African American Resentment

African American Resentment

Shauntae Byas

ETH/125

August 1, 2010

Dr. Scott Powell

The question still remains the same, were African Americans colonized in the United States or were they immigrated to the United State? While it is a known fact that African Americans were brought to America as slaves, those of this ethnic background born in America may see themselves as being colonized because they were born and raised in America. African Americans still fight to be treated equal to other Americans. Prejudice, racism and discrimination still continue in our society today.

The migration of African Americans began during the slave trade. African Americans were migrated into the United States around 1619. Colonization grew after African Americans were forced and transported to America to work as slaves. During the middle of the fifteenth century, Portuguese ships sailed down to West Africa with intentions to buy gold and spices except they decided human being was a much more valuable commodity (Berlin, 2005). Europeans also forced African Americans to America. African Americans were captured, enslaved and taken away on ships where they were sold to Americans as property. While traveling on these ships, some slaves went as far as taking the lives of their own children along with their own to avoid becoming slaves to another country (Berlin, 2005). For African Americans, this experience is a tragedy and many still live life suffering from the scars and the mental abuse of knowing their ancestors were treated with such disgrace and hate.

Segregation was mostly occurred in the southern states. African Americans in the south were not allowed to share the same bathrooms, attend the same schools and they were not allowed to enter taverns where Caucasians were present. African Americans were excluded from having any contact with Caucasians upon many other things. According to Jones (2007) after the civil war Southern state legislatures passed unequal laws...