John Hope Franklin 's The Train From Hate

People are judged through their actions and characteristics, but racism can easily blur a person’s perspective. In Almost Free: A Story About Family and Race in Antebellum Virginia, Samuel Johnson, a former slave, fights for his freedom with the help of influential white friends he made throughout his life. Eventually he buys his freedom and petitions the court to stay in Virginia, where his family resides. Even after emancipated, he works hard to free his family and petitions the court in their cause. Despite his relationships, family values, and law abiding, Samuel Johnson’s skin color ultimately acts as boundary in his Virginia society.

Wendell Berry’s past is more than just his own in “My Great-Grandfather’s Slaves,” but his past is intertwined with the slaves that grew up with. A quick reading of this poem by Berry would not give the reader that he was connected with the slaves, but rather that they lived separate lives. Berry says he sees the slaves and their activities but does not ever write about how they are connected until the very last stanza. After reading the final stanza it gives the rest of the poem a new meaning and if the reader does not take the time to closely re-read the writing they will miss out on what Berry is really trying to portray. Wendell Berry is trying to show the reader how his past is linked with the past of his grandfather’s slaves with his

However, she quickly began to realize that the racial-ideology espoused by white southerners was used as a means to oppress and subordinate the African American community. Although many blacks were content to accept discrimination, segregation, and disenfranchisement as the norm, Anne (from this moment on) refused to conform to her status as an “inferior.” Rather, she constantly questioned and criticized the treatment of African Americans, even as a young child. For example, she mentally chastised Raymond’s family for refusing to acknowledge her mother at church (pg. 61) and she refused to conform to Mrs. Burke unreasonable household rules (pg. 122). Ultimately, at this young age, Anne knew intuitively that the racial status quo in the south was morally wrong and unjust. In many ways, this awareness contributed to Anne’s tireless commitment to the cause of desegregation and racial equality later in

This document describes the results of blacks are no different than whites. It is stated that we are taught that they were to hide the truth of matter in which would state otherwise. The literature of the blacks cause racial and social problems between them and the whites. This document really undergoes the value of isolation and the attempt to keep the blacks located into a rural area where they don’t associate with whites. This is what whites wanted in the South and the North, they truly wanted segregation. The wanted separation from colored people. In Chapter 7 Negro Population stated the following: “Therefore, the dominant American valuation is that the Negro should be eliminated from the American scene, but slowly.” These words right here provide proof of segregation among races. The whites feel if black population was decreased the economic structure of America would hold value and

The life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination… the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land (qtd. in W.T.L. 235).

“I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races; that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people. And while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and

The second failure of Reconstruction was the social separation and mistreatment of African Americans in Southern society. When Africans could actually vote many inexperienced African Americans in office which upset the White Democrats. Editor E.L. Godkin stated “out of this state of things the Klu-Kluxing has grown” (Doc A). White Democrats despised Africans so much for being able to hold office that they restricted they called for separation of races and enforced  it with violence. In the South the races were forced to be separate in all facilities by law via the Jim Crow. A southern black woman gave her experiences with segregation, saying “Some of the parks have signs, “No Negroes allowed on these grounds except as servants” (Doc F). Segregation was used to keep Africans lower in society and make sure Whites were in the top of society.  It was extremely common to see Africans refused service or given the worst possible thing the seller had. In another account of the southern black woman she states “Some real estate agents were “sorry, but had nothing to Suit,” some had “just the thing,” but we discovered on

Phillis Wheatley is a black, African slave, female poet, and then Christian American (Acton/ American Literature). The life of Phillis is attractive, some painful and some pleasant (poetry foundation). At that time, black skin people cannot be educated while she was American Christian and educated. Wheatley was a model of all black skin people or those were persecuted (Acton/ American Literature). She is the owner of the first published poems book in the colonies at 1773 after brought her from Africa to America; by that Wheatley was the first slave and third American woman do that (Biography). Indeed, Phillis is not her real name, but it is the ship's name which carried her to Boston; she used it until she died. Wheatley did not only change

John Hope Franklin’s work is celebrated as an accurate account of prior slaves’ roles during this era of American history. In this edition Franklin updates his original version with new information and records that came to light after his completion

“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” This quote from John Lewis, a former Freedom Rider I believe with those words perfectly describes why these Freedom Riders began their journey. After reading the textbook, Visions of America and watching the video clip from American Experience of Freedom Riders I was able to make myself knowledgeable about Freedom Riders. Both the textbook and the video I thought engaged me into the information I was either reading or listening. So, what exactly are Freedom Riders, what were the impacts of this event and why is this so important to our history?

T.H. Breen’s and Stephen Innes’s book “Myne Owne Ground” did an outstanding job of showing readers the differences in perspectives of African people living in Virginia, one of the thirteen original colonies. It went in depth and showed how an indentured African person was competent and was capable of acquiring a wealth comparable to what a wealthy white person has. However, it would never be recognized by the general white population. There are two main themes in this book, whether the society, which was introduced in this book, was color blind or not. On one hand, the authors made an argument that the African people was able to live normally and be viewed as relatively equal to white if they were rich and owned plenty properties. On the

The system of institutionalized slavery in the Virginia and South Carolina colonies is the marker point in history of the fearsome dissemination of racial and class stratification. Through the events and laws leading up to the 1760s, Virginia and South Carolina pave the way towards formation of our modern day concepts of "race" and "class". Daniel Noel, creator of the Noel hypothesis, identified the inevitability of racial stratification given that three requirements: ethnocentrism, competition, and a difference in power. The enslavement of Africans during the 1600-1700 's is a prime example of what happens when all three requirements are fulfilled.

That’s what James Farmer grew up hearing. Those words determined everything he could and could not do. His town, he said, “was two towns-two worlds-one black, the other white.” I live in a time where I can go anywhere I wish with no worries. James was going to the “National Negro Conference” in Richmond. He was bringing along his friend and a white kid from the University of Texas. When planning his trip there was worry about driving through the deep south. He planned around it “thus avoiding the worst part of the South.” Living in this racism must have had a large role in James intellectual growth. During his childhood, he was denied many privileges. In his words, “Educated and uneducated alike were denied the privileges of trying on clothes in most downtown stores.” To me, this would have a negative impact on my life. Going places and people don’t serve you because of the color of your skin and not knowing why would have a tremendous

(1) Toni Morrison’s Beloved takes place after the Civil War during the Reconstruction era, when the violent oppression of the black race continued, with flashbacks to the horrific trauma of the early 19th century slavery period. In Margaret Atwood’s review of Beloved in

Hatred is blind inveterate anger. There is no intrinsic value in hate speech since it does not lead to the development of society. Victims of hate speech are silenced daily, “intimidated and subject to severe psychological and physical trauma by racist assailants who employ words and symbols as part of oppression and subordination.” The intent of hate speech is never to continue a conversation but to end it. Hate speech is neither mere offense of the other, nor the expression of dissatisfaction with people. Offending one another is the price of free society, but that is not what is in question. According to Mari Matsuda, hate speech is a racist speech that has to with “perpetuation of violence and degradation” of minorities. It is unjustifiable freedom that curbs others liberty by stifling their views. It relies on false facts, ignorance and bigoted ideas. As Matsuda contends, even though hate speech does not curtail all speech, it does “inhibits some expression.” Outside the context of hate speech, we can acknowledge that words are powerful: they have the ability to create both positive and negative psychological effects. For instance, compliments can build confidence, and repeated critiques can break one’s belief in oneself. In the case of hate, speech words can degrade an individual, incite fear and lead to violence. They can traumatize some from