Afro-Brazilian

The plight of African Americans has been a very arduous journey. The plight of black women has been an even greater one. A large majority of African American women have faced some form of labeling, racism and backlash. During the antebellum period, you were either a free black, or former slave. In “Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege”, written by Kent Anderson Leslie in 1995, tells a captivating true story of a woman, Amanda America Dickson, whose life shows how with persistence and willpower…

With the illegalization of segregation and the election of a black president, white Americans are quick to say that racism is a thing of the past. It is true that in the U.S., nicknamed appropriately as the great “Melting Pot”, cultural exchange is far from rare. However, in far too many cases, cultural appreciation is used as an excuse for the racist or ignorant to use artifacts or participate in practices sacred to an oppressed culture. White Americans specifically often feel a certain…

In the short story “Stranger in the Village” by James Baldwin, he talks about being the first black man to ever have stepped foot in the tiny Swiss village. He describes how the villagers make him feel distant and alone despite the numerous conversations and interactions with natives. He talks about the different attitudes toward black people between America and Switzerland because of white supremacy. As Baldwin arrives in the small town in Switzerland, with a population of roughly six hundred,…

Tienna Fenton Armed and Dangerous? An Examination of Fatal Shootings of Unarmed Black People by Police 1. Major Themes This article focuses on the ever present discrimination of African Americans in the United States and the recent increasing number of blacks killed by police officers. The first theme viewed is the perception of blacks in the media as well as the perceptions blacks have of law enforcement. Blacks in America seem to be viewed as older than they actually are, children and…

The mammy figure was introduced after the Civil war. White southerners created the image to mend relations between black women and white men. The mammy was used to counter anti-slavery sentiments by masking the relationship as a friendly and familial one (Turner 44-45). Aunt Jemima originated as a minstrel show character portrayed by a white man in blackface and drag. Christopher Rutt, co-founder of the ready-to-make pancake mix, used Aunt Jemima to market his product to appeal to his local,…

The play, A Raisin in the Sun, is written by Lorraine Hansberry, and premiered on Broadway in 1959. Hansberry was motivated by a poem written by Langston Hughes. Active in civil rights, Hansberry’s play addresses the racial conflicts for equality and human rights felt by African Americans and Lorraine Hansberry herself. Racial segregation was still strongly being enforced at this time. Each character in the play has a dream. Race, class and gender, all shape these individual’s identity; through…

There is a perception that the American racist mentality is dead. However, this is not the case, seeing how the post- civil rights movement era is subtly reminiscent of the civil rights time period. That observation leads one to believe that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race. The reason that this perception that racism exist, is based on the ignorance society has toward…

All the problems within the black community that needs to be fixed 1.Uncle Ruckus syndrome reigns predominant. This is Uncle Ruckus, a character from the boondocks TV show(google it), he stands for the ignorant black person who praises, adores and worships everything white supremacy has given to them especially the mindset. He thinks he has Revitaligo (above) and was originally white, is pro Jim Crow, pro slavery, etc. Now everyone has a simple understanding of this let 's move on. Most are…

The trends surrounding African American women’s hair have been ongoing since times of slavery. Since then there has also been much controversy over style, appropriation and what is and is not appropriate in the work place. As many women can understand and relate, your hair is a part of your identity. The same goes for black women but it’s even much more than that. As a black woman, our hair is also a large part of our culture and throughout time we have seen many changes in regards to it.…

Black men are expected to look a certain way by societies’ definition of the ideal body type for a black male. Mincey et al (2014) found the idea of masculinity for Black men is similar to some traditional aspects of being a man; there are also ideas that are specific in being a black man. It was proceed in the article that society mainstream has a lot of influence on this topic. Masculinity doesn’t only have to do with looks; sometimes it has to do with the opportunities black men get in the…