Bessie Coleman, the child of a southern, African American family, had become one of the most widely know women and African Americans in history. "Brave Bessie", as she had become known for, encountered the double hardship of racial and gender prejudice in early 20th-century but, she conquered many challenges and became the first African American woman to acquire a pilot's license. She not only enthused crowds with her talents as a barnstormer, but she has become a great inspiration for the women and African Americans. Her being in the air threatened contemporary stereotypes. She also disputed segregation when she could by taking advantage her impact as a celebrity to make a change, no matter how little. The Coleman family, like majority African Americans who resided in the Deep South among the early 20th century, encounter a lot of troubles and hardships. Bessie's family dealt with segregation, and racial animosity. Because of such difficulties, Bessie's father made a decision to move their family to the Indian Territory in Oklahoma. He conceived they could make a more desirable living for them there. Bessie's mother, didn't want to live in the Indian reservation and choose to stay in Waxahachie. Bessie, and a few of her sisters, also decided to stay in Texas. Bessie was a very determined person. In spite of working long hours, she still manged to find time to educate herself by getting books. Even though she couldn't attend school all the time, Bessie learned a good amount on her own enough to graduate high school. She then began on to study at a Colored Agricultural and Normal University in Langston, Oklahoma. However, because of her constrained budget, she only went for one semester of college. Bessie first contempl... ... middle of paper ... ... Bessie Coleman's made a big impact on the aviation history, and in particular African Americans, had became apparent after her death. Bessie Coleman Aero Clubs sprang up throughout the country. On Labor Day, 1931, Aero clubs promoted the first all-African American Air Expedition , which attracted around 15,000 people. The same year, a group of African American pilots set up an annual flyover of Coleman's grave at the Lincoln Cemetery in Chicago. Bessie Coleman's name also had began to appear on buildings in Harlem. In spite of her relatively short career, Bessie Coleman challenged early 20th century stereotypes of white supremacy and the disqualification of women. When she became the first African American female pilot, and performing all over the country, she proved that people did not have to be tied down by their gender or the color to succeed their dreams.
Further, throughout the book, Sadie and Bessie continuously reminds the reader of the strong influence family life had on their entire lives. Their father and mother were college educated and their father was the first black Episcopal priest and vice principal at St. Augustine Co...
Sojourner set out on her mission, to educate all people on the subject of slavery, and became a very powerful speaker. She became an influential speaker for women’s rights, as well for the abolishment of slavery all over the country. She became famous for being the first black women to speak out against slavery.
Women, who made things possible for the African American after the Civil War, were Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth. They both were born into slavery. Harriet Tubman was also called Moses, because of her good deeds. She helped free hundreds of slaves using the underground railroads, and she helped them join the Union Army. She helped nurse the wounded soldiers during the war, as well as worked as a spy. She was the first African American to win a court case and one of the first to end segregation. Tubman was famous for her bravery. Sojourner Truth is known for her famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman”. She spoke out about the rights women should be allowed to have, and that no matter the race or gender, everybody was equal. Those women made things possible for the black people during that time. They were the reason many slaves were set free when the Civil War ended.
Like the Blues women, Simone expands ideas pertaining to self-expression, identity and beauty as they relate to black women. She does this by embracing what is definitively African American and connecting that to a historical context. By doing so, she is the embodiment of a political statement. Her journey, which began like many entertainers, detoured and then collided with one of the most pivotal periods in American history.... ... middle of paper ...
Throughout her career Ida achieved more than anyone thought was possible for an African American women during that time. However, it was not an easy process. Ida faced many hardships throughout her career including, racial discrimination, gender discrimination, and hate from the people she fought against. Ida faced all her problems head on which is a major reason for her success. She continued to persevere even when everyone seemed to be against her. She never took no for an answer and always worked hard till she accomplished her goals. Everyone knew and still knows Ida as a hard worker, determined to fight for the rights of her and others around her. Ida died in Chicago on March 25th of 1931 but her legacy continues to live on.
People have always been divided or classified into two simple categories, male or female. Many of them may have heard at some point in their lives the ongoing discussion of feminism, but not all have taken a deep look at what has been done and has happened for everybody to have reached such level that women like men are viewed in most and many ways equal. Amelia Earhart was a person that changed and proved the ability, responsibility, and equality of women. Amelia Earhart's expedition across the Atlantic Ocean affected many women's lives because it allowed her to keep doing what she had always desired, she became a role model for other women, and she changed society's perspective of women.
Ida B Wells took up the mantle against lynching; Ruby Bridges tackled segregation in schools; Oprah Winfrey toppled the pro-white, pro-male entertainment industry. All three of these women go beyond being heroines. They are African-American community; they even go beyond being Mississippi heroines. They are American heroines. Do to their efforts, lynching in Mississippi and the south tapered dramatically, schools in Louisiana were desegregated, and the world has come to know a powerful and generous African-American and female multibillionaire.
However, there was a white club who went against black people. The federal also went against black people, and it back again when black people as subordinates. Ida Wells on her 22 years, she experienced an injustice situation of black people while she ride in a train. She did not keep quite for this situation, but she won for this case and she got some money. What she done was celebrate with all black people around the world. However, the federal refused, and she write down her story and published it through local newspaper and black people’s newspapers. Since then, she found her meaning of her life as journalist. She wrote about racism and
Earhart is primarily commemorated for an attempted flight around the world that she never completed. The reason for this is because of the mystery of her never being seen again, but people after her time did not realize her further important revolutionary acts. Earhart was a feminist by actions, rather than words. “Throughout her career Earhart represented the modern woman using technology as a means to liberate herself from social constraints” (American Decades n. pag.). The author stated that Earhart was using the technology of airplanes to be reduced from stress brought onto women. Earhart later realized she could use her flight talent to support women’s rights. She went out to prove to men that women could equally do the same jobs by breaking records flying planes. Earhart wanted to be preeminent to men:
Booker T. Washington named her, “one of the most progressive and successful women of our race.” Walker demanded respect from men, and encouraged women not to rely on their husbands, but to become independent. She’s inspired so many people with her willingness and ambition to be successful. She encouraged black women to develop their own natural beauty and self-confidence and to love themselves. She wanted her people to pursue their dreams and to not limit themselves to what they can accomplish.
While Bessie was young, and her older brothers and sisters started to work in the fields, Bessie took on some new responsibilities. She would now look after her sisters, and sometimes even help her mother in the garden. Bessie started school when she was six years old and walked four miles to school everyday. In school, she was very intelligent and excelled at math. Then, in 1901, when Bessie was nine, her life changed dramatically, her father George Coleman left his family. It was said that he was tired of the racial barriers that existed, and so he returned to Oklahoma (Indian Territory as it was called then) to search for better opportunities. When he was unable to convince his family to come with him, he left Susan and his family. Shortly thereafter, her older brothers also moved out, leaving Susan with four girls under the age of nine. This caused Susan to have to get a job, which she found very soon. She became a housekeeper for Mr. and Mrs. Jones, who allowed Susan to still live at home, and they would also give her food and other handed-down clothing. Since her mother was now at work, Bessie took on the responsibility of acting as a mother and a housekeeper. Every year at the cotton harvest, Bessie’s routine was changed because she now had to go out into the field and pick cotton for her family to be able to survive. This continued on until Bessie was twelve, and this was when she was accepted into the Missionary Baptist Church, where she completed all of her eight grades.
Known as the “Empress Of Blues”, Bessie Smith was said to have revolutionized the vocal end of Blues Music. She showed a lot of pride as an independent African-American woman. Her style in performance and lyrics often reflected her lifestyle. Bessie Smith was one of the first female jazz artists, and she paved the way for many musicians who followed.
...hart was a strong, determined feminist and icon in the history of women’s aviation due to her transatlantic flights and other great achievements, her attempted world flight and other demonstrations of will, and finally because of the way she was represented by society and herself. Earhart continuously showed throughout her life her passion for women’s equality and particularly the fact that women could be even more daring, courageous, and adventurous than men. She wanted to go higher than anyone had before and would not rest until she was satisfied. Earhart was a woman whose only passion was for freedom, happiness, and equality. Her dream continues to be an inspiration for women even today. She dared to look to the future and fought until the end of her life to create a world worth living in. To quote Earhart herself,
African American women have come a long way. In the 1940s, women were treated as second-class citizens and Blacks faced discrimination everywhere they looked. They were not taught to be proud of being Black (Dressier, 1985). They had a hard time going to school. Black children were not taught Black history. African Americans were not able to have a sense of pride about themselves or their culture (Farley & Allen, 1987).