Final Exam PDF

**Summary: Race: The Power of an Illusion** 1. **Social Construction of Race** - Race is a societal concept, not a biological reality, based on social perceptions and power dynamics. 2. **Eugenic Movement** - Aimed at improving genetic quality through selective breeding...

**Summary: Race: The Power of an Illusion** 1. **Social Construction of Race** - Race is a societal concept, not a biological reality, based on social perceptions and power dynamics. 2. **Eugenic Movement** - Aimed at improving genetic quality through selective breeding and sterilization, targeting marginalized groups and leading to discriminatory practices. 3. **Net Wealth/Income in Race Studies** - Highlights economic disparities between racial groups, revealing the long-term effects of systemic racism and perpetuating social and health inequalities. 4. **Mitochondrial DNA and Race** - Mitochondrial DNA, inherited from the mother, traces maternal lineage and shows greater genetic variation within racial groups than between them, challenging the notion of distinct biological races. **Summary: Sankofa** 1. **Examples of Africanisms** - Cultural elements from Africa retained in the diaspora, including: - **Music and Dance**: Rhythms, drums, dance styles. - **Language**: African-rooted words and phrases. - **Religious Practices**: African spirituality integrated into other religions. - **Cuisine**: Foods and cooking methods from African traditions. 2. **Role of the Christian Church in Plantation Life** - The Christian Church had a complex role: - **Justification of Slavery**: Used by slaveholders to justify slavery as God-sanctioned. - **Control and Pacification**: Encouraged obedience and submission. - **Spiritual Resistance**: Enslaved Africans adapted Christianity to support their spiritual needs and resistance. 3. **Resistance by Enslaved Africans** - Enslaved Africans resisted in various ways: - **Passive Resistance**: Work slowdowns, feigning illness, sabotage. - **Cultural Resistance**: Maintaining traditions, languages, religious practices. - **Active Resistance**: Revolts, escape attempts, forming maroon communities. - **Intellectual Resistance**: Using education and literacy to challenge the system. 4. **Significance of the Sankofa Bird** - The Sankofa bird, from the Akan people of Ghana, symbolizes learning from the past to build a better future. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and honoring one\'s heritage and history as a foundation for progress and growth. **Summary: Introduction to African American Studies** **Author's Note 2021: Facing Old and New Challenges** 1. **Executive Branch Action on DEI Programs** - In 2020, President Trump issued an executive order to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training in federal agencies, aiming to eliminate what was seen as divisive concepts. **Summary: Introduction to African American Studies** **Author's Note 2021: Facing Old and New Challenges** 2. **Statements on Race by AMA and CDC** - Both the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognize racism as a public health threat, highlighting its role in creating health disparities and negatively impacting marginalized communities. 3. **Self-Determination and Agency** - Self-determination and agency are crucial for the Black community as they enable individuals and communities to make their own choices and control their lives, essential for overcoming oppression and achieving equality. 4. **Reparations Movement** - Reparations involve compensating descendants of enslaved people to address historical injustices and economic disadvantages. The movement aims to close the racial wealth gap and provide economic justice for African Americans. 5. **Reconstruction** - Reconstruction (1865-1877) was a period of reintegrating Southern states into the Union and addressing the rights of newly freed African Americans. It is significant for laying the groundwork for civil rights advancements and highlighting the ongoing struggle for racial equality. 6. **Labeling of Black Activist Groups by the FBI** - The FBI labeled some Black activist groups as \"Black Identity Extremists,\" targeting those perceived as threats due to their activism against police brutality and systemic racism. This labeling has been criticized for criminalizing legitimate activism and perpetuating stereotypes. **Introduction to Second Edition** 1. **Nature of African American Studies** - African American Studies is both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, integrating methods and perspectives from history, sociology, literature, and political science to understand the experiences and contributions of African-descended people. **Chapter 1** 1. **Post-Racial Concept** - \"Post-racial\" suggests a society beyond racial discrimination. Examples like Barack Obama\'s election as President are often cited, but ongoing racial disparities show that true post-racialism remains aspirational. 2. **Uniqueness of the Transatlantic Slave Trade** - The transatlantic slave trade was unique for its scale, brutality, and systematic dehumanization, involving the forced migration of millions of Africans to the Americas as part of the triangular trade system. 3. **Name Change to African American** - Rev. Jesse Jackson advocated for the term \"African American\" to emphasize cultural heritage and historical context, providing a sense of ethnic identity and pride similar to other ethnic groups in America. **Summary: African American/Black Philosophy and Social Change** 1. **Montgomery Bus Boycott** - A pivotal civil rights protest against bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama, starting on December 5, 1955, after Rosa Parks\' arrest. Led by Martin Luther King Jr., it lasted 381 days and aimed to end segregated seating on public buses. 2. **Origin of \"Black Power\"** - Popularized by Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) in 1966 during a rally in Mississippi. It emphasized racial pride, economic empowerment, and the creation of political and cultural institutions. 3. **Early Scientific Terms for Races** - Terms like \"types,\" \"varieties,\" and \"species\" were used, implying a hierarchy of races. This pseudoscientific approach, known as scientific racism, justified racial discrimination and inequality. 4. **Concerns of Black Students in Colleges** - Black students felt that college curricula were Eurocentric and excluded African American contributions and perspectives. They demanded Black Studies programs and more inclusive curricula. 5. **Weaknesses of Black Liberation Ideology** - Focusing solely within the Black community can lead to isolation from broader societal structures and resources, missing opportunities for alliances and engagement with mainstream systems crucial for broader social change. 6. **Broader Relevance of African American Studies** - African American Studies addresses issues of social justice, equality, and human rights relevant to all people. It provides critical insights into race and racism, essential for a multicultural society. 7. **Maulana Karenga's Kawaida Theory** - An African-centered philosophy emphasizing cultural revolution and reclaiming African identity. It advocates synthesizing African thought and practice to address contemporary issues and has influenced cultural and social movements, including Kwanzaa. 8. **Afrocentricity** - An academic approach centering the experiences of African people and the diaspora, developed by Molefi Kete Asante in the 1980s. It challenges Eurocentric narratives and reframes history from an African-centered perspective. 9. **Other Paradigms in African American Studies** - **Intersectionality**: Examines how race, gender, and class intersect and impact individuals and groups. - **Critical Race Theory (CRT)**: Analyzes how race and racism intersect with other social stratifications and are embedded in legal and social systems. 10. **Critiques of the \"Melting Pot\" Idea** - The \"melting pot\" suggests blending cultures into a unified identity, but critiques argue it promotes assimilation at the expense of diversity and fails to address systemic inequalities. The film \"Race: The Power of an Illusion\" and the textbook highlight how these narrative obscures racial hierarchies and ongoing racism.