I Want To Be An African-American Woman

As I sit here and think about what it is to be Black in America. I realize how there are so many factors that affect African American people daily. One of the most damaging forces tearing at young black people in America today is the popular culture's image of what an "authentic" black person is supposed to look like and how that person is supposed to act. People assume all black males where raised in a single parent home. People assume that if you are a black male, that you sale drugs or you are really great in some type of sport. If you are a black female, they assume you will have kids by different men, referred to as “baby daddy” or they may not even know who the fathers of their children are. This same society expects African

Booker T. Washington was brought up with a different upbringing then most slaves during the 1800s; as he would describe as “up from slavery”. Even though he was born a slave, he had a better chance of “equal access” and equality in main stream America. He had a chance to gain an education part time during his younger years as well as working. Booker T, believed the best way to ensure progress and peace was,”for the whites to respect the blacks desire for improved economic opportunities and for blacks to respect the whites desire for social separation of the races.” I agree with this ideology because everyone was getting a piece of

Growing up as a young African American girl in Philadelphia was not always easy, however, having a strong family structure, old fashion southern culture, and beliefs have molded me into the strong women that I am today. Now that I am a mother, following my family’s culture and beliefs are not always the easiest thing to do. Times has changed and I feel like I am forced to conform to the everyday social norms of America, which makes me feel impuissance. Yes, growing up was not easy, but my family and youth kept me in the dark when it came to how society treats individuals of darker complexion, what to expect once I left the confines of my family and neighborhood, and how to befriend or interact with individuals of other racial groups. All of the things that I listed were things that I had to learn through trial and error, which makes life a little harder than it already is.

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.

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.

“The soul was the body that fed the tobacco, and the spirit was the blood that watered the cotton, and these created the first fruits of the American garden” (Coates 104). In Between the World and Me,” and within this quote alone, Ta-Nehisi Coates argued not only the importance of black identity, but also how and why black identity was so deceivingly shaped in response to the dark history behind it. Through Coates’ recollections and fair warnings to his son, the relationship between black identity and “The Dream” becomes clearer. In spite of the “white supremacist” trademark that comes stamped upon “The Dream,” Coates provides impermeable evidence as to why black identity is not only more invested in history than white identity, but more importantly why it is the investment to be made in “The American Dream.”

I was the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court, and served for 24 years. I once said, “None of us got here by solely pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody bent down and help us pick up our bootstraps.”

I am a member of the African American group and I would like to tell you a bit about the group of when I am a part of. Let me start by saying that my African American group originated from Africa and growing up in America can be tough for people of my race, the African Americans.

When we hear the terms “slave” or “slave trade” the first thing that comes to mind is African Americans. Slave trade a term taught often in history classes has a meaning that has now become synonymous with African American. There term trade summons up images of exchanging goods for service. The sad truth is that this has not become a common sequence, almost like a math equation whose answer is always African American. Some useful ways to talk about slave trade is by restoring humanity to the millions who died under the racial global order. By referring to slave trade as “european slave trade” we are able to disconnect the word african from slave trade however, it gives the audience the wrong idea concerning the awful things these people went through. We need to bring humanity back to the name of the African Americans.

Althea Gibson and Barbara Jordan overcame barriers in order to become better. They were born in a bad time for African Americans. African Americans were limited to what they could do, due to segregation. Both ladies inspired other African-American to do new things that they thought was impossible. Althea Gibson was born into a poor family. She really didn't get a good education, but later became a famous tennis player. She was offered to play tennis which she had never played before and soon won a championship. She was the first African American female that played professional tennis. She had won 56 singles and doubles before she finally went pro, She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971. Barbara Charline Jordan

In the next five years, I would like to have become more independent than I already am as an 18 year old girl. The independence would come with me owning my own home, paying for my own groceries, and other necessities that I have. However, the next four years will consist of me finishing up my bachelor’s degree at Troy University and be engaged to a man in the Armed Forces. My unknown husband will possess the same values and morals that I live by everyday. During the fifth year, an acceptance letter to Florida State University’s medical program is where I would like to attend to become a doctor. After, medical school I will complete my 2 year residency to become one of few of an African- American woman anesthesiologist. Once settled in my occupation,

How many times have you been the first to do something? Not many people are able to be trailblazers in their community, school, or career field. Others seem destined to make a path that is all their own with sheer will and desire to change the status quo.

In the twentieth century, the American theater was open to African-American writers that open a dramatic force throughout the theater. During the 1950s, African American was debate more because of the civil right movement. Arthur P. Davis believes that the 1950s were the decade of African- American integration. Integration is to give or cause to give equal opportunity and consideration to a racial, religious, or ethnic group or a member of such a group. Langton Hughes uses integration by letting both whites and blacks be a part her plays most noticeably “The Raisin in the Sun”. Lorraine Hansberry, the fifth female playwright, saw Hughes’s optimistic tone and racial pride which is both echoed in her work. Accommodation is when the majority

Everyone has dreams, but do yours influence you as Martin Luther King junior dreams did? Martin Luther King dreams of a world where there is true freedom, justice, and equality for blacks and whites. As he calls his fellow native Africans to stand up for their civil rights so that one day there will be no difference between black and white. By observing the goals King presents, what techniques he uses and how he appeals to his audience, we can then discover how effective these techniques are in achieving his goals. When dissecting Martin Luther King junior’s speech “ I Have a Dream,” I found the speech to be very influential, as it resulted in many people making it their own dream and taking actions to fulfill it.

Being a woman means you don’t have enough power from birth and during all your life you need to prove that you are as strong as a man. Being a woman of color is even more difficult. You don’t get privileges as white color skin gives you. During all their lives, women of color often fight for their rights for education, health care, religion, and etc. The racism in the US has a long history. It started with African slavery, Asian immigration, and opening America by Christopher Columbus. White Americans had benefits of having slaves, cheap workers, and silent servants.