Harlem Renaissance Women Dreaming in Color

You may have heard of Zora Neale Hurston or Bessie Smith—but do you know of Georgia Douglas Johnson? Augusta Savage? Nella Larsen? These—and dozens more—were women of the Harlem Renaissance. Calling Dreams The right to make my dreams come trueI ask, nay, I demand of life,Nor shall fates deadly contrabandImpede my steps, nor countermand.Too long my heart against the groundHas beat the dusty years around,And now, at length, I rise, I wake!And stride into the morning break!Georgia Douglas Johnson, 1922 The Context It was the early twentieth century, and for a new generation of African Americans, the world had changed tremendously compared to the world of their parents and grandparents. Slavery had ended in America more than half a century earlier. While African Americans still faced tremendous economic and social obstacles in both the northern and southern states, there were more opportunities than there had been. After the Civil War (and beginning slightly earlier in the North), education for black Americans—and black and white women—had become more common. Many were still not able to attend or complete school, but a substantial few were able to attend and complete not only elementary or secondary school, but college. In these years, professional education slowly began to open up to blacks and women. Some black men became professionals: physicians, lawyers, teachers, businessmen. Some black women also found professional careers, often as teachers or librarians. These families, in turn, saw to the education of their daughters. When black soldiers returned to the United States from fighting in World War I, many hoped for an opening of opportunity. Black men had contributed to the victory; surely, America would now welcome these men into full citizenship. In this same period black Americans began moving out of the rural South and into the cities and towns of the industrial North, in the first years of the Great Migration. They brought black culture with them: music with African roots and story-telling. The general U.S. culture began adopting elements of that black culture  as its own. This adoption (and often-uncredited appropriation) was evidenced clearly in the new Jazz Age. Hope was slowly rising for many African Americans—though discrimination, prejudice, and closed doors on account of race and sex were by no means eliminated. In the early twentieth century, it seemed more worthwhile and possible to challenge those injustices: Perhaps the injustices could indeed be undone, or at least eased. Harlem Renaissance Flowering In this environment, music, fiction, poetry, and art in African American intellectual circles experienced a flowering that came to be called the Harlem Renaissance. This Renaissance, like the European Renaissance, included both an advancement of new art forms, while simultaneously going back to roots. This double motion generated tremendous creativity and action. The period was named for Harlem because the cultural explosion was centered in this neighborhood of New York City. Harlem was predominantly peopled by African Americans, more of whom were daily arriving from the South. The creative flowering reached other cities, though Harlem remained at the center of the more experimental aspects of the movement. Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and to a lesser extent Chicago were other northern U.S. cities with large established black communities with enough educated members to dream in color too. The NAACP, founded by white and black Americans to further the rights of colored people, established its journal Crisis, edited by W. E. B. Du Bois. Crisis took on the political issues of the day affecting black citizens. And Crisis also published fiction and poetry, with Jessie Fauset as the literary editor. The Urban League, another organization working to serve city communities, published Opportunity. Less explicitly political and more consciously cultural, Opportunity was published by Charles Johnson; Ethel Ray Nance served as his secretary. The political side of Crisis was complemented by the conscious striving for a black intellectual culture: poetry, fiction, art that reflected the new race consciousness of The New Negro. The new works addressed the human condition as African Americans experienced it—exploring love, hope, death, racial injustice, dreams. Who Were the Women? Most of the well-known figures of the Harlem Renaissance were men: W.E.B. DuBois, Countee Cullen, and Langston Hughes are names known to most serious students of American history and literature today. And, because many opportunities that had opened up for black men had also opened up for women of all colors, African American women too began to dream in color—to demand that their view of the human condition be part of the collective dream. Jessie Fauset  not only edited the literary section of  The Crisis,  but she also hosted evening gatherings for prominent black intellectuals in Harlem: artists, thinkers, writers. Ethel Ray Nance and her roommate  Regina Anderson  also hosted gatherings in their home in New York City. Dorothy Peterson, a teacher, used her fathers Brooklyn home for literary salons. In Washington, D.C.,  Georgia Douglas Johnsons freewheeling jumbles were Saturday night happenings for black writers and artists in that city. Regina Anderson  also arranged for events at the Harlem public library where she served as an assistant librarian. She read new books by exciting black authors and wrote up and distributed digests to spread interest in the works. These women were integral parts of the Harlem Renaissance for the many roles they played. As organizers, editors, and decision-makers, they helped publicize, support, and thus shape the movement. But women also participated more directly. Indeed Jessie Fauset did much to facilitate the work of other artists: She was the literary editor of  The Crisis,  she hosted salons in her home, and she arranged for the first publication of work by the poet Langston Hughes. But Fauset also wrote articles and novels herself. She not only shaped the movement from the outside, but was an artistic contributor to the movement herself. The larger circle of women in the movement included writers like Dorothy West and her younger cousin,  Georgia Douglas Johnson,  Hallie Quinn,  and  Zora Neale Hurston; journalists like  Alice Dunbar-Nelson  and Geraldyn Dismond; artists like  Augusta Savage  and Lois Mailou Jones; and singers like Florence Mills,  Marian Anderson,  Bessie Smith, Clara Smith, Ethel Waters, Billie Holiday, Ida Cox, and Gladys Bentley. Many of these artists addressed not only race issues, but  gender  issues, as well—exploring what it was like to live as a black woman. Some addressed cultural issues of passing or expressed the fear of violence or the barriers to full economic and social participation in American society. Some celebrated black culture—and worked to creatively develop that culture. Nearly forgotten are a few white women who also were part of the Harlem Renaissance, as writers, patrons, and supporters.  We know more about the black men like W.E.B. du Bois and white men like Carl Van Vechten, who supported black women artists of the time, than about the white women who were involved. These included the wealthy dragon lady Charlotte Osgood Mason, writer Nancy Cunard, and Grace Halsell, journalist. Ending the Renaissance The Depression made literary and artistic life more difficult in general, even as it hit black communities harder economically than it hit white communities. White men were given even more preference when jobs became scarce. Some of the Harlem Renaissance figures looked for better-paying, more secure work. America grew less interested in African American art and artists, stories and story-tellers. By the 1940s, many of the creative figures of the Harlem Renaissance were already being forgotten by all but a few scholars specializing narrowly in the field. Rediscovery? Alice Walkers rediscovery of  Zora Neale Hurston  in the 1970s helped turn public interest back towards this fascinating group of writers, male and female. Marita Bonner was another nearly-forgotten writer of the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. She was a Radcliffe graduate who wrote in many of the black periodicals in the period of the Harlem Renaissance, publishing more than 20 stores and some plays.  She died in 1971, but her work was not collected until 1987. Today, scholars are working on finding more of the works of the Harlem Renaissance and rediscovering more artists and writers. The works found are a reminder not only of the creativity and vibrancy of those women and men who participated—but theyre also a reminder that the work of creative people can be lost, even if not explicitly suppressed, if the race or the sex of the person is the wrong one for the time. The women of the Harlem Renaissance—except perhaps for Zora Neale Hurston—have been more neglected and forgotten than their male colleagues, both then and now. To get acquainted with more of these impressive women, visit the  biographies of Harlem Renaissance women. Sources Beringer McKissack, Lisa. Women of the Harlem Renaissance.  Compass Point Books, 2007.Kaplan, Carla. Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance. Harper Collins, 2013.Roses, Lorraine Elena, and Ruth Elizabeth Randolph. Harlem Renaissance and Beyond: Literary Biographies of 100 Black Women Writers 1900–1945. Harvard University Press,1990.Wall, Cheryl A. Women of the Harlem Renaissance.   Indiana University Press, 1995.

The Social Issue Of Homelessness - 1138 Words

Homelessness Catherine Vivi ABS 497 Applied Behavioral Sciences Capstone Instructor Theresa Cruz June 29, 2015 Ashford University Homelessness Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located between the two larger cities in central Florida those being Tampa to the west and Orlando to the east. While interventions to interrupt and end homelessness may vary across groups, ending homelessness permanently requires housing combined with the types of services supported by programs operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This paper will address demographics for the area, identify the social issue of homelessness, and address using a social action model for community change, and the strengths and weaknesses of the model. According to the United States Census Bureau estimate, Lakeland had a population of 100,710 (US Census Bureau, 2006). According to the Lakeland Economic Development Council, the numbers of existing households in 2013 were 41,833 (2013). The average household income in 2013 for Lakeland was $50,064, with the median household income at $36,495. The average hourly wage in 2013 was $18.18. Lakelands labor force for 2013 was 42,658. There were 39521 employed in 2013. The unemployed number was 3137 for 2013, setting the population of the unemployed for Lakeland at 7.40%. However, in 2013 the job growth raised only .37% (City of Lakeland, Florida, 2014). What establishes a problem differs from person to person, orShow MoreRelatedThe Social Issue Of Homelessness1055 Words   |  5 PagesHomelessness is a social issue which extends beyond a lack of housing and includes the complexities of social and economic concerns such as domestic violence, child abuse, trauma and addictions, mental health, insufficient income, health complications, involvement with the justice system, and poverty. 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In Australia there are is about 105,000 Australians that are homeless on any given night, all of which are either living in a makeshift home or sleeping on the streets. In my essay I am going to look at whom homelessness affects the reasons why, and what is being done to help and raise awareness 1.0 What is homelessness? 1.1 Homelessness the socialRead MoreThe Social Issues Of Homelessness1133 Words   |  5 Pagesbecause we see certain things so often, we become desensitized and accustomed to them, leading us to acknowledge them less and less. This however, serves as a poor excuse when explaining our lack of effort in attacking and solving the social issues present in homelessness. 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Homelessness simply put, means without a home - therefore homelessness is an equal opportunity state that can happen to anyone. Even though we have seen some economic prosperity over the years, statistics show that the number of homeless remains very high.Read MoreSocial Problems Within The Australian Society1215 Words   |  5 PagesA Social Analysis – Homelessness There are a growing number of social problems existing within the Australian society and unfortunately, research does not need to prove this. All it takes is a stroll down the main street of some suburbs to realise the extent of social problems within society. Homelessness is a rising trend that is affecting people of all demographics. Homelessness is more than just a simple disadvantage; with usually many underpinning factors which contribute to it, such as domesticRead MoreHomelessness And The Tampa Bay Area1234 Words   |  5 PagesHomelessness is a prevalent social issue that many countries are trying to resolve. One area that has a high rate of homelessness is the Tampa Bay Area in Florida. According to a homeless count carried out by the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (THHI) in 2016, in Hillsborough County alone, there are, â€Å"at least 1,817 homeless men, women, and children† who have to resort to unorthodox housing, such as spaces behind buildings, encampmen ts, sidewalks, and cars (â€Å"About Homelessness†). Moreover

Status Quo Free Essays

Developing and retaining highly qualified teachers continues to be a critical need (Berry, 2004; Darling-Hammond Sykes, 2003). As more teachers retire and school populations continue to grow, an increasing number of schools, universities, and states are implementing programs to ease induction, develop quality teachers, and inform educational practices. Therefore, many educators are now turning to action research to achieve these goals. We will write a custom essay sample on Status Quo or any similar topic only for you Order Now The purpose of Grogan, Donaldson, Simmons (2007) article Disrupting the Status Quo is to make an argument that unlike traditional research, action research encourages school personnel to systematically develop a question, gather data, and then analyze that data to improve their practice. The article addresses the key question to the appropriateness and relevance of educational leaders undertaking action research projects as the capstone of their doctoral studies (Grogan, Donaldson, Simmons, 2007). The most important takeaway in this article is that traditional educational preparation programs and the hierarchical structure of public schools tend to perpetuate compliance and maintenance of the status quo. Furthermore, there is a need for transformative learning to help leaders deconstruct conformity to the many social and cultural canons, which have permeated U. S. schools to the detriment of our students. The authors believe that an action research dissertation and mentoring is an essential component in any educational leadership curriculum that aspires to foster the critical, reflective learning that is the hallmark of human and organizational transformation. Gilles Cramer (2003) supports a combination of appropriate coursework and mentoring help new teachers transition quickly into solid, thoughtful, and strategic teachers. The key concept we need to understand is that action research and the fact that the Ed. D is a professional degree does not minimize the rigor or prestige in comparison to a Ph. D. Since the research, focus of an Ed. D is different from that of a Ph. D, action research focuses on generating knowledge that is workable, make sense, and is credible in more than one setting as opposed to acquiring knowledge for its own sake (Grogan, Donaldson, Simmons, 2007). The main assumption that the author is making is that there has to be a change in order to transform the learning process. If we take this line of reasoning serious then there should be no kid left behind. The new generation of educational leaders will also have the tools needed to think critically, identify and solve problems facing their institution of higher learning. If we fail to take this line of reasoning seriously, we could end up in worse economic and educational status. Berry, B. (2004). Recruiting and retaining â€Å"highly qualified teachers† for hard-to-staff schools. NASSP Bulletin, 88(638), 5-27. Darling-Hammond, L. Sykes, G. (2003). Wanted: A national teacher supply policy for education: The right way to meet the â€Å"highly qualified teacher† challenge. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 11(33). Retrieved [22 July 2011] from http://epaa. asu. edu/epaa/v11n33/v11n3 Gilles, C. Cramer, M. (2003, April). The impact of school-university partnerships on classroom teachers and their teaching. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. Grogan M. , Donaldson, J. Simmons J. (2007, May 19). Disrupting the Status Quo: The Action Research Dissertation as a Transformative Strategy. Retrieved from http://cnx. org/content/m14529/1. 2/. How to cite Status Quo, Essay examples

Afghan Paper free essay sample

The United States faces many problems in the current war with terrorist forces. The increase of causalities, the increase of fanatical Taliban and al Qaeda troops, the lack of Afghan National Army forces to help with the fighting, and the ever looming threat of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of insurgents. The Obama administration’s new strategy includes efforts to increase the confidence of the local Afghan population by protecting it from insurgent violence and improving governance, security and economic development (Afghanistan, 672). In order to implement these plans, the U.S. has deployed new troop — a total of 21,000 additional soldiers to fight the insurgency in Afghanistan and train Afghan security forces. By the end of the year, the level of U. S. troops is expected to reach about 68,000. Other troops are also being supplied by NATO countries and other allies, currently about 32,000, though many are engaged in development and relief work and not combat operations (Afghanistan, 672). The top three NATO countries providing troops were the United King, Germany, and Canada, with many other smaller nations sending troops to contribute to war efforts. One of the most noteworthy features of the new strategic plan is to avoid civilian causalities throughout the war; the number of civilian causalities has gone done tremendously over the years, decreasing over a thousand between 2008 and 2009 (Afghanistan, 673). Another important part of the plan is to help develop the Afghan government by increasing the number of agricultural specialists, educators, engineers, and lawyers in the area. Now that the Obama administration has issued a new plan that has been under implementation for about two years, the topic of the administration announcing an exit plan has been under heavy debate. According to Ilan Berman, Vice-President for Policy of the American Foreign Policy Council, the United States should not set a date of exited from the war on Afghanistan. Berman states that announcing an exit plan would prove that the United States’ interest and investment in the stability of Afghanistan is temporary and limited (Afghanistan, 685). I am in agreement with the view Ilan Berman. The United States should gradually decrease the presence of troops within the country, while still working on providing a stable government and economy in Afghanistan. Reference page: Adapted from Kingsbury, A. 2011, February 11). Government secrecy. CQ Researcher, 21, 121-144. Retrieved from http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/ Government Secrecy The discussion of government secrecy has been of great discussion over the last two years. The question, â€Å"Does great openness threaten national security? †, has been the topic at hand. The website WikiLeaks intensified the discussion with the released of thousands of classified government documents and military intelligence. Julian Assange, an Australian computer hacker, created the biggest United States security breach to ever hit the nation. Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, worked alongside a group of associates across several countries in releasing thousands of government documents. It is believed that his source may have been United States army private, Bradley Manning, who had access to these classified government documents and databases. Assange has yet to be prosecuted for the leaking of government information but the most likely approach to prosecuting him would be under the Espionage Act of 1917. The Act prohibits the â€Å"willful† disclosure of â€Å"information relating to the national defense. It has been interpreted to mean that the defendant must know the information will hurt national security and that disclosure violates the law (Government Secrecy, 127). The discussion of updating the Espionage Act of 1917 has been of discussion because of this leak as well as ones of a smaller magnitude. Abbe Lowell of the White-Collar Criminal Defense Group of McDermont Will amp; Emory is for the updating of the Espionage Act of 1917. According to Lowell, the document is not specific enough and as worded can be lead to the infringement of the first amendment. Documents released by WikiLeaks include sensitive diplomatic cables and combat field reports from Iraq and Afghanistan. A few notable disclosures included the push by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia for the U. S. to strike against Iran, the suspected corruption in Afghan government, and the hacking of Google by the Chinese government (Government Secrecy, 129). Many of the documents were obtained from the government database, SPIRNet, which Manning had access to. The Secret Internet Protocol Router Network allows the United Sates military and government agencies to share information. Over 500,000 people have access to the network, from senior military and law-enforcement officials to low-level military analysts and government contractors. This release of information has fueled the already heated battle between advocates of government secrecy and those who oppose (Government Secrecy, 124). Advocates of an open-government argue that federal agencies withhold too much information from the public, discouraging the ability of citizens to keep check on the wrongdoing of the government. According to supporters of government secrecy, sensitive information that could threaten the nations welfare if released is too easily accessed due to modern technology. President Obama, on his first day of office, signed an executive order designed to reduce government secrecy and increase the transparency of information across federal agencies. Signed into law by Obama in October 2010, the Reducing Over-Classification Act directs the Department of Homeland Security and the intelligence community to standardize classification and declassification procedures and improve information haring across the government. The National Declassification Center was also created in order to speed and coordinate the release of government information that no longer needs to be kept from public view. Although steps to disclosure government information to the public have been taken, secrecy opponents believe that President Obama needs to do more.