Having Our Say by Sadie and Bessie Delany Essay -- Having Our Say Lite

Having Our Say by Sadie and Bessie Delany The social, cultural and political history of America as it affects the life course of American citizens became very real to us as the Delany sisters, Sadie and Bessie, recounted their life course spanning a century of living in their book "Having Our Say." The Delany sisters’ lives covered the period of their childhood in Raleigh, North Carolina, after the "Surrender" to their adult lives in Harlem, New York City during the roaring twenties, to a quiet retirement in suburban, New York City, as self-styled "maiden ladies." At the ages of 102 and 104, these ladies have lived long enough to look back over a century of their existence and appreciate the value of a good family life and companionship, also to have the last laugh that in spite of all their struggles with racism, sexism, political and economic changes they triumphed (Having Our Say). Of all the ten children of Henry and Nanny Delany, Sadie and Bessie developed a bond of companionship from childhood to the end of their lives. They were even able to complete each other’s thoughts, because they shared what Karl Mannheim described as a "common location in the social and historical process" that "predisposes them for a certain characteristic mode of thought and experience." They therefore, corroborated some of Mannheim’s discussions on "location" and its effect on a generation (Karl Mannheim, The Sociological Problem of Generations, pp. 290-91). Further, throughout the book, Sadie and Bessie continuously reminds the reader of the strong influence family life had on their entire lives. Their father and mother were college educated and their father was the first black Episcopal priest and vice principal at St. Augustine Co... ...ieth century America. The majority of blacks during that era, did not possess the family status and class structure that surrounds the Delany sisters and, therefore, it would virtually be impossible for them to succeed at the level the Delanys did. But the Delanys still had their share of personal troubles which was influenced by public issues but they survived and in their own unique, humorous way lived to say: We’ve outlived those old rebby boys! That’s one way to beat them! That’s justice! Works Cited Delany, S., Delany, A., and Hearth, A. Having Our Say. New York: 1967. Mannheim, K., Essays on the Sociology of Knowledge. Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. 1952. Bennett, L. Jr. A History of Black America. Sixth edition, Penguin Books: 1993. Franklin, J., Moss, A. Jr. From Slavery to Freedom. Seventh edition, McGraw Hill, Inc.: 1994.

Key Issues in W.E.B. DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk

The Souls of Black Folk, by W.E.B. DuBois, is a compilation of essays written by DuBois and first published in 1903. In these essays, DuBois covers many of the problems that he sees in the lives of African American people. These multitude of problems can be summed up into one issue, â€Å"the problem of the color-line† (DuBois 1994, 9).DuBois sees this â€Å"color-line† as the root of difficulties for his race reaching back to the days of the Civil War, but he claims to really see it take hold in the era that he published his book, the early twentieth century (DuBois 1994, 9). Through his collection of essays, DuBois allows the reader to see multiple events pertaining to the lives of African Americans through his eyes, and paints the history of black struggles in ways that might not have been clear to someone who had not been so close to them.DuBois chose to begin each of his essays with a â€Å"sorrow song,† a line or two of music that â€Å"welled up from blac k souls in the dark past† (DuBois 1994, 1). These bits of song give the tone for each of the essays. DuBois speaks of being â€Å"a problem† to the white world around him, but he sees major issues in his time that keep people thinking of him as â€Å"a problem† (DuBois 1994, 2). These issues are those of â€Å"work, culture, and liberty,† (DuBois 1994, 6), things that DuBois does not see coming easily to his people.At the time, they lacked the right to vote, many lacked adequate schooling, and the â€Å"emancipation† granted in the Civil War era had not led to anything resembling true freedom (DuBois 1994, 6). An example of this lack of freedom is illustrated in the chapter, â€Å"Of The Black Belt.† This particular essay gives the reader the view from a traveling buggy in early twentieth century Georgia (DuBois 1994, 53). Due to recession after the war, most of the land has been abandoned by the previously wealthy owners, and is being rented to the African Americans who are willing to work on it (DuBois 1994, 53).These African Americans live in broken down plantations houses, barely fit for inhabitation, but still must pay exorbitant rents to the people who previously lived there (DuBois 1994, 53). On top of the out of control rents, no amount of money that the African Americans pay ensures them of ever owning any home or land (DuBois 1994, 60). The work they had   done on the land over the years quite often ended up sold to a white person, not matter how much the African American had paid on it (DuBois 1994, 61).Most of them are destitute, for all the money they make from growing crops goes into the hands of their landlords (DuBois 1994, 57). For a few older people, these landlords are their former owners. DuBois does not see this as freedom in any way. In fact, in the chapter â€Å"Of the Quest for the Golden Fleece† he is critical of the Emancipation due to the fact that it turned out so many slaves on thei r own, slaves who had not thought past being freed, and eventually caused them to come back to their former owners in order to have food and a place to live (DuBois 1994, 66).Another issue that DuBois finds relevant to the problem of the â€Å"color line† is the general lack of higher educational options, or â€Å"culture,† for the African American. In â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others† DuBois gives the credit for a lot of this problem to Booker T. Washington and his plan of â€Å"Negroes (surviving) through submission† (DuBois 1994, 27). Washington’s plan was threefold. In it, African Americans should give up, â€Å"at least for the present: political power, insistence on civil rights, and higher education of Negro youth† (DuBois 1994, 27).Washington believed that these things could be accomplished later, but â€Å"compromise† would further the Negro cause at the time. DuBois was very much opposed to this system, stating t hat it caused, â€Å"the disfranchisement, the legal creation of a distinct status of civil inferiority, and the steady withdrawal of aid from institutions of higher training for the Negro† (DuBois 1994, 27).   He questioned any plan that would continue holding back his race, saying that Washington was hindering by bringing up the old â€Å"attitude of adjustment and submission† (DuBois 1994, 26).Another problem point for DuBois was the lack of liberty that his people had. For example, in the chapter â€Å"On The Coming of John,† DuBois tells the tale of a young African American man who strived to get past the â€Å"veil†and make something of himself. At first he was a poor student, but he refocused after being kicked out of school and came back with a real desire to learn. This learning, however, made him aware of the many things that he was excluded from.He â€Å"noticed now the oppression that had not seemed oppression before,† was angry when people did not call him â€Å"mister,† and was offended at having to ride in the â€Å"Jim Crow† cars (DuBois 1994, 95). The story continues on with the young man facing racism at every turn. The essay ends with the young man having exerted liberty by saving a young Negro woman from an amorous white man, whom he kills, but the liberty of action came at a price. As we leave the tale, the young man is sitting calmly at the site of the crime, waiting for the lynch mob he hears from far away to come get him (DuBois 1994, 102). The message that the tale conveys is that the lack of liberty to take part in the white world in bound to lead to disenchantment and anger for those held behind the â€Å"veil† (DuBois, 1994, 95).DuBois tackles the topic of African American religion in the chapter, â€Å"Of the Faith of the Fathers.† He explains the roots of Negro religions on the plantations. They were more likely to be pagan and voodoo like, because that is what most of them were taught in their native lands (DuBois 1994, 84). It took the impressions of missionaries and plantation owners to give the religion a â€Å"veneer of Christianity,† and it took several generations for the Negroes to come to a following of authentic Christianity (DuBois 1994, 84).However, DuBois has a problem with how Christianity came to be presented to the slave population. Whereas the â€Å"voodoo† type religions had â€Å"deepened and strengthened† the slaves, Christianity was manipulated by the plantation owners to weaken them (DuBois 1994, 84-85). In DuBois’ opinion, the Negro had been so run down that he was â€Å"losing the joy of this world† and â€Å"(eagerly) seizing upon the offered conceptions of the next† (DuBois 1994, 85). The Negroes became â€Å"fatalistic,† and with that fatalism came the traits of â€Å"shiftlessness† and â€Å"hopelessness† (DuBois 1994, 85).When they became free, many turn ed their religion into an idea of â€Å"revenge† (DuBois, 1994, 85). The â€Å"Coming of the Lord† was looked for, and people pledged to die before going back to slavery (DuBois 1994, 86). There was also an idea that the slave owners would get their punishment when the Lord came, so the event was highly anticipated. At the time DuBois was writing, religion had split into two sectors for the Negro. Northern blacks held a vengeful ideal, and Southern blacks fell into â€Å"hypocritical compromise† (DuBois 1994, 87). Neither were ideal, and DuBois closed with the hope that there would be an â€Å"awakening† and â€Å"the real Negro heart† would come â€Å"out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death,† and create a new world where the things he desired for his people would not be â€Å"for White People Only† (Dubois 1994, 88).There is much more that could be said about DuBois’ essays, but the main thing that this writer believes that h e would want a person to take from his work is the idea that one group of people cannot be subjugated forever. Although some may not want to work for freedom, there are always a few that will want to learn and make a better person out of themselves. Instead of a taste of liberty angering them because they cannot do anything with it, the taste should bring them joy as they are accepted into the new world they have so longed for. DuBois never got to see a world like that, but perhaps one day his descendants, and ours, will.Reference ListDuBois, W.E.B. 1994. The souls of black folk. New York: Dover Publications.

Effects Of Smoking On The United States - 905 Words

Cigarette is one of the most addictive drugs that became plenty common in our society. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking kills more than 480,000 in the U.S. each year. In order to reduce this statistic, numerous controlling strategies are adopted by the government, which includes a limitation of tobacco advertising, and the prohibition of smoking in public areas. Meanwhile, several people are suffering from health issues caused by consumption of cigarette. It increases the risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke. These three diseases are the leading causes of death in the United States (Taylor 8). The burning of the tobacco generates nicotine, carbon monoxide and more than 4,000 chemicals that has a toxic effect. However, researchers found that one of the hardest and challenging decisions that a person can make is to quit smoking. Further, this problem is due to nicotine since it is responsible for the addiction. The absence of this substance often causes depression, anxiety, and fear. So, an emotional and mental dependence on nicotine is predictable and, in the endpoint, it will become a terrible interrelationship between the drug and its user. Even though the decision to quit is usually a tough effort because of the emotional and mental addiction to smoking, it needs to be done to avoid health issues. There are several reasons why to quit, and solutions to aid in this process to assist a smoker. The use of tobacco is extremelyShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Smoking On The United States1311 Words   |  6 Pagescigarette smoking is higher in the United States and kills more than 480,000 Americans each year (2015). In fact, cigarettes are harmful to smokers and nonsmoker, and the number of smokers rises day by day. Moreover, there are many harmful effects smoking has on an individual, such as heart disease, cancer, and the effect on nonsmoker and women, while it may cause an individual to feel relaxed, spend a lot of money and not be informed, it is harmful in the United States. The consequences of smoking areRead MoreEffects Of Smoking On The United States1570 Words   |  7 PagesWorld-wide efforts have increased to alarm people of the danger in consuming tobacco products, both first hand and second hand. In recent years, reports have proven a decline in smoking. However, there are still millions of people that smoke in the United State of America. As a result, the effect of smoking has become a major health risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death, disease, and disability in the USRead MoreEffects Of Smoking On The United States976 Words   |  4 PagesSmoking Smoking, the drug killer number one is everywhere at this time, even government and enough information, which we can get almost everywhere cannot stop some young people. What forces young people to smoke? Why they risk their health just for cigarettes. Is it the addiction what make them smoke, or it is a societal pressure, or it is something else ? The second important question is that, what is the major and minor effect of smoking. I have many experiences with smoking, because using of thisRead MoreEffects Of Smoking On The United States1841 Words   |  8 PagesIn the United States, tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death. Chronic cigarette smoking is associated with many adverse health effects and 70% of adult smokers started smoking when they were adolescents. The World Health Organization’s definition of adolescence is a period of development that corresponds to the period between the ages of 10 and 19 years. This age group is vulnerable to initiate risk y behaviors such as cigarette smoking. According to the Surgeon General’s reportRead MoreEffects Of Smoking On The United States2439 Words   |  10 PagesIn the United States, tobacco smoking is by far the leading cause of lung cancer, which includes non-small cell lung cancer. About 80% of lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking, and many others are caused by exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoking is clearly the strongest risk factor for non-small cell lung cancer, but it often interacts with other factors. Smokers exposed to other known risk factors such as radon and asbestos are at even higher risk. However, not everyone who smokes gets lung cancerRead MoreEffects Of Smoking On The United States871 Words   |  4 PagesPathogenic role of smoking has been proved by many researchers in the world and in our country. Smoking 01 cigarettes himself losing 5.5 minutes of life. The average life expectancy of people who smoke less than non-smokers from 05 to 08 years. Smoking in creases the mortality rate from 30 to 80%, mainly because of cancer (lung cancer), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease.... The degree of increased risk depends on the age of starting smoking (smoking as soon as the higherRead MoreEffects Of Smoking On The United States1026 Words   |  5 Pagescigarettes have has declined from 20.9% in 2005 to 16.8% in 2014. The evidence also suggests that smoking was noticeably ln 2014 than in 2013. Sources reported that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease and death. Another essential point is that it kills 28,000 people every year in New York and afflicts nearly 600,000 residents with serious injuries directed to their smoking. In addition, smoking kills half a million Americans every year and costs about $300 billion dollars a year. ConsideringRead MoreThe Effects Of Smoking On The United States1639 Words   |  7 PagesSmoking is established as a recognized cause of cancer, lung disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke(US Public Health Service,1964,Doll R 1976,1994, US Department of Health and Human Services,1989).it is considered to be the single most important avoidable cause of premature morbidity and mortality in the world. WHO has estimated that there are about 1100 million smokers worldwide; this represents about one-third of the global population aged over 15 years (WHO,1997). About 73% of these smokersRead MoreEffects Of Smoking On The United States2197 Words   |  9 Pagesproducts for example cigarettes while ant-smoking campaigns are the activities and rally that the tobacco industries and other institutions or organization employ to oppose or curb smoking globally, example public education. The rate of smoking globally is on the rise if the current data is to go by the youths will be the most affected compared to adults, this trend is worrying and leaves us with many questions than answers concerning the future of the nations. Smoking has been identified as one o f theRead MoreEffects Of Cigarette Smoking On The United States961 Words   |  4 PagesThe facts are right there on the box; â€Å"Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, and emphysema and may complicate pregnancy.† Almost all teen smokers say they regret beginning to smoke. Most smokers attribute the habit of smoking to the glamorization of smoking in the media, peer pressure, self-image, and easy access to tobacco; from stealing cigarettes from parents or having someone who is 18 buy the cigarettes for them. Teen smoking is on the rise and it is a problem. Cigarette smoke