In Chapter 1 and 2 of “Creating Black Americans,” author Nell Irvin Painter addresses an imperative issue in which African history and the lives of Africans are often dismissed (2) and continue to be perceived in a negative light (1). This book gives the author the chance to revive the history of Africa, being this a sacred place to provide readers with a “history of their own.” (Painter 4) The issue that Africans were depicted in a negative light impacted various artworks and educational settings in the 19th and early 20th century. For instance, in educational settings, many students were exposed to the Eurocentric Western learning which its depiction of Africa were not only biased, but racist as well.
Primary source A reflects some major events of the American Civil war era. During the early 1830’s, African American slaves tried many strategies to help end slavery. Many freed slaves tried to fight slavery through words. They wrote speeches, books, articles, and started a secret network to freedom called the Underground Railroad. Many African Americans started newspapers, schools, orphanages, and churches.
A common misconception of the Civil War is that when it was finally over, people think that all the African Americans were immediately freed and they lived happily for the rest of their lives. Well, that is not quite accurate, as there were many things that had occurred during the time right after the American Civil War, known as the Reconstruction Era. This includes the the numerous laws and institutions that were put forth to help African Americans, such as the Reconstruction amendments. Many white Americans, especially those from the south, had opposed the idea of giving blacks the same opportunities and rights as they were given.
“I saw over twelve colored men and women, beat, shot and hung between there and Shreveport,” former slave Henry Adams writes. After the Civil War, the legal institution of slavery was abolished unless used as a just punishment. Additionally, these “freedmen” were naturalized and made citizens of the United States which allegedly granted them equal protections, whatever color or race, would have; and, they were granted black male suffrage. Some may argue that African Americans were free after the Civil War for the obvious reasons of a document stating so. However, African Americans were not free post-Antebellum era because they were deprived of their rights as “Americans citizens” through the institution Black Codes and the continuation of
“In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free.” - President Abraham Lincoln Contrary to popular belief, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free every slave. Thus, the Thirteenth Amendment was necessary to accomplish true emancipation. The President’s edict in 1863 only freed the slaves living in rebellious states. Slavery continued to exist in five states and several other counties and parishes for strategic military purposes.
As the colonists fought in the revolution, many blacks were recruited to fight on the front lines and promised freedom from slavery after the war. But once the colonists took control of the lan, this promise was rarely followed through. Some northern colonies (now states), made slavery illegal but the south continued it as a strong economic factor. Once fighting was over and British ships started to leave harbors to go back home, many black slaves ran for these ships and jumped into the water after them, sometimes drowning, just hoping they would be granted freedom on the other side of the Atlantic. After the war, even Spain offered freedom to blacks that made it into Florida, but few were successful.
Not every slave was able to leave but there were many slaves that succeeded in running away escaped from the Upper South the Underground Railroad network of “safe houses” (Chapter 9 page 437). But some did leave but they were caught, and they went back to their
1843 Waking up at the usual time of 6:30am, I prepared for my daily hand to hand combat lessons which commence at 7:00am leaving half an hour to arrange myself. Breakfast was a large bowl of white rice sitting on one of the flat rocks that lay in the centre of my garden. Today my lessons covered literature, flower arranging, meditating and jiu jitsu. I have always loved my hand to hand combat classes. My uncle is my teacher and a guardian and I've always aspired to be as protective as him.
Before the arrival of the Europeans, African accomplished many achievements across all of their cities, empires and, kingdoms that defined their nation. Their achievements can be split into three groups, economics, politics, and culture. Before the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the African people developed great kingdoms in which they established a great way of life for themselves. The African empires, kingdoms and cities had a vast amount of achievements before the arrival of the Europeans, they had a great economy due to their plentiful trading, as well as a vivid culture lead by the generosity of their government. Africa 's thriving economy was mostly due to the consistent trading across the world.
The African Americans were solded in the south to plantations to help with farming. Many slaves were mistreated and through time a war arose from it. Many people disagreed with slavery and thought it was wrong. There was many individuals that stood up and fought for their freedom. Many individuals went to different states preaching and spilling the truth about slavery.
For example, they made protests in order to gain the attention of political parties, they gave speeches in order to spread the ideas and beliefs of the movement, and they helped change Lincoln’s mind regarding the injustice of slavery. These are just a couple of the methods and actions that abolitionists did that led to the abolishment of slavery.
Eventually these actions led to a war that ended in the Africans being freed. Even though slavery was ended back then, it was still very difficult to get the minority to be treated as
The artificial segregation people by color have been with us for long time. But it was psychologies that provide the scientific justification for racism and assault of African American ethnic group by giving electroconvulsive treatment and destroy the brain of African American ethnic group. Racist psychological theories have fueled the criminal abuse of African American and Hispanic American by doing experimental
Writing Assignment #2 A. When I first heard about the race test in class, I was excited about it, because race issues is very relevant in our country today, so I thought this test would show how we as individuals feel about other people, just based on their race. This is how I felt about the race test before I completed the test, and this is how I felt after I completed the test. It didn’t matter what the results were, I was and still is very interested in what my true feelings are about racial groups, in this case African American vs European American, and since I’m an African American woman, who is surrounded a lot by European Americans, I knew it would be important to see if I felt a stronger preference for either racial group. While I was taking the test, it made me think of my prior racial bias against my own racial group, African Americans, and how I once ignorantly thought that African Americans were beneath European Americans.
African American Studies was a great experience. Has opened my eyes to my surrounding and the world around me. This course with Dr. Sheba Lo, was something out of me confront zone. I learned so many things from race to cultural to the importance aspect of African American. We are isolated to an environment that hide so much history that we all don’t think they are important to who we have become.
