2. Questions/Breakdown
We are doing chapter 22 progress and poverty,
the 5 parts are:
Divergent Realities- Dillon Beckett
In Conservative Times- Claudia Frick
Artistic Currents- Moe Jones
Global Concerns- Moe Jones
At Century's end-Gabe DuPont
4. Economic status
• As a whole African Americans worse off
• From 1965-1990 the unemployment rate of
African Americans was about 2x that of
whites
• Between 1970 and 1990 the median income
for whites rose by about 2500 dollars, while
it only moved 300 dollars for blacks
• Neighborhoods plagued by family
disruption, drug use, and criminal activity
5. Signs of Success
• African Americans held top positions in the
government and public service sector in the
1990s
• 2.4% or about 425,000 corporations,
partnerships, and sole proprietors were
owned and managed by the end of the
millennium
• Athletes such as Michael Jordan, Tiger
Woods, and the Williams sisters enjoy fame
and fortune
6. The 1980s
• Jesse Jackson makes a bid for the '84 and '88 election,
loses both
• Jackson also orchestrated boycotts against major
companies in an attempt to get economic parity for
blacks, Coca Cola is first to sign agreement
• 3 million blacks, 18% of democratic primary voters,
vote in 1984
• 6,056 black elected officials in 1985, compared to
1,469 in 1970
• During Reagan-Bush years, black joblessness hovered
at around 18%
• President signs bill into effect MLK day into effect
November 2nd 1983
7. The 1990s
• Colin Powell appointed Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Constance Berry Newman became first
black director of the U.S. Office of
Personnel Management
• Black voter turnout in '92 8% of total
• 16 African Americans gained new seats in
house of representatives, bringing a record
high 39 in the lower house
8. Million Man March
• Took place on October 6th 1994
• Hundreds of thousands of black men
marched on washington D.C.
10. Reagan's Replacement Efforts
-William Bell (Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission) was replaced by Clarence
Thomas
-a young black conservative who opposed
affirmative action
-Arthur Flemming (US Commission on Civil
Rights) was replaced by Clarence Pendleton
-a black Republican
-first time in 24 year history
-commissions enjoyed pres. interference
11. Martin vs. Wilkins
-George H. W. Bush
-the court promoted white firefighters in
Birmingham, Alabama to sue the city for
making race-conscious promotions
-A.M. felt betrayed
-fair was NOT realistic
12. Bush Surprises
-Bush favored A.M.
-nominated Clarence
Thomas to succeed
Marshall
-position in racial
equality
-A.M. were surprised
and felt hope
13. Clarence Thomas
-Anita Hill
-fellow classmate tried to
accuse him of sexual
harassment
-confirmed as the 2nd A.M.
to serve as a justice on
the Supreme Court
-feeling of equality
14. Unequal Education by Supreme
Court
The Bell Curve: Intelligence & Class
Structure in American Life
-author Richard Herrnstein
-Herrnstein rejected the idea that blacks and
whites should be receiving the same
education
-schools didn't have room for blacks
-improper education/lack of tech. for 21st
century
15. Turning Tables
-Colleges started promoting diversity
-admitting students because of color
-es: athletes, musicians, scholars, etc.
"Reverse Discrimination"
-which forbid schools to allow entrance based
on color
16. Violence
Rodney King:
-beaten for no reason
-officers free of charge
Riot!
-4 days of damage
-500$ million worth
-38 dead and 4,000
arrested
17. Violence Continued
Abner Louima: James Byrd:
-sodomized -white men chained
-tortured with him to their car
wooden plunger -dragged to
-injured bladder destination
Amadou Diallo:
-45 rounds shot at *NO PROGRESS MADE
him where he lived WITH EQUALITY!
-grabbing his wallet
20. Women Writers
• The uprising of African American women writers was
one of the most vital trends to come about in the
twentieth century.
• Most writings were based on events and comings
during the time between the 1960-1970's.
• These women were tremendous writers and even
bigger symbols of success during this time. Poets and
novelist such as Rita Dove and Alice walker were
winning awards for their writings.
• Rita Dove was a poet who won the Pulitzer prize in
1986 for her Poetry book Thomas and Beulah. Novelist
Alice Walker had won the Pulitzer Prize in 1982 for
her novel The Color Purple.
21. Media
• Blacks were beginning to make an impact on the big screen. There were
African American play-writers, comedians, film-makers, and actors.
• Blacks started to star in their own films around the 1980's, mostly with the
help of popular black comedians such as Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy who
took film by storm with their creations. Mainly doing this by hitting the
stereotypes that were so common and portraying them in the movies with
humor. For example, in Murphy's movies, he is usually playing a cool hip guy
who teams up with not so hip white guys.
• Movies were making an impact, those that had a strong message as a book
such as The Color Purple were taking on by amazing directors. Whether it be
a strong black director such as Spike Lee and John Singleton who are famous
for Do the Right Thing and Boyz 'n the Hood or even a movie such as "the
color purple" that was directed by Steven Speilberg who targeted a large
interracial audience with a mostly black cast.
• Blacks were on the tv everywhere as well. Coming in the 1980's and 90's
shows like Diffrent strokes and the cosby show were making an impact.
Integrating white and black actors on hit tv shows with a predominantly black
cast, and them being the main center of focus for the most part was slowly
bridging the gap as well.
22. Hip-Hop
• Hip-Hop was a movement that originated in Bronx, New York in the
1970's.
• Targeting mostly youthful blacks and latinos it became more of a culture
and a way of life than just music.
• Changed the way people were talking, dressing, and acting.
• Rappers such as DJ Kool, P. Diddy, Run-DMC, saw this movement as a way
to help the African American race, like a new gate had been opened.
• A lot of the music back then delt with rebellion, current events, and
things that were going on that they wanted to get acrross the minds of
their listeners.
• Even white rappers were tagging in and making an impact. Groups such
as the Beastie Boys who were a group of Jewish Boys that had taken the
sight of all.
• Hip Hop also created a lot of controversy and was seen as innapropriate.
• It was seen to most as a freedom of expression but to to others it was
seen as explicit, dangerous, and violent.
24. Ending Apartheid
• Fredrick Willem De Klerk lifted the ban that
had been on the African National Congress
for thirty years in 1990.
• This released the main symbol for the black
liberation movement Nelson Mandela. Who
was in jail for over 28 years.
• Mandela and Klerk were both granted the
nobel peace prize in 1993 for bringing racial
equality to South Africa.
25. International Stage
• Blacks were now on the political scene, with people paving the
way such as General Colin Powell. Powell was a military man in
Vietnam, appointed as National Security Advisor by Reagan which
made him the first African American in that position, then under
Bush he became the first african american to be chairman of
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• Powell played a big part in the Persian Gulf War as well and yet
blacks were still against it.
• Blacks in democratic office voted against using force in the war.
• Powell was still heavily supported by blacks and whites, still
having the leadership quality, Powell wound up being appointed
as Secretary of State.
• Powell was the first black Secretary of State under George W.
Bush.
27. Bill Clinton Elected
• Bill Clinton
inaugurated into
on January 20,
1993
• Promise of
Racial
Reconciliation
during his
tenure
28. Clinton's 1st Term
• President Clinton named 4 African
Americans to his Cabinet
o Also appointed more African American Judges than
any previous President
• Clinton Attempted to appoint for Yale
classmate of his, Lanni Guinier, to head of
Justice Department's Civil Rights division
o 1st major racial controversy of his Presidency
29. President Clinton Continued.
• Clinton was a popular
President among the
African American
Population
• Because of his
Successful 1st term,
Clinton was re-elected
o 1st Democrat re-elected
since Franklin Roosevelt
• Nation experienced
impressive growth
30. Problems Still Faced
• President Clinton had
originally planned much
larger scale Welfare
Reforms, but reforms were
toned down after work with
the Conservative Party
o Conservative Party at
the time had majority in
both the House and the
•
Senate
Welfare Reforms failed to
truly address the poverty
issue
31. President Clinton on the "Race
Issue"
• One of Clinton's most important initiatives
as President was addressing the race
problem
• He began addressing this with the "One
America" initiative
o Presented with task of helping articulate a "Vision
of Racial Reconstruction"
• Created a board of racial diverse individuals
• American public reacted in a variety of was
to the news
32. "One America" Initiative Cont.
• Board Members came to the conclusion that educating
the Whites was the most effective way to combat
racism
• Al Gore was quoted saying that the formation of the
board was "A necessary healing step"
• In September 1998, advisory board presented its final
report to President Clinton
o Made Suggestions on:
§ Education
§ Health System
§ Criminal Justice System
§ Immigration
33. Final Suggestions of "One America"
Board
The Race Board that Clinton had created made
4 major Suggestions:
1. Create a permanent board. "The
President's Council for One America"
2. Devise public education program to keep
nation informed on race relations
3. Use the presidential leadership to push
the leader of public sector to "make
racial reconciliation a reality"
4. Engage "youth leaders in the efforts to
34. Looking towards a New Century
• African Americans
looked towards the
upcoming century
with cautious
optimism
o Conservative Ideas
vs. New reforms
