Abstract This paper gives explores the issue of transracial adoption in America. It outlines the cultural and family aspects of adoption and more specifically transracial adoption. It points to individual and broad surveys that conclude there are high success rates in both family continuity and preservation of racial/ethnic identity.
From the paper:
"Transracial adoption means adopting children of various races, color, religion, that is, from all parts of the world. Transracial adoption has been spoken for and spoken against and my argument is based on ?choosing a positive view point, that is pro transracial.?
"Here we will discuss that transracial adoption proves to be very beneficial for the adoptee and they do not face any racial discrimination problem, nor do they lack self-esteem."
This paper gives the arguments both for and against slavery in 1863, and shows how Fredrick Douglass' autobiography destroyed the pro-slavery argument.
Abstract This is a research essay that deals with Fredrick Douglass historically as the man who was finally able to convince the general public and President Lincoln of the evils of slavery. It is also a literary analysis of Fredrick Douglass? work, specifically "Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass: An American Slave". It begins with the pro-slavery argument, and shows how Fredrick Douglass shattered all aspects of this argument with both his stories about his life as a slave and the fact that he was as powerful an orator as any white man in his time.
From the Paper "The pro-slavery argument, which declared that the Negro is inferior to a white man and that his natural abilities suited him for slavery, managed to secure the status and wealth of those who benefited economically from the institution for the time it existed after the Revolution, despite the moral arguments against it. Abolitionists, people against slavery, from the North toiled with no avail for years to abolish the system that had corrupted the minds of so many American citizens. However, it was not until the coming of the first great African-American speaker and abolitionist, Fredrick Douglass, which the planter aristocracy lost their influence and slavery finally fell to pieces with the end of the Civil War."
An in-depth assessment of the causes of gang formation and underlying attraction of street gangs in order to determine priorities for intervention programs.
Abstract The paper looks at youth gangs: the scope of the problem, statistics, risk factors and prevention strategies. Much focus is placed upon young African-American males and the extent of their gang membership. The author believes that a combination of social opportunities, community organization, and organizational change can be most beneficial in addressing the problem of African-American male youth gangs.
From the Paper "Estimates of the magnitude of youth gang problems in the United States had steadily increased over the last decades of the twentieth century. Once considered largely an urban phenomenon, gangs have increasingly emerged in smaller communities, presenting a challenge that severely strains local resources. Today's gangs are best characterized by their diversity in ethnic composition, geographical location, organization, and the nature and extent of members' involvement in delinquent or criminal activities. Hispanics have the highest percentage of youth gang membership in the US, however, adolescent African-American males represent a large proportion of the gangs, especially those established in the inner city. Causal risk factors must be explored in order to prioritize prevention and intervention programs to reduce youth gang activity among those communities most affected by adolescent black male gang activity."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth examination of the Blues. It begins by taking a look at the Deep South roots of the original Blues during slavery and how it began to spread north to Harlem in the late 1900s. The birth of contemporary Blues in the 1940s is detailed and it looks at some of the musicians, such as Scott Joplin who began incorporating these rhythms into their music. The next area covered is the building of the Blues, and traces the growth of different genres from the original blues. According to this author, the legacy of the blues was set, when it reached the ears of Elvis Presley, which led to the birth of rock and roll.
From the Paper "The music that was originally known as the blues developed from a variety of hereditary and regional musical influences and practices popular among the people of the southern portion of the United States. The roots of all varieties of blues music can be traced to the southern states, particularly those that comprise the area of the nation known as the Deep South. The music originating in the hills and backwoods of Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, music that has become most commonly associated with "hillbilly" bands and rhythms, is in fact a variety of the blues genre that is often referred to as "country blues" (Pooley 86). The style and genre that is most commonly associated with the blues, however, is also commonly associated with the nation's African-American sector and stems from the "Delta blues", a form of the blues that originated among the slave populations of the antebellum south and developed alongside its country "cousin" (86). This distinct musical style and form developed from the West African rhythms and beats that were brought to America by African slaves imported during the early years of slavery, rhythms and beats that were kept alive and passed down from generation to generation by the traditional music and songs of southern slaves."
Tags: musicians, south, deep, harlem, genre, rhythm, slavery, music, american, ragtime, emancipation, style, note, rock, roll
Abstract This paper examines the use of symbolism used in Chapter One of Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man, "The Battle Royal," and its significance to African-Americans. The author traces the significant events in the life of the Invisible Man, beginning with the influence of his grandfather. The author uses different symbols to illustrate the different events in this man's life and how they are used to lay the groundwork in the first chapter of Ellison's book.
From the Paper "The presence of the dancer at the battle royal (19-21) represents temptations that seem inviting on the outside, but which are not really good at all. Deprivation has made the temptation impossible to resist, despite the consequences: ?Had the price of looking been blindness,? Invisible Man tells us, "I would have looked" (19). This is so, even though Invisible Man feels "guilt and fear" (19) and knows that he will never really be able to obtain such enticements. The dancer represents mockery and vain lures toward the unfulfillable."
Abstract This paper discusses Ringgold's background and her work. In addition to other media, she uses quilting as an art form to tell stories that show the difficulties of being black and a woman. Through her canvas and quilts, she has made lasting changes in the worlds of black women artists and folk art. Her work is shown in galleries and exhibitions all over the world.
From the Paper "Ringgold was born in New York City on October 8, 1930. She grew up in Harlem. Her mother, Willi Posey Jones, was a fashion designer, and when Ringgold was young, she spent a lot of time at home, watching her mother work. She learned how to sew from her mother, and learned about working with different kinds of fabrics, and about drawing. The family was poor, but they were very interested in art and culture, and often took her to local museums. She grew up with people in her neighborhood like Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, who influenced her in black culture and what blacks could accomplish."
Abstract The paper discusses the significance of reparations to descendants of slaves and presents arguments and reasons for and against it.
Some of the issues include the effects of slavery, the difficulty of identifying who is a descendant of a slave and whether it is fair for a nation to pay for the crimes that were committed hundreds of years ago. Legal issues are discussed.
From the Paper "The battle for reparations first emerged at the conclusion of the Civil War, when President Andrew Johnson reneged on Union Army Gen. William T. Sherman's promise that freed slaves would receive 40 acres and a mule.
"In 1989 President George Bush signed a law providing reparations for Japanese-Americans interned in camps in the U.S. during World War II."
Abstract This paper describes the goals and methods of reconstruction of the southern states after the American Civil War. It states that reconstruction tried to achieve a certain degree of racial egalitarianism of the blacks with two vital amendments to the constitution: The 14th and 15th amendments. The paper describes the counter productivity with the government's clemency towards the southern states, which introduced black codes to suppress the African-American population. The author states that reconstruction achieved much regardless of its obvious weaknesses: schools were built to educate blacks and the poor whites, roads were constructed and the shield given to life and property were certainly key achievements of the government.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Reconstruction and its Weaknesses
Attitude of white Southerners
Compromise of 1877
Conclusion
From the Paper "Even after the liberation declaration proclamation, two more years of war, service by African American troops, and the overwhelm of the confederacy, the nation was still unprepared to deal with the question of full citizenship for its newly at liberty black population. The reconstruction implemented by Congress, which lasted from 1866 to 1877, was aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War, providing the means for at restructure the southern states. After the Civil War, providing the means for readmitting them into the union, and defining the means by which whites and blacks could live jointly in a no slave society. The South, however, saw reconstruction as a humiliating, even unforgiving burden and did not welcome it."
Abstract This paper examines the use of civil disobedience throughout the history of humanity, as seen in Sophocles? play ?Antigone,? Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" and Martin Luther King Junior's "Letter from Birmingham Jail". The paper describes the common theme of non-violence, even under the threat of death. It illustrates the effects of demonstrating against oppressive rule of government through this method.
From the Paper "Civil disobedience is a common occurrence that can be traced back throughout human history. The long-standing questions that accompany civil disobedience are when is civil disobedience justified, why should you be disobedient, and what actions are morally right during civil disobedience? Sophocles, Henry David Thoreau, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., express their views on this subject matter and propose different answers to these questions by using different rhetorical methods. Sophocles argues two different views of civil disobedience, first the view of Antigone who, is willing to die to obey the laws of the gods, and then the view of Creon, who is the king and made the law of the land the law by which Antigone dies. Thoreau expresses civil disobedience by refusing to pay taxes. Henry David Thoreau argues for the idea of disobeying a government if it does not please the people. Martin Luther King, Jr. makes the better case for civil disobedience through strong rhetorical tactics, organized preparation, and peaceful negotiations."
Abstract This paper details racial profiling and civil rights. The writer uses New Jersey as an example of a state which has confessed to using racial profiling its African Americans and pulling them over on the highway based on color and not on motive or suspicion. The paper explores the many facets of the problem and a proposed solution.
From the Paper "Treating someone differently because they LOOK different than the mandated acceptable look is exactly what the Jews went through during the Nazi regime. Americans pride themselves on not allowing such mindsets to enter the nation , yet the blatant racial profiling so openly violates the civil rights of minorities that is should be an easy answer. Unfortunately its not easy to answer because the denial is still there. As America moves toward the future it takes with it lessons of the past and the racial profiling issue smacks so closely to the Nazi practices that it should not take long to be recognized and stopped."
Abstract This paper discusses Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter written in response to a public statement composed by eight Alabama clergyman that questioned and denounced the recent human rights demonstrations by Negro citizens. It discusses how his writing, blended with logic and theory and with passion and force, rebuts the clergymen's statement, informs the public and motivates the white moderates to act.
From the Paper "The letter begins with an introduction to Martin Luther King, Jr., to his task, and to his motivation. The first several paragraphs contain most of Kings ethos appeals, though he does scatter others throughout the letter. Ethos appeals help King establish his character and credibility, upon which he builds his argument. Such a foundation is essential for any effective argument. For example, King refers to his primary audience - the clergymen - as Afellow clergymen@ and Amen of genuine good will@ to establish a relationship of respect. Then, to bolster his own character, King mentions some of his credentials while he explains his presence in Birmingham - he is president of the Southern Leadership Conference, he works with over eighty-five affiliated organizations throughout the south, etc."
Southern intellectuals' justiications based on physiological, racial, social, religioius, cultural and economic levels. Argument that slavery was a more benevolent institution than Capitalism.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 15 sources, 2001, $ 63.95
From the Paper "In spite of the process of emancipation and criticism against slavery, the South hung onto slavery even after the Revolutionary Period (Moore 140). At first, they defended the institution of slavery as a necessary evil. However, in time, the South, through the voice of the intellectuals, wove an impressive web of justifications. It not only defended the institution, but extolled it as an ideal system to be emulated by all societies. In their complete embrace of slavery, these intellectuals justified the institution on several levels: physiological, racial, social, religious, cultural and economic.
By pointing out the physiological and racial differences from the whites, the doctors and scientists of the South played a large part in undermining the humanity of the slaves. This "knowledge" set the stage for the justification of the ..."
From the Paper "Robert J. Norrell, in Reaping the Whirlwind, examines the suggestion that Tuskegee, Alabama, was a "model of racial harmony" from the 1880s to the late 1960s. This study will argue that although many whites and some blacks did feel that their community was such a model of harmony, Tuskegee was in fact not such a model.
Norrell reveals, in fact, that Tuskegee was a thoroughly segregated community consisting of one powerful white sector and one politically impotent black sector. The veneer of harmony held up by many whites and some socioeconomically privileged blacks masked a deep racial disharmony. Whites claimed that blacks registered in the conservative Democratic party were evidence of harmony, but in fact the evidence is that the rolls were manipulated by whites. The struggle that emerged when racial..."
Examines the history and evolution of the black codes (from the Civil War to the 1990s) designed to keep African-Americans second-class citizens after the emancipation.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 6 sources, 1999, $ 47.95
Abstract The Civil War ended slavery, but it did not give African-Americans equality. Southern whites, upon regaining power in the late 1870s and early 1880s, instituted black codes, also known as "Jim Crow" laws.
From the Paper "The Civil War ended slavery, but it did not give African-Americans equality. Southern whites, upon regaining power in the late 1870s and early 1880s, instituted black codes, also known as "Jim Crow" laws. Those statutes, coupled with racist terrorism and official indifference (if not hostility), relegated African-Americans to permanent second-class status for decades, until the U.S. Supreme Court began dismantling "Jim Crow" in the 1950s. This paper will analyze the impact and the legacy of Jim Crow laws, from their birth in the 19th century, their death in this century, and their lingering effect as the new millennium dawns.
After the Civil War, Congress passed (and the states ratified) three amendments to the U.S. Constitution: the thirteenth, which ended slavery; the fourteenth, which barred discrimination based on race; and the fifteenth, which ..."
Abstract Charlie Parker, born Charles Christopher Parker in 1920, was a product of Kansas City jazz as developed in the 1920s and 1930s. Parker is associated with the development of the Bebop style, and he was highly influential on jazz players who followed him. His life was short and tragic, marked by drug addiction and attempted suicide.
From the Paper "Charlie Parker, born Charles Christopher Parker in 1920, was a product of Kansas City jazz as developed in the 1920s and 1930s. Parker is associated with the development of the Bebop style, and he was highly influential on jazz players who followed him. His life was short and tragic, marked by drug addiction and attempted suicide. He was 35 when he died, but his life had been so hard on him that the death certificate gave his age as 55 because that was how he appeared (Rich 47).
Bebop represents modern jazz, which emerged as a distinctive style from movements taking place from the 1920s. Ted Gioia associates bebop with the larger force of modernism, and he notes that jazz had from the first been a modernist music whose leaders always looked forward and developed new musical forms. The rise of a new and more open modernism in the 1940s seemed an abrupt ..."
