Black Power Movement

As the United States black power movement of the 1960’s and 70’s gained momentum, African American artists seized the scene and created pieces that reflected their history of oppression and embraced the progress towards attaining equality. Focusing on two works in particular, Betye Saar’s iconic The Liberation of Aunt Jemima (1972), and Richard Hunt’s sculpture the Outgrown Pyramid #1 (1973), will help uncover the plight of African American’s at that time. These artists both demonstrate a keen…

dragons into his veins, down the path of the Black flight, seeking…

presence and power of the black woman. (Applause) Beyonce Knowles: While many have criticized me for my expression. I have chosen to use art as a medium to discuss the black experience. Undoubtedly, the black woman has always faced a litany of challenges such as– sexual and economic exploitation, demonization for exuding strength in business environments -criminalization within the school system among other atrocities that have prompted new movements such as Black Girls Rock, and Black Girls…

Afros directly challenged the traditional ideal of beauty that devalued natural black features. Afros and Black power contradicted the more acceptable straightened styles that black women had been conditioned to wear for decades. Because this white aesthetic historically represented the norm for beautiful hair, afros represented its direct opposite. And because hair is something…

personal heritage resulted in further appreciation, and inspiration to take on her career as a poet. When Giovanni was still a young girl, she and her family left Knoxville, Tennessee, and moved to Lincoln Heights, Ohio, one of the predominantly black communities during this time period. However, her relationship she shared with her grandmother remained unblemished. Giovanni’s poetry…

The Politics of Black Hair: A Feminist Analysis of the Construction the Black Female Identity The general consensus amongst most feminist scholars is that beauty standards have not changed much since the 1800s—the construction of female beauty still features a young white woman with large breasts, a small waist, light eyes, and long flowing hair. The act of policing the alteration of Black hair has become one of the most significant ways in which Black people engage in respectability politics.…

appropriation. This case and many others like Rogers’ put a damper on the fire in the black community’s heart and have been recognized as one of the many factors why the original “Naturalista” movement ended. Today the naturalista movement has influenced all streams of media. In film there is more diversity in roles of black women and the different shades and styles of black women are being displayed. The leading black woman in a film does not always have a perm or is not always a…

aren’t just terms anymore that are used freely instead, they’ve become very stereotypical and judgmental to the black race. This puts pressure on African American women to feel doubtful of their natural hair, so much that black women use chemicals to make their hair silky straight, which ultimately result in damaged hair. This has become such a controversial issue that the “Natural Hair Movement” has started all over social media. Not only does the media…

8. I believe the theory that Bethune’s essay patterns the value added theory because it helps to under the history, applications, and periods of social change. Bethune felt that the White race had so much power, and that the Black race was still fighting for equal rights although there were suppose to be equality. The many principles were structural conduciveness, structural strain which means there is a social problem, and there were many social problems such as educationg, health care, etc.…

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines heritage as “the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation (Merriam-Webster).” Our heritage can affect who we are and how we define ourselves. Sometimes our heritage can be redefined with new generations. Each person can perceive their heritage differently. Some people are proud of their heritage while others want to leave it in the past and start over. What’s good for one person may not be good for another…