Even if a young person looks at his or her own personal family history and genealogy, he or she will find that the lives of their ancestors and their own personal lives are entwined in the history, black history, of America. African American history is rich and expansive. The American black has contributory history, history in plight as well as in triumph and success. There is more to be discovered in the annals of black history than one could fit into eight pages. Thus, this paper will highlight short bursts of contribution, plight and triumph in each era important to African Americans.
What is in the past of black people that has such a lure and deep interest for non-white people all over the earth? In what context did these events and people live and leave a lasting impression? How has the history affected the current state of black people? Is the black community a better-off bunch currently than in the days of its darkest struggles? What are the struggles of African Americans of today and how do they relate to the struggles of the past?
Currently, the black community lives under the scourge of gang violence, cultural self-degradation and implosion, reduction of value of its women, and constant courtship and a deep love affair with the federal government of the United States; we live and die on the give-and-take of big government. But, the self-identification and political paradigm of black people did not just happen overnight. Much of what is heard and seen from the black community is born out of where it has been, where it is and perceived collective direction. And the “where we are from,” “who we are” and “where we are going” is solely based the three aspects of African American history mentioned above: contribution, plight or struggle and triumph. Identity is better realized through an analysis of who did what, went through what and what they said or thought about future generations.
Perhaps the most reflected era of African American history is that of slavery. Although African American history stretches back a century before slavery became an established reality in American history, slavery seems to be the point at which the roots of contemporary black history and current events for black people have begun.
Slavery, as is commonly identified, began around the end of the 17th century. Prior to that time the colonists relied mostly on indentured servitude by both blacks and whites. The first ship, as is derived from hard evidence, filled with Africans being sold into slavery arrived in port Virginia in 1619. These were sold as indentured servants and were not a part of a mass trade involving kidnapped Africans. In fact, these servants were socialized and tended to bond with British and European indentured servants.
Mistreatments of indentured servants lead to Bacon’s rebellion. Nathaniel Bacon led a revolt of poor whites and blacks (all indentured servants) against the leaders of the colony of Virginia. As a result, decisions were made to phase away indentured servant-hood and more dependence was vested in slavery of blacks.
Bacon’s rebellion took place in 1676. After that year kidnapping and slavery of blacks would increase until 1820. That year the laws against kidnapping were enforced by the federal government. Slavery exclusive to the African lasted from approximately 1680 until 1863 when it was abolished.
Who were the great African American contributors the days of slavery? Take three from the annals of history: choose Benjamin Banneker, Phyllis Wheatley and Frederick Douglas. There are few others who had gained fame, but these three are stand-outs in regard to their contributions to black and white America.
Benjamin Banneker (1731 – 1806) was one of the first American scientists. He was an accomplished astronomer, clock maker and builder. He earns credit for a series of commercially successful almanacs that accurately predicted solar and lunar eclipses. He used stand-out mathematical abilities to help survey and mark the borders of the territory of the District of Columbia. Benjamin Banneker stands as a marker of truth to the intelligence and abilities of the African in an era in which those attributes were shamefully brought into question.
Phyllis Wheatley (1754? – 1784) contributed greatly to the poetic culture of colonial America and then the United States of America. She was not only one of the first and most renowned African Americans that published poets in her day, she was also one of the first women to publish poetry on a wide and well-read scale. She published her first work at the tender age of 12 and went on to great fame. Her poem giving honor to a famous preacher of her day gained instant success and catapulted her into prominence in the annals of history.
Phyllis Wheatley stands for accomplishment in the face of abject degradation of the black race. She, like Banneker of her day, was a contradiction to those who prospered from the idea of black people as imbeciles benefitting from slavery. Unfortunately, she died giving birth to a child at the still tender age of 29+. As a brilliant poet she made a deep impression that be felt for generations in the black community.
Frederick Douglas (1818 – 1895) stands as the predecessor of Martin Luther King Jr. as an activist for justice in America for the African American. Douglas was born as a slave brought had ascended such heights in his personal life that he was actually nominated to run as vice president for a small 19th century political party. That nomination is by no means his greatest accomplishment in life. Douglas’s great accomplishment comes over the span of his roughly 70-year lifetime. He worked feverishly as an abolitionist and a women’s rights activist.
Douglas was especially known for his great oratory and frankness. His oratory dazzled his listeners. Southern whites were confounded as their claim that the Negro race was inferior to their own; while northern whites found it hard to believe that he was ever a slave. His frankness was laid bare as he was chosen to give a speech at a memorial service for Abe Lincoln. In his speech he cited that Lincoln held some of the prejudices against black people. This stunning statement was followed by a speculation that Lincoln hated slavery with all of his heart. History well records that his motives for freeing black people were more practical and advantageous than empathetic toward black people.
African Americans fought for more than just freedom during the era of slavery; they fought for the right to be seen as humans. Banneker, Wheatley and Douglas played their roles as philosophical freedom fighter against the lying ideologies of the greedy.
Some of the plight of that time was the actual brutality of slavery. Slavery shifted to the sole burden of black people around 1676. At that time, slave ships would roll over the middle passage for over 150 years. Over 6,000,000 slaves were transported over the Atlantic Ocean in the 18th century alone. The trade route, or the middle passage, was closed in the early parts of the 19th century; but this closure had not taken place until 15% of the transported would lose their lives at sea. That adds up to over 600,000 men, women and children.
The great accomplishment of black people is reflected in the three mentioned above. They held on and fought, and wrote, and survived this deepest persecution because of skin color. They made it to 1863, helped fight to earn their place as citizens and moved off of the plantation.
The next era of great prominence in black history would be the civil rights era. American civil rights stretches back into Douglas’s days but came to a crescendo with the arrival of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. Before delving into the life of this great contributor of history, there is a need to give a background to this era. The civil rights movement began in the 1930’s and would span through the 40s, 50s and 60s which would end segregation and differential treatment toward black people. (The final wall of segregation would come down in 1972.)
What was this segregation based on? It was based on Jim Crow laws that followed and undid the work of reconstruction. During the reconstruction period black were granted the right to vote, citizenship and hope was protected by the federal government and progress was imminent. But then racist pundits would attempt to rebuild separation between blacks and whites and institute Jim Crow laws in the south. Jim Crow laws delineated between black and white public activities. Water fountains, restrooms, eateries and public transportation were divided so that whites were given preferred treatment. Blacks were mandated by law to sit at the back of the bus or to drink from a water fountain designated for blacks only.
Naturally, growing weary of this treatment, the black community would rebel politically and vocally. During this time of great struggle, leaders would arise from the depths of oppression. Men like Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers would take the proverbial bull by the horns and lead the charge for freedom. Women like Shirley Chisholm would run for and obtain public office not held since reconstruction.
Our contributors, then, would be King, Evers and Chisholm. These three historical icons exemplified public boldness during a time in which boldness would rouse the most violent persecutors of the black community in all of history.
The most well-known of the three would be Dr. King. King (1932 – 1968) was a young minister who had first gotten himself involved with segregation in Montgomery, Alabama. He brought leadership and flare to a budding movement. His oratory and fresh ideas of purposefully breaking unjust Jim Crow laws and peaceful demonstrations worked to gain international attention and garner support from all spheres of American culture. His most noted accomplishments are the pulling down of segregation laws in several southern municipalities and jarring the conscience of America in regard to the hypocrisy of racism. Dr. King was assassinated for his work against racism and other social ills that he recognized throughout the world.
Medgar Evers (1925 – 1963) was a less-known in comparison to Dr. King but perhaps just as effective. He was shot dead in his own driveway in Decatur, Mississippi. Why was he shot? Medgar Evers was murdered in retaliation against his successes as a human rights activist. Not much of a sit-in organizer, he targeted and organized economic boycotts against restaurants and businesses that openly practiced discrimination. He was televised, vocal and “dangerous” to the racist white establishment.
Shirley Chisholm (1924 – 2005) made strides for the black community in the un-segregated north of America. She became the first black women to take a seat in congress. She served seven terms for New York State. She began her career is woman of congress in 1969. She ran as the democratic nominee for president in 1972.
Chisholm ran and served in congress during a turning point for black people. Her win in New York served demonstrated a tipping point for African Americans in politics. The challenges she faced were different than that of King and Evers. While there was no open segregation in the North, black people still faced issues of poverty and discrimination in regard to getting descent jobs and housing.
King, Evers and Chisholm fought for rights and freedom during one of the most volatile periods in American history. Their boldness speaks to what happens when people stand for justice regardless of the threat to themselves.
The plight of black people during the civil rights era was quite pronounced. Strict rules of conduct were put in place to hold black people under white people as much as could be possible. The Supreme Court decision in 1896 to segregation or Jim Crow laws constitutional wasn’t knocked down for 58 years. Jim Crow was finally cut off at the knees in 1954 in a reversal decision by the Supreme Court. Because retarded access to education and means of employment the black community was held at a certain level of achievement and thus saw the perpetuation of cycles of poverty and degradation.
The accomplishments of black people of this are to be noted. Many are these accomplishments but perhaps the most important is the triumph of self-control in peaceful non-violent demonstration is the most impressive. After a series of fallen leaders by the hands of the Klan and other racists and continued economic oppression, the black community was on the brink of explosion. Other freedom fighters i.e. Malcolm X Shabazz, the Black Panthers and others represented a more belligerent element of black civil rights movements. Dr. King and others who followed suit with non-violence would face pressure from without (from White Supremacist Groups) and pressure from within (African American groups urging the importance and right of self-defense against racist violence).
This triumph stands throughout history as perhaps one of the greatest and most spectacular triumphs of oppression in all of history. People of all walks, nationalities and experiences who face oppression, (whether real or perceived), look to Dr. King, Evers and others of the black civil rights movement for inspiration and direction.
Currently, the state the black community does not reflect such accomplishments. After the long and perilous fight to prove, first, manhood and then men worthy of equal treatment, the current generation is worse-off than every other generation coming before it. Despite the dangerous sit-ins to gain access to better education, African American young adults will express a disdain toward education and self-advancement. Despite the bloodshed to stop the violence against black people by violent racists, the murder rates are higher in the black community than in some of the most violent places in the world. Some hold that the last place that a sensible black person wants to live is in a neighborhood full of black people.
Leaders and contributors are needed again. African American scholars, inventors and congressmen and women are needed again to stand for justice and progress for black people. But at this juncture in history, the fight is not against white supremacists (although that threat ever looms) but against black on black crime, low achievement rates and disdainful statistics all around. Perhaps more jaunts down historical pathways will awaken some.
