Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University Includes bibliographical references (leaves 384-390). Abstract: leaves [1-4]. Vita. Microfilm. s / The slow and painful progress of desegregation in America when seen in contrast with the dramatic successes the non-white peoples of Asia and Africa have experienced since World War II in their determination to be free of white supremacy, has markedly increased the frustrations and anxieties of America's Negro minority. There is a developing apprehension that it may come to pass that the American Negro will be the only people in the world still demeaned by racial subordination. The Black Muslims represent one organized reaction to continuing patterns of discrimination in the United States and to the white man's tendency to deprecate all non-white races and cultures. They also represent an extreme protest against Christianity for its failure to treat black and white Christians with equanimity. The study is designed: (1) to survey some characteristic defenses against the effects of race prejudice and discrimination in order to provide a perspective from which to evaluate the Muslim Movement; (2) to examine in detail the Black Muslims as a particular form of reaction to prejudice and discrimination in America; and (3) to assess the response-patterns of other Negro organizations and institutions towards the Muslim Movement and its modus vivendi. The data was collected over a span of four years by means of: (1) interviews with Muslim leaders and laymen, and with Negro leaders outside the Movement such as ministers, businessmen, politicians and educators; (2) participant observation involving hundreds of hours at Muslim temples, homes, lectures, etc.; (3) reports from interested persons and institutions across the country; (4) newspaper and magazine articles by and about Muslims; (5) tape recordings of Muslim speeches and addresses; (6) Muslim pamphlets, booklets, brochures, etc.; (7) Muslim dramatic productions, pageants and phonograph records. There are probably 100,000 Black Muslims in the United States, and the Movement is growing. There is a good deal of sympathy in the general Negro community for the Muslims, but only a relatively small number of Negroes are willing to abandon Christianity to become Muslims. Non-Muslims sympathetic to the Movement tend to concur in the belief that the white man is incapable of justice toward non-whites, and that he will never of his own accord live in a situation of equality with non-whites. Again, there is wide agreement that the white man has deliberately "written the Negro out of history"--refusing to recognize his contributions to Afro-Asian civilization and to the development of America. Negro intellectuals are least sympathetic to the Movement, and tend to discount it as a social force of any importance. Muslims are ambivalent toward the intellectuals. believing them to be most vulnerable to the white man's blandishments. The Movements is essentially an expression of the Negro lower class. A few college students are Muslims, and some Muslim ministers were formerly Christian pastors. Temples are located in the large industrial cities from Boston to San Diego and from San Francisco to Miami. Converts come from a wide variety of religious backgrounds--the Methodist, Catholic, Episcopal, Baptist and Congregational churches are all represented, as are various sects and cults. Many ex-Garveyites are Muslims. There is no apparent delinquency problem among Muslim children. The father is restored as head of the family. Notable success in rehabilitating ex-convicts, alcoholics and narcotic addicts is reported. Parochial schools are maintained by some temples. The Muslims anticipate the eventual destruction of the white man, and the re-establishment of the Black Man's civilization. They advocate non-violence except in self-defense, when the lex talionis is held to apply. Complete separation of the races--and a "United Front of Black Men" are fundamental precepts. The Black Muslims probably constitute a Moslem sect in spit of their doctrinal deviations. Some Muslim leaders have made the traditional pilgrimage to Mecca.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / This study is an exploratory study to examine settlement house directors' perceptions of discrimination against Negroes in their communities and the actions their agencies were taking to decrease discrimination. The study thus fell into two broad areas. The first part of the study explored the directors' perceptions of the discrimination against Negroes in their communities in housing, education, employment and other areas . This part of the study was based on the assumption that discrimination did exist in some form and did not try to examine or describe that discrimination objectively. The study was rather focused upon the directors' own perceptions of discrimination. The study did not attempt to explore the directors' own prejudices or discriminatory practices, for this would have required an evaluative study of attitudes and a different research design and different techniques from those used in the study. [TRUNCATED]

This is a study of the negro migration to British Columbia in the mid-19th century. It is the story of the early coloured pioneers who came to the colony from California to escape oppression. Here is a glance at the early history of the Canadian west coast from the standpoint of one of the many minority groups who once settled there. The first of the negro immigrants arrived in Victoria, Vancouver Island in April of 1858, when the gold rush to the Fraser River was just beginning. While many preferred to try their luck at the diggings, others remained in the town where they prospered as merchants, barbers, restaurant and saloon keepers and ordinary labourers. Not wishing to live in segregation as they had been forced to do in California, they fitted themselves into the life of the settlement to a remarkable degree. The coloured townspeople were particularly active in colonial politics, and when they voted en bloc, they could, and sometimes did control the outcome of elections, a situation which aroused antagonism toward them. Several negroes ran as candidates in colonial and municipal elections and one of them, Mifflin Wistar Gibbs was not only elected to the City Council, but later on leaving the colony became the first negro Judge in the United States and was eventually appointed United States Consul to Madagascar. The first volunteer military unit on Vancouver Island, the Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps was composed entirely of coloured men. After much discouragement at the hands of the whites, the negro soldiers disbanded, but at least they deserve the credit for being the first to volunteer and to prepare themselves for the defence of the colony. Other important centers of negro settlement were on Salt Spring Island, where they established themselves as farmers and ranchers, and in the gold fields where they panned the bars of the Fraser River and the creeks of the Cariboo country. While it is doubtful if many became wealthy as miners, some became prosperous business men supplying the economic needs of the pioneer settlements. The coloured people had not entirely escaped prejudice by their northward migration however, for it followed them from California on every gold rush steamer, and even the British settlers were not entirely blameless. Attempts were made in Victoria to segregate them in the churches and theatres, and to exclude them from the public bars. On Salt Spring Island the situation appears to have been somewhat different, for on the fringe of settlement, any neighbour, regardless of his colour, was a decided asset, and in the mining country men were generally judged by the amount of money in their pockets rather than by the colour of their skin. By the mid-1860’s the gold excitement had almost died away bringing a period of depression to Vancouver Island. In the United States the Civil War had come to an end and slavery had been abolished. Now it was no longer necessary for the coloured people to continue their self-imposed exile and many decided to return to the United States. As this movement progressed, the race problem in the colony diminished, and in time the fact that there had ever been an extensive settlement of negroes in British Columbia was forgotten. / Arts, Faculty of / History, Department of / Graduate

M.A. / The objective of the study was to determine the influence of African-American culture and the impact of African-American advertisements within a South African advertising communications context. The study focused on the urban black South African youth for two reasons: the first is that most of the African-American advertisements are targeted at them. The second reason is that they can be considered innovators when it comes to adopting new attitudes and trends. Before the evaluation could be completed, the singular definitions for the terms African-American, Eurocentric and Afrocentric were compiled with input from people in the advertising industry. The relevance of this study is that the black South African youth are incessantly being exposed to the African-American culture through advertisements and the media. By implication they will increasingly be able to relate to the African-American ideals, values and norms as reflected in the afore-mentioned and they will potentially start to neglect and eventually abandon their own cultural heritage. The issue that was raised was that marketers and advertisers should be adopting the philosophy of "mashakane" and be aiding nation building in South Africa, not encouraging the fragmentation of it. The other concern that was raised was that in South Africa, whites are creating advertisements for blacks. There are cultural differences between the two and therefore inter-cultural communication is occurring. A literature study on inter-cultural communication revealed the similarities and the differences between white and black South Africans. In general terms with the primary difference being that whites can be classified as individualistic and by implication a low-context communication culture. Blacks on the other hand are collectivistic which means that they are a high-context communication culture. On the macro level, the South African socio-economic environment in which the black South African youth are growing up in, was analysed as it will impact directly on them as receptors .of advertising communication. The study then concentrated on the evolution of black market segmentation in South Africa. The future trends that are emerging in the black market, which will assist in advertising positioning strategies, were also briefly discussed. The black South African youth market was analysed in detail particularly from an advertising and consumer point of view. Advertising's psychological implications on them were also discussed. Furthermore a demographic and sociographic profile of the black South African youth market was completed. This demographic and sociographic analysis was based on the results of the 1994 "Youth Survey" conducted by Mkhasibe (1995). The research that was conducted for this study evaluated the shift in the trends (from 1994-1996) influencing the black South African youth (this included their media consumption, their role models and the country they would most like to visit). Furthermore the aspirational appeal that America holds for them versus South Africa was examined. Finally the likabilty of certain African-American advertisements versus Eurocentric and Afrocentric advertisements was determined to assess the effectiveness of African-American advertisements for this target market. From the study it is evident that fashion, movies and music are important to the black South African youth. They also prefer examples of the above-mentioned that are African-American. Fashion is the only exception where Italy and France (specifically Paris) are appealing to them. It is also evident from the study that their Africaness is important to them and they criticise those who have adopted the African-American culture in its entirety. They are considered sell-outs. There is value in advertisers utilising an African-American positioning for advertisements targeted at the black South African youth. However advertisers should be aware that their Africaness should not be ignored and should be incorporated into the advertisements. Therefore by procuring the African-Americans positioning the advertisement retains desirability and by embodying an Afrocentric aspect the identification with the advertisement by the black South African youth is much stronger.

Ethnic women in early twentieth-century America constituted a significant literary and political presence. Their gender politics were varied, according to the specifics of historical and cultural location. My dissertation demonstrates the heterogeneity of gender politics early in this century by detailing how ethnic women's fiction contests the political discourses of ethnic women. I use the multiplicity of issues in Native American, African American, and Jewish American women's texts to illustrate the importance of grounding gender in a particular historical moment. In addition, my study examines the ways in which ethnic women in the United States have used discourse to empower themselves. By reading fiction in relation to political history, I demonstrate how literary strategies of resistance are culturally constructed. An exploratory venture in method, this work develops a historically specific critical practice. Drawing on current feminist criticism as well as poststructuralist theory, I focus initially on the ways in which contemporary critical practices continue to obscure the political agendas in ethnic women's texts. The subsequent four chapters demonstrate how narrative contests rather than reflects history. History, like literature, is dynamic and conflicted; accordingly, I construct pluralistic histories in each chapter, detailing the debates over class, sexual, and ethnic politics within ethnic women's communities. I argue that novels appropriate and rewrite political discourses acting as interpreters, using history to legitimate particular politics. I argue, for instance, that Their Eyes Were Watching God employs the language of the black women's club movement and the "Classic Blues" to refute racist and classist sexual ideologies which position African American women as libidinous, while it simultaneously struggles to advocate sexual subjectivity for women. Drawing upon the writings of Jewish women labor organizers and social workers, as well as Orthodox teachings and the literature of the Haskalah movement, I suggest that Bread Givers challenges notions of femininity which were opposed to manual and wage labor. My final two chapters argue that Mourning Dove's Cogewea employs Native American women's writing from the turn-of-the-century Pan-Indian movement to counter assimilationist ideology and represent gender as a specific means of resisting cultural imperialism.

This dissertation seeks to argue that the vast majority of Black South African writers were no neutral sitters on the fence under apartheid rule. Each generation of Black writers assiduously and consciously deployed different genres and techniques in recording the plight of their people during years and years of subjugation under Nationalist rule. However, for each generation of committed Black South African writers the objectives were essentially consistent: to inspire, record and aid revolt against an unjust system which had been universally condemned as a crime against humanity. This dissertation is a story about the engagement of Black South African writing with its political context. It is also a journey back of sorts, because the Black writers who are at its core take us back to different phases and seasons of our shameful past as a fractured society. They take us through the consequences of the Land Act of 1913, which is universally regarded as one of the world's infamous acts of social engineering; they take us back to the notorious Bantu Education Act and its tragic consequences. In the early years of consolidating democracy in South Africa, there must be a galvanizing and self-critical vision of the goals of our society. Such a vision in turn requires a clear-sighted grasp of what was wrong in the past. It is indeed a blind progeny that acts without indebtedness to the past. The composition and orientation of Black writers who constitute this dissertation are eclectic. The dissertation draws heavily on the writings of world-renowned luminaries such as Es'kia Mphahlele, Wally Serote, Mbulelo Mzamane and Njabulo Ndebele. This dissertation falls squarely under the Citizenship Studies rubric and seeks to argue further that the Nationalists' vision of citizenship was seriously flawed because it was exclusive, violent, sectional and rooted in bigotry and racism. The task of reconstructing the post-apartheid society is going to involve massive acts of interpretation in which the historical memory will be a crucial factor.

In the plays of Georgia Douglas Johnson, Alice Childress, and Pearl Cleage, black women are often portrayed as defenders of the physical self, protectors of identity, and guardians of the future. This study will examine how these playwrights examined the issue of protection in their plays. Although each playwright will be looked at specifically in relationship to one of the three categories—physical, social identity, feminist—the boundaries remain fluid. Where each playwright fits predominately into one category, the overlap is noticeable as the definitions between the three areas of protection sometimes merge. “Physical protection” is the act of defending from attack and loss. In relationship to Georgia Douglas Johnson it will mean looking at how black women are unable to protect the body from physical devastation, i.e. lynching. “Social identity protection” requires the main characters to undergo a transformation that will inevitably change how they view themselves in relationship to their environment. Social identity protection is manifested in the plays of Alice Childress when the women realize that they must redefine society's perspective on the black woman's place. This transformation is especially significant for two reasons. First, it is the catalyst for the other characters' journey to self-identity. Second, the journey encourages the reevaluation of their responsibility to the black (and larger) community. “Feminist protection” involves black women who are concerned about the physical safety and longevity of one another. Successful feminist protection requires that black women tell the truth and not keep silent about how their race and gender informs their lives in America. These distinct facets of protection become united in each playwright's individual commitment to portraying the African-American experience on stage and beyond truthfully. An examination of the history of blacks on the American stage will provide a framework that substantiates the need for this study on protection. This historical background will provide the context needed to understand what necessitated the work of Georgia Douglas Johnson, Alice Childress, and Pearl Cleage.

Women and girls of color are severely under-represented in the fields of Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (SMET). Research indicates that SMET will continue to be dominated by men unless we address the needs of women of color to gain entry and sustain a career in these fields. Women of color issues and concerns are often combined with those of white middle class women, thereby making it difficult to tease out what is important to them in relationship to SMET. This qualitative research project was conducted at a large public university over a three month period with a group of women of color undergraduates, graduates and professionals in the field of engineering. Methods utilized included phenomenological in-depth interviews and observation. The study gave voice to what they encountered regarding access, recruitment, and retention to SMET careers, the gender and racial biased attitudes and practices that either supported or obstructed their determination to move forward along the engineering pipeline and the encouraging and discouraging relationships which supported or obstructed the women's determination to succeed in the field. The findings point out the important role engineering departments must take in lowering first year attrition rates by providing an inclusive, “women” friendly environment that provides same sex/race mentors, tutors and programs to encourage and support students through difficult times. Diversity workshops and programs should be created to inform faculty and administrators to develop more effective and respectful ways of communicating with different ethnicities. Creating inclusive pedagogy integrated with feminist frames and constructivist teaching methods whereby students lived reality is integrated into practical applications of knowledge would provide a more comprehensive, interesting and fun way to learn science, math and technology thereby alleviating the boredom often found in engineering courses. The study also identified the important role families played in the success of the women, especially the role of mother and daughter, which prepared these women academically and emotionally for the rigors of engineering. Moreover, K–12 teachers need to learn about, promote and facilitate skills development for girls of color to gain entry to SMET careers. One teacher can make a difference.

The majority of urban minority students, particularly Black students, continue to perform below proficiency on standardized state and national testing in all areas that seriously impact economically advanced career options, especially in areas involving science. If education is viewed as a way out of poverty, there is a need to identify pedagogical methodologies that assist Black students in achieving higher levels of success in science, and in school in general. The purpose of this study was to explore White teachers' and Black students' perceptions about the teaching strategies used in their low socioeconomic status (LSES) urban science classrooms, that led to academic success for Black students. Participants included three urban middle school White teachers thought to be the best science teachers in the school, and five randomly selected Black students from each of their classrooms. Methods of inquiry involving tenets of grounded theory were used to examine strategies teachers used to inspire Black students into academic success. Data collection included teacher and student interviews, field notes from classroom observations, group discussions, and questionaires. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. The teachers' perceptions indicated that their prior belief systems, effective academic and personal communication, caring and nurturing strategies, using relevant and meaningful hands-on activities in small learner-centered groups, enhanced the learning capabilities of all students in their classrooms, especially the Black students. Black students' perceptions indicated that their academic success was attributable to what teachers personally thought about them, demonstrated that they cared, communicated with them on a personal and academic level, gave affirmative feedback, simplified, and explained content matter. Black students labeled teachers who had these attributes as "nice" teachers. The nurturing and caring behaviors of "nice" teachers caused Black students to feel a sense of community and a sense of belonging in their classrooms. Black students demonstrated that they respected and always "had the back" of these "nice" teachers. Results from this study could play a significant role in teacher retention and in informing best practices for preservice and other teachers who are struggling to meet the needs of LSES urban students.

This study posits that as an academic discipline, Black Studies has as its historical antecedent more than a century of vigorous struggle for interpretive power and definitional control of the Black experience. The demands of Black students on black and white campuses for an education relevant to the needs and aspirations of the Black community shook the foundations of the Academy. Yet the thrust of angry Black students during the late 1960s was not the first serious intellectual offensive launched against white-controlled education. Though distinguished by its passion and polemics, Black Studies was not new. Rather, the Black Studies movement represented a resurgence of Black nationalist sentiment inextricably linked with the quest for the redemption of Black history and its meaningful interpretation. At least a century prior, Dr. Edward W. Blyden of St. Thomas and Liberia devoted his life to challenging the West's racist, ahistorical image of Blacks. An educator, Blyden was profoundly committed to the development of what he termed "the African personality" and politically espoused repatriation of Disasporan Africans. A generation later, his "disciple", Joseph E. Casely-Hayford of the former Gold Coast was equally concerned with the "African nationality" and the appropriate role for the emerging Western-educated elite. In the United States a decade later, Carter G. Woodson, "the father of Black history" grappled with the same issue, charging the West with the deliberate "miseducation of the Negro". This study examines the politics of knowledge in the context of these three Black responses to the West's distortion of Black history and Black humanity. Their indictment of Western education as a retarding factor in racial uplift and the complicity of Western academicians in the perpetuation of racism is central to the focus of this study. It is argued that Afrocentric Black Studies create a constant tension in the Academy due to inherent ideological differences.