An examination of whether the Garvey Movement succeeded in establishing BlackNationalism either as a practical strategy, or as an ideal for African-Americans.
Abstract This paper examines how the term 'BlackNationalism' emerged as a sociological phenomenon for African-Americans in the early 20th century and how at the heart of this movement was Marcus Garvey with the U.N.I.A. and the 'Negro World.' It looks at how, although there is no dispute that Garvey was a key figure in Black Nationalist politics of this era, the extent to which Garvey-ism established BlackNationalism either as a practical strategy or as an ideal for African-Americans, is open for discussion.
From the Paper "The Black Nationalist ideals of the Garvey Movement became practical strategy through the organisation's economic programme. Garvey envisaged that real political freedom would only be realised by an independent economic base. Garvey called for African Americans to 'go out and acquit ourselves like men in the economic arena.' Independence with 'emphasis on race first, self-reliance and nationhood' would first have to be an economic independence. Garveyism sought to awaken the millions of blacks in the U.S., the Americas, Africa and elsewhere into one vast diaspora of production, trade and political co-operation, with eventual autonomy for the black race."
Abstract This paper describes the daily lives and culture of the black American Muslim and Nation of Islam communities. The paper defines these groups and their customs and religious rituals. It illustrates the historical leaders of the black Muslim movements, including in depth biographies of Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan. The paper discusses the missionary and racist elements in these movements.
From the Paper "Religion is important to many Americans not simply because they believe that their faith will bring them to a better world in the afterlife or because it will guide their actions as a moral and good individual here on earth but also because it provides them with a sense of self-identity. Religion tells people who they are, how they are different from other people, to which community they belong. This may be especially true for black Muslims. This paper examines the black Muslim and Nation of Islam movements within the larger context of religious life in contemporary America and the context of the daily lives of black Americans as we enter the 21st century.
It may be helpful for us toe begin with some basic definitions. Black Muslims are simply those followers of a predominantly black religious movement in the United States who profess Islam as their faith. Not all of the followers of this movement are in fact black, although nearly all of them are black or have a black member of their family (such as a spouse or child) who is involved. The movement encompasses not only spiritual and liturgical aspects of life but political and wide-ranging cultural as well, including an emphasis on economic cooperation and self-sufficiency for black communities and individuals. "
Tags:black, muslim, nation, islam, regilion, contemporary, america, identity, 21st, century, united, states, spiritual, political, cultural, farrakhan, malcom, x
Abstract This paper explains that, during the black civil rights movement, some leaders favored integrationism, which meant that these activists were willing to work with sympathetic whites to achieve their goal of civil rights. The paper points out that other leaders favored African-American nationalism, which meant the opposite of integrationism. The paper relates that, during the first ten years, the movement was mainly integrationist, as modeled by Martin Luther King Jr. King, who favored using non-violent methods, such as sit-ins, to oppose discrimination. The author continues that, by around 1966, the Black Power movement with activists, such as Malcolm X, who favored black self-determination, was growing. The paper states that the African-American nationalism has been accused of being in favor of black supremacy.
From the Paper "There is a sad but interesting common factor that is shared by the integrationist movement and African American Nationalism. Although integrationism was much more moderate than African American Nationalism, both were threatening enough to some people in the USA that the most prominent leaders of both movements were assassinated. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee; while Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem."
Tags: whites sit-in, malcolm x, black history, king
A discussion of the beliefs and practices of Islam in Iraq verses the practice of Islam in the United States specifically by African-Americans and how they were influenced by Malcolm X.
Abstract This paper provides a background to Islam, the name given to the religion preached by the Prophet Muhammad in the 600's AD. It describes the practices and beliefs including the five basic beliefs or pillars of the Islamic faith. It looks at the differences between the Islam practiced in Iraq where about ninety-five percent of the population are Muslims and that practiced by Muslims in the United States who are part of the Nation of Islam which preaches Blacknationalism. It also examines how Malcolm X quickly became the Nation of Islam's most effective minister and national spokesman for the Nation of Islam.
Outline
Islam Religion in the Arab World
Description of the Islamic Religion
Three Muslim Divisions
Black Muslims in the United States
Influence of Louis Farrakhan
Influence of Malcom X
Conclusion
From the Paper "The next largest division is the Shiah whose members are called Shiites. Shiite Muslims honor Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, and Ali's descendants, whom they believe should be the leaders of the Muslim community. Shiah comes from the Arabic phrase shiat Ali, meaning supporters of Ali. The majority of the Muslims in Iraq are members of the Shiah branch of Islam. Most Arabs living southeast of Baghdad belong to this sect of Islam. They see authority as residing in twelve imams, starting with Ali, who was born in about AD 600, and ending with Muhammad al-Mahdi, who was born in about AD 868. They believe this last imam is still alive, in a miraculous state of concealment from human view. He will return at the end of time to restore justice on earth."
Abstract This paper examines the literature of various black American writers and poets. The paper explains that numerous black writers found new ways to express the feelings of their people and created a rich canon of thought and expression leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. The paper looks at how some of these writings show an underlying demand for change. The paper also points out that many of the early literary figures, like W.E.B. DuBois, wrote against slavery. In addition, the paper looks at how, in the latter part of the 20th century black, nationalism was influenced by Darwinian science and by Victorian conceptions of virtue. The paper cites "Coming of Age in Mississippi" by Anne Moody, as an example of the nature of the threat to black Americans.
From the Paper "DuBois also celebrates aspects of black culture, from the songs of the slaves to and the music they and their descendants make to their religious belief and the special religious observance they developed in the black church in America. He sees the black community then standing at the dawn of freedom, a freedom not yet fully achieved but set out as a potential for all.
"The nature of the threat to black Americans is evident in Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody. She becomes very aware of why as she grows to adulthood and sees more and more racism all around her."
Tags:nationalism, mississippi, freedom, slave, church
Abstract This paper takes a look at the accomplishments of the Black Muslims offering an alternative to the peaceful, pacifistic teachings of leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. The author of this paper shows that the Nation of Islam has played a major role in shaping the ideas and destinies of those of African descent, regardless of their religion.
From the Paper "Brooklyn Congressman Major R. Owens, referring mainly to Black Muslims, in 1994, stated, ?There are a lot of frustrated, angry, bitter people who are looking for a leader. In some cases they are looking for something to hate.?[1] This sentiment strongly reflects the origins and ideas of Islamic African-Americans throughout their existence. Members of The Nation of Islam, and its factions, believe strongly in black pride, nationalism, and separation."
Abstract This paper examines why so many Afro-Americans turned from Christianity to become Black Muslims in America and how the Nation of Islam offered these disgruntled individuals a different way of dealing with discrimination and hate.
From the Paper "The Nation of Islam offered some African Americans a sharp contrast to the mainstream civil rights movement. Specifically beginning in the late 1920's, and continuing up into the 1960's, blacks living mainly in northern cities across America abandoned many aspects of their previous lives to embrace an organization and ideology with "radical" ways of acting and thinking. Why would a person become a Black Muslim? The answer is found in considering the types of individuals who accepted the Nation and the atmosphere which surrounded them. Anger and frustration can be found in the hearts of many converts to the Nation of Islam. Faced with discrimination and hate, some blacks chose extreme, violent separation over the more readily accepted non-violent call for integration."
Abstract In addition to looking at the reasons for the disintegration of the Black Panthers, this paper also traces the origins of the Party, examines how and why it started, describes its program and activities, the FBI's campaign against the Black Panthers, the trial of Black Panther members in court, the role of women in BPP, and the impact of the Party on the country.
Table of Contents
The Black Panther Party
Origin
Why was the Party Started?
The Ten-Point Program
Activities of the Black Panthers
War Against the Panthers
Black Panthers in Court
Black Panther Women
Alliances and Coalitions
Mistakes Made by the Black Panthers
Impact of the Party on the Country
From the Paper "The black community of Oakland, California was greatly perturbed due to the failure of Southern white policemen to provide adequate protection for its black residents and the increasing incidents of police brutality targeted at the blacks. The organizers of the Panthers, therefore, aimed to gain justice for black people and dedicated themselves to defend the black community from racist police oppression and brutality. Besides being considered as the perpetrators of injustice and violence against the black community, the police was perceived by the Panthers as the representatives of the status quo and the "establishment" who implemented its anti-Black agenda. Since the Panthers believed that they were fighting the "status quo" the BPP considered itself to be a "revolutionary" party, which was committed to wage a class struggle to overthrow the existing order. (Harris 169)"
Abstract This paper discusses the concepts of BlackNationalism, racism, ethnicity and oppression offered by Robert Allen in "Black Awakening in Capitalist America" and those of Eugene V. Wolfenstein in "The Victims of Democracy: Malcolm X and the Black Revolution", with a focus on the impact of the bourgeois on the working class within a capitalist mode of production.
From the Paper "The theories offered by Eugene V Wolfenstein in The Victim's of Democracy and those offered by Robert L Allen in Black Awakening in Capitalist America are similar in that they show the significant interconnection.."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that throughout history the Black Plague has emerged in some societies and then laid dormant, only to become active again, killing massive numbers of populations. The writer points out that primarily carried by rats and the fleas that feed from them, the Black Plague has been cited as existing in a growing number of cases in modern times, although its roots began centuries earlier. The writer notes that there have been several pandemics of the Black Plague, which is the most devastating infection that the world has ever known. The writer maintains that statistics indicate that the Black Plague still exists and is increasing in the numbers of the population that it kills each year. The writer concludes that it is for this reason society, medical science and those that lead nations must begin to act on the plague in order to save millions more within societies today and in the future.
Outline:
Introduction
Beginning of the Plague
Emergence
Affects on Society
How it Spread
Second Mass Occurrence
Origins
Countries it Impacted
Affects on Society
New Types
London
Appearance in London
How it Impacted Society
How it Ended
Modern Society
Existence of the Plague in the 20th Century
Existence of the Plague in Modern Society
Statistics
Conclusion
From the Paper "In the 1300s the Black Plague emerged in Asia and quickly spread throughout Europe and once again in Italy. This pandemic was directly related to the trade that existed between these countries, as it followed the waterways that carried goods from one port to another. In this pandemic the plague was capable of taking in excess of 20 million lives and adversely impacted all civilizations that it spread to. This occurred through the inability of farmers to harvest their crops and workers to produce goods that were required to maintain businesses. Bishop contends that the affect of the plague on the populations where it existed included families abandoning their children, physicians refusing to care for patients and the Catholic Church proclaiming massive forgiveness for all who died because of the lack of clergy to hear the confessions of the dead."
Abstract Biographical study of the life, ideas, influence, activism and death of the BlackNationalism African-American leader. Early life and effect of racism. Academic education. Search for new opportunities. Impact of white oppression. Criminal activities and prison. Conversion to Nation of Islam. His preaching and ministry. Relationship to Elijah Muhammad.
From the Paper "Malcolm X was one of the most influential Afro-American leaders of the Black Nationalism movement in America. An advocate of vigorous self-defense against white violence, Malcolm X is considered an early influence on the black power movement in the late 1960s. Malcolm went from illiterate convict to minister the Harlem mosque within one year of joining Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. As a direct result of his effort, the Nation of Islam became the most well known and controversial black organization in the United States.
Malcolm Little was born on ay 19, 1925, in Omaha,Nebraska. His family moved from Omaha to Milwaukee shortly after Malcolm's birth, and later to Lansing, Michigan. Malcolm was initiated into violence, resistance, and religious rhetoric at a very young age. His father took him to the Garvey meetings that were ..."
Abstract This analysis presents the experiences of Elaine Brown in her autobiography "A Taste of Power" and those of Malcolm X in a number of works. Through these literary works the paper demonstrates how the idea of black liberation put forward by Malcolm X represented a prescription for the oppression of black women during the 1950s and 1960s.
From the Paper "In Elaine Brown's autobiography "A Taste of Power", we move with Brown through a number of conflicts with the Black Panthers and other activist groups. Conflicts that include gender struggles that were a fact as much ..."
Abstract This paper analyzes the central theme of "Black Elk Speaks," while also considering its most significant images. The paper explains how Black Elk speaks not only for himself but for the fate of his tribe and also discusses his failure to achieve peace for his nation.
From the Paper "In the book "Black Elk Speaks" John Neihardt tells the story of a Lakota Sioux holy man and how his visionary experiences impacted both his Native American nation and the world in general. Indeed the book is not simply Black Elk's personal story or biography but instead serves as an examination of the fate of his tribe as well."
Abstract The paper muddles on the evolution of the African American struggle coupled with civil right movements formulated- specifically the Black Panther Party- and focuses on the question of what the organization is, where it originated and spread, and why it was so popular.
From the Paper Amid the turbulent struggle for equal rights for the black community in America numerous organizations and arenas emerged as potential facilitators of that laudable goal. The struggle was long and arduous, and various approaches arose as potential modalities to pursue the end most effectively. The Black Panther Party, which was established in 1966, was one such tactical approach. In its brief sojourn on the American scene, it attracted mega attention and an almost mythical status and reputation. Actions to cope with the potential repercussions of the Black Panther Party were numerous, and often violated associated constitutional norms within the American psyche for fairness and legal protection. Nevertheless to some powers that be on at that time, no more dangerous cadre of proponents of black rights existed then the Black Panther Party (Summers, 1993, 21). To those who opposed the methods, philosophy, and personas of the Black Panther Party, the need to crush the organization and nullify their influence within the societal complex of the United States was considered a crusade for the survival of this country itself. To truly analyze and come to terms with the importance and problematic issue of the Black Panther Party, it is necessary to review in some depth the overall complex involved in the struggle for black liberation in this country. The Black Panther Party occupies a decided niche in this puzzle, but it did not exist in a vacuum. It is a clear product and reaction to what preceded it.
Abstract This paper examines how Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., all served as role models for the survival and independence of Africans living in the United States, as well as around the world. It looks at how, through the auspices of migration, mobilization, and segregation, black history has become inherently associated with economic class and social standing; the problem inherent within legislating against discrimination is a product of social forces. It explores how the ex-slave was denied social freedom in the denial of a place in white society and how the segregation of the slaves from the minds of the whites was based on an underlying assumption that the slaves were not people. It shows how the rights of equality continue to be an issue, even as they were during Reconstruction.
From the Paper "Du Bois felt that Washington was asking the Negro people to give up political power, their insistence on civil rights and the right to higher education (Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others 285). He contended that, instead, it should be asked of the nation three things, "the right to vote", "civil equality" and "the education of youth according to ability" (Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others 286). In the United States, the role of the government is often defined by the ruling of the courts. Beginning with the Dred Scott versus Sanford case of 1857, the law seemed to side with the principles of discrimination. It decreed, in essence, that blacks of the pre-Civil War era did not have the rights of an American citizen. In 1866, just after the end of the Civil War, the first Civil Rights Act was instituted to help define the intent of the 14th amendment."
