The purpose of this study is to present bibliographical information of Hiram Revels and his impact on the culture, politics, and history of the African-American experience. Hiram Revels impacted life, black churches as well as blacks and whites with opposing political views. As the first African American Senate, a person of Revels defeated stereotype that came along with the Dred Scott decision, which stated that no individual of African ancestry was or could be considered a citizen of the…
Less than ten percent of mental health cases in the African American community gets reported to health center. However, that statistics does not cover the amount of people who suffer from these behind closed doors. There is a stigma place in the Black community, that if you seek or speak out about your mental Illness you are perceived as weak or less of a person. The question that have arose is where this stigma stemmed from. Through research, the most reoccurring explanation is that there is…
When you think of African American stereotypes, what are some of the characteristics you can imagine that people would advertise? In the documentary Ethnic Notations they explain what some of the stereotypes for African Americans were back around the 1940's. There were many cartoons and shows that depicted these stereotypes and many of them are still relevant today even though they might not be as vulgar as the were back in the 1940's. We still have many issues with stereotyping African…
In many Eastern countries, strict laws formerly prevented people from being able to live the wonderful, fulfilling lives they sought. Citizens strongly desired the freedom to practice any religion of their choice, to speak freely without restriction or unethical consequence, and to have a say in certain decisions the government could make. What better place would offer these things than the New World’s very own United States of America? During the later years of the eighteenth century to the…
The topic of “Black Madonnas: Origin, History, Controversy” by Michael Duricy is as stated in its title. Duricy doesn’t have a specific thesis but instead explains black Marian works and how they’ve been interpreted. He also explains the effects of black people on these theological artistic pieces and any controversies that may have arisen. Duricy does this by outlining black Madonna’s three classifications, his interpretation of them, and how they depicted in biblical texts. Duricy initiates…
What happens to a dream deferred? This is the question that Langston Hughes posed in his widely-praised poem entitled “Harlem.” As a whole, Hughes’ poem begs the question of what happens to the American Dream when it is postponed. He offers many outcomes of a dream deferred as it can become irrelevant, all-consuming, bittersweet, burdensome, or even cause for the dreamer to explode. This poem has been the source of much attention and credited as the source of inspiration for Lorraine Hansberry’s…
This year marked the 50th Superbowl. However what a lot of people overlooked was that it was also the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther movement. Beyoncé was the halftime show this year along with Bruno Mars and Cold Play. While many were expecting widely popular songs like her hit singles Single Ladies, Diva, and many more, instead her new song Formation surprised us. Formation, along with the performance, was a complete masterpiece. She turned an event into a political stance. She chose to…
REWRITING THE AFRICAN DIASPORA: BEYOND THE BLACK ATLANTIC African Diaspora, is one of the largest diasporas of modern times and dates back several centuries. This term, although somewhat new is used to described the dispersal of people of African descent and their roles in both the creation and transformations of new cultures outside of Africa but also the problems faced across the globe as well. Diaspora can be labeled a way to retrace the different components and layers of migration,…
The scene opens at an award assembly to honor the few distinguished students of Ballou High School. Unfortunately, the assembly basically made sure "the whiteys' now had faces. The honor students were hazed for months afterwards (Suskind 3)." In addition to showing the adversity Cedric faces from his peers, the opening chapter also portrays Cedric positively. "Cedric Jennings often retreats [to Mr. Taylor's classroom to practice SAT problems (Suskind 4)]." Unfortunately, one person can only be…
Nija Burnette Professor Felix Germain African Studies 1100 9 December 2014 Growing up, many little boys wanted to be the super heroes they watched on the television. Most people can recall the ending word of the phrase: “Look! Up in the sky! It 's a bird, it 's a plane, it 's...” The most popular super hero of all time was Superman and the focus of the previous phrase. He had super strength and speed, could fly, was invulnerable, had x-ray vision, and superhuman hearing. Superman was the ideal…