African American Identity

America is often considered the land of opportunities, a place where people can have a fresh start, a clean slate. America is a land that is made up of immigrants. Over the centuries America has been a place where people dream to live in, however the American dream wasn 't as perfect as believed; there were issues of race inferiority, slavery and social inequality amongst other problems. When a person arrives into a new society he has a difficult task ahead of him- to assimilate into that new society- which includes the economical, cultural, political and social aspects. In the following paper I will discuss how the African American, who came as slaves to America, has fought over the centuries to achieve equality in a white society that discriminated them. I will show how abolitionists like Fredrick Douglass and W.E.B Du Bois used literature to fight the preconceptions about the black people.

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)

For instance, the late Michael Brown—whom is frequently brought up in the book—graduated from a school that had test scores “so low that it lost state accreditation in 2012” (Hill,p.2). Being that he was seen as a “nobody”, the fact that he was deprived of a quality education was not questioned during his life or even after his death. Furthermore, the previously stated objective is illustrated by the history of “white flight”—the movement of white people from neighborhoods in which black people are moving—that occurred during and after the second great migration. This occurred in Ferguson, Missouri, Michael Brown’s home, because it was a industrial city with many job opportunities (Hill,p.8). However, these opportunities would eventually diminish as companies outsourced labor around the 1970s and with many white people gone, it was predominantly black Americans left exposed to a city with a limited job market; consequently, poverty and unemployment rose and with this followed a poor public education

African Americans face a struggle with racism which has been present in our country before the Civil War began in 1861. America still faces racism today however, around the 1920’s the daily life of an African American slowly began to improve. Thus, this time period was known by many, as the “Negro Fad” (O’Neill). The quality of life and freedom of African Americans that lived in the United States was constantly evolving and never completely considered ‘equal’. From being enslaved, to fighting for their freedom, African Americans were greatly changing the status quo and beginning to make their mark in the United States. They have endured severe oppression and racism for many years and suffered under Jim Crow Laws as well which were created specifically

Thesis: In “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”, Malcolm X in his telling of his life to Alex Haley uncovers the theme of positive and negative environments unearthed by the interaction of African Americans and White Americans in his life and what those kinds of environments inherently produce.

The 1920s was a time of great change. From fashion to politics, this period is known as one of the most explosive decades in American history. After WWI, America became one of the world’s most formidable superpowers. The rise to power prompted the 1920s to become a decade of evolution for women’s rights, African American’s rights, and consumerism.

When filling out a questionnaire, it is only a matter of time before I come across the predictable: what is your race/ethnicity? I do not have to think long nor hard about my answer. In fact, I do not hesitate to pencil in African American. Why is that? It could very well be that at a glance my skin tone and accent is enough for people to quickly label me as such thus reaffirming my identity. Though, I know people with similar physical dispositions that struggle with the question every time it arises and others complain about the limited options that make them feel pigeonholed into too broad of an identity.

The Civil Rights Movement started in 1954 and continued until 1968. The Civil Rights Movement was a strive for the rights and the freedoms that African Americans had been given, but taken away from by things such as the Jim Crow Laws and segregation. The Civil Rights Movement had goals of gaining equal rights but also making the fundamental documents that America had been constructed upon to be true for everyone in America. These fundamental documents include the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. With the want of these goals comes about change, an impact, and a response, and the Civil Rights Movement impacted America by gaining the civil rights for African Americans, starting the integration of schools, and also bringing

The film 'Ethnic Notions ' illustrates various ways in which African Americans were impersonated during the 19th and 20th centuries. It follows and shows the development of the rooted stereotypes which have generated bias towards African Americans. If a film of this kind had such an affectionate influence on me, it is no surprise people adopted these ideas back then. The use of new and popular media practices in those days was more than adequate in selling the black inferiority to the general public. The only purpose of these stereotypes gave a false narrative of black people. They were and are still propaganda to encourage the white society that slavery was "great" and black is inferior.

Blacks in the North were partially free, but had limitations. [Document B is a excerpt from the book, Life and Liberty in America by Charles Mackay. He wrote this in 1857-1858, and had it published in 1859.] According to Doc. B, it states, “We shall not make the black man a slave; we shall not buy him or sell him… He shall be free to live, and to thrive.” Doc B is saying that black men, are not slaves in the North. The Blacks live freely amongst themselves. Blacks are free to live without owners, and the label of just being property. This changed the life of African Americans. Having African American’s not be slaves, and to have the liberty of living freely, and it allows African Americans to feel human, and not like animals. Allows them to choose their jobs and they way they want to live their lifestyle.

Ulysses Grant fought in many bloody, historic battles, but could not stand the sight of blood. Ulysses Grant was the 18th president of the United States and he made our country a strong powerful nation. He was a commanding general and he led the Union army to victory in the American civil war (Ulysses S. Grant). He helped revolutionize America and gain rights for African Americans by helping to create the 15th amendment. Our country thought that he really helped end all the inequality in our country and make a stronger nation. Ulysses Grant helped the passage of the 15th amendment which led to African American voting rights, races being more equal, and African American freedom.

The Africans Americans have a history of being associated with both the Republican and Democratic Parties in the United States. The majority of Blacks populace in the United States considered themselves as Republicans after the Civil War. President Lincoln Republican Party supported the abolition of slavery. However, the Democrats in the south opposed any rights of the African Americans. The African Americans were not allowed to official attend the Convention of the Democratic up until the year 1924. However, in the present society, the majority of Africans vote democratic. There is a wide array of reasons to support this point of view.

There was a time in which the minorities within America began to emerge up from the trench of inequality and injustice, and that is when the civil rights movements came in existence. The sole purpose for these protest movements was to restore their basic rights as U.S citizen, getting recognized as equal under the eyes of law. However, in spite of enactments of many civil right laws, using various tactics and strategies and substantial amount of toil and struggle, not all of those movements were successful in achieving their aims. Only few movements were able to acquire their objectives.

Have you heard of the quote “The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on”? Most would have not, but you most definitely heard of the name Barack Obama. A now very successful man who I admire greatly. However, his life wasn 't without challenges, especially in his childhood. Obama had a very charred and challenged childhood. There were 3 major challenges in his life. Racism, betrayal and struggle. Today I wish to inform you about the challenges that faced the future 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama II.

During 1865-1870, the years following the Civil War, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution were ratified. Within these Amendments, African-Americans gained the right to become US citizens in the Fourteenth Amendment and were granted the ability to vote through the Fifteenth Amendment. The ratifications of both of the Amendments marked a turning point in history, both in politics and society, by allowing them to officially have rights. After they were ratified, politics changed by giving African-Americans more representation in government, however socially, racism stayed the same by black codes being created while education changed through the Freedmen’s Bureau.