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"Huckleberry Finn", 2007.
Examines the debate over whether Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is a racist text.
1,381 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper argues that, while Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" raises a number of racial issues, it is not a racist text. In particular, the paper notes the commonality of racial epithets during Twain's day and suggests that this explains the "excessive" use of derogatory terms towards African-Americans. It then briefly outlines the position of those who consider the text to be a racist one, offers the counter-argument of those opposed to such a characterization and then concludes by outlining why this writer supports the widespread distribution of Twain's master work.
From the Paper
"Briefly stated, this writer cleaves to the view that Huckleberry Finn is not a racist text. It is not racist because it is meant to be a sharp denunciation of the slave-holding society which dehumanized African-Americans and it is also a text which shocks people into considering how racism works so insidiously to graft itself onto the fabric of a culture that even ugly racial epithets become distressingly common. Ultimately, this writer agrees with Leider and Wilson that American students - at a suitable age - need to be shocked into seeing the ugly side of American history before revisionists "white-wash" it and marginalize the role of slavery in the development of the nation. In the end, even if Twain was subconsciously racist himself, the grotesque nature of many of the whites in the book clearly reveals that his sympathies lie with destroying any fatuous belief that the "Old South" was chivalrous and somehow humane."
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Is the U.S. Constitution Color-Blind?, 2007.
An analysis of the degree to which the U.S. Constitution may be said to be "color-blind".
1,535 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
This paper explores the degree to which the U.S. Constitution may be said to be "color-blind". It argues that the Constitution is not color-blind because it permits many instances of bigotry to go unchecked in private life. To bolster this claim, the paper places a great deal of emphasis upon the work of Dr. Neil Gotanda, entitled A Critique of "Our Constitution is Color-Blind". The paper also focuses on the controversial case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) in which racism was seen to be upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court despite the eloquent protests of one of the presiding Justices.
From the Paper
"Gotanda also insists that the First Amendment - specifically its Freedom of Speech Clause - has been used by the federal courts to strike down government efforts to outlaw "racial domination". What Gotanda appears to mean when he talks of "racial domination" is that recent years (Gotanda was writing in the early 1990s) have seen the "resurgence" of racist speech on university campuses after decades of determined effort by non-whites to wrestle back control of the image-making process from Caucasians. As a result, racially motivated speech which defames - or at least casts in a negative light different - groups has been protected by a Constitution that is allegedly "non-racial" in construction. In any case, Dr. Gotanda, if this writer understands him correctly, is putting forward the notion that American society has always been dominated by Caucasians and, therefore, permitting racially-offensive discourses on university campuses allows the dominant group in society to continue to articulate views supporting invidious distinctions between races without fear of any disciplinary action being taken. In other words, whites have crafted negative images of non-whites since the founding of America and this group, so powerful in the media, in the judiciary and even still in academia, is allowed to continue on with making negative distinctions because the Constitution - written as it was and amended as it has been by (predominantly) Caucasian males of property and significance - permits it."
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Slavery, 2007.
A review of "Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life" by Stanley M. Elkins.
1,023 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This book review analyzes the crucial philosophical, historiographical and psychological foundations of African slavery, as discussed in "Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life" by Stanley M. Elkins. The paper relates that Elkins uses the economic concepts of capitalism and the philosophy of morality in slavery to argue the controversial issue of the African "Holocaust" in America historiography.
From the Paper
"In chapter one, the problem of slavery in North America from the 17th century until the Civil War can be seen through the economic problem of historiography. In many cases, the clashing philosophical premise of slavery in America revolves around how colonial English elites and early Americas were either morally ignorant or were consciously using slaves as a 'commodity' within a Marxist capitalistic system. For Elkins, the major issue of "old debates" revolves around the problem of Marxist thought and how this creates a historical background that often blames capitalism for slavery to eventually cause the Civil War (Elkins, 2006, pp.10-13). In many ways, the problem of slavery was not a purely capitalistic system that was driven by an economic necessity, but surely, there was a philosophical background that kept Southerners attached to the immoral vice of their absolutist institutions. The critical perception here helps one to realize that the "old debates" were structured to help distance the humanist problem of slavery through a rigidly imposed economic system."
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Gay Rights and Civil Rights, 2007.
This paper compares and contrasts gay rights with civil rights.
880 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses whether homosexuals should receive rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. The writer questions whether gays should receive rights compared to civil rights. The writer argues that while it is true that gays and minorities are often mistreated, the difference is in the ability to make a decision. The writer maintains that gay rights are different than civil rights because homosexuals make the decision to be gays and even the Bible shows that it is wrong, but African-Americans are born "black" and the Bill of Rights guarantee rights to "all men". The writer then points out that the Civil Rights Act was passed to guarantee that all African-Americans be treated equally with other Americans. The writer argues that comparing gay rights with civil rights shows that gays make a decision to date or love another person of the same sex, while African-Americans are born with their skin color and they should be given the same rights as any American.
From the Paper
"Before determining whether gays should have rights it is important to look at the definition of homosexuals. The definition of homosexuals will show that it is defined as a sexual orientation with romantic love and sexual desire of the same sex or gender. When a person falls in love with another person, a decision must be made to love the person. Homosexuality is a decision. The gay person decides to fall in love with another person of his or her same gender. This is the same as if a person decides to never date a person or if a person decides to fall in love with another person of a difference sex. Since it is a decision, people should not receive certain rights because they make a decision. Many homosexuals and minorities are rejected jobs and other freedoms so many people believe they should have rights as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. However, it is important to remember that homosexuals decide whether they want to have a love life with a member of the same sex."
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Racial Profiling, 2007.
This paper examines the problem of racial profiling in the United States and Canada.
1,217 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
The paper explains that courts give the police discretion in who they stop during traffic stops, but statistics prove that more African-Americans are stopped than whites. The paper reveals that many African-Americans are frisked, their vehicles are taken apart and they either get a ticket or go to jail for some bogus reason. The paper points out the opinion that racial profiling is not a problem, but disagrees and argues that changes must be made to stop this racial profiling.
From the Paper
"Imagine a young African American driving A Ford Explorer to an interview when he is pulled over by the Georgia State Patrol. The young man was driving five miles over the speed limit or less. The police officer asks for back up though he does not appear to have a valid reason for back up. The two officers take apart the Ford Explorer looking for drugs (Callahan and Anderson 2001). Would this same scene have happened with a white male? It is important to look at the definition of racial profiling, how the courts give police officers the discretion to stop African Americans and how the problem of racial profiling should be stopped."
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Evolution of Social Movements, 2007.
An analysis of how social movements affected social change in the 1960s.
1,584 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper shows how the powers of social movements are derived primarily from injustice in society. The paper looks at the civil rights, feminist and anti-war movements in the nineteen-sixties that demonstrated how once a social movement gains momentum it can produce wider public dissatisfaction with the status quo and compel elected officials to take action against injustice. The paper points out, however, that the power to affect social change in society tends to be fluid, for once a social movement achieves a certain degree of social change, it meets increasing resistance, which reduces its power.
From the Paper
"The Civil Rights Movement of the nineteen-sixties began because of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott in 1955, which inspired African-Americans to increase their efforts to win equality. Parks (1999) notes that a few years later, when Attorney General Robert Kennedy sent the FBI into the South in 1962 to enforce laws, prevent violence, and protect civil rights activists, it sent a strong message that the time for racial justice had arrived and that racial segregation must be ended."
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The Slave Song, 2007.
An examination of the article "Truth in Timbre: Morrison's Extension of Slave Narrative in the Song in "Beloved"" by Peter J. Capuano.
971 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 34.95
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Abstract
The paper examines the article "Truth in Timbre: Morrison's extension of slave narrative in the song in "Beloved"", where Peter J. Capuano shows how Toni Morrison is able to use the concept of the slave song in her literature as a defining principle of humanity and a symbol of human endurance. The paper explains the differences between Morrison's and Frederick Douglass' use of the slave song according to Capuano.
From the Paper
"The differences between Morrison and Douglass' use of the slave song can be explained mainly by examining their intended audiences. Capuano argues that Douglass' work, which acts as one of the comprehensive foundations of present day slave literature, was written for a very different audience with different purposes. Douglass' main concern was the abolition of slavery, and by exposing the brutality of slavery he hoped to hasten this effort. Slave songs are used as anecdotal, factual evidence to expose the human suffering connected with slavery. Morrison echoes this idea of the slave song, as well as using it to challenge the reader in the present day to reflect on the dehumanizing process of slavery."
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African-Americans in Film, 2007.
An analysis of Eddy Murphy's representation of African-Americans in the film, "48 Hours."
1,259 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the representation of African-Americans in film, focusing specifically on the 1982 comedy, "48 Hours," starring Eddie Murphy. The paper explains the storyline of the film and how Murphy is presented as a character in the film. The paper also looks at the light in which African-Americans are presented in general through films and in this film in particular.
From the Paper
"Although the film gives Murphy equal billing, and the film undoubtedly would be impossible without a talent like Murphy to hold his own against Nick Nolte, ultimately it is not a step forward in representing African Americans in their complexity. If it is funny, it requires audiences to know, understand, and to a certain extent accept stereotypes of African-Americans as lawless, funny, and ultimately under the control of Whites in everything but their language, not with their political or physical strength. Murphy is always foul-mouthed and overly sexualized and a "brother" in contrast to Nolte's "country boy" cop. Nolte's own strident masculinity within the context of the law and even infidelity is validated without condemning his character, while it marks Murphy as a criminal. Murphy's apparent freedom and force of personality, like the transitory freedom of the character during the "48 Hours" is no real freedom of expression at all. It is a sad continuation of a long tradition of representing African-Americans in crime films as criminals, sidekicks, and powerless. According to the stereotype sadly embodied by Murphy, Blacks in this genre are only apparently powerful with weapons, information or menace, and this power is transitory."
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African-Americans or Black-Americans?, 2007.
This paper examines the impact of family history stories on African-American students' attitude and behavior.
2,410 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 73.95
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Abstract
The paper explores whether documenting and researching Black-American history, especially individual family history, has an impact on Black-American students' attitude and behavior. The paper discusses the move away from an African-American identity to a distinctly Black-American identity. The paper relates that teaching the history and stories of Black-Americans has served to inspire and motivate Black-American students towards a more successful academic life. The paper concludes that Black-American students today are aware that their cultural heritage and tradition began in Africa, yet, informed with the stories of their past, their attitude is that they are predominantly Americans.
Outline:
Introduction
Background
Family and Community History and Student Attitudes and Behavior
From the Paper
"The history of Black Americans is one that began as slavery and oppression. It is only during the twenty years that Black Americans have had the full range of education, opportunity, and social equality to partake in the American dream. It was a long road to that point, and there remain challenges to be overcome, but the road towards overcoming those remaining challenges began with America's Civil War and freeing Black Americans from the condition of slavery. Many have traveled the road on behalf of equality and Civil Rights, and the challenges that remain today are the social and psychological barriers that prevent Black Americans from embracing the opportunities that were hard won on their behalf."
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African-American Literature, 2007.
This paper discusses the importance of African-American women writers.
1,518 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
The paper examines African-American literature across the genres and mentions specifically the famous author, Toni Morrison. The paper discusses slave narratives, biographies and novels. The paper discusses how African-American literature has changed; the lives, beliefs and experiences of African-American writers today are different than the experiences of the first black authors. The paper shows how African-Americans have had a significant impact on the literature produced in the United States.
From the Paper
"Literature is very important. Many people love to read, and still others love to write. Together, they make a winning combination. Literature is often studied, but one aspect of it has been getting very little attention (Morgan, 1996). African-American literature has often times been ignored, or been only selectively visible, and this is especially true where women writers are concerned. However, this literature has become more important and significant in recent years, and this helps to show the important of African-American women writers."
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Minority American Women, 2007.
This paper discuses the lives of minority American women from Chinese, Mexican and African-American backgrounds as expressed by three authors: Judy Yung, Vicki Ruiz and Jacqueline Jones.
1,570 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the lives and experiences of Chinese, Mexican and African-American women are similar because they all faced severe hardship, discrimination, and degrading social conditions; however, due to their ethic identities and cultural roots, their experiences are dramatically dissimilar. The author points out that Vicki Ruiz, in her book "Out of the Shadows", takes readers through the immigration eras, beginning with Spanish-speaking women moving north out of Mexico centuries before the Euro-Americans arrived and that Judy Yung, in her book "Unbound Feet", writes about the history of Chinese women coming to San Francisco in the late 1800s. The paper relates that Jacqueline Jones, in her book, "Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow" writes about the early twentieth century when black urban women participated in boycotts against segregated public facilities and resisted racist customs.
From the Paper
"But what was it like for a Mexican woman migrating into the U.S. in the early 20th Century? Ruiz writes that first of all getting across the border was challenging, particularly during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1921) when "starvation was not unknown and danger a constant companion ." Women were raped and kidnapped by soldiers and "marauders" while on their way north; it was back-breaking work once Mexicans arrived in the southwest, as many were paid twelve cents per day in the fields. Twenty-one percent of Mexican women in early 20th Century America worked in the fields."
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African-American Grandmothers, 2007.
This paper compares the historic role of African-American grandmothers and their contemporary role as sole parent for their grandchildren.
1,675 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, under slavery and during the period afterward, older African-American women played active and respected roles in their communities as based on their African heritage, which venerated its elderly. The author points out that, in light of this history, it is not surprising that, in record numbers, African-American older women today are assuming the role of primary caregivers to their grandchildren due to social and addiction problems of the mothers of these grandchildren. The paper relates that the considerable stress of these women, who are permanently primary caregivers for their grandchildren, has resulted in their having many social, economic, physical and psychological problems.
From the Paper
"The number of grandmothers raising their grandchildren nearly doubled between 1970 and 2000--from 2.2 million to 4.5 million. During the 1990s, the biggest increase was among families with no parent present, usually because of social problems such as the mother's alcohol or drug abuse. Death from AIDS, long-term incarceration, and mental illness are other reasons. The trend has become a "dominant theme" for social work research, and the term skipped generation caregiver has come into use. Of all the children living with grandparents in the U.S., nearly 44% are African-American, a proportion that is six times greater than in white families."
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"The Slave Community", 2007.
A review of John Blassingame's book "The Slave Community".
1,680 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at how John Blassingame's work "The Slave Community" provides a description and analysis of what life was like on the Southern plantations from the slaves' viewpoint. It discusses how Blassingame demonstrates that slaves were definitely active and not passive victims of the traumatic life they lived and how he demonstrates the importance of hearing about one's life directly from the person involved, rather than second-hand from those who already have biased opinions.
From the Paper
"Previous to The Slave Community, the experience and life of the African American slave was mostly seen through the eyes of the white Anglo-American. Scholars relied on information from the opposite point of view--the plantation. They looked at plantation records and the writings of nonacademic travelers who observed the relationship between the slaves and their owners. Through such one-sided reports concerning the psychological effects of being enslaved, historians began to portray slaves as very submissive and loyal to their owners or as continually rebellious and critical. Either, they had totally accepted and adjusted to the different norms and values of the white society or were completely dissatisfied with this life and fighting to break away from their masters. Ulrich B. Phillips, stated clearly in his books based on plantation records, that the ex-slaves' narratives were inauthentic and biased and did not give genuine testimony to what their lives were really like. "
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African-Americans and Education, 2007.
This paper discusses the progress, struggles and aspirations of African-Americans in education.
1,466 words (approx. 5.9 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 48.95
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Abstract
The paper relates the history of education for African-Americans and explores problems relating to education legislation. The paper looks at present education issues and concerns for African-American students and examines statistics relating to their drop-out rates. The paper concludes that there has been progress, to a degree, in educational attainment of the aspirations of African-American students, although there are still barriers.
Outline:
Introduction
History of Education for African Americans
Noted Problems Relating to Education Legislation
Present Education Issues and Concerns for African-American Students
Statistics Relating to Drop-out Rates of African-Americans
Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper
"The work of Allen and Jewell (2002) states that: "...the Black struggle for higher education is an apt metaphor for the larger Black struggles for citizenship, self-determination and personhood in this society." The historical account of the African American race in obtaining access to higher education in the United States is characterized by many ups and downs. The aspirations of the African American individual of attaining higher education have been historically unattained due to existing barriers to higher education of Black individuals."
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"Why Black Sexual Politics?", 2007.
A review of Patricia Hill Collins' essay "Why Black Sexual Politics?".
836 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 29.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at how, in her essay, "Why Black Sexual Politics", Patricia Hill Colins analyzes portrayals of black sexuality in the white-dominated media and in a white-dominated culture. The paper discusses how Collins argues that black bodies and black sexuality have been appropriated and manipulated by the dominant culture to perpetuate cycles of oppression and how this oppression does not end with racism but extends through to gender-based oppression, heterosexism, and class inequities.
From the Paper
"Collins shows how and why black sexuality continues to be presented as deviant, as wild, animalistic, primitive, and savage. When racism was overt, black sexuality was directly associated with animal perversion. Racism has gone underground in a sense; racism is now color-blind but continues to dictate ways black sexuality is portrayed in the mainstream media. Collins uses Beyonce, Destiny's Child, and Jennifer Lopez of icons of the new black sexuality and therefore, of the new racism. These artists and others like them have profited from the myth of black sexuality, capitalizing ironically on the new racism. Black sexuality is, however, an "invented discourse," notes Collins (p. 28). White media moguls and politicians have invented and wielded the discourse to maintain a position of domination and authority in society."
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