Essay on The Myths of the African American Woman

African American Studies is a very complex subject. To confuse African American studies with black history is a common occurrence. African American studies is much deeper and more profound than just Black history alone. There are many unanswered and unasked questions among the Black American culture which causes confusion and misunderstanding in modern day society. In unit one there were many themes, concepts, and significant issues in the discipline of Africana studies. Both W.E.B Du Bois and Vivian V. Gordan touched on many concerns.

As Americans, we are privileged with diverse experiences. With this comes a perceived understanding of many cultures and their influences but in fact full cultural literacy is impossible to achieve.

This paper discusses the experiences of African American Women under slavery during the Slave Trade, their exploitation, the secrecy, the variety of tasks and positions of slave women, slave and ex-slave narratives, and significant contributions to history. Also, this paper presents the hardships African American women faced and the challenges they overcame to become equal with men in today’s society. Slavery was a destructive experience for African Americans especially women. Black women suffered doubly during the slave era.

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.

African-American ladies played significant bolster parts amid the Colonial time frame by giving help to the volunteer army. Their help included parts, for example, moving into the "huge house" to bolster the slave owner’s significant other when he left to serve in the volunteer army, dealing with wounds, and working close by the men in building fortresses for security from both the Indians and the British.

African American women faced tough challenged and they overcame to become equal with men in today's society. Society cannot forget that enslaved women never stopped trying to become equal and fight the racial judgments and their sexual abuse that left them traumatized. The exact number of women who were raped and carried the child of a man who was not her husband will never be known but narratives and testimonies have led us to believe that hundreds had been raped. African American women who spoke out led us to discover a hidden part of the history of slavery

Angelia Emily Grimké, a sister, a wife, a women’s right advocate, and a women who fought tirelessly against slavery. Grimké held her composure in hostile crowds, even as stones were casted out, and harsh words cut into the dust filled air. This strong independent woman fought for those who could not fight for themselves. She lived in a time when women were encouraged to keep their heads low and their opinions kept to themselves. Grimké worked along with her sister to fight for rights that at the time did not come easily. In today’s world, the thought of women and the African American race having little input in the government or day to day living is disturbing. Americans take great pride in having a voice and the ability they have to use that voice at any time of any day. Unfortunately these times were not always easy to come by. People like Angelia Grimké paved the way for those rights and the overall rights of equality. She accomplished this by expressing her opinion and beliefs to those who were not always willing to agree. Grimké and many like her fought the hard fight and did not give in when they were outnumbered. Grimké came from a slave owning family in the south; therefore, she saw firsthand the effects of slavery. Into Grimké’s adult life, she moved north and further developed her beliefs through her relationship with God and devotion to her Bible, as well as, historical documents like the Constitution. These developed beliefs seen in her published

The following paper will be written to address the experiences that black women have within the United States of America. It will include statistical data that further explores the differences that not only blacks have within the United States, but that black women face as an unspoken minority. The beginning paragraphs will provide information about the history of the United States, liberation theology, black liberation theology, and more specifically womanist theology in reference to black women’s experiences. The applicability to the United States will be stated throughout the essay and further summarized in the closing paragraphs. The concept for this essay will be in regards to black women needing to remain supportive to each other, aware of the history of the United States and its design to not be made for them, and provide the role that liberation theology can have for their adaptability to the country.

Learning to read contributed to Precious being comfortable in her own skin, it gave her self confidence and “so much strength.” While attending Each One Teach One, Precious met Jermaine and Rita. When Precious is diagnosed with HIV, Rita encourages her to “fight back” and join an HIV community. Jermaine also helps Precious deal with what is going on by suggesting that she attends an incest survivor

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,

Until early 20th Century, women had no rights and power in the United States. As the organizations for women’s suffrage established, women began to raise their voices against the discrimination by gender. Finally, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed by Congress in 1919 and enacted in 1920. The Nineteenth Amendment led the America to become today’s United States in which every citizen has equal rights. However, in 1920, not every woman gained the rights to vote. Asian, Mexican, African American women and other non-white American women still had no rights to vote and suffered from discrimination. Therefore, Asian, African, and Mexican American women had similarities that they were treated unequally and had to overcome the discrimination, yet

In the 1930s, women in American society were not given the opportunity to thrive as much as they were capable of doing. Women were put in difficult situations that undermined their capability to doing certain tasks and were contained to being put in a home where they were expected to clean,cook and take care of their family. The women that did work, however, experienced poor working conditions where they had to work long hours in an unsafe working environment with very low pay. During this time, women were also experimenting with their sexuality. Women did not feel the desire to be with a man and chose to be single at this time and used it to find spiritual, emotional and occasionally even sexual fulfillment with other women. Women were still

When Americans look back at the ways in which African American women and Native American women as recently as not much more than a century ago, they might well be shocked at the ways in which their lives were limited by both legal and cultural restrictions. Since then they have made significant progress towards equality, although both groups lag behind other American demographic groups in terms of life expectancy, chronic disease, work opportunities, wages, and political power. While all of these changes have made considerable differences in the lives of these two groups of women, I have decided to focus here on the ways in which their political strength and options have changed since the end of the nineteenth century.

“Precious” is a film about a Harlem teen of the same name’s attempts of escape from her abusive mother and lustful father in order to live a new life and have a brighter future. The movie, in spite of cliché and problems with the plot, managed to win the viewers’ heart and took them up for an empathic and compassionate adventure of Precious, a 16-year-old teen who is slowly transforming into a mature and independent young woman. Coupled with a decent director and excellent actors, “Precious” is indeed one of the well-acted and beautiful of the year 2008.

Precious’s struggle with her sense of self can be attributed to both a general identity struggle that the black community faces as well as an upbringing that left her lost. As a black female Precious was at predisposition to deal with an identity crisis. Black women face the stereotypes of having to be overtly strong, sexual, or mother like. They are critiqued about everything from their hair to the way they choose to speak. These trends of the black community and general society left Precious struggling with a sense of self that was eventually lessened by the end of the novel.