Pan Africanism

The purpose of my research paper is to build awareness, which has been disconnected between the two groups. This paper will underline the very basis of the chasms that have caused this disconnect between African-Americans and Africans. Awareness is essential

In 1919, he sailed to France to be an NAACP observer of the Peace Conference (Lewis, 2). While in France he decided to form four Pan-African congresses which failed. Dubois did not gain very much support in his fight for civil rights. He was opposed to the

By going back to one’s roots, the future of developing countries resided in the “development of Africa is one of the most constructive and universally helpful missions” (Locke, 6). This direction was a form of modernization that was an improvement of relationships between African Americans and other races.

Africa faced many serious negative consequences because of imperialism. The resolution of the All African People’s Conference held in Ghana in 1958 said, “...Whereas fundamental human rights… freedom to live a full and abundant life… are denied to Africans through the activities of the Imperialists,” (Document 3). This resolution said that human rights, which are rights entitled to all humans regardless of any difference, were taken away. Because of this, the Africans were made to feel inferior which is not healthy for people and can cause serious consequences like the Africans assimilating to the European culture instead of preserving their rich, diverse culture. Sekou Toure, an African nationalist, had similar ideas, he said, “Our continent possesses tremendous reserves of raw material… with its potential sources of power, give it excellent conditions for industrialization,” (Document 2). So as well as the Africans being stripped of their basic rights

W.E.B DuBois, a well known civil liberties advocate, in his speech, Niagara Movement, illuminates the need for racial equality in America. DuBois’ purpose is to call white Americans to action, as well as highlight the effects of the African American’s white superiors excluding them from simple, constitutionally given, liberties. He adopts an authoritative tone in order to establish a feeling of guilt for the white people who determine the rights given to African-Americans. W.E.B DuBois convinces his audience that African-Americans should become equal on a social, economical and political level, through the use of emotional diction, reasonable ideas and a dominant tone.

For this week’s reading, we read the article “Racialized Discourses and Ethnic Epistemologies” by Gloria Ladson-Billings. The main purpose of this reading is to argue that “there are well-developed system of knowledge, or epistemologies, that stand in contrast to the dominant Euro-American epistemology.” (Denzin and Lincoln P. 399) The author started out the article by arguing the importance of national and racial consciousness. Author Billings pointed out that the Europeans view that the individual’s mind is the origin of knowledge and presence. On the other hand, the African word “Ubuntu” means “I am because we are.” This shows that the African thinks that the idea of humanity is very important and everyone should be treated fairly no matter what racial and ethnic background they are from. These two ideas came out in the mid to late 1960’s, the two different point of views clear choice between hegemony and liberation. Comparing these two various perspectives shows that this is a critical case.

What organizations, ideologies, and leaders did Africans create and engage in the 20th century to promote and advance their liberation?

W.E.B. Dubois was the rivaling civil rights leader during the early 20th century. W.E.B. Dubois believed that through political action and education, full-citizenship of African Americans in America would be achieved. At first, he agreed with Booker T. Washington’s teachings, however through time Dubois realized flaws within Washington’s ideas. Dubois, in “Soul of Black Folk” writes, “The black men of America have a duty to perform, a duty stern and delicate, -- a forward movement to oppose a part of the work of their greatest leader. So far as Mr. Washington peaches

The goal of this organization was to “…work for the abolition of segregation and discrimination in housing, education, employment, voting, and transportation; to oppose racism; and to ensure African Americans their constitutional

Students participate in seminar discussion of excerpted versions of either Dubois’ article “Of the Training of Black Men” or Washington’s “Atlanta Compromise Speech” in order to better understand each man’s beliefs about the best strategy for African Americans to achieve equality at the turn of the century. Students analyze

Through the years we have realized that the African American community has grown and developed. Our communities have come to live in harmony with one another. Although it took a long time for African Americans to get their say in society, they have come to show the world that they deserve their chance. We have learned that we need each other because it brings more color, music, and new ideas into our lives.

In its most recognizable form, the African diaspora refers to the many cultures and societies abroad that exist throughout the world as the result of the historic movement, mostly forced, of native Africans to other parts of the globe. Most specifically, the African diaspora is the blanket term used to represent a confluence of events that led to the forced displacement of millions of innocent people. The term first originated in the 1950s and initial studies focused on the “dispersal of people of

Second, through their art, they wanted to state the social needs and services of African

defined the field as the systematic and critical study of the multidimensional aspects of Black thought and practice in their current and historical unfolding. (Karenga) Robert Harris uses the term Africana Studies and says it is the multidisciplinary analysis of the lives and thought of people of African ancestry on the African continent and throughout the world. (Harris) The focus of the field described by Russell Adams is the experience, problems and the prospects of individuals or groups wherever they may be is Africana. It centers on examining the historical records of Black people in Africa or the western hemisphere. (Adams)Even though there are many ways of titling and describing African American Studies, the overall focus and heart of the field remains the same universally. As Maulana Karenga uses the term social responsibility,

The myth and stereotypes about Africa are not anything new and they are very present in our daily lives and the way Africa is portrayed. For example the reason why many people today think that Africa is bleak land of poverty and diseases is because early writers, historians, and geographers talked about Africa in that way. Because these stereotypes are so readily available, they infiltrate people’s daily thinking. Furthermore this makes people less likely to actually seek to really learn about Africa because they feel that their [inaccurate] suffice for their worldview of Africa. This is in turn leads people completely ignoring anything that contract their already established ideas.