The idea of European superiority and dominance drove the social structure of the "new world", (consisting mainly of North and Latin Americas and the Caribbean). Because of this dominant racial ideology, the native peoples of both regions were often subjects of discrimination and oppression. The extent of their mistreatment differed, as in North America they were simply pushed aside or confined to a certain area to live, while in the Caribbean and Latin America they were forced into servitude and labor. The dominant racial ideology of Europeans also fueled the slave trade that was prominent in the time period of 1500-1830, which involved shipping African slaves to the the Americas to increase the productivity of the colonies. In both areas, slaves were basically property, bought, sold, and traded to do specific and often labor intensive tasks.
A family is a family, and the love between one is unbreakable. Green motivates blacks by a reminder of their “brethren” down south. He claims they are “oppressed” and are in need. He portrays slavery with “a tyrant system”, giving African American’s even more motivation to serve and fight against the injustice in the South. Finally, Green uses his ability in diction to motive African American’s.
In Olaudah Equiano’s Equiano’s Travels and Charles Johnson’s Middle Passage, both authors address the horrific nature of the middle passage, which was the triangular route of the trade of Africans into the Americas. Yet, both authors produce a different discourse on this subject, as both protagonists, within the stories, struggle with “looking at one’s self through the eyes of others”, as Du Bois so eloquently wrote. Bressler also defines binary oppositions as the “western philosophy … of opposing centers, [in that] one concept is superior and defines itself by its opposite or inferior center” (Bressler 111) It can also be viewed, within the context of African-American literature, in that binary oppositions are indeed in affect and within those binary oppositions, an understanding can be found within the two stories. By examining the double voiceness, the double consciousness, and the binary oppositions, found within the texts of the two books, a deeper understanding of the horrors and the implications of those horrors of the middle passage may be
Slave traders and plantation owners had a crucial interest in representing the black as fit for no other fate. And they claimed a special knowledge of blacks. Edward Long, the son of a Jamaican planter, was typical. He was convinced that ‘the lower class of women in England . .
“The contamination was largely due to the incursion into these communities by some majority social scientists, accompanied by black ultraconservative professionals who help pave the way for African-American exploitation” (See, 2007, p. 7). The black experience is an experience difficult to collect data on with the connection to Africa, however See (2007) suggest until social scientist are able to develop accurate information regarding the black experience, researchers should continue using the theoretical strips as a model for examining the behavior of African
Subordinate Groups Page 1 Subordinate Groups: African American: Living the Diaspora in the United States of America Augustine J. Zaizay, Jr PSRT 5320 Social and Cultural Diversity Dr Robin Eubanks June 5, 2009 African American: Living the Diaspora in the United States of America I am about to commence a study in the course, “Cultural Diversity”. Here, it is anticipated that at the end of the sojourn I will hold a different world view not just about other diverse cultural communities and their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices, but I will also perceive my own individual and distinct culture from a different perspective. But quite paradoxical and very interesting, the very first written
However, with the help of African culture and values, the construction of black family has been able to overcome the obstacles and break its’ way into the middle class from humble beginnings. In order to fully understand the function and organization of the African American family, we must examine Africa not Europe as a primary basis. As argued by Africanist and anthropologist, Niara Sudarkasa “many of the debates concerning explanations of Black family are waged upon false dichotomies. (Sudarkasa 90)” She goes further to state “the experience of slavery in America is juxtaposed to the heritage of Africa as the explanation of certain aspects of Black family structure. (Sudarkasa 90)” A fellow black scholar in the field, Allen, argued in 1979 that Black family patterns cannot be explained without reference to the socio-economic contexts in which they developed, and this is extremely true.
There is a depth to the souls of black folks that few dare to enter; but in W.E.B. Du Bois' classic work, The Souls of Black Folk, he delves into the theoretical and spiritual perspectives of the black consciousness. In the beginning, Du Bois introduced and explicated the phenomenon, “the veil” and “double-consciousness” that described the prototypical, black experiences in past and present America. Although he uses these terms separately, their connotations are intensely interconnected. The veil embodies the separation and invisibility of black life and subsistence in America.
Why SVSU? According to activist-scholar Dr. Maulana Karenga, “Black Studies is the critical and systematic study of the thought and practice of African people in their current and historical unfolding” (Karenga, 2002). The scope of our examination includes the whole of the African Diaspora i.e. the examination of Africans dispersed throughout the world. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of agency, “the capacity and will to act.” It is similarly the goal of the
It covered the area from the islands of Goree Saint Louis, in present Senegal, to Quelimane, in current mozambique. It is necessary to be more specific and to speak of the trade in slaves not in general continent-wide terms but rather with reference to the varying impact on several regions. This commerce had important effects on the lives of African people and on African societies situated in diverse regions such as Senegambia, Sierra Leona, West-central Africa, South east Africa, The Bight of Benin, the Gold Coast and the Bight of Biafra. While the consequences of the trade on enslaved africans communities have been documented and supported by archival data, the effects on non-slaved africans communities remain largely unknown.. Overall, the trade brought about unceasing insecurities, economic disorder, and political chaos in the African continent.