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The Slave Song, 2007.
An examination of the article "Truth in Timbre: Morrison's Extension of Slave Narrative in the Song in "Beloved"" by Peter J. Capuano.
971 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 34.95
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Abstract
The paper examines the article "Truth in Timbre: Morrison's extension of slave narrative in the song in "Beloved"", where Peter J. Capuano shows how Toni Morrison is able to use the concept of the slave song in her literature as a defining principle of humanity and a symbol of human endurance. The paper explains the differences between Morrison's and Frederick Douglass' use of the slave song according to Capuano.
From the Paper
"The differences between Morrison and Douglass' use of the slave song can be explained mainly by examining their intended audiences. Capuano argues that Douglass' work, which acts as one of the comprehensive foundations of present day slave literature, was written for a very different audience with different purposes. Douglass' main concern was the abolition of slavery, and by exposing the brutality of slavery he hoped to hasten this effort. Slave songs are used as anecdotal, factual evidence to expose the human suffering connected with slavery. Morrison echoes this idea of the slave song, as well as using it to challenge the reader in the present day to reflect on the dehumanizing process of slavery."
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African-Americans in Film, 2007.
An analysis of Eddy Murphy's representation of African-Americans in the film, "48 Hours."
1,259 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the representation of African-Americans in film, focusing specifically on the 1982 comedy, "48 Hours," starring Eddie Murphy. The paper explains the storyline of the film and how Murphy is presented as a character in the film. The paper also looks at the light in which African-Americans are presented in general through films and in this film in particular.
From the Paper
"Although the film gives Murphy equal billing, and the film undoubtedly would be impossible without a talent like Murphy to hold his own against Nick Nolte, ultimately it is not a step forward in representing African Americans in their complexity. If it is funny, it requires audiences to know, understand, and to a certain extent accept stereotypes of African-Americans as lawless, funny, and ultimately under the control of Whites in everything but their language, not with their political or physical strength. Murphy is always foul-mouthed and overly sexualized and a "brother" in contrast to Nolte's "country boy" cop. Nolte's own strident masculinity within the context of the law and even infidelity is validated without condemning his character, while it marks Murphy as a criminal. Murphy's apparent freedom and force of personality, like the transitory freedom of the character during the "48 Hours" is no real freedom of expression at all. It is a sad continuation of a long tradition of representing African-Americans in crime films as criminals, sidekicks, and powerless. According to the stereotype sadly embodied by Murphy, Blacks in this genre are only apparently powerful with weapons, information or menace, and this power is transitory."
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African-Americans or Black-Americans?, 2007.
This paper examines the impact of family history stories on African-American students' attitude and behavior.
2,410 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 73.95
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Abstract
The paper explores whether documenting and researching Black-American history, especially individual family history, has an impact on Black-American students' attitude and behavior. The paper discusses the move away from an African-American identity to a distinctly Black-American identity. The paper relates that teaching the history and stories of Black-Americans has served to inspire and motivate Black-American students towards a more successful academic life. The paper concludes that Black-American students today are aware that their cultural heritage and tradition began in Africa, yet, informed with the stories of their past, their attitude is that they are predominantly Americans.
Outline:
Introduction
Background
Family and Community History and Student Attitudes and Behavior
From the Paper
"The history of Black Americans is one that began as slavery and oppression. It is only during the twenty years that Black Americans have had the full range of education, opportunity, and social equality to partake in the American dream. It was a long road to that point, and there remain challenges to be overcome, but the road towards overcoming those remaining challenges began with America's Civil War and freeing Black Americans from the condition of slavery. Many have traveled the road on behalf of equality and Civil Rights, and the challenges that remain today are the social and psychological barriers that prevent Black Americans from embracing the opportunities that were hard won on their behalf."
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African-American Literature, 2007.
This paper discusses the importance of African-American women writers.
1,518 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
The paper examines African-American literature across the genres and mentions specifically the famous author, Toni Morrison. The paper discusses slave narratives, biographies and novels. The paper discusses how African-American literature has changed; the lives, beliefs and experiences of African-American writers today are different than the experiences of the first black authors. The paper shows how African-Americans have had a significant impact on the literature produced in the United States.
From the Paper
"Literature is very important. Many people love to read, and still others love to write. Together, they make a winning combination. Literature is often studied, but one aspect of it has been getting very little attention (Morgan, 1996). African-American literature has often times been ignored, or been only selectively visible, and this is especially true where women writers are concerned. However, this literature has become more important and significant in recent years, and this helps to show the important of African-American women writers."
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Minority American Women, 2007.
This paper discuses the lives of minority American women from Chinese, Mexican and African-American backgrounds as expressed by three authors: Judy Yung, Vicki Ruiz and Jacqueline Jones.
1,570 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the lives and experiences of Chinese, Mexican and African-American women are similar because they all faced severe hardship, discrimination, and degrading social conditions; however, due to their ethic identities and cultural roots, their experiences are dramatically dissimilar. The author points out that Vicki Ruiz, in her book "Out of the Shadows", takes readers through the immigration eras, beginning with Spanish-speaking women moving north out of Mexico centuries before the Euro-Americans arrived and that Judy Yung, in her book "Unbound Feet", writes about the history of Chinese women coming to San Francisco in the late 1800s. The paper relates that Jacqueline Jones, in her book, "Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow" writes about the early twentieth century when black urban women participated in boycotts against segregated public facilities and resisted racist customs.
From the Paper
"But what was it like for a Mexican woman migrating into the U.S. in the early 20th Century? Ruiz writes that first of all getting across the border was challenging, particularly during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1921) when "starvation was not unknown and danger a constant companion ." Women were raped and kidnapped by soldiers and "marauders" while on their way north; it was back-breaking work once Mexicans arrived in the southwest, as many were paid twelve cents per day in the fields. Twenty-one percent of Mexican women in early 20th Century America worked in the fields."
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African-American Grandmothers, 2007.
This paper compares the historic role of African-American grandmothers and their contemporary role as sole parent for their grandchildren.
1,675 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, under slavery and during the period afterward, older African-American women played active and respected roles in their communities as based on their African heritage, which venerated its elderly. The author points out that, in light of this history, it is not surprising that, in record numbers, African-American older women today are assuming the role of primary caregivers to their grandchildren due to social and addiction problems of the mothers of these grandchildren. The paper relates that the considerable stress of these women, who are permanently primary caregivers for their grandchildren, has resulted in their having many social, economic, physical and psychological problems.
From the Paper
"The number of grandmothers raising their grandchildren nearly doubled between 1970 and 2000--from 2.2 million to 4.5 million. During the 1990s, the biggest increase was among families with no parent present, usually because of social problems such as the mother's alcohol or drug abuse. Death from AIDS, long-term incarceration, and mental illness are other reasons. The trend has become a "dominant theme" for social work research, and the term skipped generation caregiver has come into use. Of all the children living with grandparents in the U.S., nearly 44% are African-American, a proportion that is six times greater than in white families."
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"The Slave Community", 2007.
A review of John Blassingame's book "The Slave Community".
1,680 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at how John Blassingame's work "The Slave Community" provides a description and analysis of what life was like on the Southern plantations from the slaves' viewpoint. It discusses how Blassingame demonstrates that slaves were definitely active and not passive victims of the traumatic life they lived and how he demonstrates the importance of hearing about one's life directly from the person involved, rather than second-hand from those who already have biased opinions.
From the Paper
"Previous to The Slave Community, the experience and life of the African American slave was mostly seen through the eyes of the white Anglo-American. Scholars relied on information from the opposite point of view--the plantation. They looked at plantation records and the writings of nonacademic travelers who observed the relationship between the slaves and their owners. Through such one-sided reports concerning the psychological effects of being enslaved, historians began to portray slaves as very submissive and loyal to their owners or as continually rebellious and critical. Either, they had totally accepted and adjusted to the different norms and values of the white society or were completely dissatisfied with this life and fighting to break away from their masters. Ulrich B. Phillips, stated clearly in his books based on plantation records, that the ex-slaves' narratives were inauthentic and biased and did not give genuine testimony to what their lives were really like. "
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African-Americans and Education, 2007.
This paper discusses the progress, struggles and aspirations of African-Americans in education.
1,466 words (approx. 5.9 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 48.95
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Abstract
The paper relates the history of education for African-Americans and explores problems relating to education legislation. The paper looks at present education issues and concerns for African-American students and examines statistics relating to their drop-out rates. The paper concludes that there has been progress, to a degree, in educational attainment of the aspirations of African-American students, although there are still barriers.
Outline:
Introduction
History of Education for African Americans
Noted Problems Relating to Education Legislation
Present Education Issues and Concerns for African-American Students
Statistics Relating to Drop-out Rates of African-Americans
Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper
"The work of Allen and Jewell (2002) states that: "...the Black struggle for higher education is an apt metaphor for the larger Black struggles for citizenship, self-determination and personhood in this society." The historical account of the African American race in obtaining access to higher education in the United States is characterized by many ups and downs. The aspirations of the African American individual of attaining higher education have been historically unattained due to existing barriers to higher education of Black individuals."
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"Why Black Sexual Politics?", 2007.
A review of Patricia Hill Collins' essay "Why Black Sexual Politics?".
836 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 29.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at how, in her essay, "Why Black Sexual Politics", Patricia Hill Colins analyzes portrayals of black sexuality in the white-dominated media and in a white-dominated culture. The paper discusses how Collins argues that black bodies and black sexuality have been appropriated and manipulated by the dominant culture to perpetuate cycles of oppression and how this oppression does not end with racism but extends through to gender-based oppression, heterosexism, and class inequities.
From the Paper
"Collins shows how and why black sexuality continues to be presented as deviant, as wild, animalistic, primitive, and savage. When racism was overt, black sexuality was directly associated with animal perversion. Racism has gone underground in a sense; racism is now color-blind but continues to dictate ways black sexuality is portrayed in the mainstream media. Collins uses Beyonce, Destiny's Child, and Jennifer Lopez of icons of the new black sexuality and therefore, of the new racism. These artists and others like them have profited from the myth of black sexuality, capitalizing ironically on the new racism. Black sexuality is, however, an "invented discourse," notes Collins (p. 28). White media moguls and politicians have invented and wielded the discourse to maintain a position of domination and authority in society."
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"Rush Hour 2", 2007.
A film review of "Rush Hour 2" focusing on its representation of African-Americans.
1,214 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the representations of African-Americans in the film, "Rush Hour 2", starring Jackie Chan and Christ Tucker. The paper suggests that rather than going against common racial stereotypes, the film instead seems to confirm or play into these negative assumptions about African-Americans. It analyzes specific aspects of the film and quotes film critics in its review of African-American representation.
From the Paper
"This film shows African-Americans in a way, despite the badge that Tucker carries, that is comfortable to American audience stereotypes, rather than in a way that challenges their cultural assumptions. The badge Tucker carries becomes an excuse for allowing a stereotypical depiction of a black man, just as the plot itself is merely an excuse for showing martial arts action sequences, and conventional comic routines that confirm stereotypes yet seem edgy because of the language that is used by Tucker's character. European audiences, reared on American cultural stereotypes, were equally, sadly, receptive to this depiction while uncomprehending Asian audiences merely waited for their beloved Jackie Chan's more culturally comprehensible next film."
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"Boyz N the Hood", 2007.
An analysis of the representation of African-American manhood in the film, "Boyz N the Hood"
1,290 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 43.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how "Boyz N the Hood" (1991) is a film that attempts to speak truth to power, and counteract some of the negative stereotypes of young black men in Hollywood films. It looks at how, instead of ignoring the plague of violence and hopelessness in the inner cities of America, the film takes these stereotypes on and attempts to render the difficulties and challenges of the African-American experience with dignity and hope.
From the Paper
"The title frame statistic also politicizes the representations of the characters in the film. These characters are not simply individuals enduring their own psychological turmoil rather the struggles the characters face are endemic to a larger social condition in America. It is often considered dismissive to say that someone is merely a statistic. But these young men are potentially statistics, the film suggests, and that is not a reduction of their plight, rather it is a claim for the film's relevance beyond its duration on a screen. The film is a call to action. Whether the characters go to college, care for their children, or end up in the gutter is not merely 'their' business, or an interesting plot twist, their lives and by extension black lives in the hood are something that is vitally important for all Americans, particularly black Americans to care about and change. "
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African-American History, 2007.
This paper studies African-American history as a tale of unrelenting dejection, struggle and misery.
3,029 words (approx. 12.1 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 89.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer looks at the lives of African-Americans after the Civil War. The writer discusses slave labor and the sharecropping system. The writer then discusses the Great Migration in the early 1930s when 1.5 to 2 million African-Americans left the South for industrial cities in the North. The writer studies the Negro-American revolution and black society of the time. The writer then examines how the Great Depression affected the African-American community. Finally, the writer discusses Martin Luther King and racial violence.
Outline:
The Sharecropping System
The Great Migration
New Negro Movement
The Great Depression and World War II
World War II
Non-Violence
From the Paper
"Slave labor was very important to Southern economy until the 18th century. The hierarchic social structure before the Civil War had the slaves at the bottom and the plantation owners at the top. White landowners, who were the minority, exploited the Black majority. This Black majority had to suffer constant humiliations in the process. The white landowners viewed the Blacks as inferior so as to justify slavery. So as to deliberately justify their underpayment, white landowners must treat or view them as less ambitious and content with a low life status. Whites enjoyed the benefits while Blacks suffered severe disadvantages. The Blacks had no political or legal entitlements or economic rights. Plantation life, especially in the lower South, was difficult and perilous. However, it attracted large numbers of slaves because it offered greater chances of establishing slave families and communities. They often worked under the task system. Under this system, a slave received a task each day and worked until the task was completed. When this happened, the rest of the day became the slave's own time. Each task was extremely hard but the slaves took it because he somewhat exercised some control over the work pace and the length of the work day. They worked in groups called gangs, headed by slave drivers, on crop rows, plowing, planting, cultivating or picking, depending on the season."
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