Premium Essay

Essay On African American Experience

Submitted By
Words 1673
Pages 7
At young age my parents took the time to involve me in any and every activity I seemed to have an interest in, allowing me to ultimately make the decision as to what activity I would take seriously and maintain. Through this process, I realized that the sports I had the most liking to, were the sports that had a very low representation of African Americans. As an African American male, who would rather dive off a diving block and kicking a soccer ball then shoot a jump shot or carry for 25 yards, I faced an immense amount of backlash. Even though, I was simply doing what I loved do, I couldn't help but notice the obvious stares, whispers, and flat out disrespect. While this may have been an incredibly discouraging experience, I learned and inherited some many worthwhile qualities in the process. I may have acquired incredible teamwork and leadership abilities but I also acquired and learned the importance of discipline and dedication, and were ultimately able to implement these qualities into other areas of my life.

I would pack my shin guards or goggles and headed out to display my talents for a group of people that were baffled at my attendance. Always and forever, the only black kid at the swim meet or soccer tournament, an …show more content…
Growing up in a predominantly white community, always being the only African American in everything I joined, I decided to attend Howard University, and without any reservations. Normally, jumping into an environment without a lot of firsthand experience in, wouldn't be advised, but my participation in activities that lack those look like me taught me to be able to work and feel comfortable with all groups of people. My initial experience with the principles of “team” and “teamwork”, allowed me to advance my academic efforts and choose an institution based on opportunities and curriculum rather than where I thought I might “Fit

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Uncommon Faithfulness

...Catholic Experience Uncommon Faithfulness is a collection of essays of the experience of African American Catholics. The book was written by fourteen black Catholic theologians, ecclesial leaders and scholars at a conference held at the University of Notre Dame in 2004. Uncommon Faithfulness was edited by M. Shawn Copeland who serves as the Adjunct Professor of Theology at the Institute for black Catholic studies at Xavier University in New Orleans Louisiana. Catholics of African descent maintained their faith and inspiration to sustain resistance against oppression of slavery and to create life giving opportunities. This was nearly 450 years of Uncommon Faithfulness. The phrase “Uncommon Faithfulness” describes the black Catholic experience in the United States. There are a total of fourteen essays. The first five essays deals with the history of black Catholics in the United States; including essays about African American women in religious communities and black Catholics during the civil rights movement in the United States. The next five essays deals with theological and ethnical aspects of the black Christian experience. There are many challenges that reflect the black Catholic community that allowed African ancestors to endure the denial of their humanity. Despite oppression conditions they were able to exercise their full humanity and were able to create new institutions and cultural traditions by thinking past custom beliefs. The final set of essays speaks...

Words: 320 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Final Exam

...Assessment Title: | The American Experience: SAT Style Argument Essay | Task: | Suggested Engagement Scenario: In order to be well-prepared for the SAT that you will take this year, it is important to practice the essay component of the exam. That is what you will do today.Part 1: Compose a 25- minute timed SAT style argument essay. Use the rubric to guide your response to this prompt: Is the American Dream possible for all people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your position on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Part 2: Review anchor papers with rubric, then determine your own score. (This does not replace teacher evaluation)Part 3: (optional follow-up) Compose a diary entry focused on the American Dream from the perspective of a Colonial Era immigrant. (W.# Narrative Task) | Standards: | RI.11.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information in order to address a question or solve a problem.W.11.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.L.11.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. | Materials: | Teacher Materials: * Teacher directions * Rubric | Student Materials: * SAT Style Essay prompt sheet * Rubric...

Words: 2298 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Afericna American

...African American's Journey Essay Below is a free essay on "African American's Journey" from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. “African American’s Journey to Freedom” Charity Johnson HIS204: American History since 1865 Instructor: Leslie Ruff February 11, 2013 “African American’s Journey to Freedom” To some African Americans it may seem ironic that The United States of America is known as “the land of the free” considering that majority of their ancestors entered the US as slaves. African Americans were brought to North America via the middle passage which originated during the fifteenth century.   They were enslaved for approximately 400 hundred years until the end of the Civil War in 1865. Although African Americans were enslaved in America, they were determine to survive and one day be freed in this great country. During The African American’s journey to freedom several significant events took place which was inclusive of but not limited to: The Civil Rights Movement of 1865-1877, Separate but Equal Legislation (Plessy vs. Ferguson court case) in 1896, The Harlem Renaissance of 1920, Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, The March on Washington Movement of 1963, and The Black Power Movement of the late 1960s and 1970. I will discuss the significance of these events in relation to the African American journey to freedom and how they have help shape American society today. THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF 1865-1877 Frequently when...

Words: 5251 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Southern Black Women

...perspective on racism and their experiences during the modern civil rights movement. These women protested, participated in sit in and help change the inequality in the Deep South. The book is divided up in chapter specific to the states that racism affected in the south. The books discuss women experiences they faced during the civil rights movement in different states. The modern civil rights movement according to the authors is specified as the period of time in the U.S from 1954-1974. Jim Crow laws were intact, schools were segregated. Public accommodations and voter’s registrations In the first few paragraphs discuss the scholarship on the civil rights movement. Paragraph one we are introduced to Irene Morgan and Barbara Johns both women talked about their experiences and how they led up to the freedom rides. We also are introduced to the Brown vs. Board of education, sought to end segregation in an institutional setting and spearheaded the movement to end segregation. The inequality of education was a major issue during the modern civil rights era. These women wanted equality for their children and their resistance generated social reform. Yvonne Davis Frear’s essay “African American women in Texas Civil Rights Movement highlights the contributions of African American women in Texas such as Lula B. White, Juanita Craft, Christia Adair, Barbara Jordan and other women. The essay strengthened the theme of the book their contributions of African American women was...

Words: 616 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Effect Of Feminism On The African American Community

...African Americans have always consistently been portrayed as having very simple and instinctually oriented natures and emotional and mental lives when functioning “normally” and that elements of pathology were an indication of a morally degenerative racial tendency. It seems to be especially difficult for white Americans to recognize the depth, damage, and violence of the cataclysm because they have had little in their experience to provide for the facilitation of the understanding of the experience at an empathic level. Outside of the African American community, few other Americans, with perhaps the exception of Native Americans, have been directly impacted by an experience like being ripped from their land, and violently torn from their...

Words: 268 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

James Baldwin Defending The Prinicples Of This Home

...writing about race and the black experience in America. 2. The fire next time was published in 1963 which was right in the middle of the civil rights movements. The way he writes this book relates to how black people were still truly suffering from oppression and were finally striving for true freedom....

Words: 656 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Negro Theatre By Eleanor Taylor Essay

...Eleanor Taylor is the author of Two Afro-American contributions to the dramatic form, where she discusses the origins of minstrelsy and slave narrative. Taylor expresses her opinion on how over time Americans have mistaken the serious historical facts about the Afro-American art form. In the essay she references Zora Neal Hurston "to those of you who want to institute the Negro theatre, well it is already established. It is lacking in wealth, so it is not seen in the high places…the real negro theatre is in the Jooks and cabarets." (Hurston, 24). This is in fact very insightful because black theatre has been around for a long time. We just only count the times that make a revenue as "theatre". Without the early stages of Negro theatre there would not be any minstrel shows, or African American theatre in general. In the essay, she teaches (or reminds) us that Minstrel shows is a black tradition that is stolen. The Minstrel show material has roots all the way from Yoruba mash traditions, songs and dance. Taylor states "The racist minstrel character has, undoubtedly, obscured the value of the minstrel stage (Taylor, 50). Minstrelsy over the decades has changed from an artistic educational art form to a...

Words: 453 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Usso Harlem Renaissance Final Paper

...was indeed a distinctive and varied "negro/black American" culture and it was centered here in Harlem of New York City. It was a culture movement that began around 1920s. Before it was called the Harlem renaissance it was known as the "New Negro Movement", that was named after the anthology edited by Alain Locke in 1925. The Harlem Renaissance grew out of the changes that had taken place in the black community since the abolition of slavery, and which had been accelerated as a consequence of the First World War. It can also be seen as specifically African-American response to an expression of the great social and cultural change taking place in America in the early 20th century under the influence of industrialization and the emergence of a new mass culture. This movement impacted urban centers throughout the United States. Across the cultural spectrum (literature, drama, music, art, dance) and also in social thought (sociology, philosophy), artists and intellectuals found new ways to explore the historical experiences of black America and the contemporary experiences of black life in the urban North. Challenging white superiority and racism, African-American artists and intellectuals rejected merely imitating the styles of Europeans and white Americans and instead celebrated black dignity and creativity. Asserting their freedom to express themselves on their own terms as artists, they explored their identities as black Americans, celebrating the black culture that had emerged...

Words: 1744 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

The Buttbus

...Humanities 332: American Humanities Fall 2015 Professor Kim Codella PhD. Office Phone 916-691-7633 Office SOC #128 Office Hours MW 4:30PM-5:30PM TTH 4-5:30PM, online 11-12 pm Friday. codellk@crc.losrios.edu Required Text. The House made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday. This book is available in the bookstore for you and there is also a copy in the library for your use. In addition there will be weekly online readings in D2L. You must do the required reading to pass the class. Students must attend lectures and take notes. Participation, i.e., your attention is required. Course description: This course examines the arts and ideas taken from the American experience in the 20th century and today. Material covered includes literature, art, music, philosophy and history of the twentieth century. The course draws upon the arts of African American, Native American, Asian American, Anglo and Latino cultures as avenues for understanding issues of ethnicity, class and gender as they intersect with mainstream American values. Course presentation: Lecture, discussion, audio-visual materials and readings from the text, online, and material to be supplied by the instructor. In addition an extra-credit will be offered. Attendance: Required, a student missing more than 5.4 class hours may be dropped from the course (this is four class sessions). Because of the recent budget situation instructors are encouraged to drop students who are not attending class. Basic Rules: ...

Words: 2440 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Sherman Alexie vs James Baldwin

...new skills,values and thoughts.However, education in America is not as effectual as it should be for everyone, due to institutional racism deeply embedded within the system. As displayed in both Sherman Alexie’s “Superman & Me” and James Baldwin’s “A Talk To Teachers”, children of minority are not given the same opportunities as white children and it is almost predetermined that black or indian children cannot be successful in school. While both essays argued the same general point about education, the way each point was presented contained differed tones and styles, setting the two pieces apart. In Sherman Alexie’s “Superman & Me”, Alexie begins his story by introducing how he learned to read, by using a Superman comic. This is important because it stresses the fact that Alexie did not have the same extensive resources that privileged white children do. Alexie read whatever he could find to educate himself, because he was aware that the only key to success is through obtaining an education. Alexie’s sharing of personal experience creates a connection with the audience. When Alexie speaks about how he learned to read from a comic book, this is almost a depressing statement. However, the audience knows that Alexie was able to overcome this depressing situation to become successful, even though he was never given proper educational resources. This also draws a deep respect from the audience. The irony that Alexie is very successful and he learned to read from a comic book with...

Words: 783 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cain And Dubois Analysis

...veil. DuBois’ veil concept not only refers to the whites’ view of African-Americans as obstructed by the veil. The opacity works two ways. Just like the little white could not clearly see DuBois for who he was beyond the color of his skin due to her veil, Dubois could not properly see the entire white race because of this one encounter with this little white girl that he then projected onto all white people. The same is true in the case of Cain who sued the Pullman Company for his...

Words: 908 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

John Henrik Clarke

...advocated to have the research and study of the African-American experience and history incorporated into our higher educational systems. In his essay “The Origin and Growth of Afro-American Literature”, Clarke presents us with a timeline of African American literature from the fourteenth century in Timbuktu to James Baldwin in the 1960’s. He describes that little known history of intellectual centers of education and culture in West Africa during the 1500’s when scholars such as Felix DuBois and Ahmed Baba were prominent during the height of the University of Sankore, and takes us through every major milestone in Afro-American literature after that. I appreciate how he shed light and emphasized that the ancestors of those who became slaves in the U.S. lived in a society where scholarship was present and appreciated. Clarke felt it necessary to emphasize and elaborate on this because of the contrary misconception that Africans at that time were uneducated and uncivilized compared to other society’s such as those in Europe. The section about petitioner Prince Hall gives us a glimpse into Afro-American history during the 1700’s. Hall’s questioning of the concept of freedom at the time lead to his great achievement of founding the first African Lodge in the U.S. in July 3, 1776. Hall’s use of the petition to fight for justice and equality shows how literature played an important role in the struggle for Afro-American civil rights. Writers such as David Walker,...

Words: 466 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Prompt Analysis: Jackie Robinson As A Great Baseball Player

...Introduction Jackie Robinson was important because he was a great baseball player that transcend the game. Even more importantly he was that first African American to play for the Major Leagues. By being the first African American baseball player he open the door for other African Americans to play baseball. He not only did baseball he supported political causes, to pursue a better life for African Americans. He experienced the injustices people treated African Americans but he still supported the peaceful protest for African Americans to get their civil rights. When he broke the color line it was a time of great social change for african americans in 1950’s-1960’s. He show that segregation was more than just for voting rights. He shown people...

Words: 1191 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Sample Bibliography

...Race, and the African American Student: An Annotated Bibliography Bernstein, Susan Naomi. “Writing and White Privilege: Beyond Basic Skills.” Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture 4.1 (2004): 128-31. Evaluating the relationship between white, middle-class privilege and both standardized testing and standard conventions of writing, Bernstein offers a classroom strategy for underprivileged students (either from racial or class position or both) to counter the negative effects of academic standards in relegating them to remedial positions in order to acquire basic writing skills before being granted access to the university at large. Encouraging her students to explore their previous educational experiences related to both testing and writing through a workshop format, as well as to evaluate their own imaginative writing and the reading of creative texts, Bernstein found that these can be used as means of critical resistance to their remedial designations. Ultimately, though, she concludes that it is not the student’s responsibility alone to resist relegation but also educators as well, who need to address and seek to resolve the conditions that produce “basic writers” even before their arrival at the university, and this, according to the author, will produce an awareness and restructuring of white privilege in determining academic success. Campbell, Kermit E. “ ‘Real Niggaz’s Don’t Die’: African American Students Speaking...

Words: 2695 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Education

...Summary: "Our Biracial President," by James Hannaham In the essay "Our Biracial President," James Hannaham explains that the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States will be seen as a victory against racism around the world and will create hope for new beginnings. He goes on to say that this President will prove to Americans as well as to people from all over the globe that they can look to hope that they too can acheive their dreams if they work hard enough. Hannaham claims that the Obama's Presidency will utimately help to erase the social disapproval against people of African descent such as slavery because others can point to Obama and his accomplishments and feel as if there is hope. While it is a sign to all humanity that the United States is moving forward, this is certainly not the end to all racism. But a sign of hope that is to come in our future. The writer mentions that some doubted that Obama would be elected because he didn't have much experience and that perhaps America wasn't quite ready for such a drastic change as having a black President. The truth is, he has done so many great things for America's image around the world. We see Obama's face on bootlegged T-shirts and his election alone has served as a rescue to the opionions of America's ability to move forward. Hannaham offers that Obama is not to be compared to Malcolm X, he is not even Kanye West, and the motorcade that he rolls up to the White House will not include a thumping...

Words: 572 - Pages: 3