Black StudiesBlack studies is defined as the study of African-Americans, their culture, and contributions to society. Black studies covers aspect of the institution of slavery and progression of segregation in post-civil war United States. Likewise, the African-Americans had triumphed throughout these perilous times. African-American leaders began to emerge and create movements that would establish a Black identity; some of these movements include the Black Arts Movement, The Nation of Islam, Civil Rights Movement, Black Power Movement, and the Black Nationalist Movement/ Universal Negro Improvement Association.
The Black Nationalist Movement was one of the most groundbreaking movements of Black history. This movement was a political and social movement which promoted the education and political recognition of black Americans.[1] Some people have traced this movement Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. This association sought to gain economic power and incorporate blacks into the idea of a community.
Likewise, The Black Nationalist Movement under Gravey’s leadership was primarily based to enhance the life of African-Americans. This movement had two core values which were black pride and racial separatism, ideally Gravey wanted African-Americans completely separate from white society. Judging by what caused these movements they accurately represent responses from a hostile white society. I take reference from a book titled the Production of the Afro-American where it reads “black nationalists maintain that in order for Afro-Americans to liberate themselves from oppression, some degree of autonomy from the dominant society is essential.” Marcus Garvey strongly believed that this separation would allow for blacks to take control of their communities, maintain economic stability, and promote peaceful living environments. [2]
In addition, while looking at the Black Nationalist Movement we must not forget the movement of the Nation of Islam by Malcolm X. This movement was a religious movement that captivated hundreds and thousands of African-Americans, so much that they converted to the religious Islamic practice. During this movement the Nation of Islam taught Muslim beliefs, created black businesses and schools, and rehabilitated former drug addicts into their former functional selves[3]. These participants of this movement were perceived to be the conscious of blacks and ones who would help blacks to achieve some form of success. Many people began to follow this movement because to some it is because of the Nation of Islam that they got their lives back and enjoyed life as they did before drugs.
In contrast, this movement became under fire when the Civil Rights Movement began by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Civil Rights Movement was a movement of protests and political action by thousands of American citizens. The start of such a monumental movement has been attributed to Rosa Parks a woman whom refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This is the spark that had lead to one of the biggest boycotts in American history.[4] These boycotts would lead to certain businesses economic demise since there would not be any protestor’s patronizing their businesses. This movement is known for being a non-violent movement. Police would resort to inhumane methods of crowd control by hosing people down and attacking them with dogs, yet the protestors stood their strong waiting for their voice to be heard.
Lastly, the Black Power movement was a movement started by the Black Panthers. This movement was hailed as the positive force that helped blacks achieve full equality with whites. This movement installed a since of racial pride, self-esteem, and promotion of political participation.[5] The Black Power movement encouraged individuals to instill racial pride and unity. It is from this movement that the Black Art Movement occurred where young black poets, authors, and visual artists found their voices and shared those voices with others. This movement sought out a black audience.
It is through these different movements that the emergence of Black Studies emerged. The objective is to analyze the economic and political reason for slavery in America, provide valuable information regarding blacks and their lives in America. In addition to providing the role of geography plays a role in determining slavery and its effects on the world.
Ancient Kemet played a major role in World History since it established one of the first educational systems the world has ever seen. Egyptian believed that their purpose in life was to live and become a God, this created a society that is heavily based on its divinity. Formal education was one way Egyptians used to attain life’s purpose. Kemet’s scholars taught the Seven Liberal Arts in the Mystery Schools to liberate the person’s soul from its body, which would allow the student to ultimately reach the level of Spiritual Consciousness. Education was to bring out and develop the “good” or “divine” already inside a person. For example, Studying Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic, for example, would remove a person’s “irrational tendencies of behavior” because these subjects were conveyors for moral development. [6]
The legacy of Egypt is debated because it flourished around 3000 B.C. which is inconceivable to those who view Jerusalem as the start of civilization. In addition to this, the idea the Africans began and maintained one of the most advanced civilizations on the planet seems inconceivable. This starts a debate which has lasted hundreds of years .The Kemet tradition naturally belongs to the blacks.[7] We were here before the colonization of Egypt and therefore the land quite naturally belongs to the Africans. During this time the whites came and occupied this land which they exploited for their own goods since it has close proximity to the Nile River.
It is important to study Ancient Egypt and Classical African Civilizations be integrated into African-American studies since it is an ancient civilization in Africa. Egypt should not be taken out of studies because it was originally Kemet which is a part of Africa, there has only been a name change. The contributions of this people and their society should still be noted in African-American studies. This helps in establishing a foundation in African-American studies; it allows us to see exactly what our people had to endure and the hardships that we had to endure. Without doing so the history of African-Americans will remain untold, this creates a perception of partial truths. The complete history of African-Americans should be explored.
The purpose of both of these compromises were to stop the spreading of slavery, although they had similar motives their methods could not be any different. By 1818, the state of Missouri had gained enough population to be entered into the Union. Due to its settlers coming from the South it was expected that Missouri would become a slave state. [8] In 1819, Representative James Tallradge proposed an amendment to ban slavery in Missouri, which is what the South’s economy was based upon. It is through Sen. Henry Clay this compromise was created. The Missouri Compromise stipulated that all the Louisiana Purchase territory north of the southern boundary of Missouri, except Missouri, would be free, and the territory below that line would be slave.
In opposition, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was created. The act was created when Senator Stephen Douglas wanted to build a transcontinental railway which had to pass through the Nebraska. Douglas suggested that the territory become two states, Nebraska entering as a free state and Kansas deciding by popular sovereignty. [9]This nullified the Missouri Compromise entirely however the South agreed. People in the North against the expansion of slavery paid for people to move to Kansas and vote against slavery. This angered the South and resulted in Southerners crossing the border on voting day to vote in for slavery. Violence erupted and a civil war broke out in 'bleeding Kansas'.[10] This can be called the spark of the Civil War since it successfully put the Northerners and the Southerners at war with each other.
[1] Gordon, Dexter. Black Identity: Rhetoric, Ideology, and Nineteenth-Century Black Nationalism (Southern Illinois Univerisity Press, 2003), 37
[2] Gordon, Dexter. Black Identity: Rhetoric, Ideology, and Nineteenth-Century Black Nationalism (Southern Illinois Univerisity Press, 2003), 39
[3]PBS. “The Story of the Movement-The Nation of Islam and Malcolm X”. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/story/11_noi.html (accessed March 11, 2010)
[4] Levy, Peter. The Civil Rights (London: Greenwood Press Westport, 1998) 127
[5] James McEvoy and Abraham Miller. Black Power and Student Rebellion. (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 1969), 233
[6] Suite101. Ancient Kemet’s World View. Suite 101. http://africanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/ancient_kemets_world_view (accessed March 13, 2010)
[7] Henderson, Anthony. Afrocentrism and World Politics: Towards a New Paradigm. (Wesport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1995), 89
[8] Jones, Charles. Missouri: The Heart of the Nation. (Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson Publishing, 2004), 110
[9] Goodrich, Thomas. War to knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861. (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press., 2004), 42
[10] Civil War. Secession Crisis. http://civilwar.bluegrass.net/secessioncrisis/200303.html (accessed March 14, 2010)
[6] Suite101. Ancient Kemet’s World View. Suite 101. http://africanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/ancient_kemets_world_view (accessed March 13, 2010)
[7] Henderson, Anthony. Afrocentrism and World Politics: Towards a New Paradigm. (Wesport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1995), 89
[8] Jones, Charles. Missouri: The Heart of the Nation. (Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson Publishing, 2004), 110
[9] Goodrich, Thomas. War to knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861. (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press., 2004), 42
[10] Civil War. Secession Crisis. http://civilwar.bluegrass.net/secessioncrisis/200303.html (accessed March 14, 2010)
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