African American Leader Shirley Chisholm (Term Paper Sample)

African American Studies
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African American Leader Shirley Chisholm constructs an argument for why she was successful in reaching her goals. Include what the person's goals were and make sure to have loads of context and appropriate detail.
Shirley, Chisholm, the first African American to serve in the United States Congress, stayed true to her core principles and goals. Shirley Chisholm principal goals were fighting poverty and ignorance in the society. In addition, Shirley Chisholm championed for an equal right or women in the United States. This section discusses how Shirley Chisholm achieved the goal of eradicating poverty and ignorance especially among minorities, women and, the poor.
Firstly, Shirley Chisholm has constructed an argument on why she was successful in achieving her goal of facilitating equal rights for women in the United States. While serving as the representative of the people, Shirley Chisholm often focused on the plight of women because she believed that discrimination still run rampant in society. She championed equal pay and equal opportunities for women and supported the equal rights amendment. Shirley Chisholm, in her blunt, forthright way, for instance, pointed out that the workforce fostered inequity in favor of men. In her argumentation, she states, “the factors that have narrowed the opportunities are multiple and complex” [1]. She went ahead and stated that there were restrictive hiring practices in America and discrimination when it comes to promotion. She also documented the inequities women faced in higher education. She used the topic of discrimination to encourage women to enter politics in order to better their world.
Chisholm’s clear examples and blunt styles connected with her audiences, and speeches she delivered throughout her life motivated women to fight for their rights in the society. Therefore, besides facilitating the implementation of several bills that would then recognize the plight of women, her outspoken characteristics enabled women stand up and address the need for their rights in the society. While fighting to eradicate poverty at all levels in the United States, Chisholm spent approximately four years working in the New York Assembly where she came up with or established clear sets of legislative precedence mainly focusing in poverty eradication. In addition, Chisholm facilitated the improvement and implementation of service programs centering on minorities, women, and the poor.
Chisholm also facilitated the implementation of two bills in an attempt to eliminate poverty. The first bill was the one that introduced SEEK program. This program was particularly designed in order assess and identify disadvantaged and underprivileged youths in high school. These youths would then be offered with an opportunity to go to college of their choice depending on their performance. The second bill was the one that was mainly implemented in order to change the practices of discriminatory of revoking tenure or occupancy for female teachers and other female workers whose careers were being interrupted by pregnancy. Therefore, following her focus on eradicating poverty and ignorance among the minorities and women, Shirley Chisholm managed to facilitate the introduction of several programs aimed at educating the youths in tandem with the introduction of bills that protected women.
In conclusion, it is observable that social and economic inequities provided the impetus for Chisholm’s Key legislation. She often detailed the problems of inequity at length and consistently argued that a critical shift in national’s priorities must take place before serious reforms should occur. Specifically, she called for a decrease in defense spending and an increase in social programs. She reasoned that failure to do so would result in serious problem. Indeed, her success in achieving her goals has provided passionate testimony to her commitment to improving the lives of the poor individuals and the minorities especially the ones who lack the power to make a change.
Compare and contrast the writings, speeches, and work of Dubois and Washington. Be sure to include context and appropriate detail.
In the late 19th Century and 20th century, many African American leaders established several philosophies that were seen as targeting the problems that were being faced by African Americans in the Unite States. While Washington and Du Bois approach to addressing the challenges that were facing African American differ significantly, the two agreed on some issues. This part highlights the major similarities and major differences between Du Bois and Washington ideologies.
Similarities
In their writings and speeches, Both Du Bois and Washington agreed on the problems that were facing African Americans at the time. They both observed that African American were being denied the opportunity to achieve education and, thus, were largely barred from getting high paying jobs. While working as an editor of The Crisis, Du Bois placed more stress on how African Americans were being denied an equal chance to gain higher Education. In most of his writings at The Crisis, Du Bois often mentioned that the African Americans were largely isolated and were being denied entry into high paying jobs because they were not allowed to attain higher education. Like Dubois, the work of Washington also reflects his views on how he viewed the oppression among the African American especially in the South. Washington had observed that African Americans were not obtaining the basic education. Washington even went ahead and obtained a financial loan in order to set up school for the African Americans. He began his classes with approximately 30 students in an abandoned shanty that was donated by the church.
Both Du Bois, in several of his writings during his working time at The Crisis, and Washington, in his work as a volunteering teacher, agree that Blacks were being denied equal opportunities for skilled jobs because they were undereducated. Likewise, they observed that African Americans were largely denied the power to vote particularly in the south, and as a result, that denial removed completely the option or opportunity for holding politicians fully accountable for their racial gestures or racism.
Differences
While Du Bois and Washington held similar opinion in regards to the problems facing African Americans, their solutions to these problems were significantly different. Washington felt that it was extremely important for African Americans to earn their rights by proving that they deserved those rights. Nevertheless, instead of advocating for social equality and political change, Booker T. Washington, in his autobiography, Up from Slavery, and several of his followers urged African Americans to fight strongly for their fundamental rights by practicing the values of diligence, hard work, and thrift in an attempt to better themselves while presenting a positive image of Blacks. He, therefore, believed that through education the blacks would be able to gain necessary skills that would enable them elevate their living standards in tandem with gaining positive image in the society.
Du Bois, on the other hand, while addressing the solution to the problems facing African Americans, represented a social and political belief system. In most of his writings, Du Bois placed full most of his stress on liberty and culture. Unlike Washington, Du Bois focused on full political and civil rights for all in America. He constructed his ideologies in line with Marxism and widely criticized community party for its incompetence in dealing with the problems of the black Americans. He, therefore, believed that in order to achieve equal rights to education and employments, African Americans were to participate in the political system of America.
In conclusion, Although Du Bois and Washington were extremely different as seen in their ideologies; they indubitably influenced the African American population of America. Du Bois, even though he supported communism, which is exceptional in a utopian world yet destructive in reality, had the African Americans’ interest at heart. Washington, on the other hand, who was the founder of Tuskegee Institute, also played an important role in solving Africans Americans Problems he had more interest in the promoting the culture of the Whites and its ideals.
Choose one aspect of African American art or literature that we have studied or that is in your text. Explain what the historical context for this art or literature was, why it was important, and what its lasting impact is.
African American literature, in broad terms, refers to the writings and compilations by individuals of African decent living in America. Most of literatures of African American mainly focused on the role of Blacks in the American society and the experiences of Black people as American citizens. This section discusses the post slavery African American autobiographical literature, Up from Slavery, by Booker, T. Washington.
Historical content of the literature
This literature details the slow and steady rise of Booker T. Washington from a slave toddler during the civil wars of the late 1800s, to the challenges and difficulties he overcame to obtain education at Hampton University, to his outstanding works in an attempt to address challenges that were facing African Americans. This autobiography, therefore, mainly examines the events and challenges African Americans Were experiencing during the post slavery era.
Importance of the literature
Up from Slavery has been acknowledged as one of the historical literatures that details the real life experiences of African Americans in their attempt to fight for equality particularly in regards to attaining education. This autobiography provides details of how...