African American Studies (Term Paper Sample)

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Black masculinity to describe race class and gender in the US
After many years of struggle for equality , the issues of gender ,race continues to show its face in the united states. The united states residents are influence by the dynamics of class inequality, homophobia and racism which also influence their access to education. Inequality is still the man source of anguish and acrimony about what causes it and how it can be eliminated. The united states is hailed as a society that proclaims freedom , unlimited mobility and individualism , the increase in inequality along the line of race and gender actually contradicts these freedoms. Most schools in the united states are segregated by race and tracked by social class. This segregations sets stage for students; in their early age, to a particular social economic participations or roles when they become adults. The white suburban schools have double the funds per students in comparison with urban schools with congregated students.
The issue of racism in the United States has been major throughout history. The white Americans Anglo Americans got legal privileges on the issues of education, voting ,criminal procedures ,land acquisitions and citizenship among others. Although racial discrimination was banned centuries ago, racial politics in the modern error is alive and kicking. This is also reflected by the social economic inequalities and has become symbolic racism. The racial issues continue to occur in education, lending, employment, housing and government. Classism is also raising at a higher speed in the united states which discriminates others on the basis of their social class broadly on attitude , behavior and policies that favor the upper class. Although gender disparities have been diminishing , it continues to persist in the united states through occupational segregation, pay gap, political representation and participation and inequality in household labor distribution.
According to Souljah in her book no disrespect, she tries to honestly describe the struggles and hope of girls in the ghetto and deduces how many young black girls are able to grow up without ruining their integrity in a tough environment. Souljah accounts on ferocious struggle for sexual identity and autonomy, which the African Americans have to face. She tries to show the challenges and difficulties that African American women and men struggle with in their relationships and the tensions evident in the black families which is characterised by innocence and betrayal as Souljah puts it(Souljah 12).
Rothenberg in her book White Privilege: Essential Readings on the other side of racism, brings out the ways that other groups benefits ,either deliberately or inadvertently from the devastating effects of racial bias and prejudice. It brings out how the white are privileged in access to education and discusses how the non-white got admitted to the white hood. The author cites both the tangible and non-tangible benefits that occur throughout generations and is evident from birth to death and depicts that some recipients are not aware but common in their skin colour. Therefore the author looks into whiteness and its origin and deeper understanding about it(Rothenberg 15).
Ogbar in his book Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap celebrates and confronts hip hop with its authenticity that tends to define its main character which dictates how the performers talk, express themselves and walk. This according to Ogbar has influenced the consumer market. The author looks at the cultural history in a balanced manner assessing the past negative notions of hip hop and tries to reveal its positive role within the American society(Ogbar 10).
Black masculinity are the set of qualities and characteristics which are in most cases considered general or appropriate to the African American society in the united states. The narrow notion or stereotyping of black masculinity is evident in united states . The gender profiling which is aimed at punishing those who do not have the traditional view of gender with some putting black masculinity as monolith.
According to Suljah, lack of information for the young black men and women result in adults that do not have information and are ignorant . The author shows that this lack of information creates a perception in their mind that is inappropriate about love and relationships. The main theme of the author is the African American male and female relationships. She brings out how and why African American women act the way they do when in a relationship which therefore depicts how they understand the concept of womanhood. It therefore deals with the trials and tribulations that the Africa, American relationships under goes.
The author uses many character in each chapter, in the first chapter , Souljah mother is brought on stage (Souljah 15). She as an African American women had gone through a series of bad relationships and has actually experienced the bad dimension of life. This section shows the major issues that shape Souljah life and mind. Her family once fell in a bad omen when her father was not able to work due to epilepsy. He tried to get job and realized that a black man has a tough time to get employment in united states. This agrees with the current unemployment figure which shows that black unemployment in the US is alarming prompting the united nations to launch investigations. Statistics show that unemployment rate for black men was 20.2% while 9.6% unemployment for the white men.
Souljah in her second chapter introduces a character by the name Nathan who was intellectual and were attracted to each other but there was an impromptu end of their relationship without apparent reasons. However, later realized he had become gay. Nathan blames the demons for sexual orientation. This is because African Americans are intolerance towards gays. The author also introduces Nikki who yet was wealthy had unstable relationships depicted by living promiscuously. Joseph as respected political organizer comes in in the fourth chapter and preaches the value of a family(Souljah 20). Souljah is infatuated and decided to approach him through seduction and gets him for herself which leads to a thrilling love affair. Souljah feels desperate when joseph decides to leave her and decides to fake pregnancy but he tells her to procure an abortion.
In chapter five the author brings out a character known as Mona who becomes very good friend. However ,she is a lesbian which makes Souljah feel uncomfortable with someone of that lifestyle. This is common among the black community because they value tradition and consider gay as whitish style and not African. On the six chapters, the author introduces chance and is a real hustler. He is married but uses deceptive love to get money from Souljah to cater for his sick wife. Finally the author brings Derek in the seventh chapter and was a light skinned and Souljah finally got attracted to him but he had another girlfriend but Souljah cannot put up this thought ad tells him that she was ready to be a second wife because there was shortage of black men.
Souljah brings out the issues of joblessness among the black African American and how hard it is for them to support life. This has led to deceitful relationship that is only aimed at benefiting from the partners resources. She also highlights the plight of gay in African American society which makes the gay African American feel guilty for their orientation as the community is homophobic. The author talks about people becoming gay but fear to come out and talk about it openly because of the hostile environment they live in. The perceived shortage of black men is trying to depict how African American men after being deprived of their ability to support a family were shying away from taking responsibility through starting of a family. Therefore, Souljah depicts a racist society that has deprived the lives of African American quality of life (Souljah 45).
Rothenberg examine the issues of race, class, and gender on the perspective of giving privileges to particular races with regard to education, social economic among others. The author depicts that privileges exists to a group and another is denied simply because of their color not because they are not able. The author acknowledges that white privileges are persistent and likens these privileges to invisible package of goodies that are not earned. The author further deduces that the holder of the package may be oblivious yet still depend on it. These privileges are a combination of moth material and social cultural factors. In the material factors , they include physical things such as societal goods and others resources, immigration policies, division of labor and creating an environment that is favorable to the whites(Rothenberg 25).
The social cultural forces include those such as pattern of their behavior and practices , and thinking patterns about it which furthers is persistence making it endure for decades. Rothenberg further brings out the inequality that African American students ...