African American Lives

Langston Hughes was a famous African-American literary figure born in 1902. Although Hughes was primarily recognized by his many poems, he also had different types of writings in his literary career that portrayed him as a novelist, playwright, and children’s books author. Hughes was a strong and inspiring person who had faced obstacles throughout his lifetime; many of which ended in saddening disappointments. One major shift in his point of view that impacted his life was the dreadful…

The 2004 movie “Crash”, produced by Paul Haggis, is about the different lives of a few people around the same community that are dealing with social and racial issues. In this movie we see some of the different stories of each character connect to each other. For example, one of the character’s story revolves around Peter Water, and another story focused on revolves around Detective Graham Waters. Both characters are brothers, and through the film we see how the actions of Peter water, who is…

desegregation were consistently meet with opposition. Whites at the time had several motives for not wanting to desegregate. Then, once desegregation was to be legally enforced it was met with resistance from Whites, as well as reluctance from some African Americans. To white people, most notably whites in the south, segregation was a mindset as well as a way of life. For this reason many were opposed to desegregation. They strictly followed Jim Crow laws that enforced as well as encouraged…

Racial Discrimination: Mental health effects of Discrimination “Racial Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them.” -Martin Luther King, Junior. Racial discrimination is all over the world from America to North Korea. Racial discrimination is the struggle people have to face every day white, black and Asian all ethics it’s just a problem people have…

In the mid 1900’s racism was still an enormous concern through-out the United States of America. Slavery has been abolished for almost a century when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gives his “I Have a Dream” speech. African Americans may technically have been free but were still being treated unjustly. Numerous civil rights groups and activists decided this was their time for change. One of the most notorious activists was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who led peaceful protests and boycotts that…

African Americans: Then and Now In the 1930s, racism had still lingered, but since the years, it has improved. Of Mice and Men, published in 1937 by John Steinbeck. Back in the 1930s, there were racial problems such as segregations between caucasian and african. An African American could finally get a job, but even then, they wouldn’t live a peaceful life. They were still treated differently due to color difference. Crooks from Of Mice and Men had gone through these problems his whole life.…

For many African Americans, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are the foundation of higher education. They provided equal access to a high-quality education for countless African Americans. As diversity gains momentum and economic pressures continue to mount, the need for these specialized institutions is in question. Their relevance is doubted with concerns about their present purpose, costs, and vitality in modern America. Are HBCUs as relevant today as they were in the 19th…

for equality was at its peak. In 1963, Dr. King’s speech expressed his concern for the future; he used it to motivate and encourage change within America. His speech provides an excellent perspective of the African American life. Dr. King briefly explains the treatment African Americans endured throughout the 1900’s. Some of these issues persist. Inequality is an important issue within America, and it clearly shows a nation without unity. Not only for black people, but other ethnicities…

hypertension, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and heart failure. Of these disease processes four of them are more common among African Americans. According to Feng (2015) the incidence of stroke has been declining in recent years however, in the southeastern states the occurrence of stroke is increasing. This has been shown to be especially true among middle-aged African Americans. Despite years of work aimed at lowering the rate of stroke more recent data has shown that while hospitalization due…

figurative language to convey important thematic elements. A prime example is when Hurston writes, “Colored Folks are branches without roots” (Hurston 16). In this metaphor Hurston compares African Americans’ situation in America to that of branches without trunks. Hurston uses this metaphor to demonstrate that African Americans were still considered animals by society at the time and because…