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 ..."
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 ..."
Abstract This paper analyzes Frederick Douglass' famous anti-slavery speech on July 5, 1852 which claimed free blacks and slaves were not Americans because Constitutional benefits and protections granted to whites were not given to blacks. It examines his accusations that America had always had double standards and it had never been sincere and true in implementing liberty, equality and justice. The paper continues to back his claim with examples from David Walker's appeal against the apparent injustice of the white man and the writings of Ida B. Wells-Barnett, a militant civil rights fighter.
From the Paper "We can clearly see that Douglass' aim was to uncover the injustice and hypocrisy of American liberty and equality, its empty slogans and hollow mockery. By doing this Douglass not only inciting his black fellow men to rebel against such unjust and oppressive system but also uncovering the naked truth to the authority and to the people who are celebrating the Independence Day. Douglass by referring to past is pointing out to the systematic development of slavery in the United States. "
The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss the 1959 play ?A Raisin in the Sun"; a serious drama about a black family written by a black woman, Lorraine Hansberry.
Abstract The paper gives a background of the author and gives an overview of the play. It then reviews the historical aspects of the play and discusses its impact on audiences of the time. The paper also discusses the play's use of characterization, construction, setting, conversation, and theme and looks at the racial tone prevalent in the work.
Table of Contents:
A. Introduction
B. Background on Author and Play
C. Characterization
1. Flat, Round
2. Conversations
D. Construction
E. Theme and Contrast
F. Racial Tone
G. Setting
H. Conclusion
From the Paper "When the play appeared on stage in 1959, there was not a Broadway-going black audience, and no one could say with fact that white audiences would attend a play about a black family, yet attend they did. "Writer James Baldwin said that never before had so much of the truth of black people's lives been seen on stage" (Edwards). It made viewers think about their own reactions to integration and prejudice, during a time when the country itself was on the brink of racial integration."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the styles and themes fround in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and Nelson Mandela's ?I am Prepared to Die.? Some of the topics discussed include prejudice, white supremacist attitudes, the use of non-violence to achieve your goals and that freedom will not be given unless it is demanded by those who are oppressed. The paper points out that although the messages are similar, they were written for different reasons. King's was written to explain his mission and his message, to the white clergy to chastise them for their neglect and condemnation of his actions, while Mandela's was written to defend the charges brought against him before a court of law and to explain his actions. According to the paper, these two men have become symbolic with the fight for freedom and equal rights.
From the Paper "Although, the message is the same in each work, they are written to different audiences and from different reference of perspective. King's letter is written to his fellow clergymen, directing his remarks to the white clerical population, Christian and Jewish communities. It was written to explain his mission and his message, as well as a chastisement for not only their neglect, but for their condemnation of King's actions. Mandela's work was addressed to the court as a legal defense case. It was written to defend the charges brought against him before a court of law and to explain his actions. King's work is cited with biblical references, such as, ?just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town."
From the Paper "Voting has been a major issue for black Americans in this century, although the 15th Amendment, which was ratified in 1870, provides that neither the federal government nor any state shall deny the right to vote on account of race or color. It specifically authorized Congress to enforce its provisions by legislation.. Nevertheless, especially in the South, white people denied blacks the right to vote, using everything from literacy tests to physical harm. In 1965, however, the Voting Rights Act was passed, and it suspended in certain areas the use of literacy tests and similar devices as prerequisites to registration and voting and provided for the appointment of federal examiners to register persons who met valid state voting requirements.. This act was a departure from the acts of 1957- ... "
From the Paper "In her novel Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison uses the history of one black family as a way of commenting on the history of blacks since the Civil War, and the main character of Milkman goes on a quest for his past, discovering how the women of his family have been ill-served by the world, by the men in their lives, and by himself because he has not known of their sacrifice or their reality. Yet this does not necessarily mean that he will be able to achieve a stronger sense of either their lives or his own. Even though his quest appears to be successful, the ambiguous ending of the novel leaves the reader uncertain about his fate, a device whereby Morrison creates some doubt and leaves the reader more interested in seeing to it that such a quest is successful and that a new attitude is created than would be the case if the story were clearly resolved."
From the Paper "This study will provide a summary and critical review of Deborah Gray White's Ar'n't I A Woman?: Female Slaves in the Plantation South.
White in this book is trying to bring into the public consciousness the suffering endured by female slaves in the slavery-dependent South. She says that most studies of slavery focus, either deliberately or subliminally, on the male slave. And those "few scholars who study black women fail to note that black women suffer a double oppression: that shared by all African-Americans and that shared by most women" (23). With respect to slavery specifically, White says many scholars conclude that female slaves were better treated than male slaves. In fact most black women of the time plowed, planted, and hoed, did.."
