Thursday, May 7, 2020

The Racism Of Black Resentment - 900 Words

What happen to Jim Crow racism? Blacks are no longer second class citizens of the United States after the social movement of civil rights. Wrong, a new ideology has developed which still constitute racism; it is called color blind racism. The idea that blacks are better off today than 50 years ago, but will not reach the superiority as whites hold in many institutions. Color blind racism ideologies operate in four frames which is abstract liberalism, biologization of culture, naturalization of racial matter, and minimization of racism. Abstract liberalism involves race related issues in the language of liberalism; whites can appear reasonable and moral, while opposing almost all practical approaches to deal with racial inequalities. â€Å"Racial ideology â€Å"laissez fare racism† or â€Å"competitive racism† or argue that modern racism is essentially a combination of the â€Å"American greed† with anti-black resentment.† (Bonilla-Silva, Pg.30) The author suggests that these principles are evident when discussing issues such as affirmative action, interracial relationships, neighborhood, and residential segregation. There’s an interview in the chapter where a college student named sue at SU, is asked; if minority students should be provided unique opportunity to be admitted into universities? â€Å"I don’t think that they should be provided with unique opportunities. I think that that they should have the same opportunities as everyone else. You know, it’s up to them to meet the standards andShow MoreRelatedComparative Essay-to Kill a Mockingbird and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings1065 Words   |  5 Pagesfully understand the racism in the story. Jem also has many similarities to the caged and free birds in â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings†, whether it be Jem’s innocence as a child or his realization of the reality of the world after watching a lawsuit of black versus white he always resembles one of the birds. Throughout â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings† the caged bird is always holding resentment towards something. In â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† Jem starts to hold resentment after he watches hisRead MoreRacism : The Unseen Monster1511 Words   |  7 Pagesmonster as old as mankind itself. This monster is known by many names; some call it racism, others discrimination but the only thing certain about this monstrosity is that it can be overcome if we all unite to fight against it. 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Some men may resent the fact that there has been a shift inRead MoreHow Does Harper Lee Present Racial Issues During the 1930s in the Novel ‚Äà ²to Kill a Mockingbird‚Äà ´?846 Words   |  4 PagesHarper lee has presented racism in the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by describing how blacks live and are treated harshly. The court case of Tom Robinson, which is the main part of the story is a metaphor that Harper Lee has created of the situation in the 1960 s. Things were not stable at the time and Tom s case is just one example of the racial discrimination the blacks were facing during this time. The racial tension in the 1930s was so serious that even when blacks did do well, they were stillRead MoreAnalysis Of Combahee River Collective839 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Combahee River Collective Statement† examines the relationship between racism, heterosexism, economics, and racism. The group of black feminists, Combahee River Collective, strived to firmly and clearly establish their position when it came to politics of feminism, and therefore separated from the male counterparts and white women (Thomas). In the statement, the activists dwell on four major topics, including the dawn of modern Black feminism, the domain of politics, short history and the issues andRead MoreObama Perfect Union Speech - Contemporary Racism1070 Words   |  5 PagesContemporary Racism President Obama’s speech â€Å"A More Perfect Union† was a response to many outbursts made about things that Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s former pastor, had said on issues of racism. The reverend made statements that Obama called dismissive when what the world needed most was unity to overcome the continual racism in the country. Quotes from the Reverend such as â€Å"In the  21st  century, white America got a wake-up call after 9/11/01. White America and the western world came toRead MoreComparing Racism Essays955 Words   |  4 Pageseach essay says about stereotypes, anger and racism in three individual sections. First, I will review the stereotypes. In the first Essay â€Å"Meaning of a Word,† stereotypes are not heavily addressed. But if I look deeper into the way the family members were talking about the guy who made a lot of money, this was as stereotype. It was the stereotype that a black person should be poor and not have made a lot of money. Although they themselves are black, they apply a negative stereotype against themselves;Read MoreRosewood the Movie715 Words   |  3 PagesThe movie Rosewood had a lot of impact on black and white people throughout the century. Rosewood stems from a small town located in central Florida. It co-existed with 120 people, mostly blacks who owned and farmed the surrounding land. On New Years Day of that year, Fanny Taylor, a white woman in the nearby predominantly white town of Sumner, ran out of her house screaming, bruised and battered, claiming that a black man had assaulted her. In fact, the beating had been at the hands of her whiteRead Mo reRacism Is A Relic Of The Past1102 Words   |  5 Pages#blacklivesmatter movement has been effective in bringing attention to anti-black racism in America; however, the commonly held understanding of racism, in particular how it is executed and its consequenses on the black community, has not evolved much from the past. News outlets and social media seems to present a thorough definition of racism and its consequences; racism is a white police officer beating or shooting a black teen, a white presidential candidate spewing racial slurs during his campaign

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Olaudah Equiano a Man of Many Customs Free Essays

James Pajich Prof. Carla Lovett Hist. 105 18 October 2012 Olaudah Equiano: A Man of Many Customs The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano describes the life of a native African who was kidnapped from his homeland in the Eboe Province (which is now the Nigerian town of Isseke) at age eleven and thrown into the horrors of the African slave trade. We will write a custom essay sample on Olaudah Equiano: a Man of Many Customs or any similar topic only for you Order Now Unlike most victims of the slave trade, Equiano regained his freedom and experienced multiple facets of life that no one could have expected. Equiano became a man of diverse customs and values. However, due to the absence of written records’ it is often a matter of debate as to what his true origin really was. Throughout his autobiography, Olaudah Equiano defined himself as a native African. He used vivid illustrations of his homeland and experiences on the Middle Passage, and was even willing to defend the public’s view of him as a man of Africa. I personally define Equiano as a European citizen according to his customs, personal desires, and behavior. Equiano’s narrative played a key role in a variety of cultural, historical, and literary issues, therefore, the identification and ultimately the validity of its author take on special importance. While reading The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano I found it very apparent that Equiano viewed himself as an African born individual. He illustrated his culture and customs as an Igbo African in vivid details of culture, religion, law, and agriculture. (43-56) He also described the atrocities of the Atlantic slave trade as if he had recently experienced them: stating the smell, appearance, and reaction of his fellow slaves. 64-68) â€Å"Although culturally Equiano became â€Å"almost and Englishman,† embracing Christianity and British customs, the experiences Equiano shared with slaves and free people of color, and living in a world that did not differentiate between members of separate African communities, led him to consider himself also a son of Africa . † (21) Equiano embraced his African heritage throughout his life and even fought to uphold his reputation as such. There was an instance where two anonymous notes appeared in London papers charging that he was not from Africa at all, but was actually born on he Danish island of St. Croix in the Caribbean. Equiano realized that this claim falsified the validity of his Narrative and immediately confronted and threatened those responsible for the papers with legal action, providing actual witnesses of the fact that upon his arrival in England he was only able to speak an African language (24-25). This reaction shows that Equiano held much pride in his African identity and was willing defend it against those who claimed otherwise. However, there is evidence of significant authority that claims Equiano may have fabricated the origins of his identity. There are two certain documents, discovered by literary historian Vincent Carretta, that pinpoint the birthplace of Equiano in South Carolina that keep modern day scholars and historians from absolute certainty of his actual birthplace. One of these documents was written on February 9, 1759 in the baptismal registry of St. Margaret’s Church in Westminster, England. It read, â€Å"Gustavus Vassa (Olaudah Equiano) a Black born in Carolina 12 years old. † (26) The second document was from Equiano’s Arctic expedition in 1773. It claims that he was currently 28 years old and born in South Carolina. Neither of these findings is conclusive as to whether Equiano was African or American-born, but they certainly leave plenty of room for uncertainty. (26-27) I personally define Equiano as European, particularly an Englishman. Notions of English nationality are found in great abundance throughout the text. Equiano’s narrative repeatedly expresses his desire for a male English identity. He doesn’t view Englishness as a racially exclusive nationality, but one that evokes an ethnic identity that Equiano defines through Christianity, and citizenship. Two to three years after arriving in England Equiano claimed â€Å"I no longer looked at them as spirits, but as men superior to us; and therefore I had a stronger desire to resemble them; to imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners I therefore embraced every occasion of improvement; and every new thing that I observed I treasured up in my memory. † (83) Here we see Equiano’s envy for his new â€Å"superiors† and his wish to possess their culture and belongings. This desire strongly encouraged my opinion of Equiano’s identity as European. My opinion was also influenced by Equiano’s acculturation into English society and customs during his early teen years. â€Å"I could now speak English tolerably well, and I perfectly understood everything that was said. I now not only felt myself quite easy with these new countrymen, but relished their society and manners. † (83) It is clear that Equiano identified his shipmates as his â€Å"countrymen† and personally enjoyed the interactions he had with each one of them. It was now between three and four years since I first came to England, a great part of which I had spent at sea; so that I became inured to that service, and began to consider myself as happily situated; for my master treated me always extremely well; and my attachment and gratitude to him were very great. From the various scenes I had beheld on ship-board, I soon grew a stranger to terror of every kind, and was, in that respect at least, almost an Englishman. † (83) This passage shows th at Equiano developed an affectionate relationship with his master and also that their bond strengthened Equiano’s identity as an adult man. Even more important, the identity Equiano is trying to proclaim for himself as an adult man, â€Å"a stranger to terror of every kind†, is as a European. There are also certain actions and beliefs that Equiano maintained that provoked the establishment of his European desires. For instance, he believed the only manner towards proper adulthood is as an Englishman. Equiano doesn’t come right out and say this but there is a point in the text where he noted that he considers himself very fortunate that he didn’t receive his family members’ tribal marking on his face, as is would have represented his entrance into mature Ibo manhood. As I was now amongst a people who had not their faces scarred, like some of the African nations where I had been, I was very glad that I did not let them ornament me in that manner† (69). Also, during Equiano’s voyage to Jamaica and the Mosquito Shore he went to see a Guineaman doctor to purchase slaves to cultivate a plantation. He even chose them according to their native land in hopes that it is near his own. (189) The identification of Olaudah Equiano is of the utmost importance because of the critical role he played in the antislavery movement. Even the timing f a personable voice speaking out against slavery was important because it was a time when opposition to slavery was scattered throughout Britain and America and Equiano’s narrative, along with other factors, helped assemble the movement into one of the greatest in British history. It was Equiano’s personal accounts and experiences that validated his narrative. He possessed the intelligence and capability to spread his ideas to men and women on all levels of British society. He also had the members of significant political authority to support his narrative to yet further its validity. Unfortunately, Equiano never had the opportunity to bare witness to what he worked so hardly toward because the slave trade ended in both England and the United State ten years after his death (1807). Conclusively, it is very apparent that Olaudah Equiano distinguished himself as an African-born man, even though I personally identify him as a man of European customs based on his desires, influences, and his acculturation into European society. Most importantly, Equiano’s narrative played a key role as an abolitionist tool in the fight against slavery and the identity of its author deems it valid as a historical document. How to cite Olaudah Equiano: a Man of Many Customs, Essay examples