I have a great drive to attend the seminars because many high school students are not able to take a college level classes that will help further their education and feed their intellectual curiosity. These seminars will expose me to the rigor of a college level class and introduce me to things that are outside of my high school. Which is important in the growth of a student. From this class, I hope to obtain a proper understanding of the experiences people of African descent face and understand why we, as African Americans, face these obstacles. I know that black culture and politics have a great impact on the world around us, which is why I want to further my understanding of black history and learn about things that I was not taught in
Most public schools in the United States kept it simple and straight to the point. They taught, what we know as, “Black History” from the media’s standpoint. This concept neglects the true meaning of black history in the educational system, making it hard for African Americans to be prideful in who they are. Knowing history other than what the school systems tells us African Americans would not only give us more knowledge, but would allow us to stand up against others when try to put down our history. Media gives us mainly negative perspectives with very little positives of our
As I read "Rage of a Privileged Class," I could not help but feel saddened, angered, and shocked by what blacks have on their minds, let alone what they feel. It provides an insight of what they have gone through, and what they continue to go through. The Author, Ellis Cose, offers stories, experiences, and his own encounters to help picture the frustration blacks have endured for years. The chapters of the book enlighten on the way they have been mistreated, and continue to be mistreated. The book as a whole is amazing, however, three chapters stand out in my mind. The chapters I would like to discuss are three, five, and nine.
African Americans who came to America to live the golden dream have been plagued with racism, discrimination and segregation throughout a long and complicated history of events that took place in the United States dating back to slavery to the civil rights movements. Today, African American history is celebrated annually in the United States during the month of February which is designated Black History Month. This paper will look back into history beginning in the late 1800’s through modern day America and describe specific events where African Americans have endured discrimination, segregation, racism and have progressively gained rights and freedoms by pushing civil rights movement across America.
Data proves that America does not have enough African American males teaching in today’s schools. As a matter of fact, only 2% of America’s nearly five million teachers are black men (Bryan 1). In our American society, more and more African American females are fiercely taking over both public and private classrooms. Although this might be a great accomplishment, school officials believes that if more black males teach, it would reduce the numbers of minority achievement gaps and dropout rates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 44% of students nationwide are minorities, but nearly 90% of teachers are white. Polls and surveys further read that if there were more African American male teachers, the dropout rate would decrease while the graduation rate increases. In urban societies most African American teens would be more likely to succeed if there were more black males instructing secondary classrooms.
African American history plays a huge role in history today. From decades of research we can see the process that this culture went through and how they were depressed and deculturalized. In school, we take the time to learn about African American History but, we fail to see the aspects that African Americans had to overcome to be where they are today. We also fail to view life in their shoes and fundamentally understand the hardships and processes that they went through. African Americans were treated so terribly and poor in the last century and, they still are today. As a subordinate race to the American White race, African Americans were not treated equal, fair, human, or right under any circumstances. Being in the subordinate position African Americans are controlled by the higher white group in everything that they do.
For centuries African Americans have fought for equal rights, one of them being an opportunity for the chance to get an equal education. Many people believe that African Americans have an equal or better chance at getting an education than other students. This is not the case when in fact, it is actually harder for these three reasons: African American students tend to come from harsh, poverty stricken atmospheres. Shattered family lifestyles that make it difficult to pursue a higher education because they have not received the proper information. Secondly, just because African Americans are minorities does not mean that they receive a vast amount of government assistance or financial aid to pursue a higher education. Lastly, African American students do not receive the same treatment as other students when they attend predominantly white colleges and universities.
If I had lived during the 1600’s-1900’s as an African American then some of the challenges I would have faced are the struggle to survive, death and mistreatment. First of all, a challenge most every African American had to face during this time period was the struggle to survive. During this time period not only did African Americans struggle with everyday survival but so did average Americans because of poor health, finances and housing. During a large portion of this time period
Next is John Henrik Clark, who refers to African America Studies as Africana Studies because he believes that Black tells you how you look, not who you are. He goes on to state that he calls African American Studies “a dilemma at the crossroads of history” (Clark 32). This is because European people knew history well enough to distort it and use it, as well as political weapons such as the gun and bible, to control the world. This is the reason why a look at African culture will show what Africana Studies are about or should be about. Africana Studies should embrace the Africans all around the world, in places like Africa, North and South America, the Caribbean Islands even those in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Clarke states that Africa is
In From Slavery to Freedom (2007), it was said that “the transition from slavery to freedom represents one of the major themes in the history of African Diaspora in the Americas” (para. 1). African American history plays an important role in American history not only because the Civil Rights Movement, but because of the strength and courage of Afro-Americans struggling to live a good life in America. Afro-Americans have been present in this country since the early 1600’s, and have been making history since. We as Americans have studied American history all throughout school, and took one Month out of the year to studied African American history. Of course we learn some things about the important people and events in African American history, but some of the most important things remain untold which will take more than a month to learn about.
The aspect of African-American Studies is key to the lives of African-Americans and those involved with the welfare of the race. African-American Studies is the systematic and critical study of the multidimensional aspects of Black thought and practice in their current and historical unfolding (Karenga, 21). African-American Studies exposes students to the experiences of African-American people and others of African descent. It allows the promotion and sharing of the African-American culture. However, the concept of African-American Studies, like many other studies that focus on a specific group, gender, and/or creed, poses problems. Therefore, African-American Studies must overcome the obstacles in order to improve the state of being for African-Americans.
I believe what is most important in the case of looking at with Black and, African American adolescents, and children is the equal opportunity factor which has always been a fight. I believe that this depends on the school which black students are going to, and the income which their family has. There have been researches which have looked at black students in different environments, and how self-conscious they were or their self- esteem. It seems that educational experiences effect African American students. There have studies which showed factors which are effected with racial identity too when in predominantly white communities
Growing up, in school, I was taught a miniscule about African American history. I feel like it was at least spoken a bit about, starting in Kindergarten. The teachers taught us every year over and over about Martin Luther King (most of the same information every time) and each year we had a special assembly for him (Martin Luther King Oratorical). During this assembly, the children could read their own poetry or recite a poem or 2 that had been written previously about Dr. King. Our teachers touched lightly on the Civil Rights Movement as well, however, that is just it, they “touched LIGHTLY”. That was all in Elementary School, I do not recall learning anything about African American History in middle school. In high school, a few teachers
Integrated colleges in the South prior to the start of Civil War were uncommon, yet, Reverend John Gregg Fee was able to promote interracial education by founding the town of Berea and Berea College. As the South’s first interracial and coeducational college, educating Blacks and Whites individuals, both males and females, Kentuckians saw this as taboo in a predominately slave practicing society. Fee had many accomplishments, such as starting the utopian community of Berea and establishing a non-sectarian church that did not discriminate on one’s denomination. Fee was a strong advocate for “impartial love,” believing one’s race, gender, or religion should not be a factor for obtaining this type of love. Fee’s major accomplishment was the founding of Berea College as an interracial college in a slave-holding state. However, this accomplishment did not last long and by examining the effects of the Day Law, actions of former Berea College presidents, and the world outside the Berea community, one will see how the College has not been consistent in Fee’s goal of an equal interracial education.
This class was filled with riveting topics that all had positive and negative impacts on Africa. As in most of the world, slavery, or involuntary human servitude, was practiced across Africa from prehistoric times to the modern era (Wright, 2000). The transatlantic slave trade was beneficial for the Elite Africans that sold the slaves to the Western Europeans because their economy predominantly depended on it. However, this trade left a mark on Africans that no one will ever be able to erase. For many Africans, just remembering that their ancestors were once slaves to another human, is something humiliating and shameful.
For my presentation I decided to talk about college education. I decided to pick this topic because it’s something that I feel very passionate about when I talk to my fellow classmates. Many students talk on how college is expensive, but don’t realize the benefits that come with higher education. I wanted to show how free college education could effect the future and the mind of our students. The main reason that I chose this topic was to share that struggle is part of the process to success. Like some actors say in the movies “no pain no gain”