Good first week of the new semester. I am enjoying getting to know those of you who are new to the class and look forward to working with you over the next several months.
Today we talked about the Harlem Renaissance and Langston Hughes. We read his essay "When the Negro was in Vogue" pages 932-937.
In this essay, Hughes mentions some of the African American cultural achievements and celebrities of the Harlem Renaissance. What specific cultural achievements or important celebrities might you include in an essay about African Americans today? Why are these people significant? Are there similarities to the Harlem Renaissance today? If yes how and why and if no why not. What is your take on the idea of having something in vogue? What would you say is the most vogue style of today for your generation and how does it define your generation?
13 comments:
One of the cultural achievements that I would include are that the African American has most of the rights that the whites have. Some of the rights that the African Americans earned is the right to vote; right to live; and the right to be anywhere they want without being kicked out. Some of the significant people that I would add are Louis Armstrong; Thurgood Marshall; Aretha Franklin; and Martin Luther King,Jr. I would add Thurgood Marshall because he was the first African American to be on the Supreme Court. For Aretha Franklin, I chose her because che is the "Queen of Soul". As for MLK, he was one of the people who contributed in the Civil Rights Mvmt. I would add many more but these are the most significant.
Chris Daniels
If there was a "When the Negro was in Vogue" written today I would add Barack Obama becoming the first African American president as a cultural achievement. This is significant because due to much speculation and discrimination Barack Obama still became the president. I don't believe that the Harlem Renaissance is similar to the times now. During the Harlem Renaissance the African Americans' were used more for entertainment. I don't think anyone would every consider even thinking about having an African American hold a government related job. Something being in vogue is sometimes overused, for example the UGG boots are very vogue currently. Except, too many girls wear them, and every day they're becoming more, and more, less vogue.
A specific cultural achievement would be integration and how African Americans have all the rights we have. Have separate but equal places today would be greatly frowned upon. African American should have always had all the rights we have. This may not be a great example but an example of an important person would be people like Will Smith. He is an actor and one of the greatest in my opinion and a lot of people love him. during the Harlem Renaissance, Black people were just there for the enjoyment of the whites but people like Will Smith are respected now. Also, obviously, Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the greatest achieving African Americans in history. My take on things being in vogue would be that styles during the ages change so much and they are usually just fads that will pass. I think our generation is defined by technology and clothes. Everyone id so worried about how they look these days and keeping up with the latest technology. You should just be comfortable with who you are and be yourself.
-Taylor Matteson
If I were to write an essay about African Americans I would include Jackie Robinson(Pro baseball player that broke the color barrier for the MLB), Jimmie Hendrix(One of the first well known black guitarists), Mahamaad Ali(An influencial boxer), and Martin Luther King Jr.(An African American influencial abolisher). A similarity of the Harlem Renaissance today is rap music because of the music characteristic and how most rappers are African Americans and rap is getting them noticed and popular. Not to mention the number of rap fans paying money to hear it. It is in my opinion one of the most popular music genres of my generation. Something in vogue is appropriate because it sets fads. The most vogue style right now is skinny jeans. Almost all girls wear them and a lot of guys to as well.
One cullteral achevent that was achieved through the Harlem renaissance is the thought that black people were inferior to whites in all ways. this was clearly proven false at the Harlem reasons for obvious reasons. but i will explane them anyway, it proves this false because if white people came to watch them perform over watching white people they were obviosly not infiror to the white performers. (ok i just reolized i have answers a question that was not asked but im gana keep it there anyway sry) but i would add Obama if it was writin in modern times because he is the president of the united states and he is black. this is a huge achevment for the black people cus back in the day nobody would ever have thought that a black man would become the leader of the u.s. something that is voge now days is trying to be ganster and rap like a ganster. witch is funny cus white kids are trying to act black somthing they never thought would be popular back in the day.
One important celebrity in the achievements is lil wayne. Hes important because he is a big time musician. He's also important because his music is on the radio and before music like that wasn't allowed on the radio. Another person was Rihanna, she was also a musician but she was a female. These people are very related to the Harlem Renaissance. They are related because there musicians and if they lived back then they would be why the whites came to Harlem. I personally don't like the idea of haveing stuff in vogue because that trys to make everyone be similar. Our generation has electornics in vogue. Many people of this generation have cell phones.
I would say Lil Wayne has been a huge cultural achievement. Besides from his recent problems, Lil Wayne has become an idol to many people around the world. Personally, i love lil wayne. It takes serious skill to produce lyrics like he does. Yes, this is similar to the Harlem Renaissance. It's similar because Lil wayne has involved music to entertain others. Something in vogue, in my mind, is just the stores saying, "This is popular. Now we're gunna jack the prices and make you buy it." Our most vogue style would probably be the boots we wear.
If i were to write an article on african american cultural achievments today i would include augustus jackson. Augustus Jackson is an african american who invented ice cream without him we would have no sweet treat to cool down with in the summer. Another person would be Barack Obama since he is the first afrian american to become president. Through him becoming president it shows that blacks and whites are truly equal and whites can be under power of blacks too. I dont think there are similarities to the Harlem reanaissance today because most places are equal now. My take on having something in vogue is yoga pants from pink almost every girl has a pair. This defines our the girls in our genereation as unoriginal.
If I were to write an essay about African Americans today, I would write about Harriet Tubman. She was an amazing woman who worked very hard on the Underground Railway. She is a very significant person because she devoted her life to saving and freeing slaves. I don't think there are any similarites to the Harlem Renaissance because theres no slaves anymore and black people are treated fairly to whites. My take on the idea of vogue is that everyone tries to either be like someone else or likes the same things as many people. A vogue style in our generation is UGG boots for girls. Mostly every girl in our school wears them. Our generation is defined as very similar. Not many people are unique.
one of the cultural achievements that i would include is integration. how african americans have seprate but eaqual rights. like if we had places today that blacks were seperated from white would be greatly disliked by many of the worlds population. african americans should have always had the rights us americans or white have had. a great example of this would be oprah, she is the richest most successfull black person on this planet and he has done good for everyone. like during the harlem renaissance blacks were ike trash to everyone else and expecially woman, but look now oprah is greatly love and the opposite from how blacks were treated back then. there maybe some relations from today to the harlem renaissance, like how today lets say theres a black and a white in a conflict with the cops the cops are going to faulsly accuse the black guy just because of there bac ground, like back when the harlem renaissance was blac were probly accused for everything that happened. the most vogue style of today would be whites trying to be wiggers and stuff like that and all gangsters an that affects our genration by how it is making more and more people turn to mobs and drugs.
Some cultural achievements in recent african american history would be blacks getting all the rights and equality that white people have. Also, having the first black president, Barack Obama. There are also many african american celebreties such as Denzel Washington, Oprah, Jamie Foxx, Morgan Freeman, and Halle Berry. These people are significant because of their talent for entertaining, similar to those who became popular during the Harlem Renaissance. However, things are different from the Harlem Renaissance now because black people arent just treated as something to watch and observe like when you go to a zoo. They are judged by their achievements not their skin color. In our generation, i believe the most vogue style is that everyone has their own style and there is no one specific style that everyone has other than its their own.
Through many years of struggle, despair, and non-violent battles, American society has achieved one of the greatest cultural accomplishments; equality to men of all races, ethnicity, and beliefs. Equality for African-Americans was a huge step in the evolution of America, and in my opinion should never have been such a difficult achievement. African-Americans have brought so many gifts to the American culture. Such as, music trends, forms of dancing, styles, and true uniqueness. The acculturation of the African customs just opened up the minds of White men and women to just how talented and proficient African-Americans are. Of course today's form of the Harlem Renaissance is not so concentrated and wrongly perceived. Today's Renaissance is Nation wide, respected, and appreciated. No longer are African-Americans looked upon as animals good only for entertainment, but as real people with the same desires.
I would have to say that technology is definitely the most vogue style of my generation. With the new ideas and advancements that are available today, my generation is being overcome with the concept of convenience and efficiency. Almost everything is done for us and we interact with one another less and less. We are defined by texting, facebook, twitter, and youtube.
One of the celeberties that I would write about would be Barrack Obama because he has one of the biggest impacts on America. He was the first African American to become the president of the United States. He doesnt really have much to do with the harlem renaissance because that was more about entertainment. That was more about music poetry and art so Obama accomplished something different. I think that one of the most vogue style of today would be phones because not many peopl would be able to live without one. People are now getting on the internet with them and they are pretty much becoming their life. African Americans make a big impact on the way we live today.
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