Swamped with your writing assignments? Take the weight off your shoulder!
Submit your assignment instructions
Respond to these two discussion posts with 100 words minimum each. No sources required.
1. The journey through this class has been exciting and informative. I have enjoyed learning about the culture of my people. From the reconstruction era all the way up till now with Black Lives Matter. We have covered a range of topics that I believe has contributed to some of the triumphs that we have had today and also some of the struggles we still deal with within the Black community. I would like to share the two topics that I chose to write on for this essay and their significance that not only helped African Americans gain some rights but also helped me as well since I am an African American male.
A. Philip Randolph began the movement known today as the March on Washington. Mr. Randolph, the president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union, organized this rally to protest the end of segregation in the defense industry. He had called for nearly 100,000 African Americans to participate in this peaceful protest. Mr. Randolph threatened this march in order to receive action from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They both came to a compromise which ended up leading to the march being cancelled, but on June 25, 1941, President Roosevelt signed into law Executive Order 8802 – Prohibition of Discrimination in the Defense Industry. This made certain that departments within the defense ministry could not discriminate against any worker based on race, creed, color, or nation origin. This was a huge victory for African Americans because it allowed them to serve within the armed forces. His actions affect me today because I am a Black male currently serving in the United States Air Force. With him putting pressure on President Roosevelt I might not have been able to serve today like I am. With that his actions led to other African Americans serving in the armed forces like the prestigious Tuskegee Airmen.
The Tuskegee Airmen, or the 332nd Fighter group were some of the best and well known aviators of World War II. Although their training was rigorous to become the pilots that they were, they overcame that obstacle and proved that not only were African Americans smart enough to fly a plane they also proved that they were disciplined. These men conducted bomber escort missions which led to them not only safeguarding their bombers and having the lowest loss in history, it also led to the destruction of 261 enemy aircraft between May 1943 and June 1945. Their actions earned them many accolades to include three Distinguished Unit Citations, 744 Air Medals, 96 Distinguished Fly Crosses, 14 Bronze Stars, 8 Purple Hearts, and at least one Silver Star. It may not have been directly related, but I assume it helped with President Harry Truman enacting Executive Order No. 9981 – directing equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the United States Armed Forces, which in time led to the end of racial segregation in the U.S. military. The actions of the Tuskegee Airmen have proved time and time again that even an Airman like myself can achieve great things within the U.S. armed forces. I admire them for their adversity and tenacity.
The contributions of A. Philip Randolph and the Tuskegee Airmen paved the way for the success of African Americans in the defense industry. With Executive Order 8802 and Executive Order 9981 being passed it led to the entrance leading into the defense ministry and the equal treatment of African Americans through desegregation as well. These accomplishments that these men achieved is reflected in every single African American Airmen, Marine, Soldier, and Sailor serving today. With these great men and what they did for us, we might possibly not been able to serve this great nation.
2. The things that I have learned in the class African American History Since 1877 (HIST222), has made more aware of my ancestors who paved the way before me to have more opportunities to be educated, serve in the U. S. Armed Force, and to be able to pursue goals in life as others, who have in the past ben more privileged in American society. The details of heroic African Americans who served with valor during the time that the United States military was segregated and did not allow Black servicemen to have certain jobs, but gave them menial tasks of servants and messmen, as in the story of the African American Navy sailor, Dorie Miller (Cutrer, & Parrish, 2019).
The detailed information on the Reconstruction Era, the Harlem Renaissance, the Million Man March, and the information on the Rodney King and George Floyd, police brutality issues, in my opinion has been all capitalized into the Black Lives Matter Movement. Although I am not a follower of the group, the statement of “Black Lives Matter,’ has resonated around the world, as we seen in the case of George Floyd (Silverstein, 2021). But now the question is, Where do African Americans and America go from here in living up to and having the rights of the Constitution for all citizens, regardless of race, religion, culture, values, and beliefs (Dyson, 2007, p. 17).
The detailed information on the Reconstruction Era, the Harlem Renaissance, the Million Man March, and the information on the Rodney King and George Floyd, police brutality issues, in my opinion has been all capitalized into the Black Lives Matter Movement. Although I am not a follower of the group, the statement of “Black Lives Matter,’ has resonated around the world, as we seen in the case of George Floyd (Silverstein, 2021). But now the question is, Where do African Americans and America go from here in living up to and having the rights of the Constitution for all citizens, regardless of race, religion, culture, values, and beliefs (Dyson, 2007, p. 17).
African American history should be recognized and studied by all Americans in the contributions that African Americans have contributed to make America the great country that it is today, even with all of its flaws, America is great when all the people in America try to leave peacefully together. I enjoyed the class, and the discussion between classmates and the instructor of the class, and I would recommend this class for all student in the American Public University System to take the class African American History Since 1877 (HIST222).
