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From this course I hope to gain a better understanding of the history of African-Americans. I want to know more about their past, their achievements, their struggles, their ideals, their impact on American culture and so on.
My favorite African-American personality is Malcolm X. I think he is the most articulate and thoughtful African-American in the 20th century and he has a great deal of power and conviction in his words. As a Civil Rights leader he was a non-conformist: he did not ascribe to the same methods and ideals as Martin Luther King, Jr. Instead, he followed the Prophet Elijah Mohammed and joined the Nation of Islam. But then he left them when he realized his leader was not being honest about his own life. Malcolm X grew up like a thug, but during his time in prison he underwent a conversion that affected him mentally and spiritually—so there is quite a story to his life.
In my view, it is important to study and learn about African-American history for a number of reasons: 1) it is so intertwined with the history of America; America’s history has to include a history of African-Americans, just as it should include a history of Jewish-American, Italian-Americans, German-Americans, Irish-Americans, Asian-Americans and so on. 2) African-Americans have a lot to teach us—whether through their works, their words, their actions, or their life stories. There are so many great ones that it is helpful to our own lives to develop a deeper sense of theirs. 3) Today’s American culture—its music, its attitudes, its beliefs—stem in some way from the contributions of African-American culture. There is a lot that we can know about ourselves as general Americans by studying sub-cultures within the overall national culture: it is like examining an origin story.
African-American Studies Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance is a cultural movement that began during the second decade of the 20th century, also known as the "New Negro Movement." The Harlem Renaissance came about as a result of a series of changes in American society during the time. One major turning point during this period of American history was the significant changes in the American population. Reconstruction was over; the country began its
African-American History (Chicago Citation) Robert Purvis was an important member of the abolitionist community in the United States during the mid-1800's. Originally from South Carolina, Purvis was only 1/4 black, and although he was light skinned enough to pass for white, chose to present himself as a black man. Purvis was important for his association with a number of abolitionist causes including the founding of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Young Men's Antislavery
African-Americans History And Culture The false and misleading notion that "African-Americans created themselves" completely ignores and invalidates the rich history of those whose ancestry lies in the great African continent. While African-Americans have adopted and incorporated many cultures into their own (not unlike any other cultural group in America) that in no way signifies that African-American's have no culture or history of their own. "Black people have no history, no heroes, no
The simultaneous convergence of these leaders, groups, and movements, is easy to understand when one considers the environment of the Harlem area during the early 1900s. With vast numbers of new African-American citizens having come from the racist south, the area was ripe with social, political, and cultural concepts that come with new found freedom. In such a charged atmosphere, leaders such as Garvey had an audience ready to listen,
Furthermore, as a result of these conditions there was a general failure of black business and entrepreneurships. "Black businesses failed, crushing the entrepreneurial spirit that had been an essential element of the Negro Renaissance." (the Great Depression: A History in the Key of Jazz) However this did not crush the general spirit of the African-American people and there was a resurgence of black culture and enterprise in area such as
Thus, the New Negro Movement refers to the new way of thinking, and encompasses all the elements of the Negro Renaissance, artistically, socially and politically (New). The Harlem Renaissance changed the dynamics of African-American culture in the United States forever, for it was proof that whites did not have a monopoly on literature, arts and culture (Harlem). The many personalities of the era, such as composer Duke Ellington, dancer Josephine