Black Nationalism

2403 Words5 Pages

Throughout history, African Americans have encountered an overwhelming amount of obstacles for justice and equality. You can see instances of these obstacles especially during the 1800’s where there were various forms of segregation and racism such as the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan terrorism, Jim- Crow laws, voting restrictions. These negative forces asserted by societal racism were present both pre and post slavery. Although blacks were often seen as being a core foundation for the creation of society and what it is today, they never were given credit for their work although forced. This was due to the various laws and social morals that were sustained for over 100 years throughout the United States. However, what the world didn’t know was that African Americans were a strong ethnic group and these oppressions and suffrage enabled African Americans for greatness. It forced African Americans to constantly have to explore alternative routes of intellectuality, autonomy and other opportunities to achieve the “American Dream” especially after the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed after the Civil War. This type of integration that they pursued helped them realize their full potential and created their political self-determination, which dates back to as far as the 18th century at the African Methodist Episcopal Church by Richard Allen. The question is, is how did they do it? Who stood up for them? How did African Americans overcome the epochs of oppression? In this paper I will examine the answer, Black Nationalism, its advocates and additional sources, which it was comprised of. The precursor which led to Black Nationalism was the Harlem Renaissance which was an era of new beginning for African Americans through expl... ... middle of paper ... ...tury. New York: New York University Press. 5.) History of the Black Panther Party. (n.d.). History of the Black Panther Party. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from http://www.stanford.edu/group/blackpanthers/history.shtml 6.) NAACP: 100 Years of History. (n.d.). NAACP. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from http://www.naacp.org/pages/naacp-history 7.) Price, M. T. (2009). Dreaming blackness: black nationalism and African American public opinion. New York: New York University Press. 8.) Reconstruction and after. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/67474/African-Americans/285189/Reconstruction-and-after 9.) Smallwood, A. (n.d.). Black Nationalism and the Call for Black Power. African World Press. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from http://www.rcgd.isr.umich.edu/prba/perspectives/fall1999/asmallwood.pdf

Open Document