Abstract Discusses the piano as a protagonist of the play and its representation of black history and transition from past to present. Examines the monetary and symbolic value of the piano and Wilson's use of music in his plays.
From the Paper "Inside this book, there is a review from the Washington Post which says, in part "The piano is no less vital a sign of a family's spiritual heritage than Chekhov's Cherry Orchard was." In a sense, the piano itself is the protagonist..."
Abstract The paper looks at the life of George Washington Carver, beginning with his early life in slavery. It shows his early interests in nature and plants, the development of his horticultural talents at Iowa State College, as well as his other talents.
From the Paper "George Washington Carver
His Life & Accomplishments
The life and accomplishments of George Washington Carver demonstrate the degree to which some African American slaves were able to overcome the obstacles of slavery in remarkable ways. The exact date of..."
Abstract Martin Luther King of the modern United States and Lao-Tzu of ancient China were two great philosophers whose great differences stemmed from their core beliefs. The paper shows that Lao-Tzu believed that the way for humankind to achieve happiness was to connect fully with nature and to not try to control everyday events. It shows, in comparison, that Martin Luther King believed that humankind should confront evil and correct the wrongs of the world.
From the Paper "King's philosophy was more in line with that of Confucius, who believed that people must make a social difference. However, Lao-Tzu's approach to "do nothing" was not the same as King's approach to "do nothing" when demonstrators were attacked. Lao-Tzu's view was mystical. He would have recognized that while Martin Luther's King's approach may have appeared to be "doing nothing" at first, actually it was the final action of an elaborate plan designed to make a very big social difference. It started with King's followers educating the activists very careful about the philosophy of non-violence. They planned where they would demonstrate, and when. They planned what they would wear and exactly what they would do when they ?did nothing.?"
Abstract African-Americans, along with African-Caribbeans, searched for an identity to call their own. This paper explains how this search was assisted through the creation of two capital cities, Harlem and Paris Noir. These cities enabled blacks to spark the Harlem Renaissance. More than a literary movement and social revolt against racism, this paper explains how the Harlem Renaissance glorified the unique culture of African-Americans and redefined African-American expression.
From the Paper "What, after all, am I? Am I an American or am I a Negro? Can I be both? Or is it my duty to cease to be a Negro as soon as possible and be an American? Is not my only possible practical aim the subduction of all that is Negro in me to the American? Does my black blood place upon me any more obligation to assert my nationality than German, or Irish or Italian blood would? (Du Bois, ?The Conservation of Races, pg. 5)? These questions preoccupied W. E. B. Du Bois in his quest for his identity, an experience shared by many African-Americans in the early twentieth century. African-Americans began answering their own questions of cultural identity with the eruption of creativity in literature, art, and music following World War I, a time period known as "The New Negro Movement" or the Harlem Renaissance that lasted until about 1930. The Harlem Renaissance celebrated African-American culture. This quest for black identity developed most noticeably in Harlem and then spread to Montmartre, a section of Paris. Black urban migration to Harlem and Montmartre set the scene for a cultural revolution; black intellectuals including Alain Locke and W. E. B. Du Bois promoted the quest for black identity that resulted in the unparalleled success of black artists during the Harlem Renaissance."
Abstract This paper discusses King's essay, ?Nonviolence and the Montgomery Boycott,? which goes to great lengths to define and illustrate the many ways people can be effective while being passive. This paper explains how his goal was to inspire others to stand up for their rights in such a way that was not only respectable, but effective. He believed in civil rights for African-Americans, and he believed in peace, as well.
From the Paper "King first points out how important is to realize that just because a person is being nonviolent, it does not mean that he or she is passively accepting evil. He clarifies that the nonviolent resister is passive only in the sense that he or she is not "physically aggressive toward his opponent" and his or her "mind and emotions are always active, constantly seeking to persuade his opponent that he is wrong" (King 265). He also asserts that nonviolence does not "seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding" (265). Additionally, King states that nonviolence is a method that is aimed at a particular evil "rather than against persons who happen to be doing the evil" (265). King also reminds African Americans that nonviolent resistance is a "willingness to accept suffering without retaliation" and that a nonviolent resister refuses to hate his or her opponent. (266) "
Abstract This paper looks at the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a Southerner who was a legendary figure from his generation and who believed that the wall of segregation could be demolished with the power of love. It looks at how he was an American clergyman, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and one of the key leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement advocating non-violent protest. It shows how he was successful in his challenges during the 1950s and 1960s to end segregation and racial discrimination by persuading many white Americans to support the cause of civil rights in the United States. He was assassinated in 1968, only to be remembered as man who had enough willpower to protest in the struggle for racial justice.
From the Paper "The Montgomery bus boycott went on for over a year, with huge protests among southern blacks. King was focused on a serious appeal to Christian brotherhood and American idealism of equal rights that led to the Whites outside the South to identify with his wants in a positive manner. In February 1956, ruling of the federal court was in favor of the MIA, whereby the city buses were no longer segregated. King founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. This organization comprised of black churches and ministers had the objective of ending racial segregation. King became the president of SCLC and found ways to link the NAACP's legal procedures to end segregation through the courts with other with other SCLC leaders through non-violent protest to end discrimination."
Abstract This paper presents the topic of racism as the world developed from the turn of the century, through two world wars, and into the modern and developed Western world today. The paper begins with a reference to Charles Darwin's theory of "Natural Selection" or "Survival of the Fittest" and uses this to explain how racism came about. The writer then mentions Hitler's form of racism as possibly the greatest example of the extent of racism in the 20th century. The writer connects the two theories of Darwin and Hitler as subscribing to the superiority of one race over any other.
From the Paper "Charles Darwin was the first person to propose the theory of "natural selection" and "Survival of the fittest" by which he explained the inner workings of nature to either help sustain or eliminate a species. According to the theory it is the design of nature to sustain the healthy and the strong so that best of species survive to create a stronger progeny. The theory of evolution explains the alteration in characteristics of species over a period of time to survive the adverse conditions. Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest has been much espoused by political leaders and it has been used extensively to support and explain their colonial and imperialistic tendencies. Even some religious leaders used Darwin's theory to explain racial and religious superiority. The writings of Josiah Strong, the protestant reformer of the ninetieth century clearly echoes his belief of the superiority of the Anglo Saxon race."
Abstract This paper discusses affirmative action, with particular emphasis on how it pertains to decisions on hiring and promoting. The objective of the paper is to show that, for the most part, affirmative action works well. There are only some instances when it is taken too far so that it becomes detrimental to both white males, because they cannot get work as easily, and minorities, because they are believed to be promoted based on race and gender, and not on the merits of their work.
From the Paper "Affirmative action is a reasonably new development when looking at the history of this country. It is basically designed to ensure that people who were treated unfairly in the past get equal treatment now, but there are some difficulties with this and there are some people who feel that affirmative action is unfair to those that are not minorities. Mainly white males feel that women and/or minorities are chosen before them in hiring decisions and are also promoted at a better rate in companies that have affirmative action policies in place. It has become difficult for many companies to find a balance between being fair to white males and being fair to everyone else."
Abstract This paper begins with a summary of the plot of "Desiree's Baby" and then provides an analysis of the story's main characters and its theme. The paper describes how "Desiree's Baby" sends a message that judging another human being based on his or her skin color is completely immoral and unjustified.
From the Paper "Kate Chopin's short story, ?Desiree's Baby,? begins by explaining how Desiree comes to live with Monsieur and Madame Valmonde?Monsieur Valmonde finds her as a child sleeping on his property, and he and his wife decide to raise her. When Desiree grows up, Armand Aubigny falls in love with her, and despite Monsieur Valmonde's warnings that Desiree's origins are unknown, Armand marries her and they have a baby boy. At first, they are both extremely proud and happy, and Armand even treats his Negro slaves kindly because he is in such a joyful state of mind. However, Armand's manner changes when the baby is three months old: he stops looking into Desiree's eyes when he speaks to her, he treats the slaves awfully, and he seems to fall out of love with Desiree. Desiree is miserable and cannot understand why her husband has changed."
Abstract This paper looks at the influence of folk tradition on African-American poetry and the impact on the major poets of the 21st century. It argues that several African-Americans have demonstrated a traditional approach to their work, and since these appear to relate strongly to their messages, it is may be said that folk tradition has had an impact on African-American poetry.
From the Paper "A large of portion of American culture exists today because of the color that the African Americans have given it. Without these people, American culture would have been quite different. From the time that the Africans were brought as slaves to America the traditions became known, and though their forms of art evolved with the passage of time, their folk tradition continued to have an immense influence on their forms of expressive art. The African Americans have been known for their music, artwork and poetry. These have all largely depicted the tribulations that they have been put through as people, illustrating the ways that they were oppressed by the whites. Although some of their expressions are blatant, they have largely succeeded in attracting an audience that consists of whites and non-whites. (Smethurst, 1999)"
This paper discusses the autobiography, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave", written in 1845, which recounts the horrible conditions that led to Douglass's book about the contemptuous state of slavery.
Abstract This paper explains that, with strength and determination, Douglas rebelled against and overcame slavery; and, in the end, he found the accumulation of material wealth used to justify the atrocities of slavery was an illusion. The author points out that, after his flight to the North, Douglass was amazed to find that Northerners were wealthier than most slave owners in Maryland; he had expected that they would be as poor as the people in the South who could not afford slaves. The paper relates that, by standing up for himself, Douglass became, in his own mind, a man of dignity and courage and earned his place in history as one of the world's greatest men.
From the Paper "Isolation from family was one of the many injustices of slavery that Douglass experienced. Frederick's mother was unable to visit her children on a frequent basis because of the distance between the farm where she worked and the slave plantation where the children lived. Frederick did not even learn of his own mother's death until much time had passed. Property division would often separate slave families and after Frederick's grandmother was deemed too old to work, she was evicted from her cabin and sent into the woods to die. Yet another property division would separate Frederick from a black preacher named Charles Lawson who had taken Frederick under his wing and adopted him as his spiritual son. And, to escape to the North, Frederick had to leave behind his friends and his wife who he was not sure if he would ever see again."
Abstract This paper explains that the theory behind the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all the following civil rights legislation was simply to assist people in their attempt at upward mobility. The author points out that, without the judicial system to enforce the legislation of change, the legislation becomes worth no more than the parchment upon which it is written. The paper relates that the Equal Opportunity Employment Act protects women from discrimination upon the basis of their family status.
From the Paper "The first court case that began the chain of events that created these laws was the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson, which established a legal precedence for the inclusion of racial segregation in public train cars. This single case began an already spirited legal climb toward a group of laws defining segregation that would later be known as Jim Crow Laws, named for a black face vaudevillian actor who was a popular racial stereotype in the late 1800s. With this initial establishment of legally enforceable segregation laws, the country was swept with laws governing everything from public schools to movie theaters and cafes."
Abstract This paper describes the life story of a slave girl, as told in Harriet Jacob's autobiographical narrative. The paper looks at how Jacob's book touches upon the female experience of slavery, an aspect often missing from other slave narratives, and the way blacks had to contend with the scourge of racial inequality, even in the free states and after the Emancipation Proclamation.
From the Paper "Harriet Jacob's autobiographical narrative, published as Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is a poignant account of one woman's experiences living in bondage. Linda Brent (Jacob's pseudonym) was born as a household slave to a relatively kind mistress who taught her how to read and write by the time she was twelve. When her mistress died, however, she did not grant Linda her freedom: As a result, Linda was sent to Dr. Flint's home, where she suffered the immeasurable brutality described in the bulk of the book. Written to alert a mostly Northern audience to the plight of slaves, the narrative effectively illustrates the horrors not only of slavery as an evil institution but also of the traumas endured on a daily basis by enslaved men and women. Moreover, what makes Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl so unique and historically significant is that it offers special insight into the experiences of female slaves, who encounter such gender-based traumas as sexual assault and the pain of being separated from their children. Jacobs peppers her account with details but changes person and place names to protect them and herself, for she eventually escaped and fled to the North."
This paper reviews Elijah Anderson's "Code of the Street: Decency, Violence and the Moral Life of the Inner City", which describes inner city black culture.
1,725 words (approx. 6.9 pages), 0 sources, 2004, $ 55.95
Abstract This paper examines Elijah Anderson's "Code of the Street: Decency, Violence and the Moral Life of the Inner City", extensive interviews with people who live in an area he describes as a "hyperghetto" in "North Philadelphia". The author relates that Anderson points out that, only one generation ago, the neighborhood contained numerous manufacturing jobs; men who wanted to be decent parents could get a job that provided their family with a living wage. The paper concludes that Anderson's book, using full, unedited quotes from the people who live in North Philadelphia, managed to be analytical without being impersonal; he gives readers who have never been anywhere near such a neighborhood an understanding of both its strengths and its weaknesses.
From the Paper "The attitude of street families has at least some roots in the perception and reality of racism. Street families believe that there's one kind of justice for whites, and another for blacks, and so they will have to right any wrongs done to them on their own. Power comes from having a large group of people who will back you up in a dispute, no questions asked. The fewer people you can count on to call to your side, the weaker, and more vulnerable, you are. Having respect means not that you work hard or are trying to raise your family well, but that you are capable of vengeance and will not hesitate to seek it."
Abstract This paper explains that King uses emotion, appeals to authority, and a sense of goodwill to establish a certain atmosphere within the first three paragraphs of his letter to help him win over his audience. The author points out that by the first paragraph with ?My dear fellow clergymen", King appeals to the authority or reputation of his audience because the use of the word "dear" first allows his audience to be clear that his intentions are not negative. The paper relates that King uses terms such as "dear", "good will", "genuine", "sincere", "patient", and "reasonable" to convey a sense of goodwill and friendliness.
From the Paper "Still another strategy King uses is emotional appeal. In paragraph one, we see King's reference to his position as ?confined here in the Birmingham city jail.? (King, 1963, paragraph 1). King does not accuse anyone of blame for his position, but appeals to their emotions through his statement of the obvious. King continues with this strategy through his description of the criticisms he receives on a regular basis for his work. Again, he does not blame anyone for that, but gently reminds his audience that he is frequently criticized."
