Electoral Politics and Party Identity

I think the election of Obama has changed the views for a need for a third political party because it shows that African Americans can be represented by the current active political parties. His election paved the way for other African Americans to do the same. To break out of the stereotypes that politicians must be of a certain race and that political parties are racially themed. Obama being elected in the major political parties of our day shows that a third political party is not needed for African Americans to be represented because they can be represented by the parties that are in office. However, I think that having another political party to choose from would be a good thing because having only the choices of Republican and Democratic are very limiting and even though there are other parties the chances of them even getting close to the amount of votes of the other two parties are slim to none.

They are important because they show African Americans in a positive light showing African Americans who are hard working and have put a lot of work into their career and dedication to their future and the futures of those around them. They dress and act classy in a way that sets an example for others. As a couple they show strength because they constantly show support for one another and Michelle is seen promoting her husband in all he does. As parents they look for the best for their children in education and protection. They raise their children to respect themselves and those around them and to have support for their family. All in all the Obamas are an excellent role model for all and are leading a great example for the American people in abolishing stereotypes of African Americans.

New Orleans

I think the authors aspirations are wonderful and that if they could be followed through then it would be a step closer to a better world. Having each neighborhood having a system to take care of one another would ensure that each person was taken care of in a crisis such as the hurricane Katrina. With the building of African American business taking care of one another becomes more and more possible because they can advertise and buold the community around each other. Growing Black capitalism and economy is a great part of the world today. Through helping one another in the crisis of New Orleans we learn to use this lesson and apply to our everyday lives. I definately think that taking care of one another can become a part of our daily lives in this nation if we can all learn to accept one another.

Obama Girl

The Obama family is a strong representation of a family that supports one another. Mrs. Obama's support of her husband through his campaigns and into his presidency is strong and his support of his family through that is an example of a solid marriage where the two spouses are strong together and have a strong dynamic of support. Their ability to take care of one another and stay strong through the media and continue to raise their children responsibly and to teach them to care for each other and have an active part in their family's future is great example for the Amercan people. That they see themselves as a role model and take it very seriously is another excellent part of the Obama's as a family. Their recognition of what a huge role they have through their example is a very serious and critical part of Obama's presidency.

More about African American society and culture

Social institutions like the Black church and HBCU's have created postive and connecting environments for African Americans. Places where they can come together and support each other and encourage one another. Leaders of these institutions have a huge role in staying open minded and leading those around them to support others and keep a postitive envirnment for all. They a responsible in creating a place that is constantly moving forward in acceptance and caring for all. These instituitions have created a safe haven for African Americans to come together and own their culture and personalities and their roles in African American history is a large part of African American studies.

African American and American culture

Viewing a "normal" family as a nuclear family with a father and mother and children is damaging to people as a whole because this excludes and keeps people from accepting all others as part of their family. It makes putting grandparents in a nursing home and out of the household something that is normal and families who keep a close relationship with their grandparents or even live with them to keep them in their childrens lives and to take care of them as something that is abnormal. The idea of a "normal" family is just one more part of the sociological imagination that is holding women down in supression. It keeps them in the house to take care of the children and housework while the men go out and provide and completely isolates and condemns all single mothers. As if their work isn't hard enough providing for their family on their own but they get condemned by society for it. The sociological theories that peg Black families as dysfunctional or deficient and as families that will have single parent families or families that are very large and include all relatives and even those not related by blood as relatives is unfair. That these stereotypes exist is something that attention should be called to. The idea that a nuclear family is the "right" family is economically supressing because a family that includes only the mother and father as caregivers and providers is extremely limiting and can only be achieved by a family of good economic standing. A family that includes more members such as Aunts and Uncles or grandparents in helping with child rearing and providing for the family is more efficient economically.

Is Obama an African American

I think African American history is a large part of African American studies. I think understanding the history of how Africans became Americans and therefore became African Americans is a very big part of African American studies. Understanding first that there is so much to the title of African American. There are several histories and the experiences of many people who define what African American means, and to understand these would be to understand African American studies.

Making Privilege and Power Visible

The fact that Black women are so oppressed has never been represented to me. Seeing this after reading Black Feminist Thoughts and being opened up to see that they are held as insubordinate because they are females and they are Black is eye opening. That they are held in stereotypes as the "mammy" or the "mad Black woman" is something that I see on tv alot. If you look at movies from the past it is very clear of how Black women were viewed. A movie like Gone With the Wind that gives two Black women the role of slaves turned servants after the war with the older one as the mammy who was strict and had the rules and the younger girl as a complete airhead with absolutely no thoughts at all shows that they believed that there was no respect for Black women. Now these days the music industry is capitalizing on slandering women everywhere which isn't helping to empower any women and bring respect to them. It needs to be realized that men are not entitled to any more power than women are and women will not be supressed any longer.

History Makers

In the history makers database there are alot of men and women who share stories that are of amazing historical and knowlegeable wealth. These are the men and women who were a part of the Civil Rights movement and because of that we have a lot to learn from them. these are the people who stood up and fought for their rights so that we could have ours today. An instance that I remember of hearing a woman talk about when she grew up through the desegregationing of schools. She talked about how she ran track and went to the olympics and her experiences there and how she became an ambassador for her race through that and how she was a part of changing American athletics and overall ideas throughout the country.

White Mainstream

I think values will stop being White when we finally do away with the social construct of race. Why does anything need to be White, Black, Asian, Latino? We are all people with similarities and differences with one another. When we learn that no one is superior to anyone then values will stop being based on race, class, or wealth.

Knowledge in Future

I hope to learn whatever has been lacking in my education thus far and from what I've been reading in our book there is quite a lot... I think the knowledge that I will gain will make me a more well-rounded and better educated person and better suited for the many interactions I will be having with people of all histories everywhere...

Starting the Blog (Chapters 1&2)

Reading chapters 1 and 2 in our African American Studies book introduced me to a lot of important historical figures that I had not heard of before or had heard of their name but not their significance in history. I would like to learn more about historical Black figures in American history. Three things that surprised me when I was reading were that Black was a major term of pride in the 60s (pg 3) that there were so very many historical figures who did such great things that I had never even heard of (pg 11-21) and that my education has in fact been skewed toward a Eurocentric view.... These were all very surprising to me that I had been led to think that basically the opposite was true... Three questions I had from these chapters are If Black is still preffered or if African American is more commonly used now I was wondering also why since we are aware that education is presented in a Eurocentric view why it isn't changed.... If we know there is a problem then why aren't we changing it?

Introductions...

My name is Margaret Oltman and I'm majoring in Anthropology and Sociology and I was born and raised in Pleasant Plains my whole life. I am a sophmore new to UIS this semester from Parkland Community College in Champaign and so far I am a member of Soccer Club but would like to become a member of other groups and/or clubs. So as far as membership I haven't had much time to get involved in much on campus or in the community in the couple weeks I've been here for but am lookin forward to some involvement in both. My future goals are to graduate with my bachelor's and then go on to get my masters in anthropology and from there go out into the world and study the many different cultures of people everywhere.