Garveyism Movement In The 1920's

1941 Words8 Pages
Movements are a large component of the African diaspora; not only do they facilitate resistance and change for a common issue, but they also bring those of African descent together as a diasporic community. By definition, a movement is “a group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas.” In previous years, African Americans were faced with many inequalities. They used these movements to not only express their disdain, but also, fight for individual equality as well as a community or group. Present movements, starting at the late twentieth century, stand as a form of resistance to the oppression brought on by “mainstream” ideals, features and thoughts. Modern resistance movements discussed will…show more content…
There were a large number of these movements, but for now we will only focus on a few. The Garveyism Movement in the 1920’s had central goals “seeking to “uplift the [Black] race” by changing poor working and housing conditions in African American communities and advocating for better education and greater social mobility.” Most know this movement as the The United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), which was an organization that strived for Blacks to be “dedicated to racial uplift and the establishment of educational and industrial opportunities for blacks” and be proud of their heritage. The UNIA produces new sources of African descent economic freedom and created many new establishments-black ran, that all could utilize and not be discriminated against. The Harlem Renaissance was also a “booming” movement that began in the 1920’s. This movement is defined as an “intensifying of black culture” that longed for the change in perception of the artistic abilities of Blacks, which was inspired by African culture. The Harlem Renaissance brought black artists, literary artists, musicians, philosophers, and more out in the spotlight to show the community people of color talent and are intelligent. As aforestated, these few all are movements that took place before the…show more content…
. .”. Since slavery, black sexuality has been called “wild” and/or “primitive” on the stereotype of Africans (and their descendants) being compared to animals. Patricia Hill-Collins states that these problems in the mesmerization of Black sexuality can be seen in the inhumane testings in the 1932-1972 Tuskegee “Bad Blood” syphilis case, the scientific investigation, testing, and “freak” showing of Sara Baartman, and gynecological experimentation of slave women against their will. In the past years, Black women have screamed at the top of their lungs “GIVE ME BACK MY RIGHTS TO MY OWN SEXUALITY!” Music such as Missy Elliott's “Get Your Freak On” and Whodini’s “Freaks Come Out at Night” have taken back the term freak coined in the nineteenth century to discourage sexual acts in Black women on the assumption that they are not “normal”. Even though this has happened, black women and other women of color are continuously being uses as sexual beings as shown in music videos, mass media, and even fashion shows where women are being depicted as animals, bring about a sense of temptation and vulnerability in the eyes of not just men, but the dominating race. It is imperative for Black women (and men) to reclaim their sexuality and fight to rid of all stereotypes in order to establish the fair assignment of same sexual rights as those who designed this burdens colored people face on the
Show More
Related

  • The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

    1885 Words  | 8 Pages

    F Scott. Fitzgerald’s well-known novel the Great Gatsby’s foundations are based upon the American Dream and it is a bleak representation (Pearson, 638). It was not about U.S itself as the term “America” did not have the same meaning like it did in 1920s (Bermand, 38). The novel is about how did the American Dream fail, and as the Jazz Age as an age of excess (Zeitz, gilderlehrman), it was the perfect setting for such a theme. In the Jazz Age, which is also known as the Roaring Twenties or Golden

    Read More

More about Garveyism Movement In The 1920's

Open Document