The family consists of Momma, and her daughters Maggie and Dee. In “Everyday Use” Dee tries to get closer to her culture through artifacts as opposed to learning about her family’s roots as African Americans. The story takes place in the late 1960s, after the African Americans gained equality and political and social freedom. From the text, the reader can assume Dee joins the group that embraces their identity, such as the Black Nationalism, which before the Civil Rights Movement would have been oppressed because of their identities. Dee becomes a member of this group in hopes of gaining as much attention as the group itself has been receiving.
The quilts are used to symbolize women empowerment. (Martin) According to the author they are also used to symbolize "the unrecorded tragedies and triumphs of black women like her mother." (Walker) Quilts go back to the time of slaves. Black women from the early 1800s were slaves. The women of the time made quilts that were put to "everyday use" that were then passed down from generation to generation.
Together, James and Elizabeth stressed how important education was to their children, believing that knowledge was the key to advancement and success in America post- Emancipation Proclamation. At the tender age of 14, an epidemic of yellow fever would sweep through Ida’s hometown of Holy Springs, killing both of her parents and youngest sibling. Having already been fueled by the fortitude instilled in her by her parents, Ida took on the responsibility of keeping her family together by becoming a teacher, as well as attending school at Rust College, a freedmen’s school in Holy Springs that still stands as an HBCU (Historically Black College/University) today. She would eventually moved to Memphis, Tennessee to live with an aunt and help raise her youngest sisters, where she would continue teaching and going to school. It is also in Memphis where Ida would begin her fight for both racial and gender equality.
In both "Sonny's Blues" and "Everyday Use" the importance of family ties are revealed. In "Everyday Use" the characters have strong connections to their ancestral roots and family ties. By changing her name to "Wangero", her appearance and her mannerisms Dee believes she is confirming her African heritage. The family has conflicting ideas about their identity. Mama and Maggie's connections to their heritage comes from their memories, not their race so they're confused about Dee's new image.
However, Anne possessed strong traits, she was not affected by these beatings, she wanted to learn about the south, and how to take a stand, and she worked to provide for her siblings because her mother and her mother’s new husband, Raymond, failed to provide for them. Anne was a strong willed girl, that realized the hardships that being an African American possessed and overcame them, and her childhood, working on the plantation as a slave was truly what made her out to be later in life which was a civil rights activist. Growing up during the civil rights movement, when the white population ruled the south was
In this story, the main focus is on Lily’s journey to find everything she can about her mother and her longing for motherly love. She finds her opportunity to take this journey when Rosaleen, her African American nanny, stands up to a group of racist white men. This moment gives Lily the confidence she needs to escape from her abusive father and carry on the search for her mother’s past. Without a real mother, Lily has grown up needing to be loved. This need drives Lily to Tiburon, South Carolina where there is one last possible link to her mother.
The Street In this novel, The Street by Ann Petry, shows her readers just how hard life can be on the streets of Harlem. Petry challenges her readers to put themselves in the shoes of the main character, Lutie Johnson. Lutie is an African American woman who is also a single mother. Lutie tries her best to provide the best life she can for her and her son, Bub. Lutie experiences racism in the novel, and also discrimination and sexism.
The last character I feel is important in this story is Nanny Crawford, she is Janie’s grandmother. Mrs. Crawford raised Janie, she worked as a slave and the things she experienced made her a strong black woman. She wanted Janie to be responsible and understand everything she needed to know about money, love, and just being responsible. Janie didn’t’ like the way her grandmother tried to raise her because she independent and wanted to love who she wanted to love. She didn’t want to marry because of money but because she loved him.
Now days in the music industry, minority artists use their history’s past and their own past experience to come up with new songs. The songs could be about good past things or the bad past problems that arose before for them or family or something they might have heard about someone. They also could tell about the pressures that history puts on them, as artists, to help teach young people now how lucky they have it or what could go wrong when they do something bad in a bad situation. The book The Cultural Conversation I read in class and the struggles/pressures history puts on African-American artists. In addition to the struggles and pressures I am going to address the good things that the artists talk about in themselves or other people around them.
He was a high achiever, he looked to perfect himself then he wanted to help others. Franklin opened a school for freed black slaves to help them learn to read and write. He believed that if they were educated they would have dignity and make them have better character. He even helps the freed black slaved find jobs. Franklin seemed like he wanted to improve the quality of American society he began to favor the abolition of slavery.