... play on white teams. In 1892, a Gymnastic instructor, Senda Berenson Abbott, adapts to the basketball rules and introduces the sport to women at Smith College. Gender discrimination prevented most women from participating in areas traditionally dominated by men, and basketball was no exception. Basketball is an ageless game thought and learned from generation to generation, from father to son, father to daughter ... newspapers across the country dubbed her "Queen Ora," describing her as "brilliant," "peerless," and "inimitable." Washington's fame was proved to be short lived. Her career...

• Word Count: 2290
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of Phillis' craft. She was especially fond of writing in the elegiac poetry style, perhaps mirroring the genre of oration taught to her through the women in her African American tribal group. Her elegy on a popular evangelical Methodist minister, George Whitefield, brought her instant success upon his death. She also ... was well versed in Latin, which allowed her to write in the epyllion (short epic) style with the publication of "Niobe in Distress." Phillis' popularity as a poet both in the United States and in England ultimately brought her ... in 1940. She took an assistant profess...

• Word Count: 2366
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... amount of her time to support the efforts of the Montgomery bus boycott. For example, she was president of the Women's Political Counsel (WPC) college chapter, an organization of black women founded by Dr. Mary Fair Burks in 1946; she provided funds to produce 52,500 notices to inform the black ... black communities of Montgomery were tired of segregation, cruelty, and the many acts of violence toward them. Before the boycott, "[a]lmost daily some black man, women, or child had had an unpleasant experience on the bus" [20]. Blacks were beaten, thrown in jail, humiliated, and in one unfo...

• Word Count: 1946
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... that our society is male dominant. Whatever the cause may be, it is necessary to reveal the truths of our histories as Americans and as American women. In the song "Rosie the Riveter-, written by two men, Redd Evans and Jacob Loeb, a woman is described heroically as she is protecting her "Charlie- (husband). The depiction of Rosie the Riveter was to symbolize ... to clean up the streets who called prostitution a serious problem. During the same time there was an issue in the south with young white women, usually the daughters of plantation owners, having sex with black men. Some of thes...

• Word Count: 1504
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... able to assist in childbirth, she often found herself helping in many other areas. Midwives responsibilities usually extended to caring for men and children, as well as pregnant women. In fact, the majority of a slave's medical care was provided by these women slaves.3 Not every female slave had such opportunities, though. Many spent their existence in the fields from sunup to sundown, where ... . On a plantation, neither male nor female owned the land they lived on or the roof over their head for they were dependent on their master for these things. Putting slave men and women on an equ...

• Word Count: 1767
• Approx Pages: 7

... who they were "mated" with. Owners often ordered matings much as with livestock, because he thought the cross would be good. Marriage ceremonies were sometimes performed between African American men and women according to their customs and beliefs, but the slaveholder did not often recognize such marriages. Spouses, as well as children, were commonly sold off and never seen or heard from ... could be assigned to work in the house, shop or in the fields. There not much gender role designation - if assigned to the fields, the women would do the "lighter" job of hoeing, while the men plowe...

• Word Count: 1808
• Approx Pages: 7

... even as Jesus. As an effort to extol pre-conceived notions about African Americans, media over the years has displayed African American men with many negative stereotypes such as Sambo's, violent, criminals, senseless and pimps. As well as African American women as promiscuous, ugly, passive, and emasculating. Looking at past examples of African Americans treatment in the media, one can see that ... eyes of the Klu Klux Klan and how they opposed the political and social progress made by newly freed Blacks. Birth of a Nation suggested Black men were vicious vile beast that sought out Whi...

• Word Count: 1272
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... different than the slave spirituals. Jazz was an approach to feelings, personal expression, pain and pleasure of physical life. It was combination of spirituals and a new form of music. Black women contributed to the development of jazz. During slavery, they wrote songs about, and that became a part of every day experience. In the late 1800's, ex-slaves bought small organs. Work ... corners at night with their guitars. She began practicing on her own, and eventually landed a spot in Papa Celestin's Original Tuxedo Orchestra. In 1923, she became one of the first women players in the musi...

• Word Count: 1726
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... different than the slave spirituals. Jazz was an approach to feelings, personal expression, pain and pleasure of physical life. It was combination of spirituals and a new form of music. Black women contributed to the development of jazz. During slavery, they wrote songs about, and that became a part of every day experience. In the late 1800's, ex-slaves bought small organs. Work ... corners at night with their guitars. She began practicing on her own, and eventually landed a spot in Papa Celestin's Original Tuxedo Orchestra. In 1923, she became one of the first women players in the musi...

• Word Count: 1683
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... African American male there is still that fear that people will maintain the perception that gay people are some how evil or inferior. African American men and gays are more exposed to influence by definition that come from the majority, then by internal group definition. As a result, they question ... that it now has a major role in everything we see or do. Homophobia is an intense, irrational fear of gay people. Many African American Gay men spent their lives "in the closet" fearing that homophobia will destroy their self-respect, their family relationships, and even their lives. As I...

• Word Count: 1889
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... shirt, slip-on shoes, or a pair of Levis. By the end of the mid to late fifties the influence of cinema had really began to show. Women started to have what was called the American Look that consisted of five styles called; Mexican, Canadian, Tomboys, Sweater Girls, College and Bobbysoxers. All of ... and the hemlines went up, the mini-skirt, in eye-catching colors, and see through material all were the newest fashion for women. The men started wearing tight fitted suits and short Chelsea boots. Along with this era the Hippy era began. Hippies were laid back and an Anti-Fashion people th...

• Word Count: 2176
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... to room 8, which did not provide such a view, but asked for a change. Willard was described as a well-dressed white man, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, about 35 years old weighing around 180 pounds. A resident of the rooming house, told investigator that he heard a gunshot coming from the bathroom at the rear of ... Galt stayed at the Rebel Motel in Memphis for one night: April 3. Through driver's license records, police found that Galt was 36 years old, 5-feet 11-inches tall and he weighed 175 pounds. Galt had blond hair and blue eyes. A week after the shooting, Galt's white Mustang turn...

• Word Count: 2208
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... a higher place in society. In commercials and other types of ads, there is a major difference between how whites and minority groups are portrayed. White men and women are usually shown as people of higher status with a greater amount of wealth. They are seen driving nice cars, in expensive watch commercials, or living ... in mansion all these examples are portraying whites as having more money/status then minority groups. In car commercials, women are usually tall, skinny and blonde and are shown sitting on top of the car showing off their body. This is giving off the message that white...

• Word Count: 1817
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... credit. The 1920's were all fun and games until the stock market crashed in October 1929. Women Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. During the 1920's, most women were still expected to stay at home and look after the children. Cooking, cleaning, and ... of the 1920's were becoming what are known as Flappers. The flapper was the brave woman of the Jazz Age. They wore their hair short along with short dresses exposing their legs, with panty hose and powdered knees. The flapper must have appeared to the society like a reb...

• Word Count: 2175
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... credit. The 1920's were all fun and games until the stock market crashed in October 1929. Women Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. During the 1920's, most women were still expected to stay at home and look after the children. Cooking, cleaning, and ... of the 1920's were becoming what are known as Flappers. The flapper was the brave woman of the Jazz Age. They wore their hair short along with short dresses exposing their legs, with panty hose and powdered knees. The flapper must have appeared to the society like a reb...

• Word Count: 2175
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... credit. The 1920's were all fun and games until the stock market crashed in October 1929. Women Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. During the 1920's, most women were still expected to stay at home and look after the children. Cooking, cleaning, and ... of the 1920's were becoming what are known as Flappers. The flapper was the brave woman of the Jazz Age. They wore their hair short along with short dresses exposing their legs, with panty hose and powdered knees. The flapper must have appeared to the society like a reb...

• Word Count: 2175
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... biological foundation to support their beliefs that certain people were fundamentally "lower". Most of the research concentrated on "criminal" personalities, which included prostitutes, mannish women and non-white women. These people were seen as less than whites and closer, genetically, to animals than humans. This association laid the groundwork for the myth black people were inherently animalistic, sexual ... creatures. Thus, the Jezebel and the Buck - the young, strong black man with animalistic sexuality - were created. The image of the Jezebel painted black women as sexually uncont...

• Word Count: 1928
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography

... the 150 fugitive women advertised for in the 1850 New Orleans newspapers ran away with their children. Escaping with children only made an already hazardous undertaking all the more risky. "Females," wrote William Still, the head of the Philadelphia Underground Railroad, "undertook three times the risk of failure [to escape] that males are liable to." Truancy, running away for short periods of ... time, seems to have been the way many slave women reconciled their desire to flee and their need to stay. Slaveholder sexism also made female slavery different from male slavery. That sexism p...

• Word Count: 2427
• Approx Pages: 10

... journal of the NAACP, and Opportunity, an official publication of the Urban League, employed Harlem Renaissance writers on their editorial staff; published poetry and short stories by black writers; and promoted African American literature through articles, reviews, and annual literary prizes. As important as these literary outlets were, however ... singing about the Mississippi. It does not talk about racism or put down the white race for being prejudiced (Lauter 1612-13). The short story "Thank You Ma am- and the poem "Mother to Son-, both by Langston Hughes are similar yet differ in m...

• Word Count: 1518
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... our dreams sometimes making our dreams and goals to change. Jose Vargas reminds me of when I came to this country and the dreams I had in his short story "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant" because he shows how tough situations can lead us to have different dreams and aspirations. Vargas like me, ... In "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich we see how much a low wage worker struggles to pay rent and live a decent life. In this short story Barbara Ehrenreich decides to leave all her luxuries a side and go into being a low wage worker. Barbara experienced how hard it is for a low wag...

• Word Count: 2444
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... who I am and my potential to be great. I have been through many changes in my life. Obviously I have changed physically. I have grown from a premature infant to a scrawny little kid to a tall handsome man of eighteen years. However, through these years I have also matured drastically. As a little child I always had the notion the life revolved around me. If I did not receive the ... teeth and said my morning prayers. When I returned, I once again asked my grandmother for some pancakes. She refused saying that I could not have brushed my teeth and prayed in that short amount of time. I i...

• Word Count: 1287
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... provided by travelers and explorers into their work. Shipbuilding also improved during the Renaissance, as large ships called galleons became common. These ships were powered by sail rather than by men using oars. The Beginning of Trade Although navigation was still an imprecise science, sailors were able to go farther than they had before. This was important because as the economy ... spices they demanded. Peppercorns, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon all came from lands to the east. Also from the East came precious gems and fine silk, a fabric especially sought after for women's clothing. T...

• Word Count: 2157
• Approx Pages: 9

... They fell victim to very harsh factory lives that tattered and destroyed their souls. Women who were trying to make a living for themselves just set themselves up for great disappointment. They were forced to work extremely long days with short breaks, insufficient for any worker. "Thus working on an average of at least ... no longer had meaning to them. Finally, the labor workers were a class that was also living amongst long lives of oppression. These were uneducated men trying to make an honest living to support their families. This was a task that was next to impossible to do, with th...

• Word Count: 1689
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... undocumented statistics. In America today, it is commonly understood that there is a great multitude of prejudices. Whites still prejudice against minorities. Some minorities now prejudice against Whites. Tall people prejudice against those who are short, thin against those who are fat, gender prejudices, and the list continues. Taking this into consideration, you could rationalize that the main problem of today's society is ... bottom 95 percent . . ." (665). Yet he fails to mention that our nation's population is only about twelve percent black, meaning that of that ninety-five percen...

• Word Count: 1557
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... latest knowledge of secondary school level academic attainment, and generates scores related to success in college. The test itself is primarily multiple-choice, however the SAT I does include a short answer portion in the mathematical section. Each question must pass a series of rigorous statistical, and sensitivity reviews before it is incorporated into the exam. Every year, more than ... students' average scores. On the average, African Americans scored 106 points less than European Americans on the math portion, (Jencks and Phillips, p.3). Similar to the gap between men and women, thi...

• Word Count: 1715
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate