The Harlem Renaissance changed the dynamics of African-American culture in the United States forever, for it was proof that whites did not have a monopoly on literature, arts and culture (Harlem). The many personalities of the era, such as composer Duke Ellington, dancer Josephine Baker, writer Jean Toomer, and artist Horace Pippin, not only helped define the New Negro Movement, but they inspired future generations of artists and writers such as Alice Walker and Toni Morrison (Harlem).
Civil Rights Movement
When Rosa Park refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, the African-American community united in what is referred to as the Civil Rights Movement, which was the beginning of the end of American apartheid (Munro 2005). This movement was led and championed by Martin Luther King, Jr., and other activists, who advocated non-violent resistance.
During this era, the political realities in the United States both helped and inhibited the agenda for black equality (Munro 2005). Author John Munro writes that during the decade before Montgomery, "the dissolution of the black left created a situation in which struggles for racial justice were able to proceed provided that movement demands were couched within the confines of liberal discourse" (Munro 2005). In other words, "critiques of political economy and foreign policy were deemed unacceptable," and integration into the existing economic hierarchies received hesitant, "but increasing support from the federal government" (Munro 2005). Following World War II, the United States was occupied trying to sustain the international system of free enterprise, which meant helping the devastated economies of major countries, containing communism, securing international markets, acquiring sources of raw materials, and establishing military hegemony (Munro 2005). Due to the Soviet spotlight on racism within the United States, and the African-American community's reluctance to believe American claims of freedom and democracy, the U.S. post-war agenda was impeded by the issue of racial segregation (Munro 2005). Thus, the circumstances of the Cold War era actually gave African-Americans a real chance to end the Jim Crow era of the South (Munro 2005).
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy and commitment of nonviolent resistance became the mantra for the Civil Rights Movement. Believing this was the only means of achieving social justice, he emerged as the most beloved leader of the movement (Martin).
As a seminary student, King believed that philosophies such as "love your enemies" applied to individuals, not to nations, however after studying Mahatma Gandhi, he realized that "the Christian doctrine of love operating through the Gandhian method of nonviolence was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom" (Martin). However, it was not until the Montgomery bus boycott that he realized the full power of this action (Martin).
King believed that nonviolent resistance was not a cowardly path, and the intent of these methods was to gain understanding and awaken moral shame within white society (Martin). Thus, King was striving for reconciliation through peaceful means, not bitterness through violence (Martin). He believed that the tension was "between justice and injustice," and that victory was "victory for justice and the forces of light" (Martin).
Accepting violence without retaliating...
Furthermore, as a result of these conditions there was a general failure of black business and entrepreneurships. "Black businesses failed, crushing the entrepreneurial spirit that had been an essential element of the Negro Renaissance." (the Great Depression: A History in the Key of Jazz) However this did not crush the general spirit of the African-American people and there was a resurgence of black culture and enterprise in area such as
To understand the spirit of the Reconstruction crisis, one must understand the reality of the civil war, recognize that the generation of Americans caught up in the web of Reconstruction actually lived, actually confronted a situation, today totally alien to us, where countrymen killed countrymen, where political power involved more than the simple control of administration. (Benedict, 1973, p. 1) Americans were ill equipped to cope with the problem effectively.
Board of Education of Topeka. This case represented a watershed for Civil Rights and helped to signal an end to segregation because it determined that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" (Warren, 1954). It is essential to note that federal support on this particular issue was only earned after African-Americans decided to use the legislative system to their advantage by taking the segregationist school system of Topeka, Kansas to
Roosevelt administration and the New Deal programs treated African-Americans. To what extent did they receive a better treatment? To what extent did the programs reinforce racial discrimination? Please provide two examples to answer each question. Roosevelt's New Deal programs were designed to alleviate poverty, not to specifically heal racial discrimination. However, because of the historical legacy of slavery and discrimination in America, African-Americans were often disproportionately affected by the Great
Effects of Domestic Violence on African- American Women: Opinion Paper Issue and History of the Issue Young women are primary victims of domestic violence and it has been estimated that every minute, 20 people suffer from domestic violence in the U.S. (NCADV, 2017). This issue is therefore one that is quite serious, but it is one that particularly impacts the African-American community. African-American women struggle particularly because the African-American family has suffered
However, they "were too few in number to provide adequate protection and were not always themselves fully committed to ensuring justice for freed blacks" (Cary Royce 67). The American public wanted reform to happen but few people were actually willing to risk their position in society by supporting black people. As a consequence, former slaves were provided with little support and were practically forced to maintain many of their
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