Analysis Of Fred Wilson's Mining The Museum

Frederick Douglass, born a slave and later the most influential African American leader of the 1800s, addresses the hypocrisy of the US of maintaining slavery with its upheld ideals being freedom and independence on July 4th, 1852. Douglass builds his argument by using surprising contrasts, plain facts, and provocative antithesis.

John Alvord, who despite being avid anti-slavery, proclaimed that whilst he valued the education of the freed people, he believed black people were naturally inferior to whites regarding intellectual and reasoning skills. Doubts over the natural ability of black people’s brains to process information continued even when young people proved they were able to cope with lessons on the same level as their white peers. August Stickier noted that whilst black children could retain basics such as the alphabet he unfairly questioned whether black children would progress parallel to whites within higher education. These powerful, white men from the North were extremely influential in precluding black access to higher education and maintaining the

The civil rights movement of the early 1960s was one of the most significant events in the modern history of the United States, one that has elicited much examination and research by historians. An era that saw the power and influence of the movement play an integral role in the eradication of legalised segregation and the disenfranchisement of African Americans. Given the historic importance of the civil rights movement, this paper aims to examine Dr Kim Lacy Rogers ‘Oral History and the History of the Civil Rights Movement’, published in the Journal of American History in 1988. A Professor of History and American Studies at Dickinson College, much of Rogers research was centred on African American communities in the American South. She was the author of numerous oral history related books and her reputation was that of a renowned and influential expert on the subject.

After reading all the passages contained in “The Black Church” by Marilyn Mellows I quickly decided to write about “Origins and Abolition”. Perhaps, it was the fact that each of the aforementioned passages included historical references to Philadelphia. I am always interested in the role that Philadelphia played in shaping the course of African American history. These passages illuminate the individuals that charted new paths as slaves persevered and fought defiantly as they marched towards freedom.

In Booker T. Washington’s, “A Protest Against the Burning and Lynching of Negroes”, he inspects racial injustice through pathos and logos.

Racism is one out of many important themes portrayed in the novel A Gathering Of Old Men written by Ernest J. Gaines 1983. The novel is set during the 1970”s on a Louisiana sugarcane plantation. Whites were threatened by the idea that blacks could one day be in power so they sought out other measures to uphold the absolute power of whites. In A Gathering Old Men, Gaines wants us to understand that the fight needs to keep going because racism still exist in recent times. Although it is usually connected somehow to violence, racism comes in many different forms in A Gathering Of Old Men. We might look at Gaines novel as just a book with racism in it but paying attention keenly you see that what Gaines showed us about racism in his novel is still

For many years people have been arguing whether certain controversial monuments, such as statues, should be destroyed or removed. A common type of monuments in this situation are the Confederacy monuments. These are various statues across the US which honor Confederate leaders or “heroes”. Many see these offensive since those people basically oppressed African Americans for years and were fighting to keep doing so. Some argue that the monuments should not be damaged or tampered with anyway since, even though the person might not have been the best, it is a historical artifact which therefore, should be preserved. The conflict surrounds whether the monuments should be destroyed, stored (in a museum etc), or left to remain. Personally, I believe that monuments, if historical, should not be damaged in anyway, but left to remain, or in specific occasions, preserved in a museum.

Free People of Color: Inside the African American Community, written by James Oliver Horton, is an interesting book that portrays antebellum African American communities and its occupants whose lives were both confounded by prohibitive powers and brought together by common goals.It explores dynamic debates within these communities over gender, color, and national identities, as well as leadership styles and politics. Published in 1993, this book uncovers the diversity and distinctions of free black society in northern cities such as Boston, Buffalo, and Washington D.C. A Smithsonian director and an American civilization professor at George Washington University in Washington D.C., Horton captivates the reader with a compelling study of the

In the news today, a continual debate can be found about the significance of Confederate monuments and if they should remain or be removed. Confederate monuments that have been erected throughout the U.S. should be kept because of the preservation of America’s history. For instance, in the article, The Unbearable Lightness of Confederate-Statue Removal, the author lists how slaveholder monuments aren’t the only statues being vandalized, but the Lincoln Memorial and Mount Rushmore are other symbols of U.S. history that some believe need to “blow up” (Murdock). Every historical symbol can have both people who appreciate it and who oppose it. That doesn’t mean that we should tear down all symbols, but symbols in appropriate context lead to better

To understand the context of where Booker T. Washington’s stance is in the address, people must first understand Washington’s background and his audience during the speech. Understanding Washington’s background ties into the thesis because the person analyzing “The Atlanta Exposition” can understand what experiences he has gone through leading up to the speech to help the reader understand the stance and views he stated during the speech. Washington was born roughly around April 5, 1856 in Hale’s Ford,

Frederick Douglass’s “What the Black Man Wants” captures the need for change in post Civil War America. The document presses the importance for change, with the mindset of the black man being, ‘if not now then never’. Parallel to this document is the letter of Jourdon Anderson, writing to his old master. Similar to Douglas, Mr. Anderson speaks of the same change and establishes his worth as freed man to his previous slave owner. These writings both teach and remind us about the evils of slavery and the continued need for equality, change, and reform.

Bledsoe’s office after his eventful trip with Mr. Norton at the Golden Day. Unlike past encounters with Dr. Bledsoe’s office, the narrator suddenly becomes aware of the old heavy furnishings of the room (Ellison 137). The narrator is drawn to the photographs and plaques of past presidents, men with power who are “fixed like trophies or heraldic emblems upon the wall” (Ellison 137). The engagement with the office marks one of the narrator’s first experiences in a museum setting. Ellison’s influence and inspiration from art are an impetus that describes the narrator’s current culture and modern experience of art (Hall 777). The nature of the Dr. Bledsoe’s office also corresponds to the motives of institutions like the state college the narrator attends. The narrator is blindsided by Dr. Bledsoe and the college’s power to manipulate students; he fails to see the negative impact it has on him. In Dr. Bledsoe’s office the narrator demonstrates his yearning and admiration of power by the trophies and plaques that adorn the wall (Ellison 137). However, the narrator fails to follow the ideals of museum culture, where museums should engage viewers to interpret objects, exchange memories, and create a personal response to exhibits that induce fantasizing (Hall 782). The disillusionment in the narrator here is shown, where from the structure and the college, the narrator demonstrates the inability of his

In retrospect, the history of the antebellum America is quite fascinating. During this period, the young republic faced several challenges. One of the most serious ones was the slavery issue. Reading the related materials, people might understand that the Founding Fathers had actually pondered about the solution to the issue; however, they did not pursue it because they foresaw possible turmoil in American politics. Unfortunately, the issue kept simmering until it reached the boiling point which resulted in the disastrous Civil War. It is also interesting to read how the anti-and pro slavery camps argued for their beliefs, how politicians abandoned their old parties and formed the new ones based on their common beliefs or interests and how they fought for their political gains. The period of the antebellum America presents such a tumultuous one, yet it shows how the young republic struggled to find a path to a better union among those hungry for power and wealth. Above all, it does require wisdom, vision, courage, determination and political maneuvers

When Plato wrote the Myth of Metals in the timeless classic The Republic, it was used to describe citizens of Kallipolis, a fictional utopia. As the myth follows, the citizens of Kallipolis are descendants from the same god. While this higher being was forming these individuals, he instilled within each of their souls different metals. Gold for those capable of ruling, silver for the guardians, and iron and bronze for the farmers and craftsmen. Socrates presents this myth in order to demonstrate how lying is beneficial to the rule of the state. It is clear to contemporary readers that the citizens of Kallipolis are not truly equal, the same statement can be said of the citizens of the United States. The Myth of Metals seems to persist in ways that are not as fanciful as describe in The Republic, but through social stratification.

The Creation museum opened up in may 28, of the year 2007. the building is worth 27 million dollars of donations, the museum features over 150 exhibits about animatronic dinosaur and professional displays of the bible. In addition to this The creation museum based their research in the origins of the universe on a free interpretation of the Bible reflecting creationist believes. In contrast to the creation museum The American museums of Natural History has taken a totally different approach by basing their research in the the theory of evolution, the museum is one of the largest museum in the world with over 33 million species with 28 interconnecting building and housing over 45 exhibition halls. The purpose of the museum is “to discover interpret