That in turn scares people because of the fact that someone might reveal that Caucasians believed that they were the superior race and the belief in "White Supremacy, African inferiority." In history Africans have been mistreated all through history, so I still think that white are dominating now but the minorities are taking over slowly but surely. This novel attacks reality from different points of view and in the process shows that Africans put up with the treatment because they think they lost the battle. It could have been used as a form of prevent discrimination
The Constitution, until recently, did not apply to blacks; blacks feel they deserve payments from 310 years of slavery, destruction to their minds and culture. Dr. Martin Luther King's dilemma in the United States was of a different kind. He was torn between his identity as a Black man of African descent and his identity as an American. He urged Americans to judge based on the content of the character not by skin color and also believed in non-violent protests. Martin Luther King Jr’s main perspective during the fight on racism was equality.
The leaders of the Progressive movement, while preoccupied with their desire of gaining greater democracy for the American people, thought only in the terms of the white population. African Americans were, for the most part, ignored by Progressive presidents and governors. The Progressive era coincided with years of racial tensions. The Progressives during this time period did nothing about segregation and lynching. This was due to the fact that they shared in the general prejudice of their time and because of the fact that they considered other reforms (such as lower tariffs) to be more important that anti-lynching laws.
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. The south had state laws that prevented African Americans from doing what they believe are right. (265, packet) Even though it was said that, African Americans are equal to whites under the constitution, as long as part of the United States still have the segregation going on, then the African Americans do not have rights in the whole country. This was a huge obstacle to stop the racism and try to fit them into the society to live with whites. Women were part of the minorities along with the blacks because of the way they were treated.
These laws also created environments for African Americans that had a tendency to be inferior to those provided for white Americans. But like slavery, it was only a matter of time before segregation would become a focus within the United States. The desegregation movement brought an abundance of positive outcomes, which were intended to benefit the African American community. Although desegregation was for the overall benefit of the country, it was largely implemented in a way that was demoralizing to the African American community. In his book, Acting White: The Ironic Legacy of Desegregation, Stuart Buck states “that the “acting white” phenomenon was an ironic legacy of desegregation” (637), and that the well-intention policies that were implemented eventually led to a reversal of intention thus having an inadvertent damaging effect on African American students.
(37) Schuyler felt that by viewing Negro art as unique and separate, it helped to perpetuate myths of racial inferiority. Jane Kuenz points out that though declarations of difference were a large part of the Harlem Renaissance, “they were also frequently forthcoming from white speakers where they were often prefaced by concerns for preserving the racial integrity of white America, by which is meant its economic and social privilege” (Kuenz 182). Schuyler also makes the point that the same language used to defend the “peculiarity” of Negro art was used by slaveholders to justify slavery (38). Schuyler’s opinion that African Americans and Caucasian Americans are much more alike than different, is illustrated in his novel Black No More. Schuyler posits the invention of a machine which can use “electrical nutrition and glandular control” (11) to change Blacks into Caucasians.
The malicious acts committed by Malcolm X reflect the idea that people ignore truth to conform to society. Known for having strong opinions, Malcolm X seems to be an unlikely victim of blind conformity. However, as shown in his essay, “My First Conk”, Malcolm X was victimized by this need to conform. Changing to look or behave like another because it is more desired by the public is due to a disregarding of self-claimed morals and values, an over emphasis of the media and outside opinions, and an insecurity. In “My First Conk”, Malcolm X assured that black people were being brainwashed to believe that they actually were inferior to white people, thus they conked their hair; which was a hair straightener gel made from lye popular among African-American men from the 1920s to the 1960s.
The black power movement hindered from the blacks to achieve their aim more then it helped them. Although some campaigns such as the NAACP welcomed black and white members arguing that co-operation would make the movement stronger, there were other groups that prevented the blacks from achieving their aim and gaining rights because black movement groups such as the Nation Of Islam and SNCC introduced the use of self-defence, heritage not to work with whites and criticism which hindered the black civil rights. One reason why the black power movement hindered black civil rights was because of the use of self-defence and violence. Malcolm X believed that self-defence was a more powerful weapon than love and forgiveness. He advocated gun ownership for black Americans.
Though jazz music was popular in the 1950s, it was known as ‘black’ music, meaning that white people weren’t associated with the music; it was a cultural division between black and white people in America. When looking at the poem, however, it seems as if O’Hara wants to be part of the ‘black’ music and feel a part of it. Unfortunately he can’t because of the racial division in America at the time. What interests me is that this poem doesn’t attack black people; it instead talks about the problems of being white, which according to the norms of the USA at the time should have been the complete opposite. Amiri Baraka, a fellow poet who was a friend of Frank O’Hara at the time, was black.
He rapped about copying Africans because from his point of view who else was he suppose to copy. Some artist preferred to model themselves and their music in image of African American instead of being like a jibaro which is not urban and considered white. Rivera said that cultural nationalism has lead young Puerto Ricans like Eddie to search for their blackness outside the realm of Puerto