Order ID:89JHGSJE83839 | Style:APA/MLA/Harvard/Chicago | Pages:5-10 |
Instructions:
Historical Patterns of the Past Fifty Years Essay Term Paper
The question
Analyze the historical patterns of the past fifty years and consider the voices in the reading selections. Have African Americans of this era achieved their “ancestors’ wildest dreams”? Why or why not?
The basic approach
This essay asks you to do something relatively straightforward, and it also asks you to do something that takes some reflection. The straightforward part is providing a general narrative of African American history from the 1970s through 2020, while assessing the progress of this era, as well as the limits on racial equality. The more intellectually challenging aspect is to decide what constitutes “ancestors’ wildest dreams,” which requires some reflection on the longer patterns of African American history that we have been grappling with this entire semester.
You should be seeking to craft an essay that proves your argument, answering the entire question as specifically as possible.
As usual, try to analyze the words and ideas of African American leaders and thinkers, including the primary sources from the era and the essays inFour Hundred Souls.
Thesis statement
Make sure that your thesis statement, at the end of your first paragraph, answers the essay question as directly and specifically as possible.
Structure
Organize your essay in a logical way that is clear to your reader. Make sure that each paragraph is addressing one key idea that helps reinforce your thesis. Try, in general, to follow a chronological structure, while using each section to address an important theme that proves your argument.
“Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams”
It might help to begin with Keisha Blain’s essay in Four Hundred Souls, which can ground your essay in the question at hand. But when thinking about the long, wide patterns of African American history, there may be no one single way to identify “our ancestors’ wildest dreams.” So be aware that you have some freedom on how you want to define this idea. Whether you answer the question in the affirmative or the negative or something in between, it is very important that your essay prove your argument, based on how you are describing the idea of “ancestors’ wildest dreams.”
The following sections break down this long period into historical chunks, based on the structure of our last four class sessions.
The 1970s
In our class “After Civil Rights,” we considered how this decade illustrated the powerful legacies of the civil rights and Black Power movements, while also reflecting the limits on racial progress, due to structural racism and a conservative backlash.
For some positive legacies, we explored the surge in Black politics, which included the rise of Black mayors, the presence of African Americans in presidential administrations, and the independent politics of the Gary Convention (as illustrated by the Gary Declaration document). Through Barbara Smith’s essay and the Combahee declaration, we also assessed the rise of a vibrant Black feminism. We also considered the Roots phenomenon as an example of the changing Black presence in the American cultural mainstream.
Yet the 1970s also saw limits on Black progress. The Nixon administration slowed down civil rights progress, as illustrated through Supreme Court appointments that shaped school integration and funding, while the Boston Busing Crisis revealed a backlash against integration. Keeanga-Yamhatta Taylor’s essay, “Property,” illustrated one check on African American homeownership and wealth accumulation.
The 1980s
In national politics, the 1980s were dominated by conservatives, with profound implications for African Americans. In the class “Race in the Reagan Era” we examined changes in the Department of Justice and in federal funding to cities and the poor. We read James Forman’s essay on “The War on Drugs,” which detailed its implications for mass incarceration.
Consider the document from Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, who laments the shifting enforcement of affirmative action, with that from his eventual successor Clarence Thomas, who explains his conservative outlook based on his experiences as an African American. Salamishah Tillet’s essay on Anita Hill could be held as an example of this conservatism, but also perhaps as a vehicle of Black feminism.
We also see the significant presence of African Americans in the Democratic Party, as evidenced by Harold Washington’s successful mayoral campaign of 1983 and Jesse Jackson’s presidential runs in 1984 and 1988. We have Jackson’s speech on the Rainbow Coalition as a relevant primary source here. Consider, too, Bakari Kitwana’s essay on hip hop as a type of political awakening.
The 1990s-2000s
In the class “From O.J. to Obama,” we wrestled with the Clinton administration’s stance on race, as the president was popular with African Americans, yet also backed crime and welfare reform bills that hurt the Black poor. Angela Davis’s essay is critical of the Crime Bill’s role in mass incarceration.
We also examined different personalities and flashpoints – from Oprah to O.J. to Cosby to Condoleezza Rice – to consider the diverse nature of African American identity in the 1990s and early 2000s. (Esther Armah’s essay on the Black immigrant also speaks to this issue). When we looked at Hurricane Katrina, we considered its unique impact on the Black poor and the relative indifference of the George W. Bush administration. Finally, we considered the writings of Barack Obama, seeking to understand how he combined his Black identity with a universal appeal in the lead to his election in 2008.
Black History Today
In our last class, we examined Barack Obama’s presidential administration both as a mark of astonishing progress and as an era that spawned an enormous racial backlash. We considered voter suppression efforts (including Karine Jean-Pierre’s essay on the Shelby ruling) in the context of this backlash.
We also sought to contextualize Alicia Garza’s essay on Black Lives Matter and Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “Letter to my son” in the wider history of the well-known flashpoints of racial brutality from 2012 to 2020. You will want to think about how our era of contemporary protest draws on African American history, both in practice and in symbol.
Conclusion
Historical Patterns of the Past Fifty Years Essay Term Paper
RUBRIC |
||||||
Excellent Quality 95-100%
|
Introduction
45-41 points The background and significance of the problem and a clear statement of the research purpose is provided. The search history is mentioned. |
Literature Support 91-84 points The background and significance of the problem and a clear statement of the research purpose is provided. The search history is mentioned. |
Methodology 58-53 points Content is well-organized with headings for each slide and bulleted lists to group related material as needed. Use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance readability and presentation content is excellent. Length requirements of 10 slides/pages or less is met. |
|||
Average Score 50-85% |
40-38 points More depth/detail for the background and significance is needed, or the research detail is not clear. No search history information is provided. |
83-76 points Review of relevant theoretical literature is evident, but there is little integration of studies into concepts related to problem. Review is partially focused and organized. Supporting and opposing research are included. Summary of information presented is included. Conclusion may not contain a biblical integration. |
52-49 points Content is somewhat organized, but no structure is apparent. The use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. is occasionally detracting to the presentation content. Length requirements may not be met. |
|||
Poor Quality 0-45% |
37-1 points The background and/or significance are missing. No search history information is provided. |
75-1 points Review of relevant theoretical literature is evident, but there is no integration of studies into concepts related to problem. Review is partially focused and organized. Supporting and opposing research are not included in the summary of information presented. Conclusion does not contain a biblical integration. |
48-1 points There is no clear or logical organizational structure. No logical sequence is apparent. The use of font, color, graphics, effects etc. is often detracting to the presentation content. Length requirements may not be met |
|||
You Can Also Place the Order at www.collegepaper.us/orders/ordernow or www.crucialessay.com/orders/ordernow
Historical Patterns of the Past Fifty Years Essay Term Paper |
Historical Patterns of the Past Fifty Years Essay Term Paper