African American Essay

In the history of the United States, African Americans have always been discriminated against. When Africans first came to America, they were taken against their will and forced to work as laborers. They became slaves to the rich, greedy, lazy Americans. They were given no pay and often badly whipped and beaten. African Americans fought for their freedom, and up until the Civil War it was never given to them. When the Civil War began, they wanted to take part in fighting to free all slaves. Their opportunity to be soldiers and fight along side white men equally did not come easily, but eventually African Americans proved themselves able to withstand the heat of battle and fight as true American heroes.

In America, the lives of Africans did not get any easier. Once the demand for labor began increasing dramatically, more and more Africans were imported to America. Originally, white people and black people worked together in the plantations. As a result of the increase in Africans in these British colonies, less white people took jobs on plantations. Eventually, enslavement became based on race. Numerous slave codes were developed, which included denying slaves the right to be out past sunset and denying slaves the right to meet in groups of three or more. These Africans forced to live enslaved in America were treated as if they were inferior to white people. It is discouraging to think about the fact that this country, though it was long ago, once accepted this kind of social injustice.

During my early years of school, I remember being taught white accomplishments and wondering if blacks and other people of color had made any significant contributions to today's world. I noticed that television consist of all white people. Throughout my research paper I hope to cover certain aspects of African American heritage. Aspects such as blacks making up the largest minority group in the United States, although Mexican-Americans are rapidly changing that. The contributions blacks have provided to our country are immeasurable. Unfortunately though rather than recognizing these contributions, white America would rather focus on oppressing and degrading these people. As a consequence American

Slavery began in the late 16th century to early 18th century. Africans were brought to American colonies by white masters to come and work on their plantations in the South. They were treated harshly with no payments for all their hard work. In addition, they lived under harsh living conditions, and this led to their resistance against these harsh conditions. The racism towards the African Americans who were slaves was at its extreme as they did not have any rights; no civil nor political rights.

As stated in Webster's II Dictionary, a woman is defined to be an adult female human. In today's society being an African American woman is a rigid task to live up to. It means to reside to what their ancestors have left behind, which means to be stronger than ever. Rosa Parks was strong, Harriet Tubman was also strong, and Jezebel was even stronger. So what exactly does it mean to be a woman? It means to stand up for what is right, even if that means sacrifice, it means to be strong whether it be physically, emotionally, or mentally. African American women are perceived to be the backbone of the family, meaning that even though the male may support the family financially, that the women have the emotional and mental part in the bag.

Culture is not a fixed phenomenon, nor is it the same in all places or to all people. It is relative to time, place, and particular people. Learning about other people can help us to understand ourselves and to be better world citizens.

Initially, African Americans were brought into America as slaves. As the Civil War between the north and south broke out, it ended with the creation of amendments that, for the most part, abolished slavery. The passing of those amendments was the start of change of in american as both the North and South progressed differently during the reconstruction era. Considering that slaves were freed, did not mean that society treated them as freed. The south, especially, continued to create laws, such as Jim Crow or Black Codes, which deprived African Americans of their freedom. African Americans were the race most affected by the laws. Soon problems arose against the negro community, to the point where the civil rights movement was profound in the

During the event of the Civil War era, there was a violent organization created by the white Southerners known as the Ku Klux Klan who targeted a particular gender, which were the African American’s men and women. This organization was talked about in various textbooks but they lacked to stress the results it caused for the African American’s freedom, respect and death were at risk. The men were affected by this group in a different manner as compared to the way the women were. For example, “Sometimes such organizations used threats, beatings, rape, and murder for social and economic ends--to force black laborers to work for whites, force black landowners off their property, or punish members of a community for breaches of the moral order, such as adultery or dishonesty” (Globalyceum, “The Civil War and Reconstruction”). The men were in result affected by this statement because only men owned property during this time period and in result, this organization would force them to give up their property and work for white owners. For the women this organization affected them in a more sexual and violated manner. In more detail it mentioned, “Sexual violence was often part of such attacks, as night riders invaded African Americans'

From the 1920’s to the mid 1930’s a literary, intellectual, and artistic movement occurred that kindled the African Americans a new cultural identity. This movement became known as the Harlem Renaissance, which is also known as the “New Negro Movement”. With this movement, African Americans sought out to challenge the “Negro” stereotype that they had received from others while developing innovation and great cultural activity. The Harlem Renaissance became an artistic explosion in the creative arts. Thus, many African Americans turned to writing, art, music, and theatrics to express their selves.

Stories have existed since the beginning of mankind. Going back as far as ancient Greece in history, or even further back, one can examine the many different types of stories that have been passed down. The Ancient Greeks wrote about gods and developed drama; the Romans passed down biographies of Caesars containing their life achievements as well as their failures; numerous stories questioning the institution of slavery were produced here in American. Usually by reading the work of an author one is able to find a message or a moral hidden beneath the storyline. In most cases, authors dictate their writings in their culture’s dialect for many different reasons, many reasons of which that would not conclude them as being racist for using

The abolition of slavery in the United States presented southern African Americans with many new opportunities, including the option of relocation in search of better living conditions. The mass movement of black people from the rural areas of the South to the cities of the North, known as the Black Migration, came in the 1890s when black men and women left the south to settle in cities such as Philadelphia and New York, fleeing from the rise of Jim Crowe Laws and searching for work. This migration of blacks from the South has been an important factor in the formation of the Harlem Renaissance. The period referred to as the Harlem Renaissance, was a flourishing period of artistic and literary creation in African-American culture and

Issues of identity are always a popular topic in art. Every culture always wants to express their own identity. They don't want to be absorbed by the other's culture, especially after world wars, the period of cross cultures.

The African American experience is one that is quite different from other racial/ ethnic groups. The majority of the first African American came over, unwillingly, on ships from various African countries. They were brought to America by white, European settlers to be used as slaves in an order to plant and harvest their crops and make money for the white man. This racial group was treated as if they were property and not people. However, with the ending of the American Civil War, African Americans gained freedom, freedom that not all white American were quite ready to handle. After gaining their freedom came the need for education, jobs and suffrage rights. Now in America this racial group has come a long way, having elected its first African American present for two terms, yet still there are many issues that are very prevalent. This racial group has been fighting their way to equality since the birth of this nation. African Americans have experienced an array of conflict, violence, stereotypes, prejudice acts, and discrimination against them throughout their history in America.

Though they do have their own culture, one they created out of pain, hope, and the desire to live, African-Americans were people who really did have little control of their lives. They were surrounded by people who only wanted them to fail, who wanted to look down on them, never wanted them to succeed, and wanted to see them as nothing but property. The governments, to which people usually turn to during times of need, were against them. The people who were in the same situations as them, the poor whites, were against them because they were set against each other. They had no land, no power, no say, and were forced to know nothing of the way to survive outside of the Lord of the Lands' lands. They were forbidden to read, or learn anything that might help them out. When they get the chance to learn, their situation does not allow them to. They were cheated of the

For many years' African American experience in the United States have been very rough. Many African Americans were brought to America in 1619 involuntary, until the end of slavery in 1808. The first group of African immigrates was in August of 1619, and only consisted of 20 voluntary immigrants. This group was placed in Jamestown where they worked off their debts. Once these voluntary immigrants were finished working off their debts they became masters. However, Millions of African Americans were forced into slavery and moved to the United States. Many of the immigrants from other groups recreated the society they left behind, but sadly Africans were not allowed to. These other groups of immigrants were allowed to use education to better themselves and their children but Africans weren't allowed to. In the south, the State law made it a criminal offense to educate slaves.