Black American Motherhood

Alexander writes, “I have a specific audience in mind—people who care deeply about racial justice but who, for any number of reasons, do not yet appreciate the magnitude of the crisis faced by communities of color… I am writing this book for people like me—the person I was ten years ago” (p. xiii). By writing to an audience of readers who are not

In the US, black women are over three times more likely to die from maternally related complications than white women, and their babies are less likely to survive their first year (Oparah & Bonparte, 2015). Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy and Childbirth, edited by Julia Chineyere Oparah and Alicia D. Bonaparte tells the stories, experiences, oppression, and subjection of black women in the maternal health care system. Each chapter in the book explained a certain key point in the experience of black women and the health care system. In the following, I will discuss how the medical industrial complex or the introduction of medical treatments has not only stripped women of color, trans women, poor and immigrant women of their autonomy, but has sustained the hierarchy of patriarchy in the health system.

"It was brought to my attention that everyone does not understand the unique circumstances that are before my son. Some may not be familiar with his story. Others are wondering why the family decided to use the vocabulary of Resistance Advocate (RA) instead of the obvious name for the role of the individual (Defense Attorney) that is applicable for our family to raise money to hire in order to save my innocent black boy's life.

Nearly half of minors living in the U.S are living in a home with heterosexual parents in their first marriage. In 1990, there were 1.2 million out-of-wedlock births out of 4 million total. These high rates of marital instability can have significant implications for the father-child relationship. Furstenberg and Harris (Furstenberg & Harris, 1992, p. 104) claim that African-American fathers, who have become fathers during adolescence, have shifted their focus from being the primary financial supporter to becoming a willing parent, more involved with their child’s growth and development (Furstenberg & Harris, 1992, p. 199). In this paper, I will propose a possible explanation to why young fathers may

It has been nearly fifty years since Anne Moody published her memoir entitled Coming of Age in Mississippi. Though the tension is not nearly as present now as it was in the 1960s, both media and politics revolve around the many issues of civil rights and racial divides. At the end of her book, Moody tells the audience that she “I WONDER…” (Moody 289). It is assumed that she is wondering whether or not society will overcome the large amount of racial issues. Within the memoir, Moody touches on several severe oppressive incidents that occurred to people in her life such as her class mate Jerry, her fellow Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee members, and her friend Rose. Given the many extreme circumstances that she underwent during her young adulthood, at the end of the book Moody’s opinion on what the future holds likely contains more despair than hope.

As a young African- American, looking around in this early 21st century, there are lots of issues that are of great concern. Do we see black Americans losing their life because of race alone? Or, are the issues of crime, violence and disturbed people nothing new under the sun? The amount of violence seen on both the nightly news and being reported on the internet tell us that violence is a commonplace thing in our society. Are the stresses of these times responsible for this rise in people acting in irresponsible ways? Have other people in other time periods ever had to endure this level of confusion in their communities? The purpose of this investigation is to explore these issues and attempt to offer the reader both the

Racism has been an emotional and hard topic that has been occuring in our society. Racism dates back to the Holocaust when jews, blacks, homosexuals and others were taken into camps because of something they cannot control. Although racism was more public in the past, racism is neither solved nor a thing of the past, racism nowadays is more silence and just as deadly. As we move forward in history, the Civil Rights Era was a shocking and important part of history, “Together, but separate.” Whites had more privilege and gave the blacks the, “leftovers.” In Warriors Don’t Cry, an uplifting, motivation and profound book, the main character Melba Pattillo battles integration as she makes her way through an all white school, who they are not happy to have her and eight others. Currently, while racism is not as public, I believe racism is just as bad as the past. Today, in our world, racial profiling and media have all been a way to express racism in a way that is just as hurtful.

In this essay, I am going to discuss how undoubtable/valid TV may seem, in regards to media convergence, social class in American sitcoms, Post-Fordism, and televisual Black fatherhood.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) informs the theoretical framework of the study, encompassing the interlocking and emotionally-charged discourses of social justice, educational equity, integration ideology, redemption, and social, political and economic equality, to name a few (DeCuir & Dixson, 2004; Ladson-Billings, 2013; Parker & Lynn, 2002; Solórzano & Yosso, 2002). Critical Race Theory openly challenges traditional research paradigm and existing policy and practice on race and racism, and proceeds from the underlying premise that racism is a ubiquitous and pervasive construct whose essence is ensconced within every aspect of American society (Bell, 1995; Ladson-Billings, 1998; 2013; Solorzano, 1998; Taylor, 2013). Whether sub-conscious or subliminal,

In a world where everything seems to be moving forward faster than ever, it’s hard to reconcile with the idea that some things may not be changing, or they may in fact be regressing into the past. Today, there are a number of social issues that fill this criterion. Author Jeff Chang, winner of the American Book Award, understands this very well. In his 2016 book We Gon’ be Alright, he places several racial issues on the table, such as diversity, cultural equity, resegregation and police brutality. His collection of essays exposes a sad reality that many of us would rather ignore or deny altogether. His portrayal of reality is hard to deny, as he provides an abundance of proof to support his arguments, and thus, many readers feel like it’s a very

I read you post and was drawn to it by the murder you were talking about that happened in Bladenboro NC. I remember hearing about it on the news and from what I remember the police did very little to support the mother’s theory that her son was murdered and that it was not a play ground accident. I’m glad you ignored those kids and found some others to play with. You have to remember those kids are a product of what they see and hear on a daily bases at home. People are not born prejudice and racist they are taught to be that way. Oprah Winfrey said in an interview that in order for prejudice and racism to leave this earth a generation of people who and rooted and grounded in it must die out. I see she must have known what she was talking

In a modern day society, racial discrimination still persists to create concerns and worries about one’s security. In 2015, a white man, James Scott and his black girlfriend, Melquea Smith, were walking together on a fairly deserted downtown street when they were harassed by three black youths, who pestered them about what their baby was going to look like and cursed at Melquea. From the article by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Your Stories of Racism, Mr. Scott reveals, “My girlfriend was shaking—from fear…anger at herself for not confronting them, even anger at me for not standing up for her. I was also shaking…If we did have children, how would they be treated by other black folks…police…white folks? That’s what has me scared the most…the thought of us having a child together and my restricted ability to help that child scares the crap out of me…she might not know how to contend with raising a biracial child in this society.” Mr. Scott and his girlfriend Melquea have both experienced emotions such as fear and anger from the racial harassment of the three boys, and for a moment it had caused a mutual conflict between them as they did not know how to respond, “anger at herself for not confronting them, even anger at me for not standing up for her.” The circumstances of racism causes problems so severe that the respondents, the couple, did not know how to react except for contemplating

In today’s society of Black Lives Matter and All Live Matter. I am consumed with the fact my children are growing up worried about crimes being assumed of them. My fear for them started at their birth, thinking their future will definitely be better than mine. Yet when I turn on the television all I see is brutality against black youth. My fears are mostly for my son. He is a teen who very well could look like a man to most. Yet he is only fifteen. The fact that he is recognized as a threat and a thug or just being prejudged prior to even speaking to him has me worried. The life of a young black boy, not man has been taken away in my eyes. Giving my son advice that no other child of any race would ever have to hear. Son if it is cold, wear a hat not a hoodie. Son when you go through a store do not have your hands in your pockets and so forth. What other race has this fear but the Black one. I say Black because I have never been to Africa and from my experience with one that have not become friends. They really feel that they are

According to Freire, (2000) “In order for the oppressed to be able to wage the struggle for their liberation, they must perceive the reality of oppression not as closed world from which there is no exit but, as a limiting situation which they can transform”. As I become more acquainted with the idea of liberation through my actions in organizing, I want to be able to push myself to do things and make decisions that may be an inconvenient, uncomfortable and challenging. Although I am not completely sure of my direction, I will continue to seek knowledge and accept the fact that I may never have all of the answers to why social injustices exist. At this moment, my liberation means transforming the narrative of those who perpetuate oppressed stereotypes because it is a powerful tool used by oppressor’s that enables the marginalized to stay blind. My liberation also means creating a parenting group designed to empower women of color who share intersecting subjugated identities. I look forward to participating in thought provoking conversations that aim to educate and encourage us to be complicit in self-activism and advocacy. I will continue to represent a message of “I am you and you are me”. We may come from different backgrounds; however most of our lives converge through the history of disenfranchisement.

Yet, the most significant flaw in this essay can be seen through the author’s simplistic view of the scope of racial injustice. Remarkably, the author only refers to white privilege in terms of its impact on what she calls “the problems facing Black America.” She fails to acknowledge or perhaps has no insight that white privilege involves the preference for ‘whiteness’ over all persons of color. Every non-white group is impacted by individual and institutional racism. Every non-white group grows up with the knowledge that their white peers have certain automatic privileges. Every child of color has to learn to navigate through the floodwaters of racism