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African american cultural history summary
Essay paper about african american history
Essay paper about african american history
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African American Studies focuses on the experiences, the problems, and the prospects of individual and groups whose heritage is African. The field examines the historical records of black people in Africa and in the Western hemisphere. In the past, Africana studies lacked an identity and organization. Historians, anthropologist, sociologist, political scientist, and geographers all contributed to the knowledge of African Studies. Many of the findings of these fields were heavily criticized due to their Eurocentric point of view. Many African scholars wanted to switch the study's view to be more Afro-Centric which they felt they would represent Africa and its people more accurately. During the early stages of this department, schools did not
The formation of the Africana Studies Project includes Knowledge, Power, and Humanity. This insurrectionary intellectual formation examines the worlds of meaning, thought, and expression of Africans, reconstructing new meanings and possibilities for humanity. Development of African American Studies has increased awareness of the contribution of African Americans to the civilizations of the world, using its many themes and concepts, while also displaying many issues. One main issue of this, is the lack of Africana knowledge. For African American discipline to advance, its focal point must be the production and utilization of knowledge, to develop solutions to various issues in our society.
African or black history was not a study that was done by many until the last century. Studying African Americans accurately as part of American History was an even newer field of history. John Hope Franklin’s obituary calls him, “the scholar who helped create the field of African-American history and dominated it for nearly six decades.” He would call himself an historian of the American South.
The African-American Years: Chronologies of American History and Experience. Ed. Gabriel Burns Stepto. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 2003.
It must be noted that for the purpose of avoiding redundancy, the author has chosen to use the terms African-American and black synonymously to reference the culture, which...
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.
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.
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
...ature can be used in reconstructing the image of Blacks/Africans to take apart and decipher the theories and documents that conceal the Africans existence and role in the origins of humanity and civilization. Throughout life you see Africans portrayed as inferior, the theory of Africans coming from monkeys but history books do not tell you the contribution’s and the ideals and values of Africans, the most you learn about Blacks are that they were slaves. White America tries to conceal the Black peoples presence is history because the only time you hear about Blacks is Black History Month or when you take a class specifically pertaining to Africans. From my readings and the films watched, we see the hidden truths of the Africans and we are able to analyze these truths to better our learning of African’s so we can better our understanding and spread what we now know.
The time has come again to celebrate the achievements of all black men and women who have chipped in to form the Black society. There are television programs about the African Queens and Kings who never set sail for America, but are acknowledged as the pillars of our identity. In addition, our black school children finally get to hear about the history of their ancestors instead of hearing about Columbus and the founding of America. The great founding of America briefly includes the slavery period and the Antebellum south, but readily excludes both black men and women, such as George Washington Carver, Langston Hughes, and Mary Bethune. These men and women have contributed greatly to American society. However, many of us only know brief histories regarding these excellent black men and women, because many of our teachers have posters with brief synopses describing the achievements of such men and women. The Black students at this University need to realize that the accomplishments of African Americans cannot be limited to one month per year, but should be recognized everyday of every year both in our schools and in our homes.
(3) Why your research is important and how it contributes to the field of African and African American Studies/Literature.
Johnson, Charles, Patricia Smith, and WGBH Series Research Team. Africans in America. New York: Harcourt, Inc. 1998.
From Slavery to Freedom: African in the Americas. (2007). Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Retrieved October 7, 2007 from Web site: http://www.asalh.org/
Go back in time exactly 56 years, it is now 1960. Now, picture yourself in the 60’s and picture yourself hanging out with friends. It is a typical sunny day, school is out and you are hungry; so your first instinct is to get food. You arrive at the restaurant and the front is empty. You sit down, look through the menu and decide what to order. The server comes out and refuses to wait on you. Why would the server refuse to get the order? You have money. You are willing to pay for food. You are not causing trouble. You are hungry and want to eat. Have you realized you are African-American? What are you going to do about this? Are you just going to leave or are you going to take a stand? In 1960 four college students thought that this was unfair therefore, they took a stand. They would not leave as a matter of
Further, African American publications of the time were not unanimous in their criticism of Confederate mythology, especially in the public realm. While the African American newspaper The Dallas Express, often relayed cynical and somber news of Confederate heritage, another African American periodical of Texas, The Houston Informer, spoke of Confederate Veterans in the same heroic light as did many white Southern publications. Writing on the Arlington Cemetery, the Informer noted Confederates were placed by, “the most splendid monument to the heroic dead ever erected by any nation,” and “one could not wish to lie down to final rest in more beautiful surroundings.”
As I continued to watch the film, I began to reflect on the importance of the study of race for Africana Studies. Studying race is an opportunity to explore the historical and contemporary circumstances of race relation in the world today. Having students understand the intersecting roles of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and culture. Students can have a better cultural awareness, which helps shape their experience dealing with people of a culturally different background throughout the world.