African American Ethnic Group - Rita Haase

GENERAL HISTORY AND STATUS OF ETHNIC GROUP
The United States population as of the 2000 census was 281.4 million, with 36.4 million or 12.9% of people who self-identified as Black or African American in ethnicity. In the aggregate, this classification consisted of 34.7 million or 12.3% who reported only Black or African heritage, as well as 1.8 million or 0.6% identifying themselves as Black and one or more other races (McKinnon). This racial mixture is common among the population at large, and reflects the reality of a country with people of shared origins. Nonetheless, the cultural identity of Blacks or African Americans suggests a demographic with a past rooted in America's history of slavery and its far-reaching consequences. Unlike other early immigrant groups, the arrival of African Americans was not a voluntary one. The ancestral origins of most Blacks or African Americans are found in the Black race groups of Africa, and their journey to this country was part of the infamous Transatlantic Slave Trade occurring from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Maritime records discovered by social historians reveal a massive trade in human life to the New World continent. It resulted in an African Diaspora of approximately 17 million men, women, and children, not counting those who died from disease and horrific conditions aboard slave ships (Transatlantic Slave Trade). The record of their enslavement by colonial settlers, and 19th century expansion in the American south, was tied to an ignorance and bigotry of epic proportions. Their eligibility for citizenship and civil rights was non-existent until their emancipation after the Civil War in 1865. It was further established with the passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery in 1865, and the 14th Amendment in 1868 recognizing their citizenship rights (The National Archives). The progress and place of Black or African Americans in the United States is a result of their own remarkable resilience and contributions.

Of the many former slaves whose actions and testimony contributed to these events, both Frederick Douglass' and Harriet Jacob's autobiographies were examples of literature which exposed the cruelty and barbarity of slavery and helped lead to its abolition (Douglass; Jacobs). These narratives also revealed the degree to which white slave-owning Americans depended upon black Americans for their livelihood and economy. It was a dependence that refused to acknowledge the strength, skills, intelligence, and humanity of an ethnic group that deserved to be recognized for its basic rights and autonomy.

In spite of achieving their physical freedom after the Civil War, African Americans continued to be victimized by a majority white population in southern states determined to retain their ethnic privileges. A series of discriminatory "black codes" were enacted during post-war Reconstruction that restricted black integration, voting, education, and equal representation (The History Place). These codes and practices led to "Jim Crow" laws that officially segregated black and white populations in private and publicly shared areas. In 1896, the Supreme Court in the Plessy v. Ferguson decision established a "separate but equal" standard, futher sanctioning discriminatory practices (Cozzens). This doctrine was eventually challenged, but not before subjecting African Americans to a systematic denial of their civil rights. It allowed southern states to inflict humiliations, police beatings, and lynchings upon black Americans deprived of due process under the law. A visual record and video of this dark period in history that was assembled with a collection of photographs and postcards created as souvenirs at lynchings can be found at a website entitled "Without Sanctuary" at http://www.withoutsanctuary.org/main.html. The title refers to the fact that "even dead, these victims were without sanctuary" (Allen). It is an astounding and profoundly unsettling reminder of the inhumanity that was inflicted upon African Americans.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an eloquent and compelling African American who emerged to combat these injustices in the 20th century. His leadership was a major factor in a campaign of non-violent confrontation that united black and white Americans and helped to bring about the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The passage of this legislation was a defining moment in the country's rejection of segregation and unequal treatment of Black or African Americans in schools, other public facilities, the workplace, and voter registration. There were many known and unknown heroes of the Civil Rights Movement who contributed to an improved quality of life for African Americans. Their voices represented the ideals of a democracy that freedom must be demanded and depends on dissent against injustice. The Civil Rights Movement included members from all walks of life and perspectives. Malcolm X, the name adopted by Malcolm Little in 1952, was a controversial contemporary of Martin Luther King, Jr., who initially differed with him ideaologically on the path to obtaining full human rights. He argued that the desperation suffered by African Americans justified the need to employ "any means necessary" to achieve equality (King and Rummel). He eventually evolved to a position of greater reconciliation, stating "I have become convinced that some whites do want to help cure the rampant racism which is on the path to destroying this country" (King and Rummel). Both he and King lost their lives to assassins in the space of two years between 1964 and 1965. Their impact can be measured by the way that they both changed the national dialogue and consciousness of racial oppression in America. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s tremendous influence can be heard in the video below of his famous 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.




The status of Black or African Americans today is directly related to the history of resistance and sacrifice that has led to their ethnic group's numberless achievements in all areas of private and public life. Although lingering racial attitudes continue to create political tensions, African Americans' ability to demonstrate their impact upon this country's accomplishments is seen in the "Workplace Research and Demographics" section below. One of the most visible reflections of this progress is the 2008 election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States.

WORKPLACE RESEARCH AND DEMOGRAPHICS
Name of Company contacted: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Address: P.O. Box 408, Trenton, New Jersey 08625
Name of Contact: Angela Smith, NJDEP Division of Human Resources (609) 984-7321

Website: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/


What type of diversity do they have?

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has 2,964 full-time employees. They are responsible for air and water quality, hazardous waste management and regulations, all natural and historic resources in the forests and parks, as well as all associated enforcement responsibilities. The ethnic group breakdown is as follows:

83% White
9% Black or African American
6% Asian American
3% Hispanic American

How do they accommodate?

The NJDEP has had a Diversity Initiative since 1997, and they have employee resource groups that meet regularly to hold events for employees, which are also provided occasionally for the public to attend. The groups are:

Associaton for Advancement of Asian Americans (4A); Black Environmental Solidarity Team (BEST); GLBT Resource Group (DEP United Pride); Latino Environmental Advocates in the DEP (LEAD); Veterans Employee Resource Group

These ethnic resource groups schedule outreach sessions that contribute to organizational cohesion and understanding. An example of an outreach session occurred in May, 2010, which was Asian American Heritage Month. The 4A group held a cultural event that focused on healthy living and alternative medicine, including a henna demonstration. Although it is not an "ethnic" group, DEP United Pride is recognized as a minority group by the NJDEP and June, 2010 is Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. The organization has a display in the lobby of their main building at 401 E. State Street that highlights historic gay and lesbian figures. The lobby display also shows the status of state laws and legislation across the country and demonstrates New Jersey's leadership in supporting GLBT civil rights.

What contributions do the "ethnic" groups make to the overall organizational structure?

Ethnic minorities serve the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection at all levels, according to Angela Smith in their Division of Human Resources at Trenton, New Jersey. Some outstanding examples of achievement are within the African American and Latin American ethnic groups. Lisa Jackson was their previous Commissioner, the highest ranking person at NJDEP. She left the organization to become head of the State Department of Environmental Protection in 2008, the first African American in that role for the United States. Her picture is located on the left. In her new position, she listed the following five issues for her attention: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, managing chemical risks, cleaning up hazardous waste sites, and protecting America's water. Her Deputy Commissioner at NJDEP was an African American male, who served in various capacities for nearly 30 years. The current Chief of Staff at the NJDEP is Latin American.

ETHNIC GROUP LITERATURE AND "AMERICAN DREAM"
After post-Civil War Reconstruction failed to maintain legal protections for African Americans in the southern states, segregation laws swept that region of the country. The effects of these laws denied African Africans an equal opportunity to experience the "American Dream." It was a dream conceptualized for all immigrants and citizens by a number of writers. Among those who recognized its egalitarian appeal was James Truslow Adams, who saw it as a vision that allowed an "opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" (Rico and Mano 15). This was not as easily attained for African Americans who were increasingly marginalized in the south. The effects of institutionalized racism and economic need led to a vast migration of African Americans to other areas of the nation. World War I produced employment opportunities in a number of industrialized areas, and urban communities introduced Black or African American culture into neighborhoods where they were concentrated. One such area that attracted a large number of black intellectuals, activists, artists, and writers was Harlem in New York City. This resulted in a cultural flowering of literary and artistic talent that became known as the Harlem Renaissance. Black writers emphasized a variety of social and economic themes in their fiction and non-fiction works. Examples include Zora Neal Hurston, the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God; Alain Locke, who wrote of educational opportunities in his book, The New Negro; and the poet, Langston Hughes, whose direct style of writing and clear voice still rings with universal truths (Rico and Mano 337-338). Hughes' poem, "A Dream Deferred," speaks of the consequences to having one's dreams or goals in life blocked by barriers not under an individual's control, an experience in the lives of many African Americans at that time (Hughes 402). Hughes pursued his American dreams of education and writing in a world that tested his ability to cross racial boundaries. In his poem, "Theme for English B," he fluently exposes the commonalities and differences between black and white Americans, and identifies a shared heritage that makes all of us a "part" of each other (Hughes 394).

The collective past that continued to convulse the country's preoccupation with racial realities throughout the 20th century was recognized by many Black or African American authors for its continuing power and hold upon white prejudices. The progress towards economic and civil justice for African Americans was a central focus in the writings and activities of Black or African American leaders and authors. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" captured the intensity and human anguish of that struggle (Rico and Mano 389-402). When King spoke of his dreams in his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, he was invoking the democratic belief in an "American Dream" that did not exclude anyone. In the speech, he articulated his hope "that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" (American Rhetoric).

In Malcolm X's autobiography, written with the African American author, Alex P. Haley, one sees the personal journey of a Black man who sought to embrace a different vision of America and a spirit of brotherhood as an evangelist minister for the Nation of Islam. He attacked the hypocrisies and racist values of the white man's Christian religion and society, which had condoned the genocide and slavery of his race. His words were often fiery in nature and he was accused of advocating armed resistance, but he saw the need for self-defense against the lynchings and brutalities African Americans endured. In his view, the "so-called revolt" that taking place in the 1960's was "merely an asking to be accepted in the existing system!" (Rico and Mano 406). In spite of his outrage at a white society and system that "nourishes a racist psychology in the white man," his greatest contributions to an "American Dream" were found in his unequivocal beliefs in the rights of all citizens (408).

Much of the writing on social conditions by Black or African Americans in the last century is founded upon the strengths of earlier black literature. The role of autobiographical slave narratives was uniquely determinative in counteracting the beliefs that dehumanized an entire ethnic group. Chief among them was a book written by a young African American woman who escaped the mental and physical bonds of her former slavery with the goal of self-respect and concern for the lives of her children and other slaves as her "American Dream." Harriet Jacob's publication of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl in 1861 was a powerful indictment of the sexual denigration and abuse of African American girls and women by white slave owners. The book was not only an expose of the foul practices perpetrated against them, it was also a heartfelt cry to white women and men of the north to respond to the crimes against humanity in their own country. In her contributions to education and Civil War efforts, she became known as an "accomplished author with years of experience among abolitionists and a keen understanding of the events through which she lived" (Perry 596). Along with many other writers, her sacrifices, actions, and writing on behalf of her ethnic group fiercely substantiated their claims to equality. Although those rights and freedoms have often been compromised, her life is a testament to the resilient character, talent, and courage that Black or African Americans as an ethnic group represent to America.

African Americans have overcome enormous physical and psychological barriers to achieve the freedom to pursue the "American Dream." An example of that success can be seen in the modern day workplace of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, where Black or African Americans represent 9% of all employees. It is illustrated even more vividly in the achievement of leadership at the highest levels, with its first African American female Commissioner, Lisa Jackson, appointed to head the Federal Department of Environmental Protection for the United States in 2008. Their accomplishments in education, industry, sports, the arts, literature, and science have contributed to the course of progress for all Americans. One of this country's most altruistic inventors, George Washington Carver, was an African American born into impoverished circumstances at the end of the Civil War. He became an innovative botanist who developed a crop rotation method that radically changed and improved southern agriculture.

George Washington Carver was an example of the resurgent character of African Americans dedicated to the social ideals of the "American Dream." His deeply humane and humble philosophy of life was evident in the following quotation:

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life, you will have been all of these."

Works Cited:

Allen, James. Without Sanctuary. 2005. Web. 13 June 2010. http://www.withoutsantuary.org

American Rhetoric. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream." 2010. Web. 9 June 2010. http://www.basicquotations.com

Carver, George W. Quotes by George Washington Carver. Basic Quotations. 2008. Web. 9 June 2010. http://www.basicquotations.com

Cozzens, Lisa. "Plessy v. Ferguson." African American History. 1995. Web. 9 June 2010. http://www.watson.org

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Written by Himself. Modern Library Mass Market Ed. New York: Modern Library, 2004. Print

Hughes, Langston. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. (Arnold Rampersad, Ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994. Print

"I Have a Dream." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 11 June 2010.

Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Writen by Herself. Modern Library Mass Market Ed. New York: Modern Library, 2004. Print

King, Corretta Scott, and Jack Rummel. "Malcolm X." Malcolm X. (1-55546-600-1) (1989): 7-34. History Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 12 June 2010.

Mathieu, Sarah-Jane. "The African American Great Migration Reconsidered." OAH Magazine of History 23.4 (2009): 19-23. History Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 12 June 2010.

McKinnon, Jesse. "Census 2000 Briefs and Special Reports." "The Black Population: 2000." U.S. Census Bureau. 2001. Web. 8 June 2010. http://census.gov

Perry, Lewis. "Harriet Jacobs and the 'Dear Old Flag'." African American Review 42.3-4 (2008): 595-605. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 11 June 2010.

Rico, Barbar R., and Sandro Mano. American Mosaic: Multicultural Readings in Context. 3rd ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. Print.

The History Place. "Presidential Impeachment Proceedings: Andrew Johnson." 2001. Web. 9 June 2010. http://www.history

The National Archives. "The Constitution: Amendments 11-27." U.S. National Archives. 2010. 11 June 2010. http://nationalarhives.gov