Opposition to the End of Black History Thesis - 2418 Words

Seongwu Han ‘12 African American History II Mr. Williams 2009/06/07 hans@carleton.edu Opposition to the End of Black History Thesis The election of Barack Obama as the president of the United States surprised Americans as much as it did the world. The first African American and non-white to be in the White House, Barack Obama symbolized a major historical event, another step-forward toward racial equality in the history of America. Civil rights activists, experts in the racial conflict of the U.S., and many liberal citizens believed that Obama’s election means the realization of the ideas of black civil rights leaders, the completion of the Civil Rights Movement, the beginning of a post-racial society, and the downfall of†¦show more content†¦To Garvey, Obama would be seen as a half-independent leader with a trace of ‘the slave spirit of dependence.’ Another important figure in African American history that would raise objections to the end-of-black-history thesis is Ella Baker, an influential grassroots organizer of the mid 20th century. Ella Baker was a very different figure from many charismatic black male leaders who received national attention and coverage from media. She was a community organizer that helped common people to stand up effectively for a common cause. Her strong belief that ‘people had to learn to lead themselves’ and disgust of ‘hero worship’ made her remain as an ‘outsider within’ in organizations such NAACP and SCLC although she had done a considerable amount to contribute to both. Baker’s concept of leadership was a group-centered one that could help individuals with the goal of betterment of the public grow into ‘being responsible for carrying out a program.’ Also, Baker believed that group-centered leadership is much more beneficial in working to ward racial uplift than individual-centered leadership because charismatic leaders are susceptible to corruption, tend not to identify with people and remain above, become idolized, and encourage disaffection of community leaders from the struggle for racial equality. Such strong skepticism of individual leadership and Baker’s faith in the power of grassroots activities played a major role in her characterizing AfricanShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Kevin Boyle s Arc Of Justice1585 Words   |  7 Pagestreatment inflicted on the African American community following the civil war and continuing into the 1900’s by following a black doctor’s life and his controversy in equality. The author sets the scene in the booming city of Detroit, a place many blacks ventured to when trying to escape the cruelty Jim Crow Laws forced upon many African Americans. 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While the witches in Macbeth are simply characters of the story, they also are an indicator of a cultural aspect of the 16th century that played a major role in the makeup of the history and lifestyle at the time, witchcraft. The idea and practice of witchcraft was a cultural presence during the time of Shakespeare which overall was viewed in a negative light by the people of the time, affecting not only their e veryday lifestyle, but also played a major role in influencing history in bothRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Revolution By Jack Rakove1057 Words   |  5 Pages by Jack Rakove published in 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, which is located in New York city, New York, brings a collection of stories of the ‘founding fathers’ together to create the story of the American Revloution. 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The two very differing opinions on Lincoln will be analyzed to h ighlight the facts of each argument. During Lincoln’s presidency (1861-1865)