Black Colour And Black Consciousness History Essay

Black Colour And Black Consciousness History Essay Slavery, Henry Clay proclaimed in 1816, forms an exception to the general liberty prevailing in the United States. Based on the firm belief that blacks were innately inferior to whites and unsuited for life in any condition other than slavery, slavery was argued by many as essential to human progress. Despite this, many white southerners hypocritically declared themselves to be the true heirs of the American Revolution; inspired by the same spirit of freedom and independence that motivated the fathering generations. The proslavery writers began to manipulate the words of the founding documents to change the peoples perception of freedom: the language of the Declaration of Independence that all men were created equal and entitled to liberty was the most false and dangerous of all political errors, insisted the pro-slavery minister John C. Calhoun. Slaves never abandoned their desire for freedom or their determination to resist subordination to the whites. The creation of an independent culture centred on the family and church created strength in morality and values which could pass from generation to generation fundamentally at odds with those of their masters. Historians have documented rebellions and revolts by slaves; however these are rare and have led some historians to question the extent and nature of slave resistance. I believe that the more subtle forms of resistance that may have been overlooked by historians still stand as rebellions, or silent sabotage, such as purposeful negligence in manual work, obstruction, ignorance, illness, and the destruction of property. In the narrative of Linda Brent, a North Carolina slave, we find an interesting account of how the refusal of women slaves to submit to sexual advances of the slaveholder can be seen as resistance to slavery.[1] However other historians such as George Fred rickson and Christopher Lasch have claimed that such acts should not qualify as acts of resistance; they believe resistance should constitute acts that involved the planning of actual or potential violence. These would have included committing crimes such as arson, poisoning and armed assaults against individual whites. Even small instances of violent resistance were sometimes effective; an Arkansas overseer decided to make an example of a slave woman named Lucy to show the slaves that he was impartial. Lucy, however, was not to be made an example of. According to her son, she jumped on him and like to tore him up. Word got around that Lucy would not be beaten; she was sold by her master soon after, but she was never whipped again.[2] Considerably more crippling to the stability of the slave system was running away, despite the trying and potentially fatal obstacles in their vulnerable escape methods. As Solomon Northup recalled, Every white mans hand is raised against him, the patrollers are watching for him, the hounds are ready to follow in his track.[3] In Frederick Douglasss slave memoir, The Life of Frederick Douglass, he tells us of the plan formulated by him and a group of slaves to escape via canoe to escape to the north. Slaves generally had little or no knowledge of geography but many understood that the North Star led to freedom: Douglass himself planned to follow the guidance of the north star till we got beyond the limits of Maryland. Douglass knew the dangers of becoming a fugitive, but firmly wrote in his memoir For my part, I should prefer death to hopeless bondage. Aged twenty at the time of his escape, there was a general trend of the majority of fugitives being young men. Most slave women were unwilling to leave children and taking them along proved arduous and almost impossible to survive. Some freed slaves also engaged in achieving freedom for others, a highly complex and dangerous undertaking. Enslaved blacks and their white sympathizers planned secret flight strategies and escape routes for runaways to make their way to freedom. Although it was neither subterranean nor a mechanized means of travel, this network of routes and hiding places was known as the underground railroad. Some free blacks were active conductors on the underground railroad while others simply harboured runaways in their homes. No one knows the exact number of slaves that succeeded in reaching the North the most common rough estimate is about 1,000 per year. Most of those who succeeded lived in the Upper South, like Douglass, who went on to publish his brilliant memoir which inspired the huge abolitionist movement. Harriet Tubman escaped to Philadelphia in 1849 and spent ten years risking her life by making some twenty or so trips back to her place of enslavement to lead relatives and other slaves to freedom. Probably one of the most famous instances of slave resistance was the case of the seizing of the Amistad, a slave ship transporting 53 slaves from one port in Cuba to another. The slaves succeeded in gaining control of the ship, and attempted to force the navigator to steer it to Africa. A slave by the name of The Amistad worked its way up the Atlantic coast till it was seized by an American vessel off the coast of Long Island. While the President Martin Van Buren wished to return the slaves to Cuba, abolitionists brought their case to the Supreme Court, where former president John Quincy Adams argued that since they had been recently brought from Africa in violation of international treaties banning the slave trade, the captives should be freed.[4] The court accepted Adams reasoning and most of the captives made their way back to Africa; a huge triumph for the commandeering slaves. This may well have inspired a similar uprising that occurred in 1841 when 135 slaves seized control of the ship they were being carried on, and to the dismay of the administration back home were given refuge by the British. One of the largest scale rebellions was the revolt led by Nat Turner in 1831. Nat Turner was a slave preacher who believed he was chosen by God to lead an uprising. By the time militia could stop the rebellion it had become eighty slaves strong and had killed some sixty whites in neighbouring farms. Turner was subsequently captured and condemned to die; on being asked before his death whether he felt any remorse, he replied was not Christ crucified? Despite Nat Turners rebellion being one of the most significant rebellions in southern history, it proved largely ineffective. Instead of moving the south towards emancipation, the Virginia legislature of 1832 increased in severity the laws which bonded slaves. New laws prohibited all blacks, free or enslaved, from acting as preachers; blacks could not own firearms; and it was illegal to teach a slave to read. Free blacks in the antebellum period the years from the formation of the Union until the Civil War were quite outspoken about the injustice of slavery. Their ability to express themselves, however, was determined by whether they lived in the North or the South. Free Southern blacks continued to live under the shadow of slavery, unable to travel or assemble as freely as those in the North; this made it almost impossible for them to organize and sustain churches, schools, or fraternal orders such as the Masons. Although their lives were circumscribed by numerous discriminatory laws even in the colonial period, freed African Americans, especially in the North, were active participants in American society. Black men enlisted as soldiers and fought in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Some owned land, homes, businesses, and paid taxes. In some Northern cities, for brief periods of time, black property owners voted. A very small number of free blacks owned slaves, and usually these were members of their own family that they had bought off slaveholders to later emancipate. A few free blacks also owned slave holding plantations in Louisiana, Virginia, and South Carolina. Free African American Christians founded their own churches which became the hub of the economic, social, and intellectual lives of blacks in many areas of the fledgling nation. Blacks were also outspoken in print. Freedoms Journal, the first black-owned newspaper, appeared in 1827. This paper and other early writings by blacks fuelled the attack against slavery and racist conceptions about the intellectual inferiority of African Americans. Free people of colour like Richard Allen, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, David Walker, and Prince Hall earned national reputations for themselves by writing, speaking, organizing, and agitating on behalf of their enslaved compatriots. For Frederick Douglass, the most beneficial step for him to the road to freedom was learning to read and recognizing his enslavement was morally wrong. For him, resistance came in the form of giving speeches and writing books about slavery and his experiences, rousing tumultuous crowds and touching the hearts of many. Throughout his Narrative, literacy, education and reason are deemed crucial tools in the fight for emancipation. After reading speeches on behalf of Catholic emancipation in The Columbian Orator Douglass explained that they gave tongue to interesting thoughts of (his) own soul, which had frequently flashed through (his) mind, and died away for want of utterance.[5] Douglass noted that slaveholders were right in forbidding their slaves from learning to read because literacy and therefore access to enlightenment would undermine the system by strengthening slaves recognition of their own humanity and desire to be free. Henry Bibb was born a slave in Kentucky in 1815. He recounts his sufferings, escapes, recaptures, and unsuccessful attempts to free his family. Bibb lectured for the Liberty party in Ohio and Michigan during the 1840s and fled to Canada after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, as did thousands of other fugitives living in the North. His narrative includes many illustrations, including the depiction of the celebration of the Sabbath among the slaves and a slave sale. In the text Bibb mentions that slaves were not allowed books, pen, ink, nor paper, to improve their minds. He stated that such circumstances gave him a longing desire . . . a fire of liberty within my breast which has never yet been quenched. Bibb believed that he too had a right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In Black Culture and Black Consciousness, historian Lawrence Levine summarizes the important role that slave resistance legends played in the black community: For an understanding of the post-slave generations, the history of slave resistance is less important than the legends concerning it, though the two by no means contradict each other. Looking back upon the past, ex slaves and their descendants painted a picture not of a cowed and timorous black mass but of a people who, however circumscribed by misfortune and oppression, were never without their means of resistance and never lacked the inner resources to oppose the master class, however extreme the price they had to pay.[6] These legacies of resistance, which led to the final emancipation after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, marked the generations of change that followed the slave period and have continued to build on the past right up until today. Bibliography Howard McGary and Bill E. Lawson, Between Slavery and Freedom: Philosophy and American Slavery, Indiana University Press 1992 John Hope Franklin, The Free Negro in North Carolina 1790-1860, Norton Library 1971 Ulrich B. Phillips, American Negro Slavery, Louisiana State University Press 1966 Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! An American History, Norton Company 2009 Edmund S. Morgan, American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia, Norton Company, New York, 1975 Deborah Gray White, Arnt I a Woman? Female Slaves in the Plantation South, Norton Company 1995 Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Penguin Classics 1982 Lawrence Levine, Black Colour and Black Consciousness, New York 1977 K.Sue Jewell, From Mammy to Miss America and Beyond: Cultural Images and the Shaping of U.S Social Policy London, Routledge 1993

Caribbean Essay -- essays research papers

Many people will think of Caribbean Islands as a nice place for a getaway vacation. But historical background of Caribbean is somewhat different. Caribbean has a long history of colonization and slavery for many generations. As new colonization was established, new cultures and languages were introduced.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People tends to only focus on the bright side of the Columbus ¡Ã‚ ¯s great discover of the new land and colonization of the European countries and can easily forget about the destruction and the damages of the lives of native countries. who were the first Caribbean long before the Columbus ¡Ã‚ ¯s discovery, were almost wiped out by the cruel invasion of the European countries along with their cultures and their languages. The Europeans seized Caribbean but when they need the slaves for the sugar industries, they were brought from all different parts of Africa as a human cargo. Among the slaves, they had many cultural differences as well as languages themselves because they were brought from different regions of Africa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When slavery was abandoned throughout the Caribbean in mid-nineteenth century, the economic and political structure that controlled the island remained. The exslaves were forced to work below the minimum wages. Large number of Caribbean emigrated hoping to find better economical opportunities. In order to replace the missing number of workers, many Asian immigrants were brought to Caribbean. This resulted i...

Reflective Learning Essay

What is Reflective Learning? There is no one definition of reflective learning as it is an idea based on looking further into a subject or matter in depth. Then analysing it and processing it to a different level. It is a learning skill that requires ongoing development through further education and into a career. Evelyn M Boyd and Ann W Fales state that reflective learning is the process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, triggered by an experience, which creates and clarifies meaning in terms of self, and which results in a changed conceptual perspective. Evelyn M. Boyd and Ann W. Fales. The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Journal of Humanistic Psychology SPRING 1983 vol. 23 no. 2 99-117 John Dewey in the early 21st century had a theory that Personal Development had to be from the personal perspective. Over recent times he had observed that learning practises had become impersonal and in order to achieve a greater understanding of learning, a person had to use â€Å"I.† His belief was  Ã¢â‚¬ËœActive, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it, and further conclusions to which it leads†¦it includes a conscious and voluntary effort to establish belief upon a firm basis of evidence and rationality’ (Dewey, 1933). My understanding of the term is that a review of information gathered or imparted needs to be looked at later in time to re-evaluate your interpretation and understanding of it and its relevance to you. It also allows an individual to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and develop their learning skills over time allowing them to review and improve their work. During a learning process such as the Foundation Degree in Business Management, reflection, is vital to understanding learning skills and career pathway but also gaining a greater insight into fellow pupils learning styles and develop the students’ ability to learn and progress through the modules. Improving the quality of work and gaining a greater understanding of their own skills and strengths throughout time at college or university. Students may have difficulty in regarding a Reflective  Learning module as a serious part of study. The subject or module is down to the individuals’ attempts to understan d themselves and honesty plays a large role in the process. Should an individual decide to ignore their weak points and only focus on their perceived strengths, then they miss the opportunity to improve their weak skills and don’t reflect on the correct areas of work. This could result in not gaining the important key skills for the workplace and may not achieve the level of degree they expect. Many academics also struggle with the subject due to the fact it is written in the first person whereas academic work is always in the third person. The ability to re-frame information and analyse an experience is a key skill in many graduate jobs. This skill will be used going forward within the work environment as part of Personal Development. Reflection within business development and project work will be expected. To know how to move forward in business is to know where it is coming from. Questions would be asked if they had learnt from previous experience or what issues had arisen that needed to be addressed or could be done differently or improved upon. Therefore the need to prove this learned skill is vital. David Kolb (1984) is well known for his development of the Kolb cycle – or cycle of experiential learning. Kolb developed his theory in the 1980’s his ideas are used today as part of reflective learning. This is a simplified version of his learning cycle. Concrete experiencing (have an experience) → Active experimentation Reflective observation (try out what you have learned) (reflect on the experience) ↑ ↓ Abstract conceptualising (learn from the experience) ↠ Kolb’s theory ELT is now considered by academics, business managers, tutors  and trainers to have discovered and developed a fundamental concept that explains human learning behaviour and that helps others to learn. It is used to this day in many forms throughout academia and business. ‘Experiential Learning: As the Source of Learning And Development’ 1984 Prentice Hall INC

How to Gain the Most from the Media in Our Lives Essay

Media has always been an important factor in society, and it always will be. The way an individual discerns the world dictates how they interact with it, but the dichotomy between media and society goes both ways. People perceive media differently based on experiences in their lives, within each decade a shift in norms, trends and technology is observable. Jerzy Kosinski uses a character that perceives society based on television alone to depict the way media affects an individuals perception and how they interact with society. Television , from its dawn has been an ever changing medium all across the world. In Being There television is a standard form of media, much like today , it is a normal aspect of everyday life. This†¦show more content†¦While this synthetic reality was displayed, Television also shifted news and events from simply being a voice to actual footage of the event. (Excerpt #1) Chance would theoretically be viewing a different generation of televis ion, however the â€Å"norms† of what are acceptable for television evolve constantly. Even in the 1960’s programming â€Å"reflected good, old fashioned ideas of family values Controversy was not up for discussion.† Which likely led to the â€Å"lack of extended viewer ship, apart from the societal norms, was lack of believable content.† Jerzy Kosinski had seen the evolution of of these changes, perhaps the largest change was when more trials and tribulations of reality were beginning to be aired. Chances lack of exposure to explicit material creates interesting situations in which chances clueless innocence are apparent. His and lack of any ostentatious ironically makes him very â€Å"different†. (Excerpt #3) â€Å"quote† in this scene, Chance... The Novels subtle approach to identifying flaws in the way media portrays the people, and the way individuals perceive what the media delineates. Chance is Kosinskis vessel that carries the burden of viewing the world through a distorted pinhole lens; however he deduces things to simplistic and eloquent solutions that send him surging onto the global scene in which the watcher becomes the watched. While this novel is by no means a subversion of the media or an attack on television being inShow MoreRelatedViolence Among Us770 Words   |  4 Pagessignificantly increased in the media. From news reports on the television to the newspaper stand on 8th Avenue, many worry about the unknown and what problems might be (present in the future) lying ahead. Few believe the media has created a culture of fear and violence, although I am here to inform you the main reasons why media has impacted today’s culture in a negative aspect. Today’s media creates various news stories to ga in viewers attention, however this changes the perception on how many view the outsideRead MoreEssay On Social Media1035 Words   |  5 PagesSocial media. It s a disease we all love, no treatment has ever been established for its cure. It s killing us. Sadly, it s gained astounding worldwide growth and popularity from many nations globally. It s capturing today s youth rapidly between its claws, making our lives depend on it. Anthony Carmona states â€Å"It is a veritable battleground, where insults fly from the human quiver, damaging lives, destroying self-esteem and a person’s sense of self-worth.† Yes as bad as it sounds we’re allRead MoreSusan Sontag s View On Self Esteem1445 Words   |  6 Pagescommon-- they tell a story. Susan Sontag argues that taking pictures is used in a way to defend against anxiety and also to gain power. I agree with Sontag’s claim and believe that pictures are also used in a way to manipulate society and also to inform the people of what is happening across the world. Sontag’s argument is agreeable because, images broadcasted throughout social media and television control the way the people act and think.   Ã‚  Ã‚   One way pictures are used by the people is to cope with anxietyRead MoreThe Media And Its Impact On Society1161 Words   |  5 PagesThe media plays a significant role in developing awareness on various different subjects. Without the media, people would be much less informed on many social and economic issues. The media can be credited for improvements in these sectors today as it engages the public to have an opinion of our on-going evolvements by releasing daily reports on such topics. In terms of charitable aid the media has greatly developed our awareness with a nature that influences us to feel sympathy for those less fortunateRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effects On Society1592 Words   |  7 PagesIn the past decade, the development of vast social media networks has improved our communications and interactions. These networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, are essential to how information is shared and criticized. The Social Media Handbook defines social media as â€Å"networked information services designed to support in-depth interaction, community formation, collaborative opportunities and collaborative work† (Hunsinger, 2014 p.1). Having an account or profile on these sites is more than a socialRead MoreOur Target Audience Is The Business Men And Women Of Charleston864 Words   |  4 PagesOur target audience is the business men and women of Charleston, WV. They consist of doctors, lawyers, bankers, and salespeople. We will also be focusing on the customers of all of the businesses in the area as well. Young people are drinking more coffee than in recent years, according to the data compiled by the National Coffee Association: 54 percent of people over the age of 18 are drinking coffee each day. This be our target age group in the Charleston area. Men and women alike will be in ourRead MoreAdvertising And The Global Epidemic Of False Advertising854 Words   |  4 PagesAmericans have a television or the most current news in there home, which contributes to society always wanting to be someone their not. On the contrary it is a great way to spread important news but consequently ads are showing the reality of how to promote stereotypes or have products we don’t need. As a consumer we get bombarded with ads for different services or products that just want to gain our dollar. The problem about the broadcast of advertisements is how it’s distributed. It transmits throughRead MoreProposing a Change Essay examples1235 Words   |  5 Pagesvital factor in the world today. It has the power to motivate people to make major changes in the way they think, live, dress, and look. We see the most changes in beauty and fashion because American media influences people to be more like â€Å"perfect† stereotypes, such as celebrities. Following these stereotypes gives a sense of belonging to people that have been ridiculed all their lives, but they fail to realize that a person should be free to look and dress as they please. The crazed infatuationsRead MoreThe Letting Agencies1618 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction: Letting agencies can currently charge tenants whatever price they want to on top of the money they already receive from landlords. The letting agency fees are unmanageable and people are constantly being taken advantage of. The expense of renting is enough without these additional, unwarranted fees creeping up on tenants when you it is too late to cancel the agreement. Sitting back and watching this happen is not an option. It is about time tenants stop over-paying for poor conditionsRead MoreThe Political Of Political Socialization863 Words   |  4 Pagesof political socialization is vital in the developing of how one views politics, the way they act or choose not to act, and how they identify within the political system. Although countless influences sway or attract us to a given political view, party, or identification, there are undoubtedly certain factors that play a bigger role in this process. Some of the most prominent agents of political socialization are as follows; famil y, media, peers, education, religion, faith, race, gender, age, geography