The novel "Black Boy," written by Richard Wright takes you back in the deepsouth of Jackson, Mississippi where whites attempted to tame into submission blacks byhard discipline. It seemed that the more Richard had gained in life, the more he was hurt. Richard was alienated from his environment, eve...

In Master Harold and the Boys, written by Athol Fugard, and 5th Avenue, Uptown: A letter from Harlem, by James Baldwin, many issues concerning the effects of racism are brought to our attention. Both authors express many of the same concerns, but express their ideas quite differently. Fugard expres...

Black Boy and the "American Hunger" Since the beginning of time there has been hunger. When a person thinks about hunger, the first thing that comes to their mind is food. We never think of the word hunger as having any another meaning. In Richard Wright's book entitled "Black Boy (A...

Autobiography/Biography: Black Boy The novel "Black Boy," written by Richard Wright takes you back in the deep south of Jackson, Mississippi where whites attempted to tame into submission blacks by hard discipline. It seemed that the more Richard had gained in life, the more he was h...

Malcolm X was a very powerful influential man in his time, as well as today. Malcolm Little, from the moment he was born, was influenced by racism. He had to endure its devastating effects his entire life and eventually, as he predicted, it was the end of him. The day Malcolm Little was born he was ...

Society is constructed into a hierarchy of social classes; poverty is what separates the social classes apart. The elite rich are at the top of this hierarchy, at the center are the middle-income families, and at the bottom are the low-income families and homeless. Traditionally the rich exploit...

1. Introduction What is Black English? Is it English spoken with an African accent or is it just sloppy speech spoken by people who are unable to learn the correct way to use English? Does Black English have a grammar? In this essay, I will not only go into this controversial discussion, but also ...

A unique cultural identity is essentially determined by the differences between characteristics and traits with the norms of other cultural groups. It allows the individual within that culture to share many of their common ideologies and traditions, providing a feeling of belonging and self worth. J...

14/05/72. The lustrous light blinded Jamul. He tried to open his eyes but was having great difficulty. Suddenly he heard the patter of two little feet venturing towards his bedroom door. He waited anxiously for his customary wake up call. A soft, warm kiss was placed upon his forehead. "Mornin...

Throughout the history of literature, authors have told their readers of the time periods they have lived in and also they have reflected parts of their own character. One major style that has been effectively used in this manner is poetry. The style of poetry was greatly made of use during the Harl...

Down Goes Hurston The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's is a great time for black artists; it is a rebirth of art, music, books and poetry. In Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie, the protagonist, is treated kindly for a black women. She does not go through t...

The myth of a "classless" American society coupled with social stratification impedes race relations in the U.S. far more than any racial differences. The never ending struggle of the "have-nots" to become one of the "haves" produces a frustration and feeling of oppression that acts as a catalys...

A good book is one that you cannot quit thinking about. For days after you finish it you will catch yourself daydreaming about it. That is what The Bluest Eye did to me. I can\'t say that I liked the novel, because I didn\'t. It left me with an empty horrified feeling in the pit of my stomach; a rea...

We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal." Thomas Jefferson wrote these immortal words in the Declaration of Independence in 1776. One has the right to impose the question "Are we truly equal?" simply by taking a look at American society. Presently, the United ...

Blinded by Hatred The Searchers, filmed in 1956, is considered to be a true masterpiece of American filmmaking. Filled with beautiful images of Monument Valley, its secluded open spaces capture the beauty and the isolating danger of the frontier. This movie tells the emotionally compe...

Throughout the novel, Native Son, Richard Wright illustrates the ways in which white racism forces blacks into a pressured, dangerous state of mind. Blacks are beset with the hardship of economic oppression and forced to act subserviently before their oppressors. Given such conditions, it becomes ...

When you hear the word quicksand the image of a damsel in distress comes to mind. You imagine her as she steps unconsciously into what could be considered a natural trap. This natural trap quickly and effortlessly encloses her. This same underlining scenario happens over and over again in Nella Lars...

The way of life in Africa especially that of African women have a strong bearing on the way they are presented African literature. African writers have had different experiences and have all from these obtained their own personal perceptions of what it means to be a woman in Africa and have reflect...

A Strong Woman is Outcast Melody Carter Women in 20th Cen. Lit. Prof. Fiona Paton Paper 2- Nov 10, 2000 In the novel Sula, by Toni Morrison we follow the life of Sula Peace through out her childhood in the twenties until her death in 1941. The novel surrounds the black co...

Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was born under the name Marguerite Johnson, but her brother, Baily, renamed her Maya. Her parents, Baily and Vivian Baxter Johnson, got divorced when she was very young. Maya grew up in a very racist town. There were many problems in...

Da Bluez From years 1505 to 1870, the world underwent the largest forced migration in history. West Africa was soon to be convulsed by the arrival of Europeans and become the advent of the transatlantic slave trade. Ships from Europe, bound for America, appeared on the horizon, and their captains...

This book "Down These Mean Streets" is a classic confessional autobiography. This book was first published in 1967. It was written by Piri Thomas, he was a man of African descent living in Spanish Harlem. It relates how he was lost even within his own family and his identity th...

Throughout the history of the world slavery and racism have existed in many societies. This has held especially true in Africa and Southern Africa. Even when the self deemed \"more civilized\" Europeans began to settle in Africa, black men and women continued to be treated as property and less than ...

Professor Jim Gray of Sonoma State University defines culture as a means of survival. Going by this definition of culture the evolution of black humor has definitely been a foundation in the survival of the comedy in America. This paper will be a discussion of how African American Humor has evolve...

In the period after Reconstruction the position of African Americans in southern American society steadily deteriorated. After 1877 the possibilities of advancements for African Americans disappeared almost completely. African Americans experienced a loss of voting rights and political power creat...