African American - 1129 Words

| African Americans | | | Christy B. | ETH 125 June 5, 2011 | | African Americans Who are we, where did we come from, what has been our experience since we landed on United States soil? The migration of Africans has been very significant in the making of African Americans history and culture. Todays 35 million African Americans are heirs to all the migrations that have formed and transformed African America, the United States, and the Western Hemisphere (The New York Public Library, n.d.). African American history starts in the 1500s with the first Africans coming from Mexico and the Caribbean to the Spanish territories of Florida, Texas, and other parts of the South (The New York Public Library, n.d.). Although†¦show more content†¦In 1831, northern free slaves began to try to free slaves from forced captivity of southern slave owners, which began the movement of the Underground Railroad. In 1865, the victory of the civil war, freed four million black slaves, but white southerners were not happy with the idea of slaves having freedom so they designe d laws to restrict freed slaves from civility and ensure that they did not lose their labor force. As the years went on and new laws were passed for citizenship, white southerners continued to come up with ways to restrict Blacks from many social activities in which they were already granted through the laws of the Constitution. By the 19th century, many social forms of discrimination existed to keep Black Americans from being equal to White Americans. Laws like separate but equal where put into places to keep Black Americans from being in the same places as White Americans, like; neighborhoods, schools, churches, restaurants, and so on. White Americans also believed that Blacks should not have the right to vote; which led to many black movements for the continuous fight for equality in the nation of freedom. By 1954 the Brown vs. Board of Education case reversed the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine that previously had been set in 1896, allowing children both White and Black children to attend the same schools and same classrooms. InShow MoreRelatedAfrican Americans And African American Community852 Words   |  4 PagesAs seen through time, African-Americans have been at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing funds that are available to most people. This however has not stopped them from cr eating and accessing help that supports and aids their families. Through communal efforts, African-Americans have been able to create mutual aid for themselves. In these communities, there are many sectors that have been built, but the main reason many are â€Å"making it† or able to afford and do what they are currently doingRead MoreAfrican Americans And Identity Of African American1169 Words   |  5 PagesIn the year of 1619, the largest oppressive legal structure in American History came about, the institution of slavery. Although slavery was abolished in the year of 1865, African Americans are still enslaved by intuitional racism. There are systems in place to keep minorities at a disadvantage. This system of oppression is carried by a number of factors such as; the segregation of black people in urban areas referred to as ghettos, mass incarceration rate for people of color, large educational gapsRead MoreAfrican American Oppression : African Americans Essay1123 Words   |  5 Pages African American Oppression 1. A group that has been oppressed for a long period of time is African Americans. They dealt with so much from history to present that I feel they should benefit from community organizing. Especially with recent events that’s going on with them as a population, they could benefit from it. 2. The African American population in the U.S is 13.3% and what distinguishes them from the rest of the population is that there’s a lot of history behind African Americans. The descendantsRead MoreAfrican Americans And African American Males3422 Words   |  14 PagesCurrently, African Americans make up nearly one million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population. Nearly one in three African American males born today can expect to serve time in prison during their lifetime (NAACP, 2015). A central issue in today’s society is the rate of criminalization of African American males. There are many speculations on this topic; however, the central one is when a crime is committed then there is â€Å"time† to be served. However, the time served by African American malesRead MoreThe And Of African Americans1525 Words   |  7 Pageshow we see things. Like with the AOK history. The concept of history can change the way Caucasians or African Americans view sl avery. White people may view slavery as a good thing or a bad thing and view black people as equals or not. They may feel horrible about what their people has done to African Americans in the past and become sympathetic to them.White people may feel guilty. African Americans may not be as understanding to white people. White people were responsible for slavery.Slavery wasRead MoreAfrican American Music And Its Impact On African Americans997 Words   |  4 PagesMusic in the 1900 s had meaning , music was how African Americans got through a long working day . Music then was something that no man could take away . That still applies to the 21st century music , back onto the 1900 s African Americans were not given the same privileges as they are today . Music was the less threatening way for African Americans to get there point across . The music was not always about them wanting equality , there was loving songs , upbeat songs , songs about what they areRead More African Americans1998 Words   |  8 Pagesleased, or mortgaged like a form of livestock (Gilder Lehrman, 2009).† Because slaves are under the private control and care of their owner they were often exposed to sexual abuse and cruel unusual punishment. In many cultures, especially the African American culture, slaves were representa tively desecrated; for instance, many were branded, tattooed, or required to wear distinctive clothing that could represented a slave. Also, regardless of the place and time period, societies had established certainRead MoreAfrican Americans And Caucasian Americans1400 Words   |  6 PagesThe tensions are still there also because there still continue to be separate standards society sets for African Americans and Caucasian Americans. Would individuals feel the need to set or think about the standards if we did not have black history month? This notion probably would not cross the minds of individuals if certain months of the year did not celebrate one race individually. Interracial marriage or dating is still considered a socially unacceptable sighting or experience. Individual feelsRead MoreThe American Dream Of African Americans1400 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is the American Dream? To many people across the globe, the United States of America appears to be a place where one can be proud of. America the land where dreams come true and there is always a chance for any person to succeed. People who are not from the United States have been painted a beautiful picture of what life in our country is like. Not only do they think that there is a special place in American Dream of African American soldiers after WWI American Dream of African American soldiersRead MoreAfrican Americans And The American Revolution1122 Words   |  5 PagesIn their demands for liberty and equality, African Americans would point to their role in all of America’s wars. Many fought for liberty in the American Revolution, like Philadelphia’s James Forten who served aboard an American privateer. God created all men equal. Why are they not being treated equally? Blacks and whites should be protected by the same laws and privileges. James Forten was a freeborn African American who had a nice job and was very wealthy for his time. Forten says, â€Å"Whilst so