PART 1
Early Days and Slavery(1400’s-1865)
1773---The first book by an African American is published (in England) when Phillis Wheatley, then a slave, publishes "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral."
After years of prohibition against African Americans getting the right to read and write this year signifies an educational opportunity.
1787 Free blacks in New York City found the African Free School, where future leaders Henry Highland Garnett and Alexander Crummell are educated.
I think this opened up an opportunity to self-educate and help one another.
Building Democracy (1866-1953)
This was time where open violence and racism were accepted within society.
1890-Mississippi enacts a poll tax, which most African Americans cannot afford to pay, to try to keep blacks from voting.
With the current political debates and low voting this is still relevant.
Civil Rights Era (1954-1971)
1957 Althea Gibson becomes the first African American tennis player to win a major title by winning both the women's singles and doubles championships at Wimbledon.
One of the ways the black family has been able to be successful is to pursuit other ventures besides education and this in particular opportunity shows a positive image to the public.
1968 Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His murder sparks a week of rioting across the country.
As a well-respected civil rights leader, the assassination of Martin Luther King,Jr I think started a division and tension for the African American community with others.
Modern Times(1972-Present)
1991 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Holdings, Inc., founded by Robert L. Johnson, becomes the first African American company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
BET is house hold name in my family and in many Africa American household, It has tremendous influence on young children and how they view and differentiate themselves in community. I also believe BET gives the black community a sense of pride and ownership.
2002 Halle Berry becomes the first African American woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress, for her performance in Monster's Ball
I can personally remember this moment and I think it’s significant not just for African Americans but as an industry. Halle Berry is one of the most well-known and recognized positive image in entertainment. I think these also inspired little girls that they are not limited in what they can achieve in the entertainment world.
PART 2
EVENT 1773---The first book by an African American is published (in England) when Phillis Wheatley, then a slave, publishes "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral."
After years of prohibition against African Americans getting the right to read and write this year signifies an educational opportunity. Now not only can blacks read but they can relate to the content beyond just the words. The opportunities for black families to excel scholastically and to provide future generation a work that can never be taken away. With so much oppression this is something to be proud of and even pass down.
Nguzo Saba: 1) Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves. Also, descried as speaking our personal truth and with something as personal as writing poems I thing this event is great reflection.2) Kuumba (creativity) To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial that we inherited it.
1787 Free blacks in New York City found the African Free School, where future leaders Henry Highland Garnett and Alexander Crummell are educated.
I think lack education or quality is something that still affects the African American family but not all. Similar to 1773 this educational opportunity significant in that it shows willingness and ability that’s at core of everyone. This was a school found for and by and so the significant is huge in giving African American Families track to education.
Nguzo Saba:1) Ujima( Collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our sisters and brothers problems our problems and to solve them together.2) Nia (purpose)- to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness
The display of racism exhibited by the KKK I believe is damaging to the African American families. I think it effects self-esteem and brings self-doubt to individuals. The public display of open violence I think is still prevalent. This was time where the black community had to look out for one another like never before.
Nguzo Saba: 1) Umoja(unity) to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, notion, and race.2) Ujima( Collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our sisters and brothers problems our problems and to solve them together.
1890-Mississippi enacts a poll tax, which most African Americans cannot afford to pay, to try to keep blacks from voting.
With such low voting turn out among African Americans, this poll tax might have stopped a tradition of caring about politics or just being involved in politics election after election. Poll tax became a barrier for African Americans to care about politics, they would have to go the extra mile to get involved and I don’t think with the turmoil in politics at the time they has a fair chance for generations to come.
Nguzo Saba:1) Nia (purpose)- to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.2) Ujamaa)cooperative Economics) to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
PART 3
Ujamaa(Cooperative Economics) is one of the seven principle I found evident in both Dynamic Duo and Harvey articles. Dynamic Duo talks about how they as a couple want to help revive the black community. They are in a position where they can influence others and it seem like they take their role seriously. Harvey states his intentions are to create a collective effort within the African American culture.
"1890-Mississippi enacts a poll tax, which most African Americans cannot afford to pay, to try to keep blacks from voting.
ReplyDeleteWith the current political debates and low voting this is still relevant."
This is a really good event to take notice of in your blog! I hadn't thought about it, but the poll taxes are part of the institutionalized racism that plagues the Black community today. Things like this in the past have probably made African Americans associate getting registered and voting with negativity.
1773---The first book by an African American is published (in England) when Phillis Wheatley, then a slave, publishes "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral."
ReplyDelete1787 Free blacks in New York City found the African Free School, where future leaders Henry Highland Garnett and Alexander Crummell are educated.
you mentioned the importance of education many times in your blog post and I agree with you in thinking it is fundamental. I feel that many things cannot be achieved without the opportunity of a good education. I also noticed that you implemented facts that encourage the elimination of stereotypes, I did this too in my blog because I think it is crucial for our modern history.
I like how you highlighted BET because, at first, it really was for the uplifting of african-americans nationwide, then it lost it's focus. That goes to show how blacks need to come together to reflect a posiitive image for a people so beautiful. I like how you talked about education in your post, and when referring back to Herbert's article, education is now valued or appreciated as it was back then. Your post does great in showing how blacks have evolved but are not stuck in this negativity, that none of these great things are talked dabout today.
ReplyDeleteI feel that you touched a many good points, we should self-educate and help each other to succeed in life. With the example such as Halle Berry she does give the young women to reach for dreams and make them a reality. What the KKK tried to accomplish is diminishing as time goes by, their strength that once controlled the lives of African American, no longer has that control, the less attention is focused on groups such as the KKK, the less power they will have.
ReplyDeleteI also chose cooperative economics to be evident in both texts, particularly in the text about the family.
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