African Studies
please read the directions carefully on the attached paper
Review Azevedo Chap. 19: Contributions in Science, Business, Film, and Sports and one other relevant source for your topic. Some topics have suggested sources.
Required: Submit a 2-3 pages essay on one topic from any one section (Select from I-IV)
For example, if you choose an individual’s contribution to inventions that all you need to submit.
See instructions appear under each topic
Optional: Opportunity for Extra Credit is OPTIONAL: If you are interested in earning Extra Credit (15pts) complete and submit a second essay based on a topic of your choice. This means you will upload two essays on D2L (one that is required and another to earn you extra credit point
I. Contributions to Inventions
The 19th and 20th centuries witnessed great discoveries, innovations, and social revolutions. Here are examples of inventors/scientists (Select one):
· Henry A. Hill
· Meredith Gourdine
· William Hinton
· Fredrick McKinley
· Ernest E. Just
· Samuel L. Kountz
· Walter McAfee
· W. Delano Meriwether
· Louis T. Wright
· Elijah McCoy
· Granville T. Woods
· George Carruthers
· Lonnie Johnson
· Patricia Bath
· For other contributors: Inventors/Scientists see p. 474-
Instructions
For inventors and scientists briefly discuss the following:
1. Individual’s family background, education/training
2. Highlight his/her two major contribution(s) to society and two challenges he/she faced
3. How did this contribution lead to improvements in the quality of human life?
II. Contributions in Business
Black entrepreneurs come from diverse backgrounds: inventions, entertainment, sports, hotel industry, speakers and food industry etc.
Review any relevant source and select one entrepreneur. Here is an example:
See website: 20 Successful Companies Founded or Owned by Black Entrepreneurs
https://business.tutsplus.com/articles/successful-companies-black-entrepreneurs–cms-32691
It lists black-owned businesses, tells the stories in print and video of black entrepreneurs and their contributions to the business world.
Instructions (Business ownership)
1. Briefly discuss the entrepreneur’s family background, education/training
2. Highlight two of his/her major contributions to society and two challenges he/she faced
3. What two lessons we can learn from his/her experience during the historical period he/she strived to promote business ventures?
II. Contributions to the Film Industry:
Issues/Recognition related to the industry (Select only ONE a, or b, or c)
a. Blackface:
I. Discuss the phenomenon of Blackface and how it influenced the film industry
II. In what ways did blackface influence the image of African Americans it depicted and audience’s imagination?
III. Why do you think blackface keep appearing in videos, at parties, on college campuses and in everyday life?
b. Blaxploitation: See this site http://www.separatecinema.com/exhibits_blaxploitation.html
I. Explain the concept of “Blaxploitation” and find an example of a film that fits into this genre and briefly summarize it (i.e. what is the movie about?)
II. Discuss the message it conveys
III. What positive and negative (at least one each) comments have critics said about Blaxploitation? Do you agree with their comments?
c. Nominations for Oscars and other Awards:
I. Review a reliable source on the trends reflecting nominations for Oscars and Awards. How have the Oscars and other awards reflected the gender and racial balance of the roles of actors and actresses in films?
II. Assess one the films that has received an award in terms of how it was considered suitable for it.
III. What seems to be celebrated among the winners and nominees? Provide a specific example.
Contributions of Individuals to the Film Industry
Here are some examples (Select one):
· Eddy Murphy
· Spike Lee
· Josephine Baker
· Richard Pryor
· Cecily Tyson
· Arsenio Hall
· Pam Grier
· See p. 482 for other actors/actresses or producers
Instructions
1. Select one individual and briefly discuss his/her family background, education/training
2. Highlight two major contributions to society and two major challenge the person faced
3. What two lessons we can learn from his/her experience during the time the person developed as an actor/actress?
IV. SPORTS: Issues (Some sources)
Review sources that address issues in sports that focus on sports and educational success, discrimination in sports and athlete activism.
a. Jackie Robinson: What if There Had Been No Color Line?
b. “Elite Athletes also Excel at Some Cognitive Tasks” from ScienceDaily, 18 March 2013.
c. A Class Action Hero Fights To End Gender Discrimination In High School Sports, Feb. 2017
d. College Athletes Unite Around #BlackLivesMatter
e. University of North Carolina Academic Scandal (There are several sources you can explore)
f. The Olympics has a race problem. Athletes everywhere are calling out the sporting body for a history of banning Black women
Instructions (Issues in Sports)
Issues: Select one topic from a-f above and address the following:
1. Briefly summarize the content of the source
2. What are two main issues highlighted and why do they concern the author(s)?
3. What do you see as one strength and one weakness in the way this issue has been discussed in the source?
Individual Contributions in Sports:
Here are some examples: (Select one)
· Moses Walker
· Welday Walker
· Jackie Robinson
· Althea Gibson
· Wilma Rudolph
· Muhammad Ali
· Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods
· Calvin Peete
· Ethel Funches
· Anne Gregory
· Any other athlete of your choice
Instructions: Individual Contributions in Sports
1. Select one person and briefly discuss his/her family and educational background
2. Highlight two of his/her contributions to sports and two challenges he/she faced
3. What two lessons we can learn from his/her experience in relation to the historical period during which the person participated in sports?