Afro

In Ta-Nehisi Coates’s book, The Beautiful Struggle, he speaks on the experiences he faced throughout his childhood. Ta-Nehisi was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, which is a predominately Black community. Growing up Ta-Nehisi witnessed and was faced with many street challenges such as, violence, gangs and drugs that were too advanced for him to handle. His father, Paul Coates, worked hard to transition Ta-Nehisi from a naïve boy into a strong and…

Reading these articles supported the idea that stereotypes influence the development of identity for African American women. In developing social identity, the identity developed because of membership to a group is crucial in developing identity to one’s self (Thomas, Hacker, and Hoxka 530). As shown in Bany, Robnett, and Feliciano’s article, the stereotypes depict African American women as obese, highly sexual, and highly talkative to name a few stereotypes (Bany, Robnett, and Feliciano 203).…

Every Tuesday and Thursday, my first class of the day is Politics of Black Identity, taught by Professor Cokley, and each day I get increasingly excited about the topics we will discuss in class. Every topic we have discussed in class has been very real and open minded subjects that have all had my brain working in new ways in order to determine my opinion on questions and topics I have never been asked or discussed before. Two issues we have conversed about in class that have stuck out to me…

Not Everything is Just Black and White Rosa Parks was raised during a time when segregation was normal and cultural suppression of African Americans was a way of life. On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks did something very simple that turned into something great. She refused to give up her seat on the bus riding home after work to a white man. Not to make a point or start a protest, because it had been a long day and she was tired. Her actions that day started a protest of the bus companies '…

My upbringing was different from most American kids because I 'm not just American, I 'm African American. More specifically I 'm Ivorian-American. Immigrating and assimilating into the American culture was a feat. Everything was significantly different from what I was used to in Abidjan. Suddenly, I was aware that I 'm different and even those who I thought were the same as me, weren 't. It wasn 't until I became older and grew to understood myself that I was able to make sense of it all. I…

W.E.B. DuBois: A Civil Rights Leader W.E.B. DuBois is one of the most influential leaders for African American rights in U.S. history. His work with the NAACP, and his pride for the African American society led to a successful and legendary fight for African rights all around the world. The Civil War had little effect on already freed African Americans like DuBois. DuBois’s parents and grandparents were never slaves, so they weren’t very affected by the end of the war (McKissack & McKissack,…

Police use their rights as a police officer as a way to overpower people. Police use their rights as a police officer to overpower people, to be specific African Americans, and treat them any way they are pleased. For example, an African American might be driving in a very nice, brand new, expensive car with the windows tented. A police officer pulls them over and asks them to see their license and registration. He also asks if they will step out of the car so he can search the car. The African…

Should I wear my hair straight? Should I wear it natural? Should I conform to society? Should I stand my ground and show my pride? Am I good enough? These are the things that black women asked themselves in the 1960s and 1970s. In “The Bluest Eye”, written by Toni Morrison, there is an underlying theme: the faces of black women. To use in comparison with “The Bluest Eye”, the chapter “Contexts for the Emergence of ‘Black is Beautiful.’” in Maxine Leeds Craig’s book “Ain’t I a Beauty Queen? Black…

Conclusion Often when critics read Octavia Butler’s Kindred, the focus of the novel is often on the bodies of the black people who lived during this era. However, the narrative itself is fascinating in the way it confronts history in order to deconstruct it and rebuild it. Dana’s journey to antebellum Maryland enables the reader to take a new look at the characters they thought they knew, like Sarah’s role as the “mammy.” Butler’s blending of the Neo-slave narrative genre and Fantasy allows her…

Religion is often interpreted in various ways, for some it means following everything in their desired sacred text. While for another it may mean just believing in a higher power without an actual form of practice. There also tends to be a difference in the way men and women practice religion. In Christian churches, women tend to take a submissive role following the leadership of the males, becoming the backbone taking care of matters behind the scene. Christian women are expected to carry…