Preview

Essay On African American Experience

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
504 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay On African American Experience
I think in this world we are all individuals who have something that stands out to others. No one is alike; even the most identical of twins have something different to them. If the distinction cannot be seen on them, than that difference might be inside like a flipped organ. Maybe with the differences we all strive for greatness. Some have to work for it, others are born with it. Alternatively you can be me, who grew up great yet still wants more. My experience as an African American male has led me to pursue a degree in History and minor in African American Diaspora studies.

Something that made me stick out from the others growing up was the fact I was African. The African community was very large but in school growing up I was one of the few blacks, let alone Africans that I knew during my time. Even when I was moved to a more diverse school, I really didn’t meet many other people of my heritage, therefore growing up was very different for me compared to my cousins and sisters. Because of how I
…show more content…
Later in life, when being taunted, I would respond educating those who would mess with me. Some would be actually stop and listen while others got mad because I made them feel ignorant. I know my former teachers even grew interested in the things I said and were very surprised with what they found out. I recall one teacher saying how I was actually a natural born leader to my father when he thought I wasn’t doing as well as I was in classes.

I am great because I’m not just an African in a crowd of people. I am an individual who learned more about myself. By grabbing others with my word of what I had learned, I was able to make people really think about what they didn’t understand at first. I was someone willing to learn about my roots and teach others something that most people would never have discovered on their own. This experience is what makes me want to pursue

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Secondly, I believe there are some connections between the rises in drug distribution in African-American communities in the U.S. in the late 80’s and that of Latin American countries. After, reading chapter two and learning about of the CIA “[turned] to the drug trade for an illicit source of fund… beginning the trend toward privatizing war”. For the need to change the world and dominate have lead us to limiting and label others as our enemies because they have or seem to have the potential challenge our western norms. Therefore, it might seem ideal to use money and blood to quell our fears and as a result we are willing to partake in “the pursuit of war by proxy [which] led to alliance between the CIA and drug dealers. Even though Nicaragua…

    • 284 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are a lot of people in this world, some can be described as extraordinary, or simply extra ordinary. You view people differently than everyone else in this world, and how you let them mold you is exclusive and unique to you and you only. Some influences are negative and some are positive, my most memorable is positive. Nicki Minaj sculpted my life in a way that no one else has or will due to her stance on feminism, hardworking attitude, and contagious confidence.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "The right of people to live where they want to, without fear, is more important than my science." is a quote from African American chemist, inventor, and the greatest African American, Percy L. Julian. Percy's research and studying helped the creation of drugs to treat glaucoma and arthritis. A Percy lived during a time of racism and segregation, he never let racism and it's many challenges get in the way of his shaping of our world today. With his many achievements and awards, I personally believe Dr. Percy L. Julian is the Greatest African-American.…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    We interviewed Ms. Honey Clark who is a public figure and runs a nonprofit shelter for women called Auntie Honey’s House. She is very involved with Selma and other African American movements. Ms. Honey has a big heart and a passion for caring for others. It’s something she has been doing for years and she enjoys the responsibility. She began the interview explaining how she gained custody of Jordan. She explained that Jordan’s mother was on methamphetamine and lived in her shelter for some time. Methamphetamine is a type of amphetamine and is a commonly abused drug. The drug began to take a toll on her mother’s life which made it hard to care for Jordan. Ms. Honey soon gained custody of Jordan after an incident occurred with Jordan being given a drug of some type. She showed so much emotion during the interview and you could see how she felt based on her behavior. The situation is intense for her and she kept saying “Y’all just don’t know…

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    My unique background is being un-unique. Growing up in Highlands Ranch, Colorado as a white female I don’t have much of a unique background. I have lived in Colorado for my whole life, in the same neighborhood and same house. My whole life I have been surrounded by privileged Highlands Ranch kids. Growing up in the city known as the “Bubble”, I am rarely exposed to those with different life experiences then my own. We all have similar families, houses, and lives. For the most part we all have the same background. Because I have been surrounded by those so similar to me, I am interested in different cultures and backgrounds. I have always been very open minded to new ideas and backgrounds. The idea of different than myself intrigues me. I don’t always want to be surrounded by the same, instead I want to experience different. To experience this different, I took a roadtrip to Chicago with one of my closest friends. The windy city was nothing like the “Bubble” I was used to.…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In analyzing the religious experience of African Americans, one must first understand the trials and tribulations faced by the African American before the religious experience encountered can be fully realized. In 1619, the first ship caring African American slaves arrived in Virginia. Until 1808, 10 million African Americans were enslaved throughout the Americas. During this time, many African rituals and traditions, relating to African Heritage, also became transplanted to the new surroundings (Unit 3, Lecture 5). In South American religions, African Heritage had a large influence on South American religions. The religions incorporated “characteristics such as worship of multiple gods, veneration of ancestors, African-style drumming and dancing, rites of initiation, priests and priestesses, spirit possession, ritual sacrifice, sacred emblems and taboos, extended funerals, and systems of divination and magic” (Unit 3, Lecture 5). Unfortunately, the British hold over the slaves made it…

    • 856 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Matriculating from a child into a young lady, the color of my skin often times influenced how I felt about myself and who I could be as an individual in society. As I sat in the front of the class at a predominately white school or walked down the hallways, I anticipated the moment that I would yet again be called another racial name- sometimes from those who looked similar to me but did not understand the essence of their doings. Reaching my final year in middle school, I began to define myself in a way that encompassed the names I was called. Instead of describing myself as the intellect I was or by my astounding level of accomplishments, I defined myself as someone who must be unfortunate to be African-American. Witnessing very few African-American women being presented in a positive manner in the news, learning my entire history and heritage in a single textbook chapter, and hearing demeaning words merely because of my dark skin tone inhibited me from seeing what roles I was capable of having in society. I often times asked…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The outbreak of the Second World War brought many changes at home, and aboard for both minorities and white Americans. As men began to leave off to Europe and the Pacific, the nation was experiencing a large transition in social structure and demography.…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teacher Cadet

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Ever since I was younger, I possessed unique individual qualities. I was always the girl in class who always reminded the teacher about homework, the one who never missed an assignment, and the one who always made the honor roll. In fact, I never settled for mediocre because I knew one day it will pay off. Throughout my educational career, I’ve learned that being yourself is the key to becoming successful. The world is filled with people attempting to duplicate someone which is why I’ve always pushed myself to be unique. I devote much time in expressing my individual capabilities. Whether it’s singing on the choir or going more in depth into my spirituality; I always leave room for me. I am a firm believer in devoting my time to my individualism. When a person knows there inner-self and can come to turns with their problems, it shows a high level of maturity.…

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I knew I was different, and that fact hung like a cloud over my time at school. My classmates were proud of their European heritages and their families. They spoke of their parents’ established, white collar careers, while my father was a clerk at the local grocery store chain, and newspaper delivery man in the early mornings. They spoke of their family legacies, and their family trees reaching into the 1600s. I was the grandchild of an woman who had come to America without much assurance that she could establish a better future for her children. They spoke of their parents’ college educations and travels all over the world. My father had finished high school in…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    We as a society live in different whirlwinds of social locations defined by our race, gender, social class, age, ability, religion, etc. This spectrum of elements has a strong influence on the way that we behave and the way we view ourselves. When it comes to my elements of social location, I’m an 18 year old Caucasian girl just entering college coming from a middle-class family.…

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As a senior in high school, I am finally coming to the realization that my differences are merely quirks that make me unique. I have now learned to embrace the fact that I am different from what society perceives to be the norm, but it wasn't always this way. From seventh through eleventh grade, I was not as approving of my dissimilarities as I am now. Growing up in a predominantly Caucasian school was where I struggled the most.…

    • 512 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From Africa to America, African American women have embraced the spirit of creativity and survival. For years the black woman has been the backbone of our culture. It was our faith and positive spirits that played a great part in surviving slavery and being treated as second class citizens during the Civil Rights Movement. Now as we enter the 21st century, it is time to exert our strengths at a new level. The African American woman's role is to grow and prosper in business, support and be active in her community, maintain a strong family foundation, be spiritually grounded and to emend our health.…

    • 618 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Whether someone’s differences are easily seen or extremely difficult to detect, everyone has them. My experience has not only shown me that being different is universal but also that differences can be beautiful. I have learned that diversity brings us…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Power to Be Yourself

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages

    I find myself very lucky to be who I am simply because nobody else can be me! Being who I am, of biracial ethnicity my eyes have been opened greatly to the world around me as I have grown and matured. Living for myself, being the best I can be, and upholding the spirits of others are the three main goals I work for everyday to see that I become a better person, but even more that I become the person I want me to be.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays