African Americans



Lecture Outline: African Americans

Issues to consider for group discussion of Assigned Readings (my list):

Zinn- Why Slavery emerged in US (what historical conditions led to it, in Jamestown, VA?)

-- Slavery in the Americans vs. Slavery in Africa (differences)

-- What were African civilizations like? – (Schaefer ch. 7)

-- Slave resistance, various forms of… -- White collaboration?

Scahaefer—Ch. 7 (History)

– Ethnic group origins of African Slaves (diverse) --Afrocentric Perspective & Survival of African culture in US

-- Abolitionists & racial equality? -- What was Reconstruction Era like?

-- Reparations for slavery?

-- Washington VS. DuBois debate over how to make progress

--De Jure segregation (ch. 7) vs. De Facto (ch. 8) segregation

--Black Protest—esp. Civil Rights movement -- Civil Disobedience & MLK Lttr Birmingham jail

----Urban violence & explanations? Black Power movement (& roots of)

--What is the “new immigration”? Who and where and how many?

Schaefer Ch. 8 (Current era)

-- SES Status of African Americans, trends over recent decades in each…

– Ed: Quality of Ed compared to whites? Continued segregation? Apartheid Schools? “Acting White”? Problems in Higher Ed?

-- Income & Wealth (blacks compared to whites) --African American Middle class (size?)

-- Family structure challenges & strengths?

-- Housing segregation (& reasons, & red-lining)

-- Criminal Justice (victimization rates & “differential justice”)

-- Healthcare (Illness & Life expectancy differences, role of stress, “medical apartheid”)

-- Politics & representation --meaning & significance of Obama presidency…vs. how much are African Americans represented in political system beyond local level?

Lecture: (some group discussion points )

Video clip on mixed ancestry of famous African American poet

De Jure vs. De Facto segregation (Schaefer, chs. 7 & 8)

Continued segregation in Education (Schaefer ch. 8)

Slavery in America – (Zinn rdg. in Gallagher)

Historical conditions leading to, esp. in Jamsetown. Va

Demographic devastation (Millions taken from Africa, and die)

Key role of Slavery in building wealth of America & things still in use today (Schaefer Ch. 7)

Socio-Economic Status (SES) census data in current era (ed., occupation, income, poverty) (Census date & Schaefer ch. 8)

Things I told you to look at in text / rdgs:

Ch. 7 Schaefer: --the Reconstruction Era and racial equality, Dejure Segregation, Change & protest (Civil Rights Movt., etc.)

Ch. 8 Schaefer – Education segregation continued, Defacto Segregation (VS. Dejure), Blck Middle Class, Criminial justice—“differential justice”

Collaboration & fraternization between white indentured servants and black slaves, laws passed to keep the groups apart, this plays a part in tensions between groups today…(Zinn rdg in Gallagher)

Reparations for Slavery Debate (Schaefer ch. 7)

“Acting White” controversy / issue in schools, and critique of this view (esp. overlooking unequal resources and treatment by school authorities). (Schaefer ch. 8)

Brown Vs. Board of Education lawsuit decision (1954) – school desegregation for next 20 years (Schaefer ch. 7)

Vs. “Apartheid Schools” & school segregation today (Schaefer ch. 8)

Educational Inequality (African Americans compared to whites) & some of reasons --lack of $, caring teachers, administrative indifference, higher ed. lack of financial aid, etc. (Schaefer ch. 8)

Occupational and Income Inequality & “Glass Ceiling” (Schaefer ch. 8)

Residential Segregation Practices -- e.g. “red-lining” (Schaefer ch. 8)

Criminal Justice Inequality – Greater likelihood of imprisonment for African American males, “differential justice” / double standards ( whites and blacks often treated differently)

Washington Vs. DuBois debate (leadership & strategy) -- discussed only briefly in class, go look at text (Schaefer ch. 7)

Reconstruction Era & race relations

VS. Jim Crow Era segregation & Violence (Schaefer ch. 7)

Other things I did not lecture on (or only a little) but you should be familiar with:

Schaefer Ch. 7:

Civil Rights Movement & rationale for Civil Disobedience -- MLK letter from Birmingham jail – the duty to disobey immoral laws…

Why Black Power Movement?

Schaefer, Ch. 8:

Black Middle class

Family structures – various forms, key role of extended family (Schaefer, ch. 8)

Healthcare issues for African Americans – role of stress from racism, ‘Medical Apartheid” (Schaefer, ch. 8)

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