African
Essays

Media Coverage of the 2012 Presidential Election ONE: Introduction The diverse and sometimes ugly stories, attacks and sundry reports that have been published in print and broadcast in the media (including electronic media) thus far in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election campaign reflect just how divided the nation is. These stories and ads in fact say as much about the sorry moral state of America – and about how out-of-control the issue of politically motivated money is – as they do about the campaign or the candidates. It is the opinion of this writer that there has rarely been a time in recent American history when conservatives and progressives have been so bitterly divided, and have attacked one another with such meanness and fierce antipathy – in particular the reference is to the conservative attacks against progressives – and never has their been an election where millions of dollars flow into campaign coffers from corporations and individuals with zero accountability as to the source. Some suggest that because President Barack Obama is an African American, those opposed to him have been particularly virulent in their attacks. Others suggest this election is really about two competing ideologies – those who are conservative (they are anti-abortion and anti-gay rights and doubt the science of global warming and evolution) versus those who are progressive (they tend to be pro-choice, support same-sex marriage and accept science as reported by bona fide empirically-driven researchers). These issues have been simmering for years and are just now coming to a head with Obama, the Black president, symbolizing for the right wing, the Tea Party, the GOP and conservative Christians (including evangelicals) all that is wrong with America. This election process is bringing bitterly opposing social and ideological divisions into the public view through the media, which itself is taking sides, as expected, but in ways far more potentially harmful to democratic ideals. This paper reviews and provides critical analysis of the media's role – and the role of money interests in the contest between Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama.

The Impact of Langston Hughes's Life on His Work:

Of all famous twentieth century leaders, few have come to possess as lasting an impact on their people and their culture as Martin Luther King, Jr. In fact, the one man who it can safely be said to have had a greater…

¶ … Women be Drafted to Serve in the Military?

American culture prides itself on its diversity, but still expects a high degree of conformity. I have received mixed messages about cultural norms, because on the one hand Americans celebrate diversity and on the other…

¶ … Students' Eyes, Look-Alike Lawyers Don't Make the Grade" presents the effort of Stanford law students to encourage diversity in law firms in the U.S. with a project in which they give grades to the different law…

The Power of Trust: Elementary School Evidence of Forces Influencing the Relationship between Academic Achievement and Race

More than any other minority group, blacks remain residentially segregated. That is, they tend to live together in small areas away from other ethnic groups. The segregation is a result of discrimination toward blacks…

For hundreds of years, there has been a common idea that race and intelligence are statistically correlated. Even contemporary debate into this paradigm focuses on the differences in test scores when tabulated using…

Real World Issues Under the Scrutiny of Literature: Polygamy in Emecheta's the Joys of Motherhood