The Article ' Controversial Blackness : The Historical Development & Future Trajectory Of African American Studies

Students participate in seminar discussion of excerpted versions of either Dubois’ article “Of the Training of Black Men” or Washington’s “Atlanta Compromise Speech” in order to better understand each man’s beliefs about the best strategy for African Americans to achieve equality at the turn of the century. Students analyze

The book’s overall theme is, as Henri states in the preface, that "black Americans in the early decades of the century had far more of a hand in shaping their future than historians of the period tend to perceive, or at least to convey." The same can be said to some degree for almost all periods of African and African-American recorded

The aspect of African-American Studies is key to the lives of African-Americans and those involved with the welfare of the race. African-American Studies is the systematic and critical study of the multidimensional aspects of Black thought and practice in their current and historical unfolding (Karenga, 21). African-American Studies exposes students to the experiences of African-American people and others of African descent. It allows the promotion and sharing of the African-American culture. However, the concept of African-American Studies, like many other studies that focus on a specific group, gender, and/or creed, poses problems. Therefore, African-American Studies must overcome the obstacles in order to

The Condemnation of Blackness by Kahlil Gibran Muhammad outlines the struggles and tribulations that African Americans had to face after the American Civil War. The book gives specific accounts as to why African Americans were deemed “The New Problem” and how that changed, highlighting discrimination of African Americans as the real problem. Muhammad also focuses of on the work done by social scientist, criminologist, libertarians, activist of both black and white races and how their work affected the African American people and their place in society as a whole. Muhammad also explains how the labeling of blacks as criminals has had an influence on our society today.

Within both of Nathan Hare’s articles, he discusses his beliefs on what Black Studies can

Many black political theorists, either through the legacy of their works, or through the explicit explanation in their text have sought to determine the role of the black intellectual ranging from renowned scholars such as Dr. Michael Eric Dyson to Dr. Cornel West. In a quest to better understand the burdens and expectations of the black intellectual, it is only reasonable to undergo a critical thought experiment into how prominent black political theorists such as Walter Rodney conceptualize the role of the black intellectual in context of constant oppression and erasure. Hence, this paper will focus on Walter Rodney’s speech “The Groundings with My Brothers” and evaluate the claims made therein regarding the role of the black

The 1920’s were a time of change for African Americans. They were beginning to retain a sense of pride in their background and culture, were becoming more independent socially and economically, and were becoming more militant. Part of this was because of the Great Migration, in which a proliferation of African Americans moved from the Southern states to the Northern states, and the excessive levels of racism and prejudice they faced during the process. African Americans were really starting to make their voices and identities prevalent, especially through movements like the Harlem Renaissance and Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). This mentality of independence and militance that African Americans adopted which is represented through the actions of Ossian Sweet is what makes up the 1920s cultural construct of the “New Negro” which allowed me to understand the realness and effectiveness of cultural constructs.

The mission of the students around the country who fought for an education that would shed light on African Americans. The progress the students created is seen today in American Universities ,and also HBCUs, where (AAS)African American Studies is implemented into the curriculum. Before, the dissection the formation of AAS, it should be noted that without the sacrifice from others I undoubtedly would not be writing about AAS ,or reflecting on the significance it has created for generations so far.

This idea has taken on many different forms over the past century and a half, and its discourse has evolved alongside the major works of prominent figures like W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Delany, and Marcus Garvey. A common theme among these thinkers is the notion of historicizing the development of black culture relative to diasporic movements in the preceding centuries. However, they differ significantly in their visions and aspirations for the culture at large, as well as in their interpretations of how peoples of African descent should behave with respect to the dominant (primarily white) societies in which they live and function. In particular, earlier scholars like Du Bois tended to “sustain their faith in a partnership with white allies, wagering that [their] commitments to ‘civilization building’ ... would hasten the day when they and their race would be respected as equal partners” (Ewing 16). In contrast, Garvey, a contemporary of Locke, supported a radical agenda for African independence, and a mass migration to bring peoples of African descent back to Africa (Ewing 76).

Racial discrimination, political, social and economic inequality during the late 19th century and early 20th century led various leaders within the black community to rise up and address the appalling circumstances that African Americans were forced to endure. Among these leaders were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois whom possessed analogous desires as it pertained to the advancement and upliftment of the black race. While both individuals were fighting for the same cause and purpose they embraced contrary ideologies and approaches to African American struggle. In Booker T. Washington’s book “Up from Slavery” African Americans were encouraged to be passive and focus on vocational education whereas in W.E.B. DuBois book “The Souls of Black Folk”, African Americans were encouraged to fight for their merited rights and focus on academic education. However, although Washington was convinced that his ideologies would sincerely uplift the black race, they actually proved to be detrimental, leaving DuBois ideology to be the most reasonable and appropriate solution for the advancement of the black race.

The history of the black race in Africa and America was documented in Black Folk, Then and Now: An Essay in the History and Sociology of the Negro Race. Echoing in the Saturday Review of Literature, H. J. Seligmann noted that nobody can neglect the role of the blacks in the making of the world history. Another compliment was made by Barrett Williams. In the Boston Transcript, Williams pointed out that Professor Du Bois had overlooked one of the strongest arguments against racial discrimination. In it, a man of color has proved himself, in the complex and exacting field of scholarship, the full equal of his white colleagues (Gale schools, 2004).

In conclusion, Martha Biondi‘s research was skillfully written that included interviews from participants that told their stories about struggles and social movement. The interviews made a significant connection between the need for African American studies, teaching, and African American academic research. The interviewees affected Bondi’s research contribution, and showed that there is diaspora in African American culture as well as historical racism in predominantly white institutions. African Americans need to be able to engage and advance the knowledge of diversity through lived experiences, practices and culture. However, there is still much research needed to bring together African Americans to produce unity, positive change, and

Introduction to African American Studies was the class that I decided to take this summer because I am genuinely interested in learning more about the cultures and lifestyles of African Americans through out history and I want to further my knowledge beyond just learning about what was taught to me in secondary school. I do not know much about African American studies as I have not taken any courses on it or relating to it in the past but I hope that I can gain a lot of information on the topic through out this intellectual experience. I also hope to gain a better understanding of the history of Africans and African Americas and be able to dive deeper into this topic instead of just hitting the surface as I feel as though my previous experiences with this topic have covered. In just this first weeks lesson I have learned about the three great principles that characterize the “Black Intellectual Tradition” and how these three principles are used and perceived.

Is this week’s readings we discuss black public intellectuals. This is examined in different was. Nada Elia’s Cornel West’s Representations of the Intellectual: But Some of Us Are Brave? discusses black intellectuals place within society. She begins by stating that she will be disproving the perception of Cornel West. West believes that “there are (only) two organic intellectual traditions in African-American life: the Black Christian tradition of teaching and the Black musical tradition of performance” (Elia, 336). This, in West’s opinion, leaves the black intellectuals left out of the black community, even though many of them aspire to use their education to alleviate problems within the black community. Elia’s mentions her understanding of the black “community” in which she believes this community doesn’t exist. This “unity” is overly imagined. While the black community has come together to achieve goals, it is usually during time of crisis. Black people have come together for the greater good and have merely put their differences a side during these times. Elia goes on to give examples of this such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King (Elia, 337). West point of view is described as apocalyptic. He truly believes that there were more black intellectuals back then and that it was better for them back then. Elia disagrees with this and utilizes the opinions of other scholars, such as bell hooks, to do so. One of the main points the author brings up is how West feels isolated

It is interesting to note that in Critical Theory Today by Lois Tyson, it says “The virtual exclusion of African American history and culture from American education, which began