Cultural and Ethnic Studies:
Make a contrast
Answer any two of the following questions and devote at least two pages to each question. Your exam must be doubled-spaced and typed. Do not turn in to me your assignment electronically.
i) In the Prologue of his book Evolution, History and Destiny, Dr. Washington introduced four Destiny modalities: 1) the Ethnic Destiny mode; 2) the National Destiny mode; 3) the World Destiny mode; and, 4) the Cosmic Destiny mode. Comment on the way in which the Cosmic Destiny mode differs from the three other Destiny modes.
ii) It is evident that in the movie Higher Learning, the campus security guards at Columbus University treated the Black students, in contrast to the white students, unfairly. Compare and contrast the behavior of the campus security guards with the behavior of certain law enforcement officers in Ferguson, MO during the recent riots. In your view, what can citizens do to encourage the police to make a greater effort to engage in practices that protect the lives, rights and dignity of all citizens?
iii) In light of Roland A Barton’s 1928 letter to Dr. DuBois, what would Barton say about the appellation issue? (See EHD p. 38-42). Over the years Blacks have had a number of racial appellations applied to them? Why do you think that this is the case? Do you prefer “Black” or “African American”?
iv) In the book, Africana Studies Butler cites with approval Charles Frye’s distinction between on, the one hand, the Black cultural patterns, and on the other, the white or European cultural patterns, thus:
Black cultural patterns are characterized by a feeling-intuitive-subjective-internal-figurativewholistic communal-archaic-Eastern approach to life and living. White cultural patterns, on the other hand, are characterized by a sensing-thinking-objective-external-analytical-literalindividualistic-modern-Western approach to life and living (p. 98)
Comment on this distinction mentioned in iv) above. Do you think that the digital, social media has begun to modify on, the one hand, the cultural patterns of African Americans, and the cultural patterns of white people, on the other hand?
v) In your view, what are some of the distinctions between Black culture and white culture? What do these cultures have in common?
vi) Do you think that Joseph Baldwin goes too far to the extreme in asserting or describing what he regards as the irreconcilable differences between Africans (or Blacks) and Europeans (or whites)? How are some of his views incompatible with many of the views that are formulated in the Destiny model?
vii) There are a number of parallel themes in the movie Higher Learning and the movie American History X. Do you think that Professor Phipps is correct in saying that the most effective way for Black people to make social progress is through hard work and competition in the economic realm, rather than through seeking governmental entitlements or other handouts. Further, do you think Malik is correct in saying that the white students at the University have less worries as he himself has. This is so, he says because they have greater economic securities and privileges, due to skin color. Do you agree?
viii) In the movie, American History X, Cameron Alexander is among the pivotal characters providing background leadership to the white power movement effecting Derek and Danny. Are the views of Derek and Danny regarding white power (or Black power) comparable to the white power views of Remy and his gang? What is you view of white power or Black power as depicted in the movie we watched?