African American Women Case Study

The health of a nation plays an integral part in the overall success and economic well being of a particular country. The United Stated, while pouring more money into the healthcare system than any other country, still stands as a broken system with inadequate care for many citizens. One of the most marginalized groups of people, African American women, continually score alarmingly low on basic measures of overall health. The healthcare discrepancies between white and black women in the United States are alarming, and they reveal flaws in the American health care system as a whole.

By 1815, slavery within America was already institutionalised affecting the majority of African Americans; by 1860, there were 3.5 to 4.4 million enslaved African Americans as a result of the Atlantic Slave Trade in comparison to the 488,000–500,000 free African Americans. The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) freed all enslaved African Americans; nonetheless, African Americans were still considered inferior. Especially African American women who were treated significantly worse- sexually exploited, rejected by various southern suffragette groups as well as the National Woman Suffrage Association which opposed the 15th Amendment, enabling African American men to vote, fearing the setback it could cause women in obtaining the vote. Historian Deborah Gray White highlighted the status of being an African American woman stating that being "Black in a white society, slave in a free society, woman in a society ruled by men, female slaves had the least formal power and were perhaps the most vulnerable group of antebellum America." From 1815 to 1917, the lives of white women improved economically, socially and politically. Nevertheless, the improvement of African American women could be questioned. Therefore, this essay will focus on how the lives of African American women from 1815 to 1917 were marked by continuity rather than a period of change and improvement.

Black Woman Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study, that examines gender as a social and cultural construct, the social status and contributions of women, and the relationships between power and gender. Women are held to this standard of being the one to cook, clean, cater to her spouse and care for the children but it should be more than that. When women go above their expectations, they are accused as being wrong and are sometimes told to not pursue their dreams. Women should be held on the same scale as men in society, this method could prevent gender issues.

African-American women have often been an overlooked group with the larger context of American Society. Historically, oppression has been meted out to the African-American woman in two ways. Historically, everything afforded to African-American, from educational and employment opportunities to health care have been sub-par. As women they have been relegated even further in a patriarchal society that has always, invariably, held men in higher regard.

From Africa to America, African American women have embraced the spirit of creativity and survival. For years the black woman has been the backbone of our culture. It was our faith and positive spirits that played a great part in surviving slavery and being treated as second class citizens during the Civil Rights Movement. Now as we enter the 21st century, it is time to exert our strengths at a new level. The African American woman's role is to grow and prosper in business, support and be active in her community, maintain a strong family foundation, be spiritually grounded and to emend our health.

African American women advocate for social change in the Progressive Era by forming and participating in an organization that advocates for women suffrage, racial violence, and improvement of social conditions.

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

Being a woman living in America is not only a task but a daily job. Women in the United States are not held to the same standards as men but are expected to work just as hard as a man to work in a higher role that has normally dominated by men. Women have to appear just a tough as a man if not tougher, show no emotion and also think like a man.

lthough the enslaved women were married, their husbands could not protect them because of the control that the masters had over both spouses. Many times, due to rape and sexual intercourses between the slave and masters, both white and African American women had to keep their pregnancies hidden and they were not allowed to speak on who the father of the babies were. Often times black women would rebel against their masters because they felt it was morally wrong and often like "their ancestors and counterparts of Africa, most slave women took their motherhood seriously. They put this responsibilities before their own safety and freedom, provided for children not their own, and gave love even to those babies born from violence." (Hallam, 2004) . If a enslaved women, who had children, were to tell who the child's

Angelia Emily Grimké, a sister, a wife, a women’s right advocate, and a women who fought tirelessly against slavery. Grimké held her composure in hostile crowds, even as stones were casted out, and harsh words cut into the dust filled air. This strong independent woman fought for those who could not fight for themselves. She lived in a time when women were encouraged to keep their heads low and their opinions kept to themselves. Grimké worked along with her sister to fight for rights that at the time did not come easily. In today’s world, the thought of women and the African American race having little input in the government or day to day living is disturbing. Americans take great pride in having a voice and the ability they have to use that voice at any time of any day. Unfortunately these times were not always easy to come by. People like Angelia Grimké paved the way for those rights and the overall rights of equality. She accomplished this by expressing her opinion and beliefs to those who were not always willing to agree. Grimké and many like her fought the hard fight and did not give in when they were outnumbered. Grimké came from a slave owning family in the south; therefore, she saw firsthand the effects of slavery. Into Grimké’s adult life, she moved north and further developed her beliefs through her relationship with God and devotion to her Bible, as well as, historical documents like the Constitution. These developed beliefs seen in her published

If an African American woman is sitting on a bus is it assumed that her job is a maid? Of course not. Today’s societal norms have developed to the point where we can’t tell a person’s job through their appearances and or skin color. Societal expectations of African American women have drastically changed from what they were in the society’s view from “Their Eyes Were Watching God” in the 1930’s to now in 2018.

In this paper I will be investigate about how African American woman was working hard to become successful in the elegance of the society in the 1880s and years beyond that. Being

Women are the pillars of the society. They give rise to the society, each one of us was conceived in the womb of a particular woman. They take care of the entire family, the children and the grown up. The mother figure is quite critical in the life of each and every individual. There is a saying that goes” behind every successful man there is a woman.” Therefore, their significance in the lives of their husbands or children cannot be ignored. The great readers across the world for instance United States of America President Obama and United Kingdom Prime minister David Cameron regularly attends government and private affairs together with their wives Mitchell and Samantha respectively.

United States’ southeast region can be described as unique when it comes to its economic system and its social structure due to the multiple political and constitutional problems these structures have created. The most important factor of these problems raised could be said that was the social structure, regarding the interaction between the different social groups of this southeastern community. From the conflicts that aroused between the different White European settlers, to the adjustment of the African Americans to labor, the southerner society, or community, was created. The commodification of the domestic work of African American women affected in great ways their performance in white households, as well as their portrayal in advertisements, where they were shown to be a need to white southerners during the 1920’s. Although these advertisements approached the public with the idea that domestic work was a necessity, the advances in society made of their work one that day-by-day became less needed.

With society changing who African American woman are on the outside has created internalized oppression on the inside. Nevertheless, causing African American woman to hate their selves and believing they are ugly, because they don’t possess the image in which society has set as norm. An American America women wants “ to be completely dedicated to their culture without considering other cultures values or beliefs;” “to be who they are and to be proud of it”; “to wear garments, living life, and having dread locks; to wear dreads and froes and be natural.” (Cokely, 2002) She has to wake up every day and be who society tells her is acceptable. Society therefore is sending out messages of false hope to the African American women in corporate America. Research has shown that African America that have endorse these stereotyped roles have lower self-esteem them women who resist the stigma.(cite) With society marginalization African American women it as a result keeps the white man in charge of who gets to work in what part of the company. Therefore, as I would say robbing them of their energy and creativity in corporate America.