The Blackface Minstrelsy Analysis

America is a nation “from many, one” as stated in our country’s original motto. We pride ourselves on the granted equal opportunity and freedom afforded to each citizen. But are these premises held true and adequately carried out? My answer is a resounding no! Our country’s intricate history provides us with the foundation that explains why and how discrimination has infiltrated and given the upper hand to the white race that has dominated the American society, while suppressing races of color. Dating back to the discovery of the new world we know as the contemporary United States, the African American race has been segregated and mistreated as exemplified through

The book, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, is written as a letter to his son. Coates cuts into the experience of the father as advice too the son. He writes this letter to his son to educate and awaken his son to the logic of white supremacy and the obstacles he will face as a black man this world. However, Ta-Nehisi’s son isn’t the only audience. He exposes the readers too the effect of racism on Black America, from history until present day. The purpose of this essay is to conduct a rhetorical analysis on Ta-Nehisi Coates’, Between the World and Me regarding his usage of ethos, pathos and logos to unveil the ongoing effect of the system of racism that continues to cause major problems to our society.

The black race has faced many hardships throughout American history. The harsh treatment is apparent through the brutal slavery era, the Civil Rights movement, or even now where sparks of racial separation emerge in urbanized areas of Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit. Black Americans must do something to defend their right as an equal American. “I Am Not Your Negro” argues that the black race will not thrive unless society stands up against the conventional racism that still appears in modern America. “The Other Wes Moore” argues an inspiring message that proves success is a product of one’s choices instead of one’s environment or expectations.

The Minstrel show presents a strange, fascinating and awful phenomenon. Between 1843, when the first organized troupe

Race relations have always been a very controversial topic in this country and still are. In the mid-1900s there were many writers who felt very strongly about how African Americans and white people interacted together. In this paper three individual excerpts by three different authors will be discussed. All three of these authors have different viewpoints because of how they see the world based on their individual life experiences.

In the 1800s, minstrel shows took America by storm. These shows demonstrated characteristics of African-Americans that confirmed stereotypes that many whites believed at the time. Several characteristics were over exaggerated through characters. One character in particular, Zip Coon, was an extremely dehumanizing stereotype. At first, Zip Coon was an arrogant individual who would try to be high class but was too ignorant. Ultimately, Zip Coon combined with Jim Crow to create the “coon” stereotype.

Prejudice and racism have dependably tormented the human culture since time began. Being a questionable and unthinkable subject, numerous individuals have endeavored to clarify and set up the purpose for this sort of human conduct. These endeavored clarifications offer individuals a knowledge of the suggestions encompassing racial separation. Through the article "Reason for Prejudice", Vincent N. Parillo endeavors to clarify the purposes for bigotry and separation in the United States. At last, a portion of the encounters that C.P. Ellis experiences as he changes to a peace man delineate a portion of the speculations portrayed by Parillo in his exposition. This paper could recognize four speculations of Parillo that Elli's encounters can apply.

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.

“The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line-the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea”. As I read through the passages in our text, the most interesting topic that caught my eye right away was about W.E.B. Du Bois.  He was one of the social theorists that has remarked on the universal racial order. As mentioned in the above passage, Du Bois did not only talk about racism in the United States, but world-wide.

These two famous thinkers were mindful of the test and misery they would face. Their work addresses the advancement for minority people with the hope and promise to expunge racism among all people. During these historical moments one could only imagine that the most important audience

It doesn’t take long to figure out that race and ethnicity issues continue to affect America - a quick glance at the news will show the latest riot, hate crime, or police brutality incident. This centuries old struggle has given rise to a number of literary works on the topic, many of which take a different approach to the issue. W.E.B. Du Bois, for instance, published the work The Souls of Black Folk in 1903, arguing for blacks’ right to equality in a horrifically segregated society. In these essays, Du Bois coined the term “double-consciousness,” wherein those with black skin must view the world both from their own perspective, and from the perspective of the predominately white society. The short story Recitatif by Toni Morrison explores this concept through the removal of the characters’ races, and the film Do the Right Thing, directed by Spike Lee, tells a story to demonstrate it. While the former shows double-consciousness through the usage of ambiguity, the latter almost directly references the concept. Taken together, these two sources argue a multi-faceted version double-consciousness, wherein society alienates the characters in ways that go beyond just the color of one’s skin.

Minrose Gwin‘s book, Black and White Women of the Old South, argues that history has problems with objectiveness. Her book brings to life interesting interpretations on the view of the women of the old south and chattel slavery in historical American fiction and autobiography. Gwin’s main arguments discussed how the white women of the south in no way wanted to display any kind of compassion for a fellow woman of African descent. Gwin described the "sisterhood" between black and white women as a "violent connection"(pg 4). Not only that, Gwin’s book discusses the idea that for most of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, a black woman usually got subjected to displacement of sexual and mental

Marginalization in Kenya Barris’  Blackish.     The Negro community is undeniably one of the most marginalized groups in all of recorded human history, suffering through slavery, genocide, discrimination, stereotypes and unfair prosecution, all because of the colour of their skin. Although it is far less obvious in present times, racism still exists, and the black community is still fighting against it through different media, Kenya Barris’ ABC sitcom Blackish is an example of such a medium, tackling the marginalization of African-Americans through the eyes of a modern African-American family. Blackish shows marginalization in various ways which include the depiction of police brutality towards blacks and the reaction of the cast to the 2016 presidential election.

Before enrolling in this class, I was unaware of the topic that would be introduced to us. Many of my friends have taken this class in the past and recommended that I check each course to see which topic the class focuses on. Instead, I neglected their words of advice and dove into the class blind. Although I was unaware of the topic to be introduced, once I heard it being about mass incarceration, I was somewhat relieved. The class I took as a prerequisite to Writing 39C was Writing 37 and the topic was about racial conflict in the past. Upon hearing the topic in our first session, my mind instantly linked together the racial conflict I had prior knowledge about to the racial profiling that was an incentive to the mass incarceration. Connecting these two broadened my view on the "New Jim Crow" and allowed me insight on where I wanted to start my research and how to branch off from it.

Humanity is composed of individuals with different origins, beliefs, and characteristics, aspects that have significantly promoted separation in the society. Racial segregation entails the division based on race or ethnicity, an aspect that results in discrimination. In the United States, the separation is experienced in various areas such as public transport, schools, restaurants, and residential places where individuals may be restricted basing on their racial background. Lawrence Otis Graham in his short story ‘The Black Table is Still There’ narrates his experiences in junior high school and relates it to his observation fourteen years later during his visit to the school. In the essay, it is apparent that Graham discloses the societal superficiality integration. This essay provides a concise analysis of Graham’s short story, a real example of racial segregation in the society. Further, the paper explains two other different symbols of racial segregation and their effects on the society or a group of people.