Category Archives: Multimodal Projects

Student Multimodal Research Essays

The Afrocentricity Perspective by Olivia Kearney

The Afrocentricity Perspective

In modern American education, the lens in which black history, stories, and power is believed to be taught through a white perspective, in which this perspective should be accused in contributing to suppressing black truths and narratives. An article written by historical figure, Molefi Kete Asante, “Afrocentricity”, explains this blind perspective in depth. He writes about how his method of Afrocentricity is a way to expand and challenge the ways in which American academies perceive black history, and encourages African Americans to “re-assert a sense of agency in order to achieve sanity”(Asante). In 1970, Asante wrote a whole book on this concept in which many people used to speak of the Afrocentric paradigm. As this method begins by asking a question to any given audience, “‘What would African people do if there were no white people’”(Asante)? This question stems from thinking about how learning about black history in this way makes black people feel as a “historically oppressed population”. “If we can, in the process of materializing our consciousness, claim space as agents of progressive change, then we can change our condition and change the world”(Asante).

To reinstate one part of Asantes idea, this method had me thinking and relating Afrocentricity to our education system today. In this aspect, I view this as essentially proposing the Afrocentric method in our American education, as a way of approaching black history in order to give black power in perspective. This idea came initially very big for me. I began questioning, how can education create more space for this? How can our educators educate themselves? I then began to review my own knowledge and where I stand in my own education. I grew up in a small, rich, white town with zero classmates or teachers of color. I am a white young woman myself who is aware of her fathers passive racism and realized this just in the past few years of my life. How does this stand in my way now of wanting and whole-heartedly believing in equality and working towards becoming a helpful ally? Did I even know what black power meant? Could I speak about black power? In Manning Marbles and Leith Mullings book, “Let Nobody Turn Us Around”, there is a section in which is titled, “Black Power”. This reading included a bio and writing from Stokely Carmichael, “What We Want”, which had several points of recognizing where our country was living in racism and what black people needed and wanted, even after the civil rights movement. One quote that I read over and over again was, “Black power can be clearly defined for those who do not attach the fears of white America to their questions about it”(Carmichael, 420). This to me, meant as a conscious black person, is to fear not the white America and to the conscious white person, was to stop living in the whiteness and join the black power. Another major aspect Carmichael speaks in is that whites need to point the finger at themselves. Do not address these problems such as oppression and racism to or with people of color, address it within you and the historical support whites have given to encourage racism. As his work relates to my question of how our education has been shaped, and adding the way our minds were molded, he writes something so powerful. “In the books that children read, whites are always ‘good’ (good symbols are white). Blacks are ‘evil’ or seen as savages in movies, their language is referred to as a ‘dialect’, and black people in this country are supposedly descended from savages”(Carmichael, 425). After reading this, I felt my heart sink, as I have read those books and seen those movies as a child, and still catch glimpses now. I was naive and ignorant to not have not thought of this until this point in my life. My question for myself now stands at, what books can teach me more? What and where are my resources beyond this course?

An idea that carries from Carmichaels writing into another piece of work, is the idea that white people have historically made black people feel intimidated. This idea as it applies to the 20th century, has since shifted due to the space, climate, and power created by black people, for black people. Austin Channing Brown is a black author, known for her book, “I’m Still Here”, and I purchased this book in March 2020, in search to further my education, allyship, and know my place as a young white woman. Austin being an identifying woman herself, she includes the story of why her mother gave her a stereotyped white, male name in modern American society. Her mother wanted her to apply to any job she wanted and when that person received her resume, they consciously or subconsciously would be drawn to a white man’s name. How can there be so much power in a name? What created this perspective? Austin continues to describe the opportunities she did or did not have as a black young girl. The example that is related to the thesis on perspective, specifically in a school environment, was Austin was one of two black girls in her class. She and the girl would sit next to each other and as young girls do, they would chat. One day their teacher, who was white, separated them in creating assigned seating. When the teacher noticed the girls became less engaged, uncomfortable, and quiet, realized what separating them had done. As Austin writes, in a dramatic way, the teacher vowed to never make assigned seats again while becoming aware of the comfort the girls brought to each other. This example represents the blindness white people experience whether they are trying to or not. Her teacher pointed the finger at herself.

In introducing Molefi Kete Asante as a historical figure, among many other important figures, this was also a combination of my thoughts and journals from this past semester. Learning, reading, and discussing several brilliant pieces of work by black authors and writers was an engaging and educated way for me to continue to learn about different perspectives and black lives throughout time. My additional aspect to this project will be a picture of girl students in line at one of the first schools to desegregate after Brown vs Board, Barnard Elementary School in Washington, D.C. I chose to implement this photo into my project because my ideas stemmed from my passion for schools and education not getting enough focus, good and bad. As I hope to work in schools after I graduate, my goal is to get involved in the way we educate and what we educate on which of course, includes black studies.

The alt text for this image is the same as the title. In most cases, that means that the alt attribute has been automatically provided from the image file name. Barnard Elementary School
source: Library of Congress

Works Cited

Asante, Molefi Kete. “Afrocentricity.” Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, 13 Apr. 2009, www.asante.net/articles/1/afrocentricity/.

BROWN, AUSTIN CHANNING. I’M STILL HERE: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness. VIRAGO PRESS LTD, 2021.

Carmichael, Stokely. “Black Power.” Let Nobody Turn Us around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal: an African American Anthology, by Manning Marable and Leith Mullings, Rowman & Littlefield, 2009, pp. 418–434.

The Miseducation of African American History, Identity, and Power by Kelly Estrella

My project researched African History’s miseducation and how it should be taught more often to avoid colonialism’s continuous interference in education.  Concerning the Afro-American common Identity crisis during the Renaissance in support of Afrocentricity. Portrayed by written poems, audio, and a linked blog post.

 

 There’s a massive issue regarding our American history interjecting with the topic of American enslavement. For students to understand American slavery, the black perspective must be taught with integrity and acceptance in our somewhat post-colonial era. We need to educate the miseducated by teaching the brutal American history to lessen the continuous interference of colonialism in education and the lives of people of color. In the article, “Why Can’t We Teach Slavery Right in American Schools?” Nikita Stewart admits that our country’s educational system has been unwilling to teach young children and teenagers about enslavement in America (Stewart). For years the U.S has been choosing not to educate students properly in K-12, which leads to a high percentage of college students not having the proper social studies education (Stewart). I choose this piece because it hits the main point of the overall project: the miseducation and how our history should be taught, not neglecting sources that reveal the truth no matter the audience’s age. Usually, in American history,  what’s discussed about African American history are the excellent creative artist, writers, and great leaders.

  Langston Hughes was known to be a great poet of the African Americans, especially during the Great Depression and Black Renaissance.  The Renaissance was a time where writers, musicians, and artists of Harlem recreated the parameters of afro-American Aesthetics and creativity ( M&M 253 ). In the text, “Let Nobody Turn Us Around: An African American Anthology,” “ Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance” piece, for example,  there was always a “Mountain” that stand in the way of the true negro Art, “the desire to pour racial individuality into the mold of American standardization” (M&M 253 ). Hughes confesses the common issue in society that correlated with the identity crisis of an African American. I remember learning about Langston  Hughes and how great of a writer he was but not until college I realized why he tried so hard to make the difference among his white oppressors and his fixed mentality. He noticed that Afro-American poets would desire to have an identity such as their oppressor by adopting the Euro-American writing style instead of embracing the Afro-American style. 

 

Similarly, in the article, “Afrocentricity: Sustaining Africology: On the Creation and Development of a Discipline,” Molefi K. Asante encourages people to study Afrocentricity to develop an understanding of history through the black perspective. For instance, Asante raises an interesting question, “What would African people do if there were no white people?” (Asante), which means how would African people act, their attitude towards the environment, or their preference of color. Asante acknowledges that there’s a vast intervention in African American life: the oppression of colonialism, and if there were to be a world without them, how would the blacks act. He raises an important question because, unfortunately, we live in a country where African Americans suffered a lot through slavery, losing their dignity and power over their oppressors. After slavery was abolishing, many African Americans still live oppressed, think oppressed, and are educated oppressively. So here I beg your pardon, my fellow readers, yearn for truth, not lies, fight to learn about people of your kind, and be accepting of your non-white standardization identity. 

 

To finalize, in my project, my two genres for the projects are written text and audio.  I have two written poems regarding the history of African-Americans and how oppressed they have felt. I have recorded one of the poems in audio. The actual written text that I have is the blog post, “A New African American Identity: The Harlem Renaissance,” regarding the new identity African Americans struggle to obtain during the Renaissance. The written poem is my cultural artifact that is evaluated to connect to the theory of colored poets desiring a white identity instead of embracing their Black identity (M &M 253 ). Overall my project combines the need to improve the American educational system by allowing more teaching from the black perspective of history to avoid dishonesty and embrace black identity.

 

Why my skin color doesn’t define me…

By Kelly Estrella

 

I  dare you,

To color me like the animal you portray me to be

I  dare you

 to color me like the demon in your darkest fear

I  dare you,

To color me like unwanted goods

I  dare you,

To color me like the big bad wolf

I  dare you,

 to color me like the dirt stuck under your fingernails

I dare you

Because my skin is beautiful!

 

 You see, because of my ancestor’s complexion

I am judged

Because of my ancestor’s language

I am discriminated

But I drop on my knees to that fainted voice of my roots:   

“You have to let you go.”

 

That old voice

That says you ain’t good enough

So I dare you,

 to take a step back and look at yourself

Because we ain’t better than anybody other than our old self.

 

Hear me out on this last thought: 

The beauty of my leaves

The skin of my trunk

From the depth of my roots

My race can’t define me.

 

The Afro-Latina from The Bronx 

By Kelly Estrella

When I was 10, my grandmother told me, “don’t you dare bring a “negro” into this house!”

When I was 12, my mom told me, “if your going to date a “negro” don’t pick them too dark.”

When I was 15, my father  told my sisters and me to “be careful with those “negros” who don’t

know how to properly speak to people.”

 

When I was 17, my grandfather told me, “I don’t trust those “negro” friends yours.” 

In Spanish, “negro” means black.

My family thinks I’m too white to be black.

But when I look at myself, I see a mixture of both,

From my black curly hair

To my honey skin complexion

To my medium-size lips

To my ghetto slangs 

To my black and Hispanic friends

 

Can you blame me for not deciding?

Audio Version:

 

If you want to know more about the Renaissance regarding the effects on the African American people. [CLICK HERE]

              Works Cited:

 

“A New African American Identity: The Harlem Renaissance.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 14 Mar. 2018, nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/new-african-american-identity-harlem-renaissance. 

Molefi K. Asante, “Afrocentricity: Sustaining Africology: On the Creation and Development of a Discipline.” pp. 21-32 in A Companion to African-American Studies http://www.asante.net/articles/1/afrocentricity/

Stewart, Nikita. “Why Can’t We Teach Slavery Right in American Schools?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Aug. 2019, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/19/magazine/slavery-american-schools.html. 

Manning Marable and Leith Mullings, eds. Let Nobody Turn Us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal. An African-American Anthology. 2nd. Ed. (2009) Roman & Littlefield. Available as e-pub online.

Estrella, Kelly. “Why my skin color doesn’t define me…” Google Docs, https://docs.google.com/document/d/19e1l7B6jVpydUtU2nMAXIstcNaCKDOQ4DEQbgCq4Vfo/edit. 11 April 2021.

Estrella, Kelly.“The Afro-Latina from The Bronx, Google Docs, Estrella Kelly, 11 April 2021, https://docs.google.com/document/d/10A3qp4506Z0hPODyVxIE3wBcy5tqVUDq4tl3cDH7CEE/edit.

 

 

Blog-Ira Berlin

Geidy Espinal 

Professor Poe

BLST 10100 – Fall 2020

12/05/20

 

Multimodal Project – Historical Figure (Ira Berlín) 

Ira Berlin was born on May 27, 1941, and died on June 5, 2018. He was an American history professor at the University of Maryland. Extending over five decades, Berlin’s helped in the understandings of African American history and made struggles over slavery and freedom central to North American history. In his essay, Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society on British Mainland in North America, Ira Berlin highlights the relevance of time and space in understanding how enslaved Africans not only communicated and developed relationships with one another and their masters but also how they resisted against their conditions and maintained their heritage within the different regional slave societies.

Throughout Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society on British Mainland North America Ira Berlin trace the generations of slaves, their masters, and the unique historical circumstances each group lived under. Berlin takes the number of Africans and African-Americans in slavery and puts each one of them into five generations—the Charter Generation, the Plantation Generation, the Revolutionary Generation, the Migration Generation, and the Freedom Generation. Berlin demonstrates how each generation experienced different conditions and built their lives different from their ancestors. Berlin showed us how slaves spreading throughout America affected their lifestyle just because they took separate ways and experience different things. As slaves started spreading over America we got to see how Northern slaves gained more knowledge and had more opportunities than what southern slaves did. The text states that “A visitor to Connecticut noted in disgust that slaveowners were “too Indulgent (especially the farmers) to their Slaves, suffering too great a familiarity from them, permitting them to sit at the table and eat with them (as they say to save time) and into the dish goes the black hoof as freely as the white hand.” Slaves used knowledge gained at their masters’ tables to press for additional privileges: the right to visit friends, live with their families, or hire their own time”(Page 51). This illustrates that Northern black people were improving their relationship with the Northern white people leading to them making changes and gaining more rights. The way Northern slaves lived and the part they lived in, influenced a lot in their view on slavery because they did not rely on slave labor as much as Southern Slaves did. Northern slaves changed so many things throughout time in a more Afro-American way. The Diverse development of Afro-American culture demonstrates to us the importance of time and space in the study of American slavery. Black people in America shared many important things. However, these commonalities took different shapes and meanings within the miscellaneous circumstances of the North American mainland. 

 

Thanks to Berlin and his essay Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society on British Mainland North America and all his work we get to see how he addresses the history of slavery and emancipation as a labor historian. He insisting that slavery must be included as a central part of American labor history and in this essay, we get to see how he expanded to explore the history of culture, kinship, and social relations. We get to understand more about African American history due to Berlin’s primary documents. 

 

The image below shows how African American people struggle and made sacrifices in their lives to have a better one. Moving from classes to places to settle and embrace everything. African American people’s lives had been transformed and as time went by they have started gaining more rights but not enough as they, as we deserve. Looking hundreds of years back we get to see how African American people transformation and we get to see the development of an Afro-American culture that demonstrates to us the importance of time and space in the study of American slavery. 

Art by Ira Berlin

Work-Cited Page 

Berlin, Ira. The Changing Definition of African-American. 1 Feb. 2010, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-changing-definition-of-african-american-4905887/. 

Greene, Julie. “Ira Berlin (1941–2018): Perspectives on History: AHA.” Ira Berlin (1941–2018) | Perspectives on History | AHA, 1 Oct. 2018, www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/october-2018/ira-berlin-%281941%E2%80%932018%29. 

Berlin, Ira. “Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society on British Mainland North America.” The American Historical Review, vol. 85, no. 1, 1980, pp. 44–78. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1853424. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.

Blog Post: The Power of Art by Alissa Rivera

The Power of Art

By Alissa Rivera

 

African Americans have been devalued and pushed around like animals. The color of their skin scares white people. White Americans will never understand what it means to be black. African Americans continue to struggle to fit into American society because of their skin color and hair texture. They are not seen as humans but as objects. They contribute to the wealth of this country with sweat and tears hoping that one day they won’t be stopped on the streets because they “fit the description.”

White Americans have been well represented through the media. They are reflected as doctors, leaders, soldiers, and so on. American society has shown white people that their possibilities are endless. In contrast to colored people they have trouble seeking representation of themselves in media and in life. They also struggle to find representation that shows that their humanity is multifaceted.

Below is an image of racial bias within violent crimes. Both racial groups were asserted under the same circumstances yet the media headline for the white group is “Three University of Iowa wrestlers arrested; burglary charges pending” with school pictures attached meanwhile the headline for black people is “Coralville police arrest four in burglary investigation” with their mugshots. The representation of white people will always be praised meanwhile the representation for black people will only show the worst side of them making black people believe they are worthless and incapable of change.

 

Black representation is important for the black community but most importantly it’s for others to be able to see and understand the black experience. Black Panther a movie that is predominantly black cast and has an African- American director has been able to make aware that movies made about black lives ensure that Black people matter and are seen. 

In the movie T’Challa is born into wealth. He knows who he is and what he is to others and himself. His father died which meant he was the future Wakandan King. He intentionally intended to maintain Wakanda’s traditional isolations. He says “ The problem with refugees is they bring their problems with them.” T’Challa has been raised without knowledge or exposure of pain that Killmonger has encountered. Killmonger’s  father was killed by T’Challa’s dad and was forced to grow up as an orphan. He was living in poverty therefore he joined the army. Killmonger experienced America’s systemic oppression of Black Americans. These experiences have caused him to be full of rage and fight the injustice in American society.  This is seen in the movie when he wins the title of King in a ritual combat, he says “There are about 2 billion people who look like us who have been put through hell, while you have sat here comfortable. All of this is going to change. Right now.”  

Intentionally everyone in Wakanda including T’Challa was against Killmonger and Nakia’s  motivations to help those suffering from America’s systemic oppression in America. However T’Challa was moved by Killmonger’s last words “ Just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors, who jumped from slave ships because they knew that death was better than a life of bondage.” He references his ancestors to show that he understands them and shares the same pain with them. Killmonger’s pain also represents the pain of many African’s in America. T’Challa realizes that he has to use his resources with the world and put an end to the systemic oppression in America. 

Bringing this film to the attention of America while having a white president in office is truly significant in African history because it shows the need of improvement that is opposed by those in power. Dr. Molefi Kete Asante would have enjoyed Black Panther because the movie is directed by an African American who tells the African American experience from the African perspective. This is important because African history has been told from a white perspective with no knowledge or experience of what it means to be African American. Dr. Molefi Kete Asante stated in his article “ Afrocentricity” that “when black people view themselves as centered and they see themselves as agents, actors, and participants rather than as marginals on the periphery of political or economic experience.” This is absolutely true because when Africans watch Black Panther they see a reflection of themselves in America and in Africa. This reminds them of the value of their roots and potential that they lose and are oppressed of once they are in America. They see themselves as powerful human beings who are capable of fighting for change. The African experience in Black Panther is not only the one sided version we are accustomed to; it is the multiple experiences that African Americans. 

Based on the film Black Panther we are able to see how much a film can do. Different emotions and ideas are revealed which  help us better understand the political culture and history of African Americans. In freedom songs, 1960 the following lyrics from  the song “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round” reflect Killmonger “ Ain’t gonna let no jailhouse turn me ‘round, I’m gonna keep on a walkin’, keep on talkin’, Marching up to freedom land.” ( pg 374) These words reflect Killmonger because when he was free of the jailhouse in America and became King of Wakanda he did not just forget about the injustice in America however his plan was to help those around the world be free from systematic oppression. The following lyrics from “ We Shall Overcome” (pg 273) “We shall all be free, we shall all be free, we shall all be free someday, oh, in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome someday” can connect to the last part of Black Panther because T’Challa helps deliver this message to the public when he decides to share his resources with the world to help fight the oppression many African Americans face. He is giving the African community a sense of hope that together they will stop and be free from the injustice faced in American society. 

Black Panther has made a drastic change in African American life and history. Together as African American’s everyone should be willing to fight for change because if you just watch  your doing more harm than good.

Works cited 

Asante, Molefi, K. “Afrocentricity.” 13 April 2009

http://www.asante.net/articles/1/afrocentricity/

Director Ryan Coogler – Black Panther 2018 

Lisa Wade. “ Racial Bias and How The Media Perpetuates it with Coverage of Violent Crime”

           Updates: June 14, 2017 Original: April 17,2015

https://psmag.com/social-justice/racial-bias-and-how-the-media-perpetuates-it-with-coverage-of-violent-crime

Marable, Manning, and Leith Mullings. “Let Nobody Turn Us around Voices of Resistance, 

Reform, and Renewal: an African American Anthology Rowman & Littlefield, 2009.

Jyosana Raut Multi- Media project

For this project, I chose a cultural artifact to support Afrocentricity by Asante, Freedom songs (M&M,372)  with the use of the song Poor Righteous Teachers ft. Junior Reid – Dreadful Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uO44wZVCv0

& The 60-panel series I chose which is known as “The Migration Series” by Jacob Lawrence I chose can also be a sacred space because it is an art exhibit but also fits perfectly for a cultural artifact because it is used to depict the great migration. For this, I will be just presenting the website where the panels are on display with its captions made by Lawrence and explain the importance and message behind it. I will be connecting both these to Afrocentricity because that is what is being channeled with the production of both the music and art piece.
The link to the Website:  https://lawrencemigration.phillipscollection.org/the-migration-series 

— Essay

       Afrocentrism through Art and Sound  

 

           The reading Afrocentricity by Asante has a concept which stood out tremendously in Black studies because it gives a new way to look at the information. The Afrocentric theory is proposing to look at blacks as subjects of their stories rather than objects. As said in the line, “Afrocentricity becomes a revolutionary idea because its studies ideas, concepts, events, personalities, and political and economic processes from a standpoint of black people as subjects and not as objects, basing all knowledge on the authentic interrogation of location (Asante, section 3).” Asante claims that a shift into African history is better rather than the European perspective and white history. It will have the impact of empowering the black perspective. As said by Asante in the lines “What is any greater than seeing the world through our eyes?  What resonates more, with people than understanding that we are central to our history, not someone else’s? (Asante, paragraph 7) “and the lines, “Afrocentricity answers this question by asserting the central role of the African subject within the context of African history, thereby removing Europe from the center of the African reality (Asante, section 3)” This also revalues everything today rooting from black culture from ideals to art to culture into trends. This is why in connection to this theory I included a song written in the Afrocentric perspective about the struggles of being black in the American justice world. This song connects to Afrocentricity because he is taking all his horrific circumstances and how it is damaging to him and his community. Freedom songs is an example of Afrocentricity because it is embracing the African American struggle in order to empower themselves to fight for their freedoms. The Migration Series by Jacob Lawrence uses paintings to tell the story of The Great Migration. Lawrence also uses his artistic style and variety of colors to tell the story through an Afrocentric view. 

 

          This change in thinking is seen way before publishing by Asante, it can be seen during the civil rights movement with the usage of freedom songs. They used their story and struggle in order to encourage the community. These songs would show both their sorrow and strength. This can be seen in the lines “We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday. Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome someday. We are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid today. Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome someday (M&M, 373)”. It can be inferred from these lines that this was a song made to motivate the black community in a time of oppression. With the use of “we” in the lines “we shall overcome someday; we are not afraid” shows the sense of unity that is present because the term “we” also recenters the perspective. The use of “we” in the lyrics also restates Asante’s theory of Afrocentricity; the “we” is putting the black perspective center rather than from the European oppressive view. During the civil movement when blacks were losing faith in justice, these songs reminded them of all they endured, and all they are capable of. Which is empowering both Africans past and their future. Since it is in their perspective nothing can be taken away from their story. 

           

      The cultural artifact which relates to the theory of Afrocentricity is the song Teachers Dreadful Day by Poor Righteous. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uO44wZVCv0) the song is about the corrupt American System and how it continues to bring many blacks into the system and is modern slavery. In the song, the artist is telling his story with the American system and how it has continually disenfranchised black people. These black teens that are talked about in the song are growing up around gangs and fall into the wrong crowd. Instead of prison rehabilitate them it tears them apart even further due to the worsening conditions than the outside. Slavery was outlawed but except in prison, where they work for barely anything. In prison, they are treated less than human and are in shackles some for crimes they did not commit. This song is significant to Afrocentric theory because the artist is taking his story back by telling it. Rather than just letting the system control him he is making himself the center of this story by saying it happened and what this event affected. The lines, “True; that day they took me away they had me bound in shackles, locked down twelve brothers connected by the ankles, by chains we dangled imprisoned for the star-spangled, Banner for glamour mad motherfucker’s slammer” is exposing the American justice system because America claims to be about freedom as seen with the reference of “imprisoned for the star-spangled” but tend to lock up and brutalize as many black men as possible. The writer also refers to his “twelve brothers in shackles” to show the rise of gang activity during the 20th century because of all this brutalization going on. The author is using an Afrocentric approach for this song by centering his story around his experience with the American justice/prison system by asserting his role in the system. He is asserting his idea of how flawed it is and how it has damaged him and many other black men. 

 

          ( I showed the entire series from the website for the presentation 

Where I will be showing the 60 panels, about the artist, its significance)  

        The Migration series from Jacob Lawrence made about 70 years ago with 60-panel paintings is made to depict The Great Migration. The son of Migrants, who moved to Harlem at the age of 13; and had piqued a huge interest in art from the Harlem renaissance. Lawrence then was given a grant by the Rosenwald Foundation to create the 60- panel Migration of the Negro now called The Migration Series. The journey of African Americans going from the South to the North. This Art series embodies the Afrocentric method because Lawrence is telling his story through the statement of these pieces as he stitches it into one and adds the caption for each piece. Even though he, himself did not go through it, his mother who is of African descent did. He utilizes the 60 panels as a big storybook each panel connected and sewn into one another. Each panel has Afrocentric features with the usage of colors and style seen in the clothing and background. Each panel guides you through the journey of The Great Migration and what it meant for African Americans. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

      These are a part of the last few panels which is depicting images during the end of the Migration where they had arrived in the North. They sought out more rights and job opportunities which is what they found at the end which is why their arms are up. The first one is showing the educational opportunity in the north for blacks as being more prevalent than in the South. Then the second showing that the North gave them the right to vote. These paintings help to connect the audience to the actual past event and see it from a clearer perspective. The purpose of this series was to show the universal theme of struggle but through African History to be reminded of the shared struggle. Therefore, this gives the black community a sense of unity and power. 

    This one in the series is depicting tuberculosis and the rise of quick death rates due to overcrowding. This shows that many people had to bury their loved ones due to the harsh conditions the North had and lack of concern by capitalists. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words but a brief description of the migration it is furthering the thinking and connections. These paintings are telling a story without the use of too many words, it is showing expression in the pictures. Expressions of pain, resilience, sickness, and strength can be seen through the colors and style of painting. The lines, “The poetry of Lawrence’s epic statement emerges from its staccato-like rhythms and repetitive symbols of movement: the train, the station, ladders, stairs, windows, and the surge of people on the move carrying bags and luggage.” from his art website shows the patterns of symbolism. Connecting to the lines “There were conflict and struggle. But out of the struggle came a kind of power and even beauty. ‘And the migrants kept coming’ is a refrain of triumph over adversity. If it rings true for you today, then it must still strike a chord in our American experience.” This line shows that the message behind this panel was to show even after African Americans went through such tough circumstances, they used that to power, to channel faith, in order to rise to triumph.  

 

 

 

 

 

Citations  

  1. Marable, M., & Mullings, L. (2009). Let nobody turn us around: Voices of resistance, reform, and renewal: An African American anthology. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.    
  1. Molefi Kete Asante, The Afrocentric Idea. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1998.
    Ama Mazama, ed., The Afrocentric Paradigm. Trenton: Africa World Press, 2003
    Posted by Molefi Kete Asante 
  1. Asante, Molefi Kete. “Afrocentricity.” Molefi Kete Asante Is among the Most Published Contemporay Scholars, Having Written over 70 Books and 400 Articles., 13 Apr. 2009, www.asante.net/articles/1/afrocentricity/. 
  1. Lawrence, Jacob. “The Migration Series.” The Migration Series | Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series, Jacob Lawrence © The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, lawrencemigration.phillipscollection.org/the-migration-series. 
  1. teachers, poor righteous. “Poor Righteous Teachers Ft. Junior Reid – Dreadful Day.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Jan. 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uO44wZVCv0. 

 

Mya Lewis Multimodal Project

Afrocentricity vs. Double Consciousness

 

The double consciousness of the black man has tortured the black mind since slavery started. W.E.B Dubois argues that the double consciousness of the black man is detrimental for them because although they want to be seen as the citizen, they’re still seen as society as the negro. “One ever feels his twoness”, meaning the black man won’t ever get to be an American. However, Asante discusses the dislocation of Africans and their history being tarnished by Europeans who white-washed history. Families were more than often separated, which connects back to Berlin.  Asante disagrees with Gomez’s claim about double-consciousness and states that there is a solution to double-consciousness. Asante states that “If we can, in the process of materializing our consciousness, claim space as agents of progressive change, then we can change our condition and change the world. Afrocentricity maintains that one can claim this space only if one knows the general characteristics of Afrocentricity as well as the practical applications of the field.” Basically, Asante claims that if we as black people, materialize our consciousness, and claim that space as ongoing change, that it will help us change our condition and the current world around us. Given that we have negative mindsets about ourselves, Asante emphasizes that changing those mindsets and thinking about our culture in a lighter perspective plus educating ourselves and sharing our own stories will kill our negative mindsets and the world around us in turn. Education system was made for white people. It’s imperative that Blacks share their narrative of their own history so that the world can gain a different and diverse perspective rather than white washed history. 

The division of the black mind has to be one of the most difficult things on earth. But I can’t help  but to ponder and think if we were taught to think that way about ourselves. Dubois also talks about connecting the systems of oppression, as well as  the use of slave labor. During his time period, there was no legal protection for slaves during the Reconstruction Era, as well as sharecropping and lynching. These things prevented Blacks from prospering at that time. We still see it today. 

Photo by: Richard Chucky ( I forgot the title of the artwork)

Works Cited:

http://www.asante.net/articles/1/afrocentricity/

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1897/08/strivings-of-the-negro-people/305446/

Fredrick Douglass and the change in American society

The theoretical reading I chose for this project is the Ira Berlin reading, Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society on British Mainland North America. This is about the life of African-Americans settling in the US and what is it like living in the slavery period, especially comparing slaves between the North and South. Then, a section from the textbook, Let Nobody Turn Us Around by Manning Marable and Leith Mullings I chose is from Section 2, Chapter 16 called “A Plea for Emigration, or, Notes of Canada West,” Mary Ann Shadd Cary, 1852. I chose those two because they relate to the topic of changing the society and emigrating to a new land and settling there. Ira Berlin’s reading talk about the beginning of the slavery period and also a perspective of African-Americans who lived through the difficulties of slaves as well as how did the increase of African-Americans change the American society and the population. It also mentions the difference between the Northern part of the US and the Southern part of the US. In the North, there are slaves working in factories since it’s mostly urban while in the South, there are slaves working in plantations, experiencing abuse and mistreatment from masters, watchers. Northern slaves are considered to gain more benefits than those in the plantains because they are free. In addition, the textbook mentions about the life of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, an African-American who was born in Deleware, a free state. She also fled to Canada to teach former slaves and free slaves about slavery. In her story, she mentions Canada, where the population of African-Americans increasing overtime. 

For the selected artifact, I selected historical figure and the person I selected is Frederick Douglass because he relates to the anthology and theoretical readings that I chose. For example, he changed the society of African-Americans by denouncing slavery and racial discrimation. He also escaped slavery and settled in Boston, which is a free state up in the North. He works as an anti-slavery activist in Boston. Then, he went to Ireland and lectured students about slavery and why we need to abolish slavery. This is a connection between him and Mary Ann Shadd Cary. I say that Douglass is the one who changed American society because he educated himself and spoke up for the people for the African-American community, who are also facing the same crisis. He also worked with several anti-racist campagins and leaders who are also reaching their goal of stopping racial discrimation and desire freedom, justice, and equality. In the Berlin article, it states that black culture is changing in America. I say that is true because as the population of African-American people settle in the US increased as well as bringing in diversity into America and having their own culture as well. 

The two genres that I chose are photos and multimedia, but first I will talk about the photos. The photo below is the one I will be talking about. This photo is being described as a slave in the middle with a long chain of chains between him showing that he being the one who is deciding where he wants to go. Looks like that he points up, meaning he wants to go to the North, which is a free state. This is the event of the Underground Railroad in 1854, a secret pathway where slaves secretly escape the South to freedom. Meanwhile, there are two men on the side, one who wears a white outfit and part of the slave state and one who is shaded, wears black, and part of the free state. The man on the right unclacks the shackles and bringing him tot freedom while the man on the left is pretty distant. This shows the difference between two areas. 

Slave state versus Free state

www.richlandsource.com

For the multimedia, I decided to use Douglass’s famous quotes because it is interesting plus Douglass has amazing quotes to share with audience. This quote I will share for this project because it relates to the topic that I am writing about. 

“Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one’s thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. It is the right which they first of all strike down. They know its power. Thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, founded in injustice and wrong, are sure to tremble, if men are allowed to reason… Equally clear is the right to hear. To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.” 

1367968

This quote means that power over someone who is struggling is a very violent action and it should never be tolerated. Equality is a term that we all want according to Douglass. I chose this quote because it’s very powerful and inspiring. He expresses anger and rage about the society he seen. He wants to change that. Even though that American society is changing overtime, there are struggles as a person of color and a person who feels low in power. 

These four sources connect to each other as topic of freedom, migration, slavery, justice, equality, and racism. A slave in the free state vs. a slave in the slave state are two different stories and experiences, but unite as one big topic. 

 

Bibliography

“Frederick Douglass Quote.” A, www.azquotes.com/quote/1367968. 

Richland Source. “North Central Ohio’s Independent Local News.” Richland Source, 14 Dec. 2020, www.richlandsource.com/. 

Marable, Manning, and Leith Mullings.  Let Nobody Turn Us around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal: an African American Anthology. Rowman & Littlefield, 2009. 

Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society on British Mainland North America

 

Matthew Davis’ Blog Post: Fighting Oppression with Music

The purpose of my project was to depict what Hip-Hop has done for equality in black communities and how it continues to carve a bright future for society.

 

Blog Post: Fighting Oppression with Music

By: Matthew Davis

Throughout history, people of color have been persecuted because they were different. They were seen as inferior because of their skin color. This has affected African Americans, as well as Africans in general because they get treated differently, from the jobs they can obtain, to their salaries being much lower than the average white man, and even where they’re able to sit on a bus. However, when there’s oppression there will always be someone trying to create equality for all. Even artists tries to overcome oppression and racism through their style of art.

The Story of O.J. by Jay-Z is a song about the racial stereotypes that people of color experienced. This can be seen throughout the music video, as well as heard in the lyrics. The Billboards state, “However, the overarching theme of the song details how one’s skin color shapes how they are viewed in society, regardless of their financial class or levels of fame attained.”  This is true to a certain extent. Although colored people come in all shapes, shades, and sizes, they’re all discriminated against the same way. You could be the richest person in the world, but if you’re colored then you’ll still be discriminated against. Jay-Z says, “O.J. like, I’m not black, I’m O.J.” In the music video, Jay-Z uses O.J Simpson as someone that tried to say he wasn’t black because of his wealth and achievements as a football player. Blackness isn’t based on finance or wealth; it’s genetic. The images below present us with the eight types of colored people that are shown in the music video, as well as seen throughout history.

The lyrics that connect to these images are, “Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga. Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga. Still nigga, still nigga.” Jay-Z is saying you can be any shade but you’re still a colored person in the eyes of society.

Sonia Delgado-Tall’s, “The New Negro Movement and the African Heritage in a Pan-Africanist Perspective” says, “As for Africa, it still was “the dark continent” in European colonial literature and, consequently, in the White American culture of the 1920s. There was a direct correlation between the inferior status of Blacks in America and that of colonized Africans.” Delgado is expressing that the African Americans were able to express their talents, while the colonized Africans were still considered as inferior.

The textbook, “Let Nobody Turn Us Around” touches on the topic of Hip-Hop activism. Hip-Hop Activism was a way people of color would express what they wanted starting in the mid-1970s. Since then, the usage of music has been a major game-changer for people of color. In the textbook, it says, “1. We want freedom and the social, political and economic development and empowerment of our families and communities; and for all women, men and children throughout the world.” This was the major topic that was discussed within the music that Hip-Hop artists created. The image below shows a few of the iconic artists that performed for the greater good of Africans and African Americans such as Queen Latifah, Tupac, Kanye West, Jay-Z, and many more.

The textbook, “Let Nobody Turn Us Around”, Sonia Delgado-Tall’s “The New Negro Movement and the African Heritage in a Pan-Africanist Perspective” and Jay-Z’s song, “The Story of O.J.” have a major connection to each other. Aside from discussing the need of equality in society, they also discuss the issues people of color endure such as racial profiling and violence. In the textbook, it says, “5. We want the total elimination of racism and racial profiling, violence, hatred, and bigotry.” Jay-Z uses his chorus, “Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga. Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga. Still nigga, still nigga.” to express that people of color are profiled because of their history. What these two sources are saying is there’s no need for profiling or another label. That’s what the word nigger or nigga is; it’s a discriminative

label that white people gave to people of color as a way to demean and degrade them. However, people of color are still fighting to create a world of equality and be rid of racial slurs.

 

Work Cited

JAY-Z – The Story of O.J. (2017, June 30). Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://genius.com/Jay-z-the-story-of-oj-lyrics

Jefferson, J. (2019, November 24). Songs That Defined the Decade: Jay-Z’s ‘The Story of O.J.’ Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8543924/jay-z-story-of-oj-songs-that-defined-the-decade

Marable, Manning. Let Nobody Turn Us Around (p. 939). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Sonia Delgado-Tall, “The New Negro Movement And The African Heritage in A Pan-Africanist Perspective.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 31, no. 3, January 2001, pp. 288-310.

Multimodal Project- Rezwana Ghani

I decided to focus my Multimodal Project on Reconstruction. I used various photos from the Smithsonian Museum. I also wrote a poem.

Reconstruction was the time period after the Civil War. The Civil War was a war that was fought from 1861-1865. During the Civil War the Norther and Southern countries fought due to their different opinions towards slavery. While the Norther countries wanted to end slavery, the Suthern countries wanted to continue slavery. Thus, this led the Southern states to start seceding. Below are some pictures that were taken during the period of Reconstruction. All picture credits go to the Smithsonian Museum.

This is a picture that appeared in Frank Leslie’s illustrated newspaper on March 5th 1876. This picture shows the Colored National Convention in  Nashville 1876

The Colored National Convention allowed for African Americans to come together where they discuss ways in which they can attain racial justices. These conventions consisted of mainly black Americans and a few women as well. Women participated through their writing as they participated in newspapers. In David’s Blights Something Far Beyond the Battlefield, he mentions Douglass’s claim that it is necessary for black people to remember the Civil War and all that has happened there. He also mentions that we should honor those who have fought for slavery and justice. The picture above doesn’t necessarily show people fighting in the Civil War, but it does show black Americans coming together in order to reform society. Douglass mentions how we have to honor those who have fought for justice and the people in the Colored National Convention did exactly that and they should not be forgotten. “Douglass expressed the pain of being black in America: wherever a black man aspired to a profession, ‘the presumption of incompetence confronts him, and he must either run, fight, or fall before it”’” (Blight For Something Beyond the Battlefield, 1171). Here Douglass is saying that whenever black people want to achieve something there are often many setbacks that occur. These setbacks arrive due to the fact that they are assumed to be incompetent’s which makes it harder for them to achieve greatness. Douglass mentions how the average black man when he wants to achieve something must either accept, or fight for what they want. It’s as if the past is what dictates the lives of African Americans. Douglass tries to assert power of memory in order to inform and inspire further generation. 

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) was born in Michigan into a plantation system and he was a former slave. Douglass was known for being an abolitionist and he was involved in many reform movements playing a very important figure in black history. Douglass made sure that the black perspective wasn’t only used for the Civil War but that it was used for American history in general. Douglass once asked the question “If war among the whites brought peace and liberty to the blacks, what will peace among the whites bring?” ​The Civil war brought together many whites which caused for there to be peace within the blacks, however, what happens after that? If there were peace within the whites what would that mean to American history? In David Blights “What Will Peace Among Whites Bring”, Blight attempts to focus more on race and being unified and its meaning in the Civil War. He demonstrates the relationship between race and being unified by using examples from Frederick Douglass. He mentions that society uses history to understand its identity. He also mentions that “the war was remembered as primarily a tragedy that led to greater unity and national cohesion…not as the terrifying crisis of a nation deeply divided over slavery [and] race…” (403)​. Here Douglass provides us with a reason as to why we need to honor those who have fought for slavery because it was because of them that the Civil War had occurred. If these abolitionists hadn’t spoke up about the issues of slavery, then the Civil War wouldn’t have existed. Fredrick Douglass was a very influential abolitionist. Today there is a historic home dedicated to him. 

In Blights, What Will Peace Among Whites Bring, Blight uses the examples of Alexander Crummell and Frederick Douglass. He mentions how “For Douglass, emancipation and the Civil War were truly felt in history. For Crummell, they were a passive memory, not an epic to be retold” (399). Alexander Crummell is an African-American minister and a nationalist. This quote shows the difference in how the two figures viewed the Civil War. Douglass thinks that the Civil War needs to be remembered as something of importance of African history, while Crummell believes that the Civil War was nothing but a memory and that it doesn’t do much for African American culture and history.

In Alexander Crummel’s The Race Problem in America, Crummell brings up the racial problem in America as well as what we can do to fix these problems. He discusses the ideas that in order to fix these racial problems, African Americans must fully participate in the American demcratic life. Crummell asks “has a new race, the product of our diverse elements, sprung up here in America? Or, is there any such probability for the future?” (Marable & Manning 151). Here Crummell is basically asking whether having a diverse set of eyes can help with the improvement of the future. Crummell’s main idea in his writing is that the only way for us to solve the problems within society, we all need to come together to figure out a way in which we could change the way the government is run. During the Civil War the whites came together and helped out the blacks by fighting for the end of slavery. This later led to Reconstruction. Crummell’s ideas that in order to fix racial issues everyone needs to come otgether and have a part in shaping the government was put into perspective as not only did were the whites fighting a war to end slavery, they were also coming together to help change black history in general.

Through various abolitionists, black people were able to be freed. Reconstruction helped end slavery and this allowed for black Americans to have gain many rights. After reconstruction congress passed through the 15th Amendment which ensured every citizen with the right to vote. Because of this because passed on, now black Americans were allowed to vote making their voices be more heard. Though slavery had ended and Reconstruction had begun, history always seems to repeat itself.

Work Cited Page 

 

David W. Blight, “For Something beyond the Battlefield”: Frederick Douglass and the Struggle for the Memory of the Civil War.” Journal of American History 75:4 (1989), pp. 1156-1178

 

David Blight, ‘”What Will Peace Among The Whites Bring?’: Reunion and Race in the Struggle over the Memory of the Civil War in American Culture.” The Massachusetts Review, 34:3 (1993), pp. 393-410.

 

Manning Marable and Leith Mullings, Let Nobody Turn Us Around: An African American Anthology. 2nd

ed., Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield, 2009, pp. 151

 

National Park Service . Frederick Douglass Historic Home and Visitors Center. National Historic Site District of Columbia, www.nps.gov/frdo/learn/historyculture/collections.htm.

 

Smithsonian Museum . 150 Years And Counting. Frances Albrier Collection, http://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/reconstruction/voting-rights#Reconstruction

 

University of Delaware . About The Colored Convention. Delaware, University of Delaware, http://coloredconventions.org/about-conventions/

 

Multimodal Poem:

Multimedia Poem Voice Over

Link if audio doesn’t work: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lfhhqmDi3P0ls0kjexYj2hcrbTYXcMGUKJNUWvZK0N4/edit#slide=id.p

Multimodal Project (Historical Figure) -W.E.B Du Bois

For this project, I decided to talk about a significant historical figure who dedicated his life to his Black community. I will focus on W.E.B Du Bois and how he used his knowledge to get justice for his Balck community. 

Who is William Edward Burghardt Du Bois?  

  There are many Black activists who used their knowledge to fight for equality and their rights in America. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois is a major Civil Rights Activist who was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and died on August 27, 1963, in Accra, Ghana. He is an African American sociologist, writer, teacher, and leader who helped to change the way society viewed Blacks and their role. During the 19th century, many African Americans were not able to go to college and finish their education due to poverty, racism, and segregation. Unlike other African Americans, Du Bois grew up in Great Barrington which was a  white town and there he went to school. He attended the same school as white kids. He did not face racism like other Blacks in different areas in the USA. Du Bois got enrolled at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Fisk University is a private college for African Americans that was established after the American Civil War to help African Americans finish their education. A church in his birth town (Barrington) raised money for him to pay for college tuition. There, Du Bois experienced his first southern segregation which motivated him to stand up for his Black community. He received his bachelor’s degree from Fisk University and later he was accepted to Harvard University. It was not an easy process for him to get accepted to Harvard University during the period of segregation. College tuition did not stop him from getting a higher degree in History and Sociology that would help him get justice for his Black community. He paid his three-year tuition with scholarships, loans from friends, and summer job money. In 1890, he earned his second bachelor’s degree and Master of Art in history from Harvard University. He traveled to Germany planning to get his Ph.D. He met significant social scientists who were thrilled to meet a man like him. Du Bois wanted to bring what he learned in Europe to the United States hoping to make a change. Unfortunately, he returned to the United States without his Ph.D. due to unknown reasons or requirements. However, two years later,  he got his Ph.D. from Harvard University, while he was a professor at Wilberforce University. He was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. This success does not only represent Du Bois but African Americans all over the United States. Despite all the obstacles that were established to prevent African Americans from succeeding, African Americans are proving their presence and importance in the USA. Du Bois’ educational journey explains how Blacks strove to overcome obstacles of racism and racial segregation. 

How did W.E.B  Du Bois view racism? 

  Racism is one of the first issues that challenged Blacks throughout United States history. Before the American Civil War, Blacks were treated as property due to their skin color. Because of and only of their skin color, they were not treated as human beings. The issue of racism is the issue that challenges Blacks regardless of the period of time.  In “Of Du Bois and Diaspora: The Challenges of African American Studies”, Gomez analyzed Du Bois’ theory of double consciousness and how Blacks were deprived of their simplest wishes because of their identity. They were forced by society to view themselves through White’s perspective and Black perspective. Du Bois described this as Double Consciousness which is when a person has to view himself/ herself through two different perspectives. It was a must for them to view themselves through the white perspective because this is how society viewed them. Society viewed them with racism and as they are not part of this country. Du Bois believed Blacks would never give up on their identity to satisfy society. Their identity is part of their dream which is to be Black American in America. Du Bois Stated, “He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of White Americanism. . . He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, with-out the doors of Opportunity closed roughly” (Gomez 176). This illustrates Du Bois’ point of view on how racism affected Blacks in America. Du Bois described how Black natural identity deprived them of their simplest dream which is to be African American. However, Du Bois viewed racism as an obstacle that challenged Blacks and their dreams in America. 

What is racial segregation (Jim Crow Laws)? What was Du Bois’ response?  

  Racial Segregation is one of the main issues African Americans have faced during the 19th-20th century. Blacks were segregated in schools, restaurants, trains, etc. Jim Crow law was to prevent African Americans from their constitutional rights which are equality. The photo illustrated below is one of the significant images in United States history that was taken during the Jim Crow Laws.  If you take a closer look at the images, you will see how Blacks were treated by Segregation. The image is very clear in telling the story of segregation. Blacks had to drink from an old water fountain, while whites had to drink from a luxury water fountain, which emphasizes the racial inequality caused by Jim Crow laws. Therefore, this image invalidates the racial segregation statement of “separate but equal” because Blacks are being treated poorly compared to Whites. 

By Elliot Erwitt in 1950 in North Carolina, USA. 

However, Du Bois believed racial segregation would prevent Blacks from practicing their constitutional rights and them from progressing. He attacked Booker T Washington who is a Balck leader for accepting racial segregation. Du Bois and other activists gathered in 1905 at Niagara Falls to demand equality for Blacks and end racial segregation. The Niagra Movement is an organization of Blacks leaders and activists whose main mission is to end racial discrimination in all its aspects. They listed all their demands and their duties toward these demands. One of their demands that caught my attention in the Textbook “ Let Nobody Turn us Around”  is “Soldiers: We regret that this nation has never seen fit adequately to reward the black soldiers who, in its five wars, have defended their country with their blood, and yet have been systematically denied the promotions which their abilities deserve. And we regard as unjust, the exclusion of black boys from the military and naval training schools’ ‘ (“The Niagara Movement Declaration of Principles”, p-211). This illustrates how blacks are giving up their lives for their country. They are loyal to the country that does not love them, to the country that does not treat them as human beings, and to the country that wounds them every day. Nevertheless, through the Nigro movement, Du Bois and other Blacks activists influenced the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This association was formed by White and Black leaders which became the largest organization for civil rights. Through NAACP, Du Bois and other Black leaders were able to end racial segregation.

In conclusion, Du Bois is a significant Civil rights activist who fought racism and racial segregation with his knowledge. Du Bois wrote the “The Song of the Smoke”, which talks about how the Black community suffered racism, slavery, and racial segregation due to their natural identity. In this poetry, Du Bois stated, “Shedding the blood of bloodless crimes”, which emphasize African Americans’ pain of racism and racial segregation. However, Du Bois played a major role in America’s history. He stood up for the voiceless Black community and gave them a voice. He spent his life looking for a better life for the Black community. He overcame all the obstacles that were preventing him and his black community from practicing their constitutional right such as Jim Crow Laws. The Supreme Court ruled school segregation is unconstitutional which illustrates the progress Du Bois was made for the Black community. He was the leader of the NAACP that demanded equality for Blacks. Without Du Bois, blacks would not be where they are today. 

 

Work Cited 

History.com Editors. (2009, October 27). W.E.B. Du Bois. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/w-e-b-du-bois  

History.com Editors. (2018, February 28). Jim Crow Laws. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/jim-crow-laws 

Trikha. (2012, November 06). Photographs that tell a story- Elliot Erwitt’s ‘Segregated Water Fountains’. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://sophiedaveyphoto.wordpress.com/2012/11/06/photographs-that-tell-a-story-elliot-erwitts-segregated-water-fountains/ 

W.E.B. Du Bois. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.crf-usa.org/black-history-month/w-e-b-du-bois 

Gomez, Michael A. “Of Du Bois and Diaspora: The Challenge of African American Studies.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 35, no. 2, 2004, pp. 175–194. JSTOR,  www.jstor.org/stable/4129300. Accessed 16 Dec. 2020.  

The Song of the Smoke. (2014, December 18). Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://youtu.be/lzdXw8qbWpI 

Marable, M., & Mullings, L. (2009). Let nobody turn us around: Voices of resistance, reform, and renewal: An African American anthology. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Hatem Alsaidi- Multimodal Project

This Multimodal project focuses on the distinctive lifestyles of African Americans in the South and the North by analyzing “Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society Afro-American Society on British Mainland North America.” by Ira berlin along with   “Race and the southern Worker,” and “12 years a slave” film

“Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society Afro-American Society on British Mainland North America.” by Ira berlin describes the three distinctive geographical slave systems that Affected African Americans, since their arrival in America. A Northern nonplantation system and two southern plantation systems in the Chesapeake Bay and the other in the Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry. When it comes to the northern system, it was very different from the southern system because in the North, due to the climate, slavemasters didn’t farm much. So they made enslaved African Americans work closely with them and make them perform other labors, which lead African Americans to move out and live independently. For illustration, it states, “Urban slavery moved steadily away from the household to the docks, warehouses, and shops, as demonstrated by the growing disproportion of slave men in the urban North. Aside from those skills associated with the maritime trades, however, few slaves entered artisan work. Only a handful could be found in the carriage trades that enjoyed higher status and that offered greater opportunity for an independent livelihood and perhaps the chance to buy freedom.” (Berlin, 49).  This reveals that the interaction with slaves and white gave blacks the opportunity to acquire knowledge about the world. However, some African Americans may have been forced into working in factories. Others were offered job opportunities to work on their own and eventually acquire their freedom, unlike in the southern systems, there was a high demand for cotton. So enslaved African Americans were forced to work long hours in plantations with harsh climates. They were forced to breed more offspring for more labor, which prevented their ability to create a family. The Southern African Americans were still able to preserve their African roots because they did not learn white rituals and practices like the Northern Blacks.

“Race and the southern Worker,” an article that discusses segregation in the south, by “let nobody turn us around.” on page 183. This article discusses unknown negro women, where she shares her experiences about being African American in the south, especially being a black woman. She addresses how African Americans are being mistreated and affected by the segregation between whites and blacks in her neighborhood. She claims that she and her husband will always be discriminated against by whites for living in that neighborhood. it states, “The people who lived next door received the sympathy of their friends. When we walked on the street (there were no sidewalks), we were embarrassed by the stare of many unfriendly eyes.” This shows that even if many southern African Americans gained freedom, they were still not welcome. This also relates to the article “Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society Afro-American Society on British Mainland North America.” by Ira Berlin because we could see how the two plantation systems affected the African Americans who gained freedom in the south. For example, After the civil war, many southern blacks obtained rights. However, the south never wanted slavery to end because they needed slaves for cropping. But they were forced to give up slavery, which caused them to develop the jim crow laws. The Jim Crow laws enforced segregation between whites and blacks in public places and made it difficult for black people to vote. Basically, Southern blacks didn’t gain many rights because they were never seen as free in the eyes of the southern.

Many cultural artifacts, such as poems, songs, paintings, and films, have helped us understand the Africam American experience. But one major Film that I’m going to examine to understand better the different lifestyles African Americans obtained in the three distinctive plantations and expand further into the ira berlin theory. The Film is called “12 years a slave” about Solomon Northup, a free black man living with his family in upstate New York. He works as a carpenter and talented at the violin. His wife works as a cook to help Northup. When one day, Northup was approached by two men Asking him if he could perform in a circus in Washington, D.C, for extra money. Northup Agrees without letting his family know. Unforttully, Both men drugged Northup and waked him up at Williams’s Slave Pen and are placed on the market as a slave. He then was taken to South to Louisiana to be sold to William Ford, a kind minister with a tiny plantation in the Great Pine Trees.
Solomon and his other slaves are handled well by Ford. However, when ford had to pay a debt, he gives Northup to A cruel slave owner named John Tibeats. Tibeats will often beat Northup, But one-day, Northup decides to take matters to his own hands by whipping Tibeatts back. Tibeats wanted to kill Northup, but Ford intervenes to save his life. Tibeats sold Northup to Edwin Epps, a cruel slave master who owns two plantations in Bayou Bœuf. Epps beat his slaves daily no matter what they do. For the next ten years, Northup was forced to work picking cotton since he wasn’t good at it; he was given to do other tasks. Northup fears that he won’t survive long enough to see his wife and kids again. But a carpenter who works for Epps with Northup in a building. The carpenter, called Bass, is an abolitionist. Northup waits for an excuse to chat to Bass alone, and he tells his story to Bass and requests from Bass to take a letter to his family. To say to them where he is being kept as a slave. Bass agrees to get Northup’s wife and Henry Northup’s letters. Henry Northup receives the letter. He makes a plea to the Governor of New York to grant him legal authority to recover Northup, where The governor will eventually agree, and Henry heads to get Northup home.
This Film relates to the Three distinctive slave systems I discussed in “Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society Afro-American Society on British Mainland North America.” by Ira Berlin. For example, in the Film, we see how Northup was a free man with a job and a family in the north, but when he was abducted, he was turned into a slave in the South. which reveals the different lifestyles African Americans lived in the North And the South

this Art shows
Slaves working in a cotton field in the south

In this Art, we see how slaves were being forced into cotton fields. Even the young and the old were forced to pick up cotton. As shown in the image, an older woman seems to have trouble walking but still carrying a bag full of cotton. Behind her, we see a man who appears to be very tired due to the long hours they worked under the South’s blazing sun. Also, it shows a very young kid that has only a t-shirt on because slaves were barely given any cloth or food.

lInk to My website: https://multiproject.commons.gc.cuny.edu/art/

work cited

Berlin, Ira. “Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society on British Mainland NorthAmerica.” Https://Via.hypothes.is/Https://Docdrop.org/Static/Drop-Pdf/Ira-Berlin_Time-Space-and-the-Evolution-of-Afro-American-Society-Ro1pl.Pdf#Annotations:FHPN4gJlEeurpXNF21dQ8w, Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Historical AssociationStable URL: Https://Www.jstor.org/Stable/1853424, Feb. 1980, www.jstor.org/stable/1853424.

Marable, M. (1950). let nobody turn us around. In Race and the Southern Worker (2nd edition ed., pp. 183–191). Rowman and Littlefield.

Steve Mcqueen, John Ridley, director, and writer. 12 Sears a Slave. Performed by Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender,River Road, New Regency Pictures, Plan B Entertainment, Aug 31, 2015. SOAP2DAY, https://soap2day.to/movie_aToxMTIxOw.html

 

 

 

 

Georgina Paez- Multimodal Project

Blog Post On The African American Experience With Colorism

By Georgina Paez 

Colorism is defined as discrimination or prejudice against any type of skin color. It is a huge problem in America that has been around for a long time and it has had a lot of impacts in many communities, specifically the African American one. Darker African Americans tend to be the group mainly targeted by this problem. This inequality dates back to the past, to slavery.

The seeds of colorism in America were first planted by Caucasian people. The moment Caucasians began enslaving Africans in America, it marked the beginning of their long term power and superiority over the African race. Everything that belonged to the African was made to be inferior to everything of the Caucasian, from their identity to their culture. This meant skin color too. Everything of the Caucasian was perceived as superior and beautiful in the American society, while everything of the Africans became associated with negative connotations. The blackness that was once beautiful and filled with integrity for Africans, became the symbol of slavery. From this point in history, the labels placed on the skin colors black and white were now engraved in American society. Future generations of Caucasians continued upholding the perception that the African’s darker skin was dirty, animal like, ugly, and inhuman, while lighter skin was elegant, good, pure, and beautiful. The impact of the ideologies were strong that today colorism is still a very big issue in our society, that has only created division between darker African Americans and lighter African Americans, as well as Caucasians.

A cultural artifact that focuses on colorism is Kendrick Lamar’s song “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” ft. Rapsody. In the song Lamar raps about how complexion doesn’t define who we are as people. He believes we’re all equal, and that we should all be treated with love regardless of our complexions. Throughout the song he mentions many verses related to colorism, and the way that darker skin has been oppressed in history, and still today. “Sneak me through the back window, I’m a good field nigga. I made a flower for you outta cotton just to chill with you.” (Lamar) In the song, Lamar represents a darker slave who likes a lighter skinned slave. He calls himself a “field nigga”, because Caucasians believed that darker slaves were more animal-like, so they’d put them to work in the fields picking cotton. He states having to sneak through a back window to see the lighter girl. This is because slaves who were lighter in complexion were mixed with half Caucasian and were given more privileges, like working in the master’s house instead of the fields where conditions were terrible. This played a huge role in society. Throughout time lighter African Americans were continued to be given more privileges than their darker peers. Many lighter African Americans were allowed to get an education and own more property. This created a huge division within the African American community that still exists today. Today, lighter African Americans are praised more when it comes to beauty standards, as they’re deemed more attractive by society, and are even more privileged when it comes to being hired in jobs. Today, African Americans even have a toxic term called “Dark Skins vs. Light skins” where they compete to say who’s better than who. “12 years of age, thinkin’ my shade too dark. I love myself, I no longer need Cupid…Light don’t mean you smart, bein’ dark don’t make you stupid.” (Rapsody) In this verse Rapsody, who’s a dark skin man mentions how growing up he used to feel insecure with his skin color. This is an effect of colorism, as darker skin tends to be oppressed and made fun of. He also raps against the stereotype that deems darker people as dumb, while lighter people are deemed smart. This reflects back to ideologies from slavery and segregation, where African Americans were considered savages and like animals. They were thought to have a lack of knowledge in many aspects, like being able to think for themselves. 

Sonia Delgado-Tall mentions colorism and the labels it places on skin colors in her piece “The Negro Movement and the African Heritage In a Pan-Africanist Perspective.” She states, “Wallace Thurman,Countee Cullen,Claude Mckay, and Marcus Garvey experienced alienation and rejection due to their dark skin. An extremely rich palette of formal and slang terms developed in their novels and poetry to describe shades of complexion, with the lighter shades being associated with the most positive value (material or moral. Light-skinned Blacks range from “high-yaller,” “honey,” “lemon colored, and “pink” to “olive”; middle shades of skin color went from “Cocoa brown,” “Coffee-colored,” “Vaseline brown” and “chestnut” to “Nut brown”; and the darker skinned were described as “blue,” “inky-dink,” “eightball,” “damn black,” “low black,” and “dark black.” (Tall-Delgado, 295) This highlights a very important quote as Delgado mentions an important concept when it comes to colorism. Labels play an important role in skin colors as they depict people’s belief of the skin color. Through the label we can see the discriminatory way darker skin is referred to, while lighter skins are labeled in a more positive way, which only highlights just how real Colorism is. This quote relates to “Marcus Garvey and The Universal Negro Improvement Association” in the “Let Nobody Turn Us Around” book by Manning Marable and Leith Mullings. Delgado had mentioned Marcus Garvey as one of the leaders who wrote about his experiences with his darker skin, and colorism. “We are discriminated against and denied an equal chance to earn wages for the support of our families, and in many instances are refused admission into labor unions, and nearly everywhere are paid smaller wages than white men…We believe all men entitled to common human respect, and that our race should in no way tolerate any insults that may be interpreted to mean. disrespect to our color…We believe that the Negro should adopt every means to protect himself against barbarous practices inflicted upon him because of color.” (Marable and Mullings, 243-244) In his writing, Marcus Garvey refers to skin color a lot as a form of discrimination in his time. He doesn’t just mention race, he mentions color as well. Garvey is aware of the way colorism play a big role in the discrimination African Americans face. What Caucasians would always oppress African Americans for, always went back to skin color. From the name callings to Black face, where Caucasians would paint their face black and mock African Americans, they always downgraded the darker skin color.  

Drawing:

Text

Brown-Holloway, Brittany. Drawing of a brown skin girl. Racked. Sánchez, Erika L. “Learning to Love My Brown Skin.”7 Jan.2016. www.racked.com/2016/1/7/10723424/colorism-discrimination-mexico-beauty-skin-lightening.

This illustration by Brittany Holloway-Brown demonstrates an African American woman with dark skin. She looks distressed while looking in the mirror, with three lighter shades of makeup on her face. This symbolizes one huge effect of colorism in society. It depicts how darker people tend to often feel insecure about their skin color, just like Rapsody’s verse in “Complexion” by Kendrick Lamar, where he mentioned being 12 and insecure about his blackness. Many struggle with low self esteem knowing that they don’t fit the beauty standard and are considered unattractive or unpleasant based on the negative experiences they’ve had with their skin color. It goes back to the quote from “The Negro Movement and the African Heritage In a Pan-Africanist Perspective” by Sonia Delgado-Tall, where she mentions how darker skin is always correlated to negative attributes in society. As lighter skin is always praised in Caucasian people and many times in lighter African Americans, darker skin seems to always be the butt of the joke and has always been heavily criticised.

                                                                            Works Cited 

Lamar, Kendrick. “Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Rapsody) – Complexion (A Zulu Love).” Genius, 15 Mar.      2015, genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-complexion-a-zulu-love-lyrics. 

Delgado-Tall, Sonia. “The New Negro Movement and the African Heritage in a Pan-Africanist Perspective.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 31, no. 3, 2001, pp. 288–310. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2668034. Accessed 16 Dec. 2020.

Garvey, Marcus. “Declaration of Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World.” Marable, Manning, and Leith Mullings. Let Nobody Turn Us around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal: an African American Anthology, pp. 243-244. Rowman & Littlefield, 2009.

Sánchez, Erika L. “Learning to Love My Brown Skin.” Racked, Racked, 7 Jan. 2016, www.racked.com/2016/1/7/10723424/colorism-discrimination-mexico-beauty-skin-lightening.

 

 

Kendra Carela – The Niagara Movement

Fighting For Our Rights: The Niagara Movement.

The Niagara Movement demanded equal economic, educational, as well as voting opportunities for both Black men and women. Members of the Niagara Movement had sent a powerful message to the entire country through their condemnation of racial discrimination and their call for an end to segregation. This moment was a civil rights group organized by W.E.B. Du Bois as well as William Monre Trotter in 1905. After being denied admittance to hotels in Buffalo, New York, the group of twenty-nine business owners, teachers, and clergy who comprised the initial meeting gathered at Niagara Falls, Ontario (Canada). The main principle behind the entire moment was largely in opposition to Booker T. Washington’s philosophy of accommodation.

Booker T. Washington was an educator, reformer and the most influential black leader of his time. He lived from 1856-1915. Preached a philosophy of self-help, racial solidarity and accommodation. He urged Blacks to accept the discrimination they were experiencing, and to concentrate on elevating themselves through hard work, and material porosity. Nonetheless, many Blacks had disagreed with him tremendously.

W.E.B Du Bois, scholar as well as an activist for racial equality. He believed the educated African American’s must use their education and training to challenge inequality. He was also, known to be the best known spokesperson of African American rights during the first half of the twentieth century.  

Of Du Bois And Diaspora The Challenge of African American Studies, Michael A. Gomez focuses on double consciousness. The internal conflict experienced by subordinates or a colonized people in an oppressive society. Double consciousness, African Americans struggle with the dilemma of being both African and American, battling nationality and race as they understand, and start finding their purpose in history as well in modern society. “He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of White Americans… He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be a both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face.” (Gomez, 176) that was said by W.E.B Du Bois, who is trying to claim the Black man will not change for America, nor will America change for it. Blacks wish to have the same opportunity the white man has, the same privilege. 

In the late 1800’s Booker T. Washington believed that Blacks should gain their equality to whites through establishing a solid labor force, and accommodating the existing belief of the government’s idea of segregation and inequality. In an effort to overcome Washington’s ideals, the Niagara movement was forced. This movement was first organized in July 11 through 13, 1905 organized in order to oppose racial segregation and disenfranchised. It opposed what it’s members believed were policies of accommodations as well as conciliation promoted by African-American leaders such as Booker T. Washington. The moment served as a tool to help the African-American population at the time, to move forward and away from the suppression that they were being coated with by the racist white community. 

The ideals that were created by Washington would have not proven effective in the latter years opposed to those enforced by the leaders of the Niagara Movement. This submissive effort created by Washington to move on, would have left the Blacks populated subjects to more abuse, it had been proven before by others who were in similar situations that passivity was not a route they should in fact should’ve taken. It only held those who had tried to be thrown into jail, prosecuted, beaten, or even killed. 

The leaders of The Niagara Movement showed that it took force as well as determination to get what they in fact wanted, the type of change that they wanted to see. The movement itself had proved, just the effort of these members who soon became part of it, had opened doors to many others to attempt the abolition of segregation along with the Jim Crow Laws. 

The Niagara Movement attempted to bring about legal changes, addressing the issues of crime, economics, religion, health, as well as education. Despite its impressive beginning, the movement did not last as long as people expected, but it did in fact leave a lasting impression on others. The movement stood out compared to the others that were happening at the same time, due to its powerful unequivocal demand for equal rights. Nonetheless, this movement had many Black were one step closer to what they should’ve never fought for, which was equality.

Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois

   

Work Cited

Gomez, Michael A. “Of Du Bois And Diaspora The Challenge of African American Studies.” Journal Of Black Studies, vol. 30, no. Nov. 2004, 2004, pp. 175 – 194.

Franceiry Rosario- Letter from Frederick Douglass to Molefi Kete Asante

My multimodal project is based on a letter that Frederick Douglass wrote to Molefi Kete Asante; the author of “Afrocentricity.” I made it seem as if Frederick Douglass knew that Asante was going to be born and knew what he was going to do with his life (made it seem like Douglass was a psychic.) Then there’s a recording of my made up podcast “Talks with Fran.” Hence, I chose a historical figure for the research and written text and audio for the media.

Rochester 

December 3rd, 1865

A Letter To My Fellow Black Brother: My thoughts on Afrocentricity 

Dear Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, 

Hope all is well with you. You may not know who I am, but I’m pretty sure you heard about me in your social studies class or African Heritage. However, I’ll go ahead and give some background about myself. I am Frederick Douglass; an escaped slave, author, public speaker, a leader in the abolitionist movement and a civil rights activist. As a young slave I learned to read and write and also held mini lessons to teach other enslaved Black people literacy through the use of the Bible. Furthemore, I work as a agent for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. I am currently traveling the country holding anti-slavery and literacy lectures about the practices of slavery. As someone who was a slave and escaped through the act of pretending to be a sailor, I like to go around and educate those who aren’t as educated. I’ve encountered many adults who aren’t able to read or write. Therefore, I like to give them a hand so they can show their masters their intelligence. In 1852, I remember giving a speech in the North to an audience that was mostly white. In this speech I wanted to highlight a Black person’s consciousness and the power they have to contribute to this white society. I’m a religious person. Hence, I like to use the bible as a friend to reference the unjustifications of slavery. I also gave a speech a couple of years ago at the annual meeting in Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in Boston, I like to call it “What the Black Man Wants.” I wanted my audience to know that my black brothers and sisters deserve justice and the right to vote and that “he has been a citizen just three times in the history of this government, and it has always been in time of trouble. In times of trouble we are citizens. Shall we be citizens in war, and aliens in peace? Would that be just?” (Marable and Mullings, 127). Our black brothers and sisters are only considered Americans when America is in trouble. When there’s a war, who is the first to be called?– The negro. Black people contribute to America’s society but we get no recognition and are still treated like savages just because our bodies are brown or black. 

The Civil War gave me a sense of urgency to strive and fight harder for our community. It took America hundreds of years to pass the 13th Amendment and we thought that abolishment of slavery would fix things. However, the thought was incorrect. In your essay you are going to ask your readers, “are you down with overcoming oppression?” (Asante). I think us black people ask each other that everyday. We don’t only want slavery to be abolished we want the segregation and racism to stop. We want our black brother and sisters to stop being killed by the white oppressors and the government because “the most dangerous place black people are seen is in a white person’s imagination” (quote said by somebody in a BLM protest). White oppressors create this negative image of black people that causes them to see every person of color as something and not someone, an object and not a person. Furthermore, “When black people view themselves as centered and central in their own history then they see themselves as agents, actors, and participants rather than as marginals on the periphery of political or economic experience” (Asante). My understanding of this is that Afrocentricity doesn’t necessarily mean that others need to see Africans in the center. It means Africans do. They don’t need to worry about the perception others give them but the perception they have of themselves. It saddens me writing this letter to you because I will never meet you. I know you’re confused and asking yourself, “how in the world does The Frederick Douglass know who I am.” I can see and predict things that no one else could. It also saddens me that hundreds of years later black people are still going through oppression, the declaration that offered that “all men are created equal… that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But where is liberty and happiness, where is equality and justice towards those who are wrongfully incarcerated. Molefi, with this essay, you will teach people from the black perspective the importance of their skin color and their African heritage. This is important because some black people tend to forget about their African heritage due to the “dominance” American culture has today. With agency and location, as stated by you, black people are able to have the power to determine their character and life in America. You want to make it clear that African history didn’t start since the Transatlantic slave trade. 

Even though, I know that even in the 21st century Black Americans are still getting wrongfully treated in society, I will continue to fight till the day I die for the justice of African Americans where discrimination will not be present in America’s democracy. Molefi, brother, I hope that when you get this in the near future you know that The Frederick Douglass knows and believes in you to educate those in the relevance of Afrocentricity. I hope that the artists, activists, writers of your time make a difference with their music, artwork, words and voice because we will conquer that value and justice for our black brothers and sisters no matter how long it takes.  

                            Your fellow Brother, 

F. Douglass

Works cited 

Asante, Molefi K. Afrocentricity, Dr.Molefi Kete Asante, 13 Mar. 2009, https://asante.net/articles/1/afrocentricity/.

History.com Editors. “Frederick Douglass.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 27 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/frederick-douglass. 

 “Letter 5.” Frederick Douglass Letters 1855 – 1857, Letter 5, Virtual Exhibit, New York State Library, www.nysl.nysed.gov/library/features/fd/let5.htm. 

Douglass, Frederick. “What the Black Man Wants” pg. 122-127. Marable, Manning, and Mullings, Leith. “Let Nobody Turn Us Around Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal: An American Anthology”, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc., 2009. 

“Talks with Fran” recording, December 16th, 2020 at 1:48AM

Recording down below:

 

 

Daniella Pizarro – Multimodal Essay

Only in the last 100 years has the African continent become free of direct European influence. Fewer years have passed since Africans have been able to write history from their perspective, not the one painting them as savages and beneath white men. Both Fred Hampton and Molefi K. Asante have points of view that cross paths in this line of thinking, with the main idea being the support of African thinking and their placement as main characters in their story. With the advent of technology allowing information to spread at incredible speeds it means that ideas like Afrocentrism can take root in the present, with no one being able to hold knowledge back.

Now this isn’t to say it wasn’t possible in earlier times, but coincidentally the notion of racism has decreased alongside the improvements of communications and information technology. Before an African would need to get permission to publish their findings on African culture and history, specifically to publish it for the world to see. Nowadays the world is anyone’s sandbox, with many ways to spread information through social media and journals and other places. This would mean that by taking advantage of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the idea of Afrocentricity would spread.

To start, “Afrocentricity is a paradigm based on the idea that African people should re-assert a sense of agency in order to achieve sanity, (Afrocentricity: Sustaining Africology: On the Creation and Development of a Discipline) ” which allows Africans to define their own history. In a school setting this would not take place for several reasons. One is that schools may not always buy the latest textbooks for students to learn from and will end up showing Eurocentric learnings. Another is that textbook manufacturers have no reason to change the knowledge inside when most of it will be used to help students prepare for tests or basic knowledge. Why change that when there’s no push to fundamentally change the education system?

With recent events such as the murder of George Floyd however, there has been an uptick of posts on social media spreading information about these injustices and ways to intervene. As Fred Hampton said, “If people must express themselves freely, there must be a climate in which they can do this. (Position Paper on Black Power, Let Nobody Turn Us Around)” Social media is one of the freest platforms to spread ideas across, so a post on Instagram could spread Afrocentric history to a much wider audience than say a textbook or a theoretical reading. Almost everyone interacts on social media and Africans could make Afrocentric history teachings that would be widespread and more in depth than a textbook ever would, because the time and effort would be worth it. Yes, it’s not guaranteed anyone will view it. It is however a novel idea that works. As Linus Hoskins puts it, “Afrocentrism presents and deals with an authentic and specific culture and history-a cultural history that did not begin in Father Europe but a human/world history that began in Mother Africa. (Eurocentrism vs. Afrocentrism. A Geopolitical linkage analysis, Journal of Black Studies)” It’s a fresh alternative to the European/American history views that have been negatively portrayed more and more throughout the generations, with people realizing how whitewashed modern history was.

As a whole Afrocentrism combined with the continuing emergence of social media would bring knowledge to a world of Africans who may not know their history, and could empower them more than their ancestors were.

 

Bibliography

Afrocentricity

By Dr. Molefi Kete Asante

Published 4/13/2009

Molefi Kete Asante is a professor/researcher of African American studies at Temple University. The purpose of his work “Afrocentricity” was to give a new perspective on African history so that Africans could learn about themselves from a black point of view. It covered the process of Afrocentricity and defined it for people of color who may not know of African history other than what white men have written. It gives a way for Africans to connect to their culture in a simple but unfortunately untested way. As an African himself he is more reputable as someone who would be more self-conscious about recording the history and spreading it, as opposed to a white man who doesn’t have to worry about his history being portrayed incorrectly. His audience for this piece would be African students/historians studying and gathering information, as to present them a new viewpoint to organize and present their information

 

Fred Hampton

Position Paper on Black Power

1967

This was written as an analysis of the Civil Rights movement throughout the 60s, specifically of white people and their positions throughout the movement. As a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he had every interest in making sure the protests he was a part of/organized would be effective, which is why he’d write a piece critical of white people a part of the movement and preventing it. It’s a reminder that the work isn’t over and that while they may have achieved certain milestones, white people have no skin in the game. He definitely has a bias for African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement, along with a clear bias against white people. It means his work won’t be separated from his beliefs. Overall his work sends the message to white people to dismantle their own systems while reminding blacks that their gaining equality is not much

 

Linus A. Hoskins

Eurocentrism vs. Afrocentrism. A Geopolitical linkage analysis

1992

Published during his time at Kent State University, his work is a response to backlash against Afrocentricity, given that he responds by saying the term itself is not racist. It is clear that he has a pro African bias since he’s going against Eurocentric ideals and is in support of Afrocentrism. It means he wouldn’t be in support of works that call for both points of view to be acknowledged. As he is African himself this makes sense, and his work is supportive of the ideals published in Asante’s “Afrocentricity.” The audience for this piece would have to be people who are on the fence about Afrocentricity, since they would be key in supporting it. The excerpt seen is ultimately a firm stance of support for Asante’s work with his African bias out on display and is a good supporting evidence piece.

Younis Alzubeiri – Double Consciousness

My Multimodal project focuses on Double Consciousness by going over Langston Hughes and The Harlem Renaissance, along with analyzing Of “Du Bois and Diaspora” by Michael Gomez.

African American. A paradox of an identity. Throughout the history of America, Black people have always had to conceal their identity. Put a veil over it. They gained a double consciousness while living to die in America. Double Consciousness is to have a conflict arisen within a group in an oppressed society. This conflict being the censor Black people have attained due to having to live a double life in America because its culture is frowned upon. Amongst other things of course, Black people’s culture and heritage have always been suppressed and have always tried to be destroyed. But it’s always been brought to light for generations. Which shows the power of Afrocentricity. Throughout this project I will present how double consciousness has always been at the center of African American’s lives. From “Harlem: The Culture Capital” by Alain Locke showcasing how powerful a Black community can be when not having to worry about bigotry, to how double consciousness is portrayed throughout time demonstrated by Michael Gomez in “Of Du Bois and Diaspora” to Langston Hughes and his poem “Weary Blues” ending with a simple yet heavy piece of artwork done by The Atlantic for their short animation film “How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?”

In “Of Du Bois and Diaspora” by Michael Gomez, he stresses the fact that the problem with being “African American” is that you can never fully be an American. In a segment in the article Gomez states “He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of White Americanism. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American” (Gomez 176). One cannot simply be African and American, and Gomez makes sure to emphasize on that fact. How people will never be able to view Africans as fully American. He dwells on that once more when he states “It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity,” (Gomez 175). Pity and amused contempt, are the terms Gomez uses to portray how Americans view Africans. It’s almost as if the phrase “African American” is a paradox. 

In “Harlem: The Culture Capital” written by Alain Locke, it portrays how Harlem is the most Black dominated area in all of America (at the time, 1925) and is THRIVING. No need for division, or a private sect of just only black people. It’s in the heart of New York City, and anybody can pass by it. “The language of Harlem is not alien; it is not Italian or Yiddish; it is English. Harlem talks American, reads American, thinks American. Second, Harlem is not a section cut off. It is merely a zone through which four main arteries of the city run.” (Locke 271) Harlem has its own churches, social and civic centers, shops, theaters and much more. It was also said that its precinct was the most law abiding precinct in the state (Locke 272) However with all this success, and Black people merely living their lives and keeping to themselves, how do they still have to live with a double conscious? Let’s talk about Langston Hughes. Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. He attended Columbia University, but left after one year to travel. He started writing poetry and was so good he was later promoted by Vachel Lindsay, and Hughes published his first book in 1926. He went on to write countless works of poetry, prose and plays, as well as a popular column for the Chicago Defender. Prior to all these achievements, when Langston was in his early years of school he was elected class poet. To which he thought it was because of the stereotype about African Americans having rhythm. Langston stated, “I was a victim of a stereotype. There were only two of us Negro kids in the whole class and our English teacher was always stressing the importance of rhythm in poetry. Well, everyone knows, except us, that all Negroes have rhythm, so they elected me as class poet”. In high school he wrote for the school paper, edited the yearbook, and began on his first short stories, poetry, and dramatic plays. In the future, he was a major figure within The Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was an African-American cultural movement that occurred in the 1920s that presented African American writers, poets, dancers, and singers with the opportunity to express themselves and show off their talents. Langston utilized his experiences in Harlem to reflect upon the reality of what Black people went through living in America as “free” people. He then portrayed his thoughts and interaction through his poetry. His most famous poem “The Weary Blues” is heavily intertwined with double consciousness. 

Youtube Video:

Powerpoint: double c presentation DONEE

WORKS CITED

Locke Alain, “Harlem: The Culture Capital” The New Negro: An Interpretation, 1925,

1925, http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai3/community/text1/johnsonharlem.pdf 

Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.

 

Gomez, Michael A. “Of Du Bois and Diaspora: The Challenge of African American Studies.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 35, no. 2, 2004, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4129300.

Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.

 

Hughes Langston, “Weary Blues” Poetry Foundation, 1926 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47347/the-weary-blues Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.

 

“How Does It Feel To Be A Problem.” Youtube Video, 16 Mar. 2018, www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/ Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.

 

Hughes Langston, “Weary Blues” CBS Vancouver, 1958 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM7HSOwJw20&t=142s Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.

Shakib Ali, The Gentrification of Harlem : A New Diaspora

I decided to follow up my presentation on Harlem by looking further into the community I love so much. I have decent background as I grew up here and attended Columbia Secondary School, so I have a decent understanding of the controversies with Columbia University. My essay ties the gentrification of Harlem to Dubois’s theory of multi-consciousness and the myth of inferiority. I also made a short video in slideshow format to visualize these changes in the community.

Harlem has become a centerpiece for the black identity in America. Over the course of the 1900s it became a spiritual and sacred space for not just black America but black people worldwide. Harlem was and is a hub for the birth and maintenance of so much culture for Afro-Americans, hosting the “Harlem Renaissance”, a nurturing environment for black art and intellectualism to survive and thrive. W.E.B Dubois identified the problem that inhibits the psyche of the black man as the conundrum of split consciousness. The split consciousness between living as a black person but then also the inevitability of viewing oneself as inferior in the face of white supremacy. As Harlem reached its peak it unlocked the beginnings of the potential to break away the walls of double consciousness, to finally meld together the statuses of being both Black and American. As James W. Johnson declared Harlem is its own city within the city, the neighborhood asserted black identity without alienating it from the rest of America. Tragically Harlem now has become a stage for the epidemic of gentrification. The once sensational neighborhood is besieged by numerous forces, leading the charge on Harlem is Columbia University. 

 Rather than move along corridors of intellectual isolationism, a contradiction in terms, we must encourage and foster greater dia- logue with disciplines outside of African American studies, including Latino and Asian studies, with whom we share so much potential. (Gomez 190)

W E. B Dubois’s case for multi-consciousness within the black population following the African Diaspora does well to explain the plight of Afro-Americans. The average black person does not wish to pack up and take all their lives back to Africa like Marcus Garvey proposed, but neither do they want to continue life as is in a racially oppressive hierarchy in America. Dubois identifies this state of limbo, there was no single place or culture for black Americans to gravitate towards. Following the diaspora black people lost touch with their cultures and traditions, most Afro-Americans in America today couldn’t tell you where in Africa their ancestors hailed from. The absence of a root culture forced blacks to learn and pick up the traditions of white people, devaluing and further alienating the black populace. However, as black people arrived in waves in Harlem over the course of the Great Migration a new black culture began to form. Harlem brought together Afro-Americans from all over the country in a large urban environment, a completely new experience from isolated pocketed black communities in rural areas. Harlem encouraged a new era of black thought, art, and pride. Arguably the culture of Harlem was Pan-Africanism at its best, uniting all of black America into a single concentrated neighborhood that took a life of its own. Harlem became a “Cultural Capital”(Johnson 1925) as James W. Johnson put it. However, the idea of Harlem being the center of black America is a shaky one now. 

When colored people do leave Harlem, their homes, their churches, their investments and their businesses, it will be because the land has become so valuable they can no longer afford to live on it. But the date of another move northward is very far in the future. (Marable 270)

Johnson’s insight is flawlessly applicable to the condition of Harlem today, the once vibrant community has become a shell of its former glory as external entities drive away the populace. I have lived in Harlem for over 12 years and have seen the changes in the area. I identify three significant events that I have witnessed as symptoms/catalysts for the gentrification of Harlem. 1. The loss of the Pathmark on 125th street and Lexington avenue. The supermarket was once a largely trafficked store and was a crucial food source for families in the area. Now it’s a dirty block full of police activity and homeless drug abuse victims dropped out from the surrounding rehab centers. This event caused the classification of East Harlem to be the dirty “ghetto” and West Harlem to be hailed as the better side. Its become so profound that 125th and Lexington has permeated culture by becoming a meme because of how bad it is. This conditioned thought process subconsciously encourages gentrification as West Harlem is far more gentrified than East. 2. Inverse of what happened with Pathmark, on the West Side a Whole Foods was opened up where an empty lot once stood. The Whole Foods without a doubt has brought in way more traffic from upper class white individuals and families, creating demand for higher income housing. 3. Columbia University’s multiple expansion projects, most famously the establishment of the Zuckerman Institute, a massive research facility. Right across from the facility lays the school’s newest ongoing development, the groundwork for a 36 story graduate student and staff housing high-rise. This is the most recent development and does not bode well for the future. There is a lot of controversy regarding the housing facility. Years ago Columbia made a plan to create secondary middle and high-school as a way to develop commitment and ties to the community of Harlem. The agreed upon location was where the current housing is being built, the school was instead moved into a nearby DOE building shared with two other schools. “It seems pretty obvious to me that people who have been here a long time feel this is a bait and switch,”(Weinberg). I attended said school from 6-12th grade and at close hand saw what Columbia’s “commitment” looked like. The school received very little university funding and we always struggled with money for clubs and trips. CU likes to flex that high-school students have the opportunity to take a university course every semester on campus. Yet in order to qualify for the opportunity, students had to meet stringent gpa requirements, effectively favoring wealthier students that will on average be better equipped for school work. In my experience the majority of students that took CU courses were from  upper class families. 

As a Harlem resident it’s depressing to witness the changes to the neighborhood, waves of college students do their damage and leave after graduating. The high volume of wealthy Ivy League students end up raising rents while also transforming the culture of the neighborhood for their temporary stays. Businesses go belly up or thrive depending on the whims and wishes of these students. Majority of the historic soul food restaurants have disappeared in favor of chains and health food trends. 

The closing down of Harlem restaurants is a product of the influx of wealthy younger, non-natives into Harlem, forcing soul foods’ traditional customers to leave the neighborhood.  It is just one instance of a greater dilemma in Harlem—the fact that gentrification breeds displacement. (Gorrild 2016) 

To circle back to Dubois, gentrification effectively undoes Harlem’s potential to break-away the issue of split-consciousness. The gentrification of Harlem is a literal reversal of history. Black people moved into Harlem from East to West, now it is being taken from the West. Imagine how demoralizing it is to be a Harlemite witnessing the standards and costs of living go up only because of the invasion of wealthy white people as you and your neighbors are pushed out. Gentrification implicitly supports the myth of black inferiority and white superiority, passing off the changes as improvements and accrediting the invading demographics as “bringers of civilization”. While Harlem may still be a majority black neighborhood, the remnants of black culture feel more niche and tokenized than anything else. While not as drastic it’s a similar energy to gas stations in the Midwest selling Navajo print blankets and rugs.  In short you could say that gentrification is a new “neo-neo-colonialism” on a local scale but with the same damaging psychological effects.

Works Cited 

/staff/elizabeth-Kim. “Harlem Residents Deride Columbia’s Plan For A Residential Tower As ‘Bait And Switch’.” Gothamist, Gothamist, 11 Dec. 2019, gothamist.com/news/harlem-columbia_residential_development.

Fellowship, Marie Gørrild 2008 New York City, et al. “Gentrification and Displacement in Harlem: How the Harlem Community Lost Its Voice En Route to Progress.” Humanity in Action, www.humanityinaction.org/knowledge_detail/gentrification-and-displacement-in-harlem-how-the-harlem-community-lost-its-voice-en-rou

te-to-progress/.

Marable, Manning, and Leith Mullings. Let Nobody Turn Us around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal: an African American Anthology. Rowman & Littlefield, 2009. 

Gomez, Michael A. “Of Du Bois and Diaspora: The Challenge of African American Studies.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 35, no. 2, 2004, pp. 175–194. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4129300. Accessed 14 Dec. 2020. 

Gabriel Reyes, An Artistic and Cultural Display of Afrocentricity

My project focused on Afrocentricity by analyzing African art and poetry. I included a 2-3 page narrative of my project and how I connected the pieces to Afrocentricity, as well as a brief google slideshow of the artwork – visuals and audios.

Narrative Essay: Afrocentricity on Artistic and Cultural Display

By: Gabriel Reyes

As Dr. Molefi Kete Asante explains, Afrocentricity is a way of providing a “constructural adjustment to black disorientation, decenteredness, and lack of agency” (1). In essence, Afrocentricity requires analyzing all aspects of society through a colored lens. And in doing so, it awakens a black revolutionary consciousness that enables black and African people to examine the root causes of their displacement and its effects on the global African diaspora, while simultaneously centering the African experience in their quest for liberation and autonomy. As important as Afrocentricity is in writing, its cultural and artistic representation is equally crucial to understanding how it not only originated in black studies but also how it has evolved throughout history, as well as how different black leaders and communities have embraced it as a form of resistance. We can better understand this by looking at cultural artifacts such as poems, drawings, and paintings to see the different forms in which Afrocentricity has been and continues to be expressed and practiced.

I believe that, sometimes, art and culture are overlooked, particularly as it relates to black studies and history. African culture, in and of itself, embodies Afrocentricity in every form as it freely combines and expresses the images, languages, poetry, customs, religious practices, etc. of Africa. Throughout history, many black activists used art as a means to cultivate revolutionary thinking and promote an Afrocentric mindset/perspective in the resistance and plight for liberation. As it relates to the theory of Afrocentricity, Asante himself even writes that Afrocentricity is a paradigm that “enthrones the centrality of the African… as expressed in the highest forms of African culture” (1). Centering the African in artwork is to practice Afrocentricity in culture, and doing so allows black people to value, immerse, and take pride in their heritage and therefore use it as a driving force to change their social, political, economic, and cultural conditions in America.

The visuals I attached (uploaded here as media gallery images) entitled The Warrior and Woven Legacy were both drawn by Papa Ibral Tall. Both visuals truly resemble not only the culture and colors of Africa but also black power and resilience by displaying sharp images in powerful postures. In a significant way, these visuals are African and center African that allows African people to analyze their own culture through such artwork and gain meaning and inspiration from them.

Decorative                                                          Decorative

Aside from visual artwork, Afrocentricity can also be seen in audio forms of art such as poems. For example, the text, “Let Nobody Turn Us Around: An African American Anthology”, features many poems – one of them being Langston Hughes’s infamous “I, Too” poem, which I included in my google slides powerpoint. This short poem embodies the resilience and strength of black people throughout history despite being consistently ignored, devalued, and treated as less than human. By using words such as, “but I laugh… and grow strong”, Hughes is showing strength and power knowing that he will overcome such treatment. He is, as Afrocentricity encourages, centering himself in his own conditions and artistically expressing how he will adapt to his situation. By ending the poem with “they’ll see how beautiful we are”, Hughes is knowingly instilling confidence in his poem by understanding that African Americans are essential to America’s existence and keeping America running. Such confidence embodies the vision of Afrocentricity by building a black consciousness that establishes black people as the ones in power and control of their own conditions, despite the constant oppression, and thus dismantling feelings of inferiority and decenteredness.

Link to my PowerPoint/visual and audio slideshow of Afrocentric artwork: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BvxysOhoIL6Ns4IgPj4Sl3TPs9bzP12UE_RXx4y6CG8/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

Work Cited

Amendah, Hanou. “2018: An Afrocentric Art World Review.” Celebrating Creative Africa, 29 Dec. 2018, obatala.co.uk/blog/art/2018-an-afrocentric-art-world-review/.

Asante, Molefi K. “Afrocentricity.” Molefi Kete Asante Is among the Most Published Contemporary Scholars, Having Written over 70 Books and 400 Articles., 13 Apr. 2019, www.asante.net/articles/1/afrocentricity/.

“Creative Africa: Papa Ibral Tall’s Woven Legacy.” Shoko Press, 2 May 2018, www.shokopress.com/creative-africa-papa-ibral-talls-woven-legacy/.

Marable, Manning, and Leith Mullings. Let Nobody Turn Us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal: An African American Anthology. 2nd ed., Rowman & Littlefield, 2009.