Essay about Black Americans - 2559 Words

Black Americans Black Americans are those persons in the United States who trace their ancestry to members of the Negroid race in Africa. They have at various times in United States history been referred to as African, coloured, Negro, Afro-American, and African-American, as well as black. The black population of the United States has grown from three-quarters of a million in 1790 to nearly 30 million in 1990. As a percentage of the total population, blacks declined from 19.3 in 1790 to 9.7 in 1930. A modest percentage increase has occurred since that time. Over the past 300 and more years in the United States, considerable racial mixture has taken place between persons of African descent and those with other racial backgrounds, mainly†¦show more content†¦Others landed as slaves in the West Indies and were later resold and shipped to the mainland. Slavery in America The earliest African arrivals were viewed in the same way as indentured servants from Europe. This similarity did not long co ntinue. By the latter half of the 17th century, clear differences existed in the treatment of black and white servants. A 1662 Virginia law assumed Africans would remain servants for life, and a 1667 act declared that Baptism do not alter the condition of the person as to his bondage or freedom. By 1740 the SLAVERY system in colonial America was fully developed. A Virginia law in that year declared slaves to be chattel personal in the hands of their owners and possessors . . . for all intents, construction, and purpose whatsoever. In spite of numerous ideological conflicts, however, the slavery system was maintained in the United States until 1865, and widespread antiblack attitudes nurtured by slavery continued thereafter. Prior to the American Revolution, slavery existed in all the colonies. The ideals of the Revolution and the limited profitability of slavery in the North resulted in its abandonment in northern states during the last quarter of the 18th century. At the same time the strength of slavery increased in the South, with the continuing demand for cheap labour by the tobacco growers and cotton farmers of the Southern states. By 1850, 92 percent of allShow MoreRelatedBlack Of Black And Black Americans870 Words   |  4 Pageslife for black people in the United States of America that has always remained consistent is white racial hostility. A history of slavery, segregation, unequal protection of the law, and second class citizenship inflicted by a white power structure that dominates on a national level has created a harmful reality for black people. Every aspect of black public life must either be under the control of or in opposition to white supremacy. Every state-sanctioned institution works to use black bodies asRead MoreThe Violence Of Black Americans Essay1532 Words   |  7 Pagesis evident that Black Americans are un-proportionally living in poverty and without easy access to achievement. This harsh reality is not helped by our media-driv en society. In a world so heavily integrated with mass media hysteria, we scroll past posts that can have the countering effects of degradation or empowerment through our identities. While movements of Black Power can be painted through media, it also not hard to see the difference between the ways in which Black Americans are manipulatedRead MoreBlack Americans And Indian Americans2476 Words   |  10 Pages Black Americans and Indian Americans Institute of affiliation Name Date â€Æ' Abstract This paper explores the cultures of the dominant Indian-American culture and the Black American ethnic communities. Their way of life including their historical pasts, languages, religious ways and social relations will be deeply enumerated. A comparison will be included and similarities and differences drawn between the two groups. The groups will be compared on how they can interact in a professional settingRead MoreThe Black Of African Americans879 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history African Americans have always suffered hatred and have always been rejected by Americans. As of today they are still [being treated like slaves as always ranked lower then rest of the people]*How then do you account for an African-American being the CEO of one of the top global companies?*. â€Å"Going to meet the man† a story by James Baldwin is a great example of how African Americans were treated in late 1900s; how they were used as entertainment for white people and how they wereRead M oreThe Death Of Black Americans1273 Words   |  6 Pagesused following the tragedy of death. Within the past few years, black Americans have been specifically targeted as victims of racial hate crimes. In 2016, more than 250 black Americans were killed by police (Huffington Post). The deaths of black Americans have become an epidemic, one that will have lasting effects on society. One effect is that of the â€Å"Black Lives Matter† movement which was birthed after the murder of an unarmed black teen in Sanford, FL. On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin wasRead MoreThe Dignity Of Black Americans1701 Words   |  7 Pagesdignity of Black Americans is being taken away by the same people who are getting paid by American tax dollars, to protect and serve. Because of this rash of recent deaths, Black Americas have started an initiative to ban together to fight the racial injustice in this country. Black Lives Matter is an organization of American activist who created a grass roots movement to abolish the degradation and demonization of Blacks Americans. This movement formed after the shooting death, of Florida Black AmericanRead MoreThe Inequality Of Black Americans923 Words   |  4 PagesFace Inequality Realism â€Å"Black people can not be racist, prejudice yes but not racist. Racism describes a system of disadvantage based on race. Black people can not be racist, since we can not stand to benefit from such a system,† (Dear White People). In the United States’ society, the oppression of black Americans is ingrained and rooted in history (â€Å"The Oppression†). With our country of immigrants, blacks were bought here by force and were kept as slaves for one-hundred fifty years (â€Å"The Oppression†)Read MoreBlack Americans And The Black Freedom Struggle1372 Words   |  6 PagesMany have thought that the end of the civil war was also the end of the suppression against Black Americans. However, real freedom hasn’t been present to them. Discriminations against Black Americans were transformed and still exist in other aspects. The life of a Black American was planned before he or she was born, not much freedom in their hands. Black American experience dis advantage and discrimination in many different institutions that all prove the existence of Neocolonialism. From housingRead MoreThe Diversity Of Black Americans1402 Words   |  6 PagesDiversity is now, more than ever before, at the forefront of the American conversation. Black people have been slowly but surely making gains in today’s society and in ways that were not possible before. African Americans are more educated and more affluent, and more important as consumers than ever before. By 2017, they are expected to have a spending power of 1.3 trillion dollars (Resilient, 2013). Young, influential, and brand loyal, this group should be the target of many companies. InterestinglyRead MoreThe American Dream And The Black American Reality908 Words   |  4 Pagesthe ideals of the American Dream through her characters: Walter, who embodies the quest for an opportunity for prosperity, Beneatha who wants the freedom to be herself and embrace her African heritage, and Lena (M ama) who buys a home in a white neighborhood pushing the boundaries of social mobility during that time. The Youngers are in a state of poverty, because of this as suggested by Lloyd Brown â€Å"their deprivations expose the gap between the American Dream and the Black American reality† (241).