The Root Cause of African Americans Struggle to Emancipation - Report Example

Ideologies of White Supremacy: The Root Cause of African Americans Struggle to Emancipation Introduction Long before justice and equality among African Americans have realized, the idea of supremacy or superiority have been in existence since the time of imperialism. The idea of white supremacy came to light when European nations built empires in Africa and Asia and when the United States took control of Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines, and Hawaii after the Spanish-American War. At first, these imperialists were motivated by financial gain brought by trade and natural treasures; however, a feeling of superiority to introduce Christianity and civilization to people of other colors also came into notion. As the history implies, white refers to descendants of European nations with white or fair complexion. The power they have to rule different nations has been associated to their skin color. When a nation is being invaded, they will not shout and say that Europeans were there to colonize them but rather, “Here comes the whites!” White supremacy might have started during imperialism but it became evident as early during 17th century when slavery became a matter of concern. Maryland and Virginia were the first colonialists who owned slaves and describe them as ‘negro’ or ‘black’ in Spanish (referring to their slave’s skin color). Whites like Maryland and Virginia view nonwhites as primitive comparable to the apes. The 1900 Paris World’s Fair is a tangible reflection of whites’ perspective towards African Americans and other nonwhites. In this fair, the Exposition Universelle presented a zoo in the context of ‘Negro villages’ with caged African Americans in a natural setting. Other presentations also portray the same images of nonwhites. In the scientific context, anthropologists and zoologists who presented the plan for the zoo even used Charles Darwin Theory of Human Evolution to justify their ideas. Scientific racism emerged during the 19th and early 20th century which examined Anglo-Saxons and Negro primitives. Substantiating the idea of White supremacy, these anthropologists proposed that Anglo-Saxons were the most advanced humans while Negros were at the bottom of the evolutionary scale based on physical aspects, intelligence, criminal tendency, and susceptibility to diseases. Social Darwinism was another theory that supports White supremacy. The theory states that Caucasians were the most advanced and civilized race which had put them into the top while the blacks were made to fit for work, labor, and domestic service. Legislations also made a vital role in shaping ideologies of White supremacy. A number of nonwhite races braced the struggle regarding marriages as Jim Crow Laws seek to preserve racial integrity by prohibiting interracial sex and marriages. Strict lineage monitoring and separation was implemented at that time to prevent mixing succinct enough that a drop of blood from a black person may make you one from a black race. With deeply embedded historical root cause, scientific prejudices, and discriminating laws, it is certain that African Americans will be needing a whole heap of courage and patience in fighting for emancipation in the eyes of the society and in the eyes of the law. Hypothesis In this paper, the author seeks to prove and provide evidences for the following hypothesis: There is a significant relationship between ideologies of White Supremacy and the struggles of African Americans for emancipation. Taking a role in the government/legislation has significant relationship to the battle of African Americans for emancipation. Struggles towards Emancipation African American Ernest J. Gaines once said, “There will always be men struggling to changes, and there will always be those who are controlled by the past”. These words exactly described the position of the African Americans when the idea of emancipation was first introduced to them. The idea of White supremacy has been in existence long before 17th century and some of the African Americans remained submissive because of the fear of violence, terror, and lynching. Others have found the courage to stand up for emancipation and began their struggles by building black solidarity and self-expression. The road to African Americans’ emancipation has always been difficult. When they thought that they have found a road to at least make themselves free, here comes another administration or legislation that would shatter their dreams. It is not long enough that they have gotten a way towards self-expression, Republicans and Democrats agreed on restoration of White supremacy in 1876 to smoothen conflict over presidential election. It also lead to number of laws that suppressed the federal rights of African Americans, among of which include: segregation of races in public places, new voting requirements for disfranchised black men, and sanction of death in the hands of white mob to those who were viewed as non-submissive to Whites (Book, 432). There were a number of documented stories that would prove this inhumane segregation, just like the law suits filed by Elizabeth Jennings, Frederick Douglas and Harriet Jacobs, and Ida B. Wells. They were all victims of White supremacy’s inhumane treatment. Despite the fact that they paid for high class tickets, these individuals were forcibly required to ride in the backs of cars or to ride in separate cars. Blacks were also traditionally excluded from public places where Whites used to be. In return, Black men and women protested to these streetcar companies which had ended streetcar discrimination and segregation in Washington, DC (1865) and Philadelphia (1867). In Louisiana, a significant leap of faith towards reform happened when the 1869 Civil Rights Act required equal treatment of blacks and whites and forbid segregation on public transport. However, things may seem to be far from realization when DeCuir’s suit against a steamboat company who refused her of a ladies’ stateroom failed and the court rulings state that it was in accordance with the law to have racial segregation on common carriers. It is not only the black which opposed Jim Crow (the term used for racial segregation law) but the transportation companies as well. Yet, they cannot do anything to protest against segregation as the Southern state is dominated by white legislators who passed a law that provide equal access to transportation of blacks and whites but of separate accommodation. Those who will violate the Separate Car Act will be arrested and sued, just as what happened to Homer Plessy. Again, the court declared Separate Car Act as constitutional due to reasons that it only respects the customs of African Americans and did not view them as inferior. Thus, black people works towards the revision of the law by holding various mass meetings, protests, editorial petitions, and lobbying efforts. But then again, whites continued to prove that they are more superior by passing or restricting laws that would aid in black submission. It was not only in public transportations that segregation is visible but also in stores, restaurants, hotels, entrances, waiting rooms, water fountains, toilets, service counters, ticket windows, theater balconies, public parks, recreational buildings, public libraries, courtrooms and city hall buildings, different work sites, and even in city neighborhoods. Let us consider the court’s defense of equality among blacks and whites and assume that they respect African Americans culture that they support segregation. The question is, “Why does in every protests, the countermeasures always aim towards black subordination?” “If White supremacy does not exist and they did not view African Americans as inferior, why did the Jim Crow law reinforce patterns of black subordination such as removing their hat and bowing their heads when in contact with white or referring to whites with proper titles while they call blacks with belittling terms?” The undying existence of white supremacy is still evident in the society even if the court proved certain laws to be equal and constitutional. Ideologies of white supremacy also keep African Americans from participating in government. Social Darwinism states that Caucasians (white descendants) were the most advanced humans. Thus, it was proposed that wealth, power and government should go to the most advanced human – the white. This idea would explain the intent of the white to keep African Americans away from holding a position in the government such as preventing black voters from becoming a voting bloc. Black politicians were given the image of corrupt, high poll taxes were given to those who wanted to vote, literacy tests about constitution were given to blacks, and more ways or laws were implemented to discourage and disqualify black men from voting. The Wilmington Insurrection which killed scores of blacks and destroyed black properties is an evidence of the extent of whites’ doings to secure subordination from blacks and suppress their civil rights. Lynching was also applied especially if African Americans cannot be threatened by legal matters, violence, or intimidation. Lynching is a public murder done by hanging an individual in public and is often committed by a mob acting outside the law (Book, 438). The primary purpose of lynching is social control and black subordination. With enormous lynching happening among blacks, Wells and a network of black activists braced themselves for a racial solidarity to end slavery and white supremacy and fight for equal rights. Wells argued that the claims of rape and removal of black voters, officials, and criminals to rationalize lynching were false. This situational enlightening, together with societal suppressions, accusations, inhumane treatment, and need for emancipation strengthened blacks’ commitment to achieve racial advancements. The Battle for Legislation African Americans have learned from their experiences. Protests and mass meetings may help them achieve some of their goals just like what happened in their protests for equal access to public transport; however, they also learned that the law and the court protect the benefits of the white and exposing themselves to total insubordination might leave them dead. To fulfill the realization of racial advancement, black needs to position themselves in the legislation and let their voices be heard from a legal perspective. The National Association for Colored Women (NACW) was established by Margaret Murray Washington to defend the honor of black women and advocate for racial advancement. During the fight against inhumane lynching, white slandered the moral and dignity of black women by characterizing them as prostitutes. Soon after this, every black mother and children feared for their safety in the hands of what they called beasts. Meanwhile, NACW worked towards racial advancement focusing on education first. They offered programs which advanced black education through fundraising, scholarship grants, and community-based assistance for jobs, child care, temperance, health, and hygiene and even lobbied against woman suffrage and discrimination (Book, 443). In 1821, the American Colonization Society (ACS) was established and lobbied for the resettlement of free African Americans. As most of the blacks from the Southern part became interested in moving to the North, ACS is the most prominent organization to support black emigration. However, new settlers faced the problem of unemployment, susceptibility to illnesses, and cultural and political clashes. Booker T. Washington formulated an uplift program that will empower the blacks. He is considered as the most powerful race leader in his era because of his ability to voice the concerns of the blacks while working with influential whites to smoothen racial conflict. From being a slave to a successful teacher and spokesman, Washington worked hard to impress whites. Aside from the school for blacks, Washington also founded the National Negro Business League to help black businessmen and professionals to operate their own businesses. He stressed on his Atlanta Compromise Speech that business development and industrial education were the key to racial advancement. He worked hard to defeat Jim Crow legislation and even gained the respect of the Whites. Before Washington died, he was even consulted by Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft in including African Americans in their political patronage. Not all African Americans are in congruence with the ways of Washington. W.E.B. Du Bois believed that accommodation is a form of betrayal and is not really helping the blacks to achieve complete emancipation; instead, Washington’s view exhibits subordination by seeking the approval of whites. Though Du Bois ideology was quite similar to Washington’s uplift program, he emphasized more racial responsibilities and duties. Instead of business and industrial education, blacks must take liberal arts and sciences. Du Bois also led the first Pan-African Congress which aims include a shared global sense of African identity and concerns for the welfare of African Americans. He even launched the Niagara movement which comprises militant black intellectuals and professionals that will protest and revitalize national black civil rights agenda. In all of the blacks’ battles for emancipation, the ruling of President Abraham Lincoln was probably the most successful and the most life-changing struggles for African Americans. At first, Lincoln was reluctant to move against slavery because of border state loyalty and his support for the compensated emancipation-colonization. Lincoln only began to take a step towards emancipation when Victory and Union tied to slavery issue and when black people reject colonization (PPT, 4). Because of Lincoln’s proclamation of emancipation, slaves were encouraged to flee and resist inhumane treatment, foreign recognition has ended, and attempt to support Confederacy has removed France and England. It also authorized black men to enlist and to acquire greater freedom compared to historical documentations. Conclusion After examining the historical documentations and evidences of African Americans experiences in the year 1880s to 1920s, one could draw out ideologies of white supremacy as the root cause of the existence of slavery, discrimination, segregation, and suppression of rights among African Americans. Most of the people or individual who lobbied for emancipation focused on eradication of white supremacy in order to achieve equal rights in the society and in legislation. The struggle African Americans have gone through was not easy. Some of them responded passively; some of them responded through accommodation; and some of them responded diplomatically through the use of laws. No matter what path they choose, analysis points out the acceptance of the hypotheses that white supremacy has significant relationship to the struggles of African Americans for emancipation and that taking an active role in the government/legislation is the key to end white supremacy and achieve emancipation. Read More