Her novel reads like a fairy tale where discrimination and violence were mild while freedoms and acceptance is open to all. The racial identities of her main four black characters as strong, smart and brave is stereotypical of that rights oriented movement but not in the direction of freedom. Their daily lives are far too “normal” for a historic fictional recreation. The color lines were blurred throughout the novel as Grace breastfed a white child. In pre-civil war Mississippi, this may have been a normal occurrence but in civil rights movement Mississippi, this definitely would not have happened.
Kayla Gouy English-01 5/21/2014 Within The Glory Field there were many things that explained how America is a product of its past. The Lewis family shows how the black community on Curry island gets along with their lives. Even though they don’t really have the hardest time once America decided to abolish slavery. But being black in America before though was really hard. Since people are treated differently based on the color of their skin, the books shows it from America's past to its present.
The childhood of Frederick Douglass is different from Zora Neale Hurston’s childhood, yet they each learned lessons as to what it meant to be Black or coming from a black and slavery background. These lessons included relationships and status in life. Some lessons on what it meant to be Black were harder both mentally and emotionally for Frederick Douglass. Unlike Zora, for Douglass it meant being a slave for life, subjected to cruel harsh treatment, living in ignorance, and not knowing his family like white children did. Zora, on the other hand, did not have any of these issues to deal with and seemed to have had a more positive view of life as a black person.
In the Alabama Review, Bertis English, Assistant Professor of History at Alabama State University, writes that, “numerous whites vented their frustrations by harassing, intimidating, or physically assaulting blacks” and that they “made it difficult for African Americans to buy land and homes, secure employment, or gather socially.” (4). Fortunately for Dunbar, Ohio was never a slave state. Racial prejudice was problematic, but Dunbar was sheltered from much of the social unrest and violence occurring elsewhere. In a time when many African Americans were at odds with white America, Dunbar was raised within a predominately white community. Growing up in Dayton presented Dunbar with many opportunities not available elsewhere, such as attending integrated public schools.
African Americans have the power to succeed in the classroom on their own determination. Not only do they succeed in the classroom, but it also helps them learn acceptance and tolerance for people different from themselves which will play a role in higher education and the workplace. In today’s society African Americans are employed and owners in diverse careers. Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there were only certain jobs that African Americans were allowed to work. Many Caucasian Americans believed a completely fallacious myth
They are still considered inferior by some people. Many of the traumas, injustices and pains caused by slavery have never been solved and they remain in the minds of African- American people as a terrible heritage of that era. It has been almost impossible for the African-American families to create a stable and safe home where they could bring up their children. I am going to focus on the issue of separating the families, mothers and children and on the problem of the impossibility education of black children by their mothers as it is depicted in Uncle Tom´s Cabin. 1.
African Americans were segregated from the whites and also Women had no rights because Men were seen as the alpha male. The obstacles of the two would probably fit into the race and gender of how America was back in the twentieth century. African Americans were always hard to be put in society in the 1900’s because of slavery. Even though slavery had ended in the 1950’s, they were still not accepted into society. The northern parts of the United States accepted African Americans, and many try to escape to the north to try to get employed and leave the racial segregation in the south.
This slavery is by far one of the more difficult subjects to look upon when discussing American history and its influences. Slavery shaped this nation, for bad and for good, and this country would not be the same without this dark stain that influenced so much. Yes it was a terrible thing that went on in this country for years, but good did come out of it. It may have taken time, even after slavery was abolished, but it started a movement that changed the world and the rights of all people, of all races, to come. Most people don’t realize that slavery didn’t start in the United States, it was actually started sometime in the 16th century, but the first Africans were sold in Jamestown around 1619.
While it was stated that there can’t be racial equality without closing the educational gap, the method in which this gap would be closed was not discussed. Also, there was a discussion about how the ‘Separate but Equal’ policy should have been kept with some alterations, such as improving the supplies and conditions of the schools for the black students. The reason why many believe it should’ve been kept that way was not because of racism, but so that way black students would be able to compete with themselves instead of having the preconceived notion that they were inferior to the white students. After some progression, however, the schools would then integrate. It is my personal opinion that these experts should stop talking about closing the educational gap and referencing things in the past that cannot be changed, but instead should be making strides toward encouraging black students to succeed.
Segregation has been shown in many way and in different forms of housing, industries and often in our school board . The factor segregation we face today started when slaves gained their freedom in the southern cities back in the 19oo‘s . The black community “were look as an inferior race” in the eye’s of the White American community (Woodward). Even after they won their freedom everyone still saw them unequivalent, and discrimination continued. The southern states started to segregate without sanction; “a segregated society is one in which members of different races rarely, if ever, come into contact with one another as equals” (Dizard).These free-men and freewoman were often denied their civil rights and were discriminated by railroads hotels, and inns.