Afro

WOW! What a power movie! In 2006, I was asked by Dr. Thomas F. Freeman, Head Coach of Texas Southern University’s debate team to assist (along with two other colleagues) with coordinating three (3) days of workshop for the Great Debaters, main cast members. I was given this opportunity because I was a former collegiate debater champion and an assistant coach of the TSU’s debate team. At the time, I didn’t understand the magnitude of the film, until I was invited to consult on set during the…

New PFAC exhibit shows history and culture of black The Peninsula Fine Arts Center has a new exhibit, which shows one of the most unpleasant chapters in Peninsula’s history. The exhibit contains a collection of paintings, photographs and other art pieces that determine people to think about that chapter in history. The exhibition, called “Looking Both Ways”, presents the art of contemporary African-American artists and it offers an exploration of the turbulent culture and history that formed…

he African-American leader’s philosophy that I most agree with is W.E.B. Du Bois. W.E.B. Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian, writer, activist, author, and educator. He was one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of the Colored People (NAACP) and was known for his collection of essays, Souls of Black Folk, which was a strong movement in the African American literature with many other influential writings. W.E.B. Du Bois attended Harvard University, now…

There was an incident that occurred in my school where a white male was making racist comments on his social media about the black people that attended my school. I’ve watched and mostly heard about how badly black people have been treated unfairly all over the news and my social media accounts, but to witness that kind of behavior in front of my own eyes really made me feel completely different about the situation. It made me realize that African Americans really do go through numerous amounts…

Directed towards the visual presentation of Glamour magazine, the main objective of the research is to determine, ‘to what extent are black women represented’ as well as ‘in what manner are they portrayed’. This journal acknowledges the undeniable influence the images depicted in the various issues of glamour magazine have on its audience. Even though magazines do not tell their readers who they are and need to be, they do contribute to the framework in which they develop and make up their…

The renowned author Chimamande Adichie narrates the novel, ‘Americanah’ in a multifaceted way. She frames memories within back stories, she disseminates scenes from different times and makes numerous political statements throughout the narrative. She is the chronicler, social commentator, whiner and storyteller. The metaphorical theme of separation versus connection spans the novel and explores the intricacies of culture and rapport amongst racial divides, identity, physical distances, personal…

In order to develop Afrocentric ideologies amongst African Americans, Malcolm X argued that Blacks needed to rethink their entire experience in the United States. Malcolm criticized the idea of desegregation in public schools, he did not believe that the integration of public schools would ensure a quality education for the Black masses. He argued that instead of integrated schools, Black children needed high quality, and well funded all Black schools, and they did not need to attend schools…

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,…