For your Final Project, you may write a paper or create a PowerPoint presentation.If you choose to write a paper, it must be four to five pages in length, plus a title page and reference list, formatt

HEADING; AFRICAN AMERICANS

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The African Americans are part of the largest of the many ethnic groups in the United States which is mainly constituted of people with African ancestry but some have nonblack ancestors as well. African Americans are largely descendants of slaves who were forcefully brought into America from their native African homelands to provide labor in the New World. (Clark, 1999) The European settlers had chosen to replace indentured labor with cheaper and more abundant labor from Africans in their rapidly growing North American colonies. The confiscation of slaves deprived Africa an essential resource which able men and women who would provide the workforce. However, to highlight the eminent contribution of African Americans, the national museum of African American history and culture is exclusively devoted to the documentation of African American life, history and culture. Inaugural exhibitions focus on broad themes of history, culture, and community which are conceived to enable visitors to comprehend the American history and culture thus adapt and participate in changing the definition of American citizenship, liberty and equality. (Clark, 1999) Through a series of events like the rise of cotton industry in 1973, where tobacco was replaced by cotton and subsequent mechanization in England lead to the rising in demand for American cotton, the demand for slaves seemed to be in doubt especially after the invention of cotton gin. After the abolition of slave trade and slavery, millions of people of African descent settled in America and assumed to working freely under the protection of the constitution. The following are historical occurrences that have impacted on the current life of African American in a great way.

To begin with, Washington, Carver and Du Bois, 1900. Towards the end of 19th century, the segregation took even stronger holds in the South, therefore, many Africans were devoted to self-improvement through acquiring education as a salvation from the sufferings they went through. As a result, they looked up to Booker .T.Washington, the author of bestselling Up from Slavery (1900) as a role model. He urged the black people to carve a niche in the U.S economy by acquiring vocational or industrial knowledge like farming, domestic services, and mechanics. Similarly, another former slave, George Washington Carver, but now was head of Tuskegee agriculture department, was vocal about Africans` welfare. He liberated the South from over-reliance on cotton by introducing farmers to alternative crops like sweet potatoes, soybeans, and peanuts since the soil was depleted over many years of mono-cropping. His success was highlighted in 1940 when peanuts became the alternative cash crop in the south and he was recognized alongside Du Bois as a modest and hardworking black man by the general white Americans. The rise of sociologist W.E.B Du Bois criticized the philosophy of accepting the whites as supreme beings and he opposed strongly Washington`s industrial advocacy which according to him was economically biased leaving other social factors out. He instead emphasized the need for African Americans getting access to higher education. Later in 1905, Du Bois demanded civil rights for the blacks through a political protest. The influx of urban settlements faced inadequate employment and housing and hostility to the blacks had escalated around the country giving rise to consistent of race riots particularly the one in Springfield, Illinois in 1908. These events gave a sense of identity and served as a wake-up bell to the African Americans to realize their rights and seek self-improvement.

Secondly, the participation of African Americans in World War II,1941. From the inspiration of president Franklin D Roosevelt of the four freedoms which were, freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear, most African Americans were willing to fight on American front despite lack of assurance to get the freedoms at after the war. More than 3 million were enrolled with 500000 taking part in the war overseas. The troops were organized in separate units, frustrated black men had no alternative but to combat racism and segregation while still seeking to further U.S war aim. This was then termed "double V strategy" for the two successes they sought to attain. Among the achievements was the emergence of first African war hero, Dorie Miller, in Pearl Harbor, who in addition to saving an injured crewmember, managed to shoot down several Japanese planes by manning a gun post. The graduation of the first all-African military aviation program was sent to North Africa as the 99th Pursuit Squadron in 1943 and their commander was Captain Benjamin O Davis Jr became the first general of African American descent. Despite such remarkable accomplishments like fighting Italian and German troops flying missions, the rewards were not forthcoming and thus maintaining motivation among black troops was a challenge due to continued discrimination. However, in 1948, President Harry S Truman integrated the U.S armed forces using an executive directive that mandated equality of treatment and opportunity to all members of the forces without regard to race, skin color, religious beliefs or nations of origin. This was an achievement in eradicating segregation and promoting equality for African Americans.

Thirdly, Martin Luther King Jr, I Have A Dream, 1963. On August 28th, about 250000 people both white and blacks, matched on Washington for jobs and freedom. This marked the greatest demonstration and the most historically significant exhibition of the civil rights movements growing strength. ( Swain,1993). The demonstrators made a gathering near Lincoln Memorial after demonstrating from the Washington monument where various civil rights activists addressed the congregate on the issues of rights to vote, equality in employment for everybody and an end to segregation based on race. Martin Luther King Jr spoke of the constraints facing black people and emphasized what he is mainly remembered for “ I have a dream”, where black people will stand equal to whites and nobody deserved to be judged by his or her skin colors other than by the content of his or her characters. The improvised sermon by King went down as one of the most inspirational speeches in the history of America with a conclusion ‘ Free at Last’ that brought the aspect of God in the struggle to attain freedom for black people. Such remarks put King high in the civil rights movement. By 1950s the movement for civil rights had gained momentum and John F Kennedy took the passage of new civil rights legislation as an agenda on his campaign platform, winning over 70% of African voters just before he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in November 1963. The passing of the act enabled the federal government to protect citizens against segregation on basis of sex, race, skin color or nations of origin. It mandated desegregation of almost all public facilities like accommodations like bus services, public parks, and swimming pools and came up with EEOC, a commission that ensured unbiased treatment of minorities in workplaces. .( Swain,1993) The act was essential in abolishing biased registration requirements and procedures which had denied blacks their rights to vote and further authorized the Office of Education to ensure segregation was eradicated in schools. This development was pivotal in ensuring blacks can vote themselves to leadership thus have their interests represented in the government. .( Swain,1993)

The other one is, Barrack Obama became the 44th President of United States of America in 2008. The inauguration of Obama as the first American of African descent to become President of U.S was a historical landmark given that he is a product of an interracial marriage between an African man from Kenya and a mother from Kansas. Obama spent his childhood years in Hawaii but he realized his civil interest in Chicago where he served as a community organizer on the city which has a big population of black people. He is a lawyer from Harvard and practiced in Chicago before starting his career in politics when a vacancy emerged in the Illinois State Senate in 1996 and later announced 2004, his political interest in the newly vacant U.S Senate. His eloquence while delivering a speech in the Democratic National Convention while calling for national unity and cooperation along party lines attracted national attention to him as a leader. (Steele,1995). After being elected to the Senate, Obama expressed his interest in 2007 to run for Presidency for the 2008 Presidential Nominations for Democrats. Obama registered a victory in the primaries against former First Lady, Hillary Clinton and appeared in the general elections against John McCain of Arizona. His campaign slogan “Yes We Can” drew thousands of voter’s especially young black voters who were to cast votes for the first time in a historic election. (Steele,1995), The success of Barrack Obama as mixed race leader was another historical occurrence that the African American can identify with and thus rubber stamp a major step towards equality between blacks and whites.

In conclusion, the events are all wired from the very beginning and their development can be traced to have led to the current equality and diminishing racial segregation where blacks and whites are equal before the law and access public services equally.

REFERENCES

1. Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of personality and social psychology, 69(5), 797.

2. Swain, C. M. (1993). Black faces black interests: The representation of African Americans in Congress (pp. 90089-0044). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

3. Clark, R., Anderson, N. B., Clark, V. R., & Williams, D. R. (1999). Racism as a stressor for African Americans: A biopsychosocial model. American Psychologist, 54(10), 805.