African-American Studies

1) For this blog post, choose at least four (4) key concepts from Grazian Ch. 1 and use them as inspiration to describe four questions about Blackface Minstrelsy, which you learned about from the Lott reading and the online exhibit, The History of Minstrelsy. Explain to the reader why these concepts provoke the questions you […]

How did government policies such as redlining, urban renewal, and the implementation of public housing reinforce residential segregation–and thus racialized domination and economic inequality–across the 20th Century? What connections exist between these policies and the waves of public housing privatization and urban neighborhood gentrification that followed anti-discrimination legislation such as the Fair Housing Act? What are some of the ways that communities of color have sought to secure access to safe and affordable housing and create more just cities? Your essay must cite a minimum of 4 course readings (in-text citations are fine).  Short quotes are acceptable; large block quotes will not count towards the word total. The essay is due via Canvas Sunday, January 10 by 4pm. Formatting Guidelines 900-1200 words Double spacing 12-point Times New Roman font

Create a 5 page paper on the creolization of African- American lifeways. Concentrate on the ways its impacted the foodways and culture and well as lifeways. Incorporate information regarding the Atlantic slave trade and how it impacted the enslaved  (foodways and culture and well as lifeways). Add 4 scholarly articles.

In his introduction to Aimé Césaire’s Notebook of a Return to the Native Land, André Breton notes that the book “is a poem ‘with a theme,’ if not ‘a thesis.’” Stipulating that Breton is right in his assessment, write a paper that examines what you believe to be the predominant theme in Notebook. Include in your essay an answer to the following question: What makes this text an expression of Negritude thought?Excellent papers will be ones that have an identifiable thesis; ones that interpret more than one or two stanzas from the text; and ones that are coherently organized and well-written.

In at least four (4) pages, examine the history of the U.S. and its ethnic minorities by analyzing black women entertainers during/after the Harlem Renaissance, and their effect on the Civil Rights Movement. This essay is a critical analysis of the time and eventual Civil Rights Acts that proceeded. However, many tend to forget the contribution of black entertainment to support in enduring the hardships of the 1900’s. Use two sources, on top of the two required readings, to elaborate on this prompt.

“Gimme Shelter” is the theme I would like you to explore. I am interested in what you think are new areas being opened up by more recent films. You have two choices for the type of film about which to write: narrative films or documentaries. Narrative films: In this choice you will write about the Last Black Man in San Francisco, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Daughters of the Dust. How do the people in these films attempt to establish or have a place in which they are free to choose how they want to live and open themselves up to the fullest expression of their dreams of how life could be? What are they after? In the places they choose, do they free themselves from some oppressive condition? Or are they just fleeing an oppressive situation? What shelter to they seek? Be careful to describe specific scenes in which we saw your points being played out on the screen. Documentaries: You may choose three of the following: Black Is. . .Black Ain’t, Baaadaasss Cinema, The Last Angel of History, or I Am Not Your Negro. How do the people shown in these films try to move towards a greater acceptance of who they want to be or how they envision life could be? How do they compare themselves to what is possible? What artistic arenas do they think will give them shelter? Be careful to describe specific scenes in which we saw your points being played out on the screen. You do NOT have to write about the stereotypes in films of the bad old days. You do not have to use normative gaze or oppositional gaze, but you CAN. Ten pgs double-spaced, with two scholarly sources cited, and a works cited page.

In 1903, W. E. B. DuBois explained in his essay, “Of Our Spiritual Strivings,” that “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line”(1).   Choose one of the passages below and make an argument about the color line.  While you must use a significant portion of one of the passages below in your paper, you are not limited to that passage. Please feel free to draw short passages from other areas of the same text. However, keep in mind that you must offer at least two lines of analysis for every line of text that you include in your paper.  Consider the following questions:  What is the author trying to tell their audience about the color line?  Are they warning whites? Encouraging blacks to resist? Maintaining the status quo? Teasing out a middle position?  Do you have reason to believe that the author’s biography influences their message? Are there relevant historical facts or texts that shape your understanding of the text?  Do not try to answer all of the questions above in your paper. Instead, focus on supporting a single thesis. It might be helpful to review my comments on the first paper that you wrote.  Please note that you are not permitted to use any outside sources. You are limited to class texts, notes, and discussions.    A. “’I have no race prejudice, ‘ he would say, ‘but we people of mixed blood are ground between the upper and the nether millstone. Our fate lies between absorption by the white race and extinction in the black. The one doesn’t want us yet, but may take us in time. The other would welcome us, but it would be for us a backward step. ‘With malice towards none, with charity for all.’ We must do the best we can for ourselves and those who are to follow us. Self-preservation is the first law of nature.’”   B. From Gertrude’s direction came a queer little suppressed sound, a snort or a giggle. Irene couldn’t tell which. There was a brief silence, during which she feared that her self-control was about to prove too frail a bridge to support her mounting anger and indignation. She had a leaping desire to shout at the man beside her: ‘And you’re sitting here surrounded by three black devils, drinking tea.’”   C. “Clare’s ivory face was what it always was, beautiful and caressing. Or maybe today it was a little masked. Unrevealing. Unaltered and undisturbed by any emotion within or without.”    D. “Rage boiled up in her.   There was a slight crash. On the floor at her feet lay the shattered cup. Dark stains dotted the bright rug. Spread. The chatter stopped. Went on. Before her, Zulena gathered up the white fragments.”    E. “He was nearly there now. He could see the black clay on the sloping hillside. Once inside a kiln he would be safe. For a little while at least. He thought of the shotgun again. If he only had something! Someone to talk to…Thas right! Bobo! Bobod be wid im. Hed almost fergot Bobo. Bobod bringa gun; he knowed he would. N tergether they could kill the whole mob. Then in the mawning theyd git inter Will’s truck n go far erway, t Chicawgo…”   F. Buck stopped at the edge of the embankment, his head jerked backward, his body arched stiffly to one side; he toppled headlong, sending up a shower of bright spray to the sunlight. The creek bubbled. Big Boy and Bobo backed away, their eyes fastened fearfully on a white man who was running toward them. He had a rifle and wore an army officer’s uniform. He ran to the woman’s side and grabbed her hand.

1.REQUIRED QUESTION: The late 19th century was a period of significant change for African societies. What were the most significant changes facing Africa in the late 19th century? What roles did both Africans and Europeans play in making these changes? 2.The colonial period affected Africans and Africa in many ways. In what major ways did life change? Were those changes different or similar across space and time? How different was the colonial period in terms of particular colonizers, time periods, or parts of the continent? 3.Decolonization was a challenging but hopeful period of time. How was decolonization won and how did states attempt to decolonize (economically, politically, socially, culturally, etc.) following formal independence? 4.In recent weeks, we have discussed the challenges facing African states were independence. What were three of the most significant challenges of the postcolonial era? Why did these challenges occur, and African governments and societies respond to those challenges?

Everything must be cited properly.  The reviews should consider the lyrical, political and social aspects of a song; for example, if you review a Meek Mill song, I want you to not only conduct a textual analysis of his lyrics, but also discuss the political issues addressed in the song and the political issues occurring during the time of the songs’ creation.  This is an opportunity for you to be creative and apply the work that we do in this class in a contemporary context.  you must have analyzed and submitted to the critical review of rap songs folder SEVEN rap songs that fit the criteria of political rap detailed in the class.  The ten songs are of your choosing.  These reviews should detail how the song is political, using the political rap criterion detailed in Pulse of the People, then the analysis should discuss/detail the political issues that are presented within the song supported by material from the class.  Each review must be at least two paragraphs long, Times New Roman 12-point font and reference materials from the readings from the course.  1. White America by Eminem 2. Mathematics by Mos Def 3. Changes by 2Pac 4. m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar 5. Fuck that Police by N.W.A. 6.Fight the Power by Public Enemy  7. The Blacker the Berry – Kendrick Lamar

? For the term paper, you may write about a (Black) national literature, a black distinguished writer text, or any group of works that present a coherent framework for analysis. ? Focus on under-researched areas, like Black writing in Latin America, are especially encouraged. ? The ritical analysis of a work MUST explore such issues as:? Race, gender, class, identity, form, style, culture, characterization or the interplay of such elements in the narrative or meaning construction process. ? Since this is not a ‘literature appreciation’ assignment, whether you like or dislike a particular work or writer, for example, is peripheral. ? Therefore, MUST pay attention to substantive issues as they are raised in or by each text. ? Write a term-paper of about 8 pages. ? The term paper must have a title, ? be written in the MLA format, ? show originality, ? demonstrate thorough mastery of pertinent issues, ? And include full bibliographical annotations.