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African-American Songs, 2007.
An interpretation of the hidden meaning behind songs sung by African- American slaves.
2,586 words (approx. 10.3 pages), 10 sources, APA, AU$ 97.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses songs sung by African-Americans during the time of slavery. It interprets the meanings behind the songs "Follow the Drinking Gourd", "Wade in the Water"," Hoe Emma Hoe", "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Roll, Jordan, Roll". The paper concludes that some songs were used to communicate during the time of the underground railroad, while others were coded and allowed the slaves to talk to one another and voice their opinions about the way that they were being treated without being punished.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
"Follow the Drinking Gourd"
"Wade in the Water"
"Hoe Emma Hoe"
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"
"Roll, Jordan, Roll"
Conclusion
From the Paper
"According to Greenway this particular song is actually a map for the local branch of the Underground Railroad which led slaves from Alabama and Mississippi into freedom in the North. According to the official website for the history of the Underground Railroad, the first line of the song, "When the sun comes back and the first quail calls" refers to winter and the southern migration of quail. The article explains that because most of the slaves coming from the south had to cross the Ohio River which was difficult to do most of the year, the leaders of the Underground Railroad found that it was easier to cross in winter. The winter crossing was easier because the river was frozen and people could walk across as opposed to having to swim."
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Ralph Ellison's "The Invisible Man", 2006.
This paper discusses Ralph Ellison's "The Invisible Man" and some of the critiques of this classic.
1,415 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 5 sources, APA, AU$ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Ralph Ellison's protagonist in his "The Invisible Man" is a young African-American male from the segregated South whose main goal is to overcome the invisibility of social responsibility in order to unite the black community. The author points out that many of the problems with which the narrator of "The Invisible Man" struggles still have not disappeared from the American culture. The paper relates that, while generally reviewing this book favorably, critics find it difficult to separate Ellison from the narrator because the book was written in the first person, making it somewhat confusing as to whether the narrator is feeling a particular way or if Ellison is feeling a certain way and projecting it onto the narrator.
From the Paper
"In the beginning of the book, this narrator finds himself expelled from the Southern Negro college that he was attending for accidentally showing one of the white trustees some of the reality of black life within the south, which included a whorehouse in a rural area and a farmer that was incestuous. The director of the college chastises him and tells him, "Why, the dumbest black bastard in the cotton patch knows that the only way to please a white man is to tell him a lie! What kind of an education are you getting around here?" Mystified by what has happened to him, the narrator decides to move up north, to New York City, where the truth that he perceives is again challenged. "
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'Our Kind of People', 2007.
This paper examines the book 'Our Kind of People' by Lawrence Otis Graham.
2,714 words (approx. 10.9 pages), 4 sources, APA, AU$ 101.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that Lawrence Otis Graham's 'Our Kind of People' casts a probing eye on real-life Cosby families - the rarefied world of the African-American elite that the Cosby family alluded towards. The writer notes that through this account, Graham hopes to introduce and explain the emergence, the rules and the pride that many upper-class black Americans feel towards their own institutions. The writer points out that this paper looks at Graham's discussion of the black elite, at how the author constructed the parameters of being a member of the black elite. This paper then evaluates the validity of Graham's findings through the lens of conflict and critical race theory.
Outline:
Overview of Our Kind of People
Minority Group Relations
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Graham strives to provide context for this chronicle by beginning with a chapter on the historical origins of the black elite. In the next chapters, the author illustrates the values of the members of this black upper crust through discussions regarding children's clubs, cotillions and coming-out parties. These chapters continue with accounts devoted to historically black institutions, such as colleges, fraternities and sororities and private schools."
"The most important chapters deal with membership in the exclusive clubs, a membership that starts in early childhood. It all begins with membership in Jack and Jill, an exclusive club for the children of affluent black parents. This paves the way for an individual to attend the right summer camps, private schools and, most importantly, the right colleges. Historically, this meant institutions such as Morehouse College, Spelman College and Howard University. Today, the "right colleges" refer to the Ivy League, an illustration of the similarities between the black and white elites."
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"Of Our Spiritual Strivings", 2007.
An interpretation of W.E.B Du Bois' essay "Of Our Spiritual Strivings" as an existentialist quest.
1,521 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 63.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses W.E.B Du Bois' essay "Of Our Spiritual Strivings." The paper describes the essay as an existential and intellectual examination of the place of the Negro in American society. In order to understand the essay, the paper briefly places it in its literary and sociological context. It then discusses the issues that are brought in the essay and concludes that Du Bois provides a clear and compelling account of the various aspects that comprise the central existential crisis that faced the black man in the early twentieth century.
From the Paper
"In conclusion this essay by Du Bois provides a clear and compelling account of the various aspects that comprise the central existential crisis that faced the Black man in the early Twentieth Century; and some would argue, still does today. What makes the essay so important is that it not only sketches the existential dilemma but also suggests a possible solution to this situation through tolerance and balance. This synthetic and holistic approach can also be seen in his views on education. "In the final analysis DuBois says that the Negro university must...expand toward the possession of all knowledge. It [must start] from a beginning of the history of the Negro in America and in Africa to interpret all history; [and ultimately]...interpret and understand the social development of all mankind in all ages." (McSwine B. L.)"
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Civil Disobedience, 2006.
A discussion on effective civil disobedience.
1,419 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the historical success of civil obedience in invoking change, offering Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi as examples. It explains that a strong and charismatic leader and commitment to peace are vital for effective change. The paper also explores why civil disobedience did not work in the case of the Jews in Nazi Germany.
From the Paper
"Both Gandhi and King served as leaders and role models and inspired others to follow their example. As skilled orators, both Gandhi and King spoke in public and addressed the concerns of their opponents reasonably and articulately. Gandhi and King had game plans: outlines for their goals and desired outcomes. The Jews had no such opportunity to organize. Although as Gandhi points out they lived as the untouchables of Europe and had been persecuted for centuries, the Jews had no prior impetus for practicing civil disobedience. When the Holocaust ensued, shock and fear paralyzed any attempts to organize a resistance movement. On the other hand, both in India and in the United States, public outcries provided a strong current of support for civil disobedience. "
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Pan-Africanism, 2007.
A discussion on black African philosophy and Pan-Africanism.
2,380 words (approx. 9.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 90.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Pan-Africanism is a philosophy or belief that African people have a common bond and share common objectives, aimed ultimately at unifying themselves on their own continent as a dignified race. It points out that the belief has pertained to all black Africans and their descendants in the African continent, including the non-Blacks, and later, those outside the continent. It explores their attempts at expressing a common African personality and coming together as a nation and as one race on their own continent, especially during the period between World War I and World War II.
Outline:
Introduction
Review of Literature
Method
Summary of Findings and Conclusion
From the Paper
"This source describes Pan-Africanism as a socio-political viewpoint and movement for the unification and uplifting of all Africans within the African Continent and outside or those in African diaspora into one global community. It was first conceived of by Henry Sylvester Williams to cover Africans in the Continent and then later broadened to include those throughout the world. Pan-Africanism started in the West Indies, not Africa, and was coined by Williams for his 1900 Pan-African Congress. The leading and largest pan-African movement in the world is the UNIA-ACL organization, founded by Marcus Garvey, an Afro-Jamaican, in Kingston, Jamaica in 1912. His advocacy spread to the United States, specifically to Harlem, New York where he set up his headquarters in 1914. It re-examines African history from a pro-African perspective rather than from a pro-European's and restores traditional African concepts and culture. Other pan-African organizations are Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association-African Communities League, Trans-Africa and the Internal Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement. It is, however, criticized for ignoring or downplaying cultural and ethnic differences and socio-political circumstances among Black peoples worldwide."
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African-American Males, 2007.
An analysis of the incidence of affective disorders, incarceration and substance abuse among African-American males.
1,025 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 12 sources, MLA, AU$ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the correlation between affective disorders, substance abuse and involvement in the criminal justice system among African-American males. The paper discusses the incidence of incarceration, substance abuse and affective disorders individually and then it discusses patterns between the three issues.
Table of Contents:
High Incarceration Rates Among African Males
High Incidence Untreated Affective Disorders Depression/Anxiety
Mandated Sentences Equal Tougher Sentences on AM Males
Perception of Traumatic Events in Urban African Males
Part II - Drug Abuse and Crime Activity
From the Paper
"Most of these studies suggest that left untreated, affective disorders including those among African Americans worsen with time, and that higher rates of recidivism often result particularly when offenders are released and still must face various psychological stressors and disorders including depression or anxiety (Spencer, 1999). Given this information it seems logical that rehabilitation measures be adopted that help address psychological instability among prison populations. As yet however, there are no uniform regulations or laws that dictate or mandate rehabilitation for African Americans or other populations at risk for higher rates of affective disorders in prison. This suggests that these disorders will likely continue in the future."
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Racism, 2007.
A discussion on whether racism still exists today.
1,433 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 3 sources, APA, AU$ 59.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how racism has often been used by the dominant majority groups to exploit and subjugate various ethnic minority groups at different times in human history. The paper examines how the doctrine reached its climax in the 20th century with the rise and fall of Nazism, and the apartheid regime in South Africa. The essay concludes that, although racism at the state level has receded since then, it continues to exist in more subtle forms at both the individual and institutional levels; some government policies in countries around the world can also arguably be termed racist.
Outline:
Origins of Racism & Why it Exists
Current Examples of Continuing Racism
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper
"Theories of race and racism are convenient tools towards this end. When an adversary is identified as belonging to an "inferior" race during an armed conflict, it becomes easier for the self-styled "superior" race to perpetrate seemingly immoral and unethical practices such as occupation of territories by force, looting of wealth and brutal killings--even genocide. ("Racism") For example, painting the Jews as sub-human and belonging to an inferior race (as well as the racist myth of a superior Aryan race) made it easier for the Nazis to unleash their policy of the Holocaust and the final solution for the Jewish "problem.""
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Harriet Tubman, 2007.
A in-depth review of Harriet Tubman's life.
1,362 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 8 sources, MLA, AU$ 56.95
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Abstract
This paper explores Harriet Tubman's courageous acts of bravery in leading many slaves to freedom, despite the danger. It expands on methods that she used to be successful in her missions. The paper also discusses her contribution to the Civil War and her extensive philanthropic work after the war until her dying days.
From the Paper
"During the Civil War Harriet Tubman served as a nurse, a scout, and a spy for the Union Army in South Carolina. She participated in a military campaign to free 756 slaves and destroyed millions of dollars' worth of enemy property. When the war was over, she devoted herself to social problems. She believed that bringing freedom to people was not enough--they had to be cared for until they could care for themselves. She worked to provide shelter for low-income people. She started a home to care for old people. In 1896 she purchased two houses in Auburn, N. Y. for $1,450. She got the money by mortgaging the land they were on. In these she provided a home for young and old, sick and healthy, blind and sighted, "anyone in need." For the next ten years she lived next door, oversaw the property, and took care of the residents. Her farming operations supported it. "
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Palmer Hayden, 2007.
A biography of the life and work of the painter Palmer Hayden.
971 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 11 sources, MLA, AU$ 43.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the work of Palmer Hayden who was one of the first African-American artists to use African subjects and designs in his painting. In particular, it looks at how he was part of the "Harlem Renaissance" in the 1920's, a flowering of African-American social thought that was expressed through the visual arts, as well as through music and how it influenced his work.
From the Paper
"Although Hayden had pursued training in New York and Paris, his style has frequently been described as primitive. "In "The Janitor Who Paints", the figures' oversized hands and intense, cartoonlike expressions, as well as the freely treated space in which shapes are outlined as relatively flat areas of color, recall the simplified forms of American folk art." 7 Actually, these elements are present much more because of his highly personal approach to interpreting the vitality and challenges of African-American life than because of the broader influences of African and modern art that Hayden encountered in Paris ."
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Ethnic Literary Analysis, 2007.
This paper provides an African-American and ethnic literary analysis of the Novel 'Oroonoko: or The Royal Slave' by Aphra Behn and the Essay "How it Feels to be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston.
2,048 words (approx. 8.2 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 80.95
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Abstract
This article discusses two works containing either African or African-American themes, Aphra Behn's novel 'Oroonoko: or The Royal Slave' (1633) and Zora Neale Hurston's essay "How It Feels to be Colored Me" (1928). The writer notes that when compared against one another, they reveal considerable differences in the perspectives of their authors: In the first case, a 17th century white Englishwoman; and in the second, a late 19th and early 20th century African-American woman folklorist descended from slaves. In this essay, using African American and ethnic literary analysis of both works, the writer explores and analyzes similarities and distinctions in the ways that both authors deal with the subjects of American or African-American identity and black-white relationships, within their respective literary works.
From the Paper
"Other key characters in the novel, again drawn from an obviously white European narrative perspective, include Oroonoko's treacherous grandfather the King of the tribe, who also lusts after his grandson's love interest Imoinda, thereby reinforcing two familiar African stereotypes: overweening lust and inter-tribal rivalry and treachery, even against one's own flesh and blood. Within Aphra Behn's portrait of the African environment inhabited at first by Oroonoko and Imoinda, then, family ties are brittle, and being sold into slavery is, by implication, less heart-rending than it might be for those with stronger family ties."
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Feminist vs. Womanist Epistemology, 2007.
A comparison of womanist and feminist philosophies.
741 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 33.95
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Abstract
The paper examines the term 'womanist', which is used to generally describe the act of acting womanly. The paper explores how this definition includes behavior that is willful, courageous or audacious, according to Alice Walker, who coined the term "womanist epistemology." The paper further examines how the term "feminist" generally takes on another meaning, referring to females or women whose primary intent includes promoting the rights and equal opportunities of women. The writer proposes that the feminist approach is more negative and oppressive in nature, calling too much attention to the negative influence and practices of men in a patriarchal society. The writer argues that while it is important to call attention to oppressive practices, it is important to view a new paradigm with respect to the community as a whole.
From the Paper
"It is different from feminist epistemology as feminist's emphasis tends to be the oppression of women, primarily white women, without addressing categories of race and economics in its approach (Thomas, 1999). Womanist epistemology takes a more comprehensive approach and rather than focus on creating a "paradigm over against men" as it typical with feminist approaches, it offers an approach that recognizes "patriarchal systems as problematic" for the entire community, including women, men and children (Thomas, 1999). Thus it is less likely to pit men against women. Womanist epistemology focuses more on cultural knowledge and attempts to encourage philosophers to examine the dominant cultural themes that influence our living and general practices (Andersen & Hill, 1992; Thomas, 1999)."
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The Supreme Court And Civil Rights, 2007.
An examination of civil rights cases in the Supreme Court, in the post-Reconstruction period.
2,301 words (approx. 9.2 pages), 15 sources, MLA, AU$ 89.95
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Abstract
The writer argues that one of the major reasons why African-Americans failed to achieve equality in the United States, following the Civil War, is due to the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States. The writer proposes that this makes it necessary to examine the records of this branch of the American government in order to determine how these decisions impacted African-Americans after the Civil War. The paper analyzes five important Supreme Court cases adjudicated following the war, which made equality in the United States impossible for African-Americans. The paper concludes that these decisions of the Supreme Court undermined the ability of African-Americans to obtain equality under the law and had a very detrimental effect on this brave and often dangerous quest to gain equality in America during the days of the post-Reconstruction Era.
From the Paper
"One of the first major Supreme Court cases considered after the Civil War was the Slaughterhouse cases, brought before the Court by the butchers of New Orleans in response to a law passed in 1869 by the legislature of the State of Louisiana which allowed the incorporation of the Live Stock and Slaughterhouse Company in New Orleans and granted them exclusive rights to slaughter livestock within the city, effectively granting them a monopoly. Thus, the butchers had no choice but to seek redress through the courts via a lawsuit which argued that the new law violated their fourteenth Amendment right to due process."
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Black Entrepreneurship, 2007.
This paper discusses the books 'Black Wealth Through Black Entrepreneurship' by Robert Wallace and 'Black Entrepreneurship in America' by Shelly Green and Paul Pryde.
1,159 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 49.95
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Abstract
In this essay, the writer examines two books addressing the topic of black entrepreneurship, Robert Wallace's 'Black Wealth Through Black Entrepreneurship' and Shelly Green and Paul Pryde's 'Black Entrepreneurship in America'. The writer notes that both volumes examine the relative lack of wealth in the black community, despite the removal of legal restrictions on black participation in the business area, such as limitations on ownership, hiring and promotion discrimination, and discrimination in lending and capital provision to minority entrepreneurs. The writer discusses that each book analyzes the specific influences on the black community, and possibly the culture, which contribute to this lack of entrepreneurship and capital ownership.
From the Paper
"Green and Pryde's book more directly addresses the issue, specifically examining social criteria necessary for a business class to be created and the lack of these phenomena in the black community. The need for resources is a major factor in the creation of a business class and in the encouragement of entrepreneurship among a community, and although the black communities tend to have fewer financial resources than their white counterparts, Green and Pryde note that they are far from impoverished as a class. They note that new economic activity tends to spring up where resources, especially money, are available to support it, but in spite of this, the black community has not seen such a spurt of new business ventures. The black community, say Green and Pryde, is not nearly as poor as its cultural mythology and popular culture would have it believe."
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Wendell Berry and Racism, 2007.
This paper examines the writings of Wendell Berry and his viewpoint on American racism.
2,839 words (approx. 11.4 pages), 7 sources, MLA, AU$ 105.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses Wendell Berry, an extremely versatile and widely-published writer, with myriad essays, novels and poems to his credit. The paper looks at his works and Carter G. Woodson's "The Mis-Education of the Negro" and explores the issue of what progress has been made with regards to race and racism in America in the last 40 or 50 years. The paper shows how Berry believes (and Woodson would most likely agree) that some progress has been made in American racial and social relationships over the past 40 to 50 years. The paper contends that much more still needs to be done for the sake of ourselves, our environment and land and the future of American society.
From the Paper
"Wendell Berry, as both a writer and working farmer, might best be described as deeply responsible; conservative, and critically self-conscious in his approach to both writing and farming. Many of his writings reveal Berry's quest, as an author; farmer, and person, to promote both better agrarian and better interpersonal (understandings and decisions (see Trachtman, 2005). For example, Wendell Berry is often cited as a defender of agrarian ideals and [has] frequently voices his appreciation for the Amish."
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Affirmative Action, 2007.
An argumentative essay on affirmative action.
1,255 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 53.95
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Abstract
The writer argues that it is moral to treat all persons with the respect and dignity they deserve. The writer proposes that to set up programs and quotas, to legally force companies to hire a certain group of people with a certain set of traits, results in disrespect and resentment. The paper discusses how disabled veterans should be given the utmost in support and opportunity to reintegrate into society. The writer further argues that this can only be done properly if the disabled persons themselves are consulted thoroughly to determine their qualifications and their wishes.
From the Paper
"In terms of the morality of such preferential treatment programs, there are even more perspectives to consider when focusing on disabled veterans. Firstly, one should consider the fact that disabled veterans are in a somewhat unique position. They were injured in a profession that they had been highly qualified for. In preferential treatment programs, they are brought into jobs that they are still qualified for with the only difference being the disadvantage of physical disability. The question of qualification is therefore not necessarily a consideration in this case. On the other hand, the DVAAP focuses strongly and specifically on pushing for greater numbers of employed disabled veterans."
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