Tag Archives: Cultural Artifact

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 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.

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.

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.

 

 

Afrocentricity In Theory – Daisy Bernabe-Duarte

Afrocentricity is described as shifting the narrative from the white man’s point of view to the African American perspective. This is so important because African Americans are consistently viewed throughout history from the colonizer’s perspective, which makes the story one sided and does not allow us to understand everything that occurred. Dr. Molefi Kete Asante explains this theory in his article titled Afrocentricity. Asante states, “We must be prepared to act upon our interpretation of what is in the best interest of black people, that is, black people as a historically oppressed population. This is the fundamental necessity for advancing the political process.” This shows how Afrocentricity isn’t just about putting yourself in the right mindset but also acting on what needs to be done to make the world a better place. We can conclude that the main point of changing the narrative is to tell your own story and have a voice. Once we can look outside ourselves and gain the strength to write our history books, we may finally be free of the prejudice prevalent in society today and throughout history.
We can see how cultural artifacts have been a driving force for the voices of the oppressed to be heard from even before the 1950s when freedom songs were introduced in the textbook “Let Nobody Turn us Around” on page 372, we can see how the arts gave a voice to the voiceless. These songs were sung as unofficial theme songs for the marchers’ movement. “Music, folklore, and poetry have always been important windows in understanding African Americans’ political culture and history. During the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, “freedom songs” served many functions: they promoted solidarity, increased faith, expressed sorrow, and strengthened the wills of movement activists.” Because these songs were used to show the power the protesters had, it gave African Americans a voice when their lips were being sewn closed. They gave the protestors a sense of community, allowing them to take back the narrative and write it from their perspective. The theory of Afrocentricity is trying to understand everything from your perspective and challenging the majority’s ordinary ideas. This seems like a difficult task when done by yourself. Still, it appears that it is much easier when you have a group of people surrounding you who are ready to accept your point of view of the oppression you’re facing, which is why the sense of community that is shown through the connection of Music is so important. A song that allows us to understand how powerful Music was in the fight against oppression is “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around” by the freedom singers, which was used as a kind of theme song or one could even say war cry.
The words we write, if written correctly, can show the oppression that so many feel. The poem “All I want” by Vfredyy is so detailed that it forces you to feel the emotion linked with the words he says “Hearts that are incapable of standing the fight. The fight for survival and real motives of life. Life is far different from mental oppression and attitudinal captivity. Captivity, yes, we are all captives to ill-mannerism. Mannerism that deviated our cry for Africanism, a change in our behaviors. Our behaviors are closely knitted to who we are and our perceptions. Blindly, some perceptions presume that perfection floods the West. The West is gifted, the creator is never biased, and nor is Africa too.” he shows us how African Americans have to be healthy and free themselves from the oppression present in their minds and the world. Modern History tells us how rugged the West is. Still, he wants to show African Americans how strong Africa is and how they don’t need to follow the guidelines that the white man has set out for them because they are different and should be embraced fully with open arms.

All i ever wanted is not Gold
And if ever say silver, then am lying
All i want is a glass
A glass full of water but not liquor
Liquor is for the weak hearts
Hearts that are incapable to stand the fight
The fight for survival and real motives of life
Life far different from mental oppression and attitudinal captivity
Captivity, yes we are all captives to ill-mannerism
Mannerism that deviated our cry for Africanism, a change in our behaviors
Our behaviors are closely knitted to who we are and our perceptions
Blindly, some perceptions presume that perfection floods the West
The West is gifted, the creator is never bias, and so is Africa too
Onyame nadwen nye onipa nadwen

Give me a stand then a Canvas
Give me a brush then many red and black paints
I want to paint a picture, a photograph of Africa
That is beautified by a patterning lightening
Maybe i will show where the safaris are
And where the lions and snakes thread
I will tell of mount Uhuru where we won our freedom
Notse where our shackles were broken and liberty smiled on us
The many dark tints depicts where our hearts rest
And where the mamagawo and Togbuiwo danced to the agbedefu tunes
I will paint Mandiba, Soyinka, Jomo, Kwame, Biko and Kidjoe
You can blame me for sarcasm but all i am is but just a painter
And all i will ever need to paint a good photograph is time
All i want is Time

All i want is Life
Life to understand and hear these little ones speak great grammars
Grammars that change unheard events to theatrical dramas
Dramas that dawn on the first day of every summer
Ever summer, in the sand i have to build a wall
A wall that restricts me from my addiction
My addiction is nothing but smoking
Yes smoking, am always seen smoking the pipe of peace
Peace, but i see meant nothing to the war-borne
As the avadadawo, abrafowo and tanganyikas sing war songs
All i ever seen through the brouhaha is a liberal feeling and a mind full of peace
All i need is peace but all i ever wanted is life

The photo illustrated below is of great importance. It shows us a powerful black woman being able to fully embrace her culture and her side of history while creating her idea of what has happened. She is being herself and allowing her mind to be opened to understand the importance of her perspective. When this is possible for a person, they have achieved the theory of Afrocentricity.

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around – YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2020, from


All I Want by Vfredyy. (n.d.). Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://allpoetry.com/poem/12578664-All-I-Want-by-Vfredyy
Afrocentricity. (n.d.). Retrieved December 07, 2020, from http://www.asante.net/articles/1/afrocentricity/
Marable, M., & Mullings, L. (2009). Let nobody turn us around: Voices of resistance, reform, and renewal: An African American anthology. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

 

This is My Story, This is My Song: Voices of Protest and Black Liberation

This Is My Story, This Is My Song: Voices of Protest and Black Liberation

by

Janelle Poe

Music has always been a major part of my life and culture. As a child, I remember our house was full of music on the weekends. From the time I was a toddler in late 70’s New York, through our years in southern California, to the late 80s in England. By the time we moved to New Jersey, in 1989, my younger brother and I had both developed a deep love for music as a way of communication, relaxation, and excitement, but especially as a way of connecting to our culture, our Black American heritage and African roots. While our parents were born and raised in the projects and disadvantaged neighborhoods in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and the South Bronx, they were the first generation in their families to graduate high school, attend college, and earn master’s degrees, some of the few to benefit from affirmative action in concrete ways that lasted beyond the mid-80s. 

All this upward mobility took us further and further away from Black communities. While on one hand we benefitted from economic stability and access to great educations, we also were forced to integrate hostile environments that had been segregated for many, many years. The only African American students in our grade, and sometimes the entire school, discovering, celebrating, and maintaining a positive Black identity wasn’t easy. We experienced physical, emotional, and psychological violence throughout our time in California, England, and New Jersey. There is a distinct difference when you are called the “N-word” by someone who hates you and means every word of it. Whether they use the hard “-er” or “-a”, the slur is all the same. 

Here is where I would connect to the textbook reading and the critical essay. I would include some quotations from each as evidence. I would also select a song to discuss and cite. Perhaps one from Nina Simone, since not only is she one of my favorite singers, but her live album is displayed above. I would link this album Nina Simone, Live in Paris to my recent experience there were I dealt with racism. I might end with what might be one of her most powerful protest songs, “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black”.

Works Cited (in alphabetical order)

Textbook

Critical Essay

Selected Research

Additional Sources