an eight-year-old son as a single parent, advance in her job, and work her way out of the Harlem streets. Petry uses Lutie Johnson as a medium to explore the limitations of the American capitalist system; the role of race and gender in perpetuating violence, poverty and failure; and the societal restrictions that restrict and oppress the female gender, especially black women. "
Tags: women, black, single, paprent, harlem, captialism, race, gender, female
Abstract The paper shows how African-Americans Fredrick Douglass and Richard Wright both wrote books that dealt with their challenges for the pursuit of knowledge. It shows how both of these men dealt with adversity but triumphed over it in different ways. The paper discusses essays from "The Life and Times of Fredrick Douglass" and Richard Wright's "Black Boy: A Record of Childhood and Youth" to compare the life and struggles of the two.
From the Paper "Douglass's story took place earlier than Wright's story; Douglass learned to read by overcoming great challenges. He would read from a bible that he had found in gutter. He would have the neighborhood boys teach him new letters and words. He thought up creative ways to learn. He learned that knowledge was the key to fighting slavery. If a person can read, he posses a knowledge that could be used to raise anti-slavery support. If Douglass could read, he might be able one day to find freedom. However, he had to hide his knowledge from his masters and the whole of society for fear of being punished."
Abstract This paper traces the life of one of the most controversial Muslim leaders of America, Malcolm X. It focuses on the changes that his ideologies and beliefs underwent through the course of his life and it examines the events and incidents that caused those changes. The paper is based on Alex Haley's biography, entitled "The Autobiography of Malcolm X", and it includes evaluative comments on Haley's book.
From the Paper "Malcolm X, the most influential Black Muslim leader, was a man whose views and personality underwent so many changes that the final version of him bore little or no resemblance to the original one. In the book, "Autobiography of Malcolm X", Alex Haley has highlighted all the changes that his political and social ideologies encountered and this helps us understand the complex multi-faceted personality of the man who had a profound impact on Black Muslims in America. The paper covers all the changes and carefully analyzes the events and incidents that caused those changes."
An analysis of two of this author's short stories, "Cora Unashamed" and "Feet Live Their Own Life" , as examples of the standard theme of racial prejudice seen in his work.
Abstract The paper begins with a brief biography of Langston Hughes. A summary and analysis of two of his short stories follows, demonstrating his use of the theme of racial prejudice and black slavery in America as in most of his works. The imagery used in each story to illustrate his points is examined.
From the Paper "Langston Hughes was a renowned African-American writer, poet, playwright and lecturer who used the themes of racial prejudice and white-and black- American conflict in his literary works. He was known for publishing book volumes of different kinds of poetry, and for his love of jazz music. Born in Missouri, James Langston Hughes was said to be born to an ?abolitionist family,? wherein he was a relative of the first Black American to be elected in public office, which is John Mercer Langston (Jackson 2002). Hughes? life was always full of adventure and travels, and these experiences helped him create different plots and settings for his literary works. Hughes was already writing poems during his high school years, and even published his works in the school organ, the Central High Monthly."
Tags: poet, playwright, black, abolitionist, submissive, economic, power, race, color
Abstract This paper offers information on the author Randolph B. Campbell and describes how the time period in which the book was written reflects on his work. It discusses the misconceptions of slavery and recognizes the unique history of the American South on which the book is based.
From the Paper "?An Empire For Slavery,? by Randolph B. Campbell informs the reader of general information and misconceptions during the brief, but important history of slaves in the state of Texas. Morally opposed to slavery, Campbell, by no means tries to attack or side with either institution, yet recognizes the unique history of the antebellum South, with which "An Empire For Slavery" is based upon. Campbell's devotion to his work is truly seen throughout the book in his attempt to seek, describe, and interpret the institution with out any certain theoretical model."
Tags: texas, blacks, Lone, Star, State, civil, war
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr. The plan of the research will be to set forth the historical context in which the book needs to be read, and then to discuss how King's analysis structured a philosophy of social change, as well as how the landscape of social activism appears to have shifted since the time of King's leadership.
As a historical document, Why We Can't Wait is a status report on the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, an attempt to take stock of how far the movement had come since its modern inception in the American South in the late 1950s and an apologia for the persistence activism in the service of far-reaching social change. It is meant to explain the rationale for the form that the civil rights protest movement has taken..."
From the Paper "Richard Wright's short story "The Man Who Was Almost A Man" is the story of a 17-year-old Southern black youth, Dave Saunders, who believes that having a gun will give him the power and respect he lacks in a world in which he is bossed around by his parents as well as by the white man, Jim Hawkins, on whose farm he works. He believes having a gun will make him a man. He buys the gun, accidentally kills Hawkins' mule, gets caught, and takes off on a train in the middle of the night with his gun: "Ahead the long rails were glinting in the moonlight, stretching away, away to somewhere, somewhere where he could be a man" (Wright 112).
The story on a symbolic level, in Robert Felgar's analysis, has both phallic and racial/social elements: "Aside from its obvious phallic significance, the pistol is an emblem of male..."
From the Paper "This research paper recounts the role of the Freedom Riders in the civil rights movement in the 1960s and assesses its significance. The Freedom Riders were relatively small groups of young black and white activists, mostly college students, who took to the nation's highways in the early 1960's to storm the ramparts of white segregationist practices in the Deep South.
The initial Freedom Rides of 1961 were hastily improvised affairs which triggered violent reactions by white extremists. The Freedom Riders bore the brunt of this reaction with considerable dignity in part due to their training in the tactics of non-violent resistance. The Freedom Riders, together with other confrontations spearheaded by young activists, helped reinvigorate the civil rights movement and transform it into a..."
