This paper will reassess the role of the Black woman in Black resistance before the Civil War. In the process it will attempt to destroy two myths: 1) that Blacks were passive victims of slavery and oppression and 2) that those persons who did resist their victimization were men. It will point out that the Black woman's oppression under slavery was certainly different and arguably worse than the Black male's because she was sexually oppressed. Finally, it will show that Black women equally challenged slavery along with their male counterparts, using the same methods as they as well as their own unique methods which responded to the unique oppressions they faced as Black women. As much as possible, the role of the Black woman in Black resistance will be gleaned from sources which directly relate her experiences. These include female slave narratives, docu mentary source references, anti-slavery newspapers, the judicial cases 2 on American slavery, as well as a number of secondary sources. It is hoped that these sources will reveal the ways Black women forged their own paths in their struggle against slavery and oppression during the antebellum era.

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Between 1897 and 1911, W.E.B. Du Bois was vigorously involved in the fight against American racism. In this struggle he used both social scientific methodology and fiction. However, he decided that social science would be his primary tool. Du Bois thought racism was based on misconceptions, and he believed these could be overcome with scientific studies. This thesis will examine how DuBois developed his scientific beliefs, and the extent to which Booker T. Washington and his supporters obstructed DuBois's scientific plans. In this regard, the thesis will explore the special significance of his first novel, The Quest of the Silver Fleece, in his fight against racism.

This thesis will examine historical and contemporary forms of black women's political participation in America. This research will also examine a 1997 survey of black women's political participation in Atlanta, Georgia to argue that contemporary black women's activism has encompassed both electoral and non-electoral activism and is not atypical. Most of the existing research on women, however, posits black women's activism to be an anomaly. However, black women have participated in both traditional and nontraditional forms of political activity. It is argued that black women's level and style of political activism has been influenced by race, gender, and economic factors.

In 2012, Tanzania, the prevalence of HIV infection among Tanzanian women was 6.3%; that same year, 18% of Tanzanian children were born already infected with HIV. The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of prenatal care attendance on comprehensive knowledge of HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), and HIV testing and counseling, as well as awareness of HIV testing coverage services, in Tanzania. The study population was Tanzanian women of childbearing, aged 15 to 49 years old. Guided by the health belief model, this cross-sectional survey design used secondary data from the 2011-2012 Tanzania Demographic Health Survey. Independent variables were comprehensive knowledge of HIV MTCT, HIV testing and counseling, and awareness of HIV testing coverage services; the dependent variable was prenatal care visit (PNCV) attendance. Findings showed that 69% of women had their first PNCV in the second trimester, meaning that they attended less than 4 visits. Multinomial logistic regression modeling assessed the association between independent variables and PNCV attendance after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Findings denoted that comprehensive knowledge of HIV MTCT after controlling for married vs. never married, maternal age, and wealth was associated with PNVC. HIV testing and post counseling, and awareness of HIV testing coverage services were also significant for women who attended their first prenatal visit in the 2nd trimester. These findings have positive social change implications by informing efforts to identify at-risk pregnant women through systematic HIV testing and counseling for early medical intervention; such efforts may reduce MTCT and encourage them to start their PNCV in the first trimester.

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The primary intent of this thesis is to examine foster care services. An attempt has been made to study, from a dual perspective, the relevance of discharge and the relevance of foster care services for Black children and the Black community. Juvenile boys are increasingly exhibiting behavioral problems such that the family is having to look outside of the nuclear and extended units for supportive alternatives. While the intent of the thesis is to examine discharge and Black children in foster care, the major concern is the institutionalization of Black males and the impact this syndrome is having on the Black community. After beginning with a brief history of foster care and a selected review of the literature, the thesis focuses on the central topic: the study of a sample discharge group from a foster care institutional residence program in New York City. The main source of information was the agency's population information forms. The separation experience was chosen as a focus of study for two reasons. First of all, the discharge experience can be a traumatic and confusing episode to adolescents who have developed a psychodynamic profile that makes them dependent on institutional living. Secondly, this examination will begin to draw attention to the effect the foster care experience has on their future development and the impact the system has on the Black community. It is therefore imperative to begin on examination of what happens to adolescent Black males when they leave foster placement.

This thesis offers a comprehensive examination of the intellectual contributions of John Glover Jackson, an African American historian. Jackson, similiar to many other African American scholars, is self trained in the field of African history. This self training is a crucial element in this presentation for it is an attempt to present the autodidact's efforts and contributions as valid. This attempt reviews the archeological, anthropological, and cultural evidence presented by Jackson relating to his interpretations of man, God, and civilization. The methodology utilized in this research consists mainly of examining secondary data. Primary materials include interviews, video recordings, and recorded lectures. Critiques of the scholarly content of these materials are included in the assessment of Jackson's work. Iconographic, linguistic and ethnological evidence will be presented as interpreted by Jackson. The findings demonstrate that Jackson's contributions were virtually ignored. The reasons for this disregard are several. The dissenting nature of his presentation, his atheist reasoning and his lack of diplomacy contributed to his neglect. The results of this study carry wide reaching implications in the different fields of historical research. An Important finding, for example, is that formal university training is not an absolute prerequisite in the writing of history. Of greater significance is the evidence presented and the integrity of the historian's scholarship. The autodidact and the formally trained scholar have much to offer historiography. Neither can be ignored if honest scholastic advancements is intended. This exploring of the contributions of the self taught scholar, John G. Jackson, attempts to support such a conclusion.

This study examines the use of Kongo cosmology as a theory of reading African-American literature. By analyzing the philosophical modes and belief systems of the Bakongo people, a general view of their cosmos is constructed and establishes the Kongo cosmogram used as the basis of this study. The community, crossroads, elders, and circularity of life all prove to be crucial elements in the Kongo cosmogram. These elements all have respective roles in the operation of the Kongo cosmogram as a literary theory. As the focus shifts from Africa to America, a study of how the Kongo cosmogram is disrupted by the Maafa and reconstructed in America via plantation existence is necessary to establish the history and function of the cosmogram in America. Finally, the Kongo cosmogram is applied as a literary theory, using Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and James Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain. These texts manifest the elements of the Kongo cosmogram and demonstrate its applicability as a literary theory.