Liu Zhao 1 Liu Zhao 4 Liu Zhao Professor Ms. Williams AAS 271 11 April 2020 Rough draft - Afrocentricity Also known as Afrocentric, Afrocentricity is the study of the history of the world that focuses on the history of the current African descent. Afrocentricity refers to an African initiative culture that attempts to bring Africa to the center of the whole thing. This is regarding everything that began in Africa yet comprehensively; they are said to be Africa-American based. Furthermore, Afrocentricity has been employed significantly to scholarly work where Africans need acknowledgment as they are the ones putting effort on the works coming from Africa. Similarly, the fact that they have a broad scope of masterminds who are capable and have had the option to think of scholarly work, Afrocentricity at its most straightforward attempts to put Africa as a continent at the focal point, all things considered, attempts to put African history within proper context rather than Europe assuming the acknowledgment in what it has not done and accomplished. In this manner, this point of view ought not to be viewed as attempting to put African at any predominance but the way that Africa's source, culture, and conduct ought to be valued (Ince). (I would follow up with explaining the significance of this reference) (unclear thesis) Comment by Claire E Logan: I would use a different definition--afrocentricity is a framework, not an actual study Comment by Claire E Logan: confusing--would scrap the whole sentence Comment by Claire E Logan: confusing-- re-word The exponents of Afrocentrism support the statement that the contributions made by black African people have been discredited as part of the history of colonialism and the pathology of slavery, more so in the act writing Africans out of history. Afrocentricity has its own critics, some of the critics such as Mary Lefkowitz, term who describe Afrocentricity to be obstinately therapeutic as well as pseudohistory (reference needed). Other critics, like Kwame Appiah, view Afrocentricity as a strategy to disrupt the history of the world by trying to replace Eurocentricity with a curriculum that is hierarchical and ethnocentric (reference needed). The critics in support of this approach also claim that Afrocentricity negatively portrays the culture of Europe and people of European descent. (I would take a stance here by disproving these critiques in a way that addresses your thesis) Afrocentricity is followed back to the African-American who was brought up in Europe after Africa nations were colonized, and some were sold as captives to the European countries (unclear sentence). Afrocentricity is dated back to the 19th century and the early 20th century. It is believed to be the work of intellectuals of Africans in Africa and those in the diaspora as well (a. It was a reform brought about by social reforms in Africa and the United States of America after the end o.

1. Liu Zhao 1
Liu Zhao 4
Liu Zhao
Professor Ms. Williams
AAS 271
11 April 2020
Rough draft - Afrocentricity
Also known as Afrocentric, Afrocentricity is the study of the
history of the world that focuses on the history of the current
African descent. Afrocentricity refers to an African initiative
culture that attempts to bring Africa to the center of the whole
thing. This is regarding everything that began in Africa yet
comprehensively; they are said to be Africa-American based.
Furthermore, Afrocentricity has been employed significantly to
scholarly work where Africans need acknowledgment as they
are the ones putting effort on the works coming from Africa.
Similarly, the fact that they have a broad scope of masterminds
who are capable and have had the option to think of scholarly
work, Afrocentricity at its most straightforward attempts to put
Africa as a continent at the focal point, all things considered,
attempts to put African history within proper context rather than
Europe assuming the acknowledgment in what it has not done
and accomplished. In this manner, this point of view ought not
to be viewed as attempting to put African at any predominance
but the way that Africa's source, culture, and conduct ought to
be valued (Ince). (I would follow up with explaining the
significance of this reference) (unclear thesis) Comment by
Claire E Logan: I would use a different definition--
afrocentricity is a framework, not an actual study Comment by
Claire E Logan: confusing--would scrap the whole sentence
Comment by Claire E Logan: confusing-- re-word
The exponents of Afrocentrism support the statement that the

2. contributions made by black African people have been
discredited as part of the history of colonialism and the
pathology of slavery, more so in the act writing Africans out of
history. Afrocentricity has its own critics, some of the critics
such as Mary Lefkowitz, term who describe Afrocentricity to be
obstinately therapeutic as well as pseudohistory (reference
needed). Other critics, like Kwame Appiah, view Afrocentricity
as a strategy to disrupt the history of the world by trying to
replace Eurocentricity with a curriculum that is hierarchical and
ethnocentric (reference needed). The critics in support of this
approach also claim that Afrocentricity negatively portrays the
culture of Europe and people of European descent. (I would take
a stance here by disproving these critiques in a way that
addresses your thesis)
Afrocentricity is followed back to the African-American who
was brought up in Europe after Africa nations were colonized,
and some were sold as captives to the European countries
(unclear sentence). Afrocentricity is dated back to the 19th
century and the early 20th century. It is believed to be the work
of intellectuals of Africans in Africa and those in the diaspora
as well (a. It was a reform brought about by social reforms in
Africa and the United States of America after the end of
colonialism and that of slavery too. Afrocentrism can be viewed
as a political movement and also an ideology. Afrocentrism had
its roots back to when the black intellectuals took part in
activism. The African Americans did not want to be controlled
by the whites; they wanted a better education; they wanted their
churches. Due to these demands, the African Americans started
to actively participate in public roles and politics even though
they were victims of the ongoing racial segregation as well as
discrimination. In the utilization of the Afrocentric point of
view, imperialism is the principle viewpoint that without
vagueness can undoubtedly clarify the Afrocentric viewpoint.
At the point when the European countries mixed for African
nations as their states, the residents right now compelled to
carefully hold fast to the colonizer's terms and conditions and

3. inability to do so prompt a discipline. (none of that made sense)
Africans had to work for the white settlers, and most terrible
some were sold to be slaves, a situation that Africans hated.
After the independence of most African nations, the
Afrocentricity was felt inside Africans, and they needed a
sentiment of proprietorship. Moreover, African-Americans, who
were sold like as slaves as well as forced to labor as workers
where in Europe and are the ones who felt the requirement for
Afrocentricity since, in most academic work that they did, the
whites were continually getting the credit regardless of the way
that Africans had accomplished all the work thus Afrocentric
point of view emerged (Bangura, 103-125). (The whole last
sentence is confusing, I would re-word it and possibly even
break it into two sentences)
In conclusion, Afrocentrism has experienced massive criticism
from standard researchers who accuse it of authentic mistakes,
scholarly incompetence, and racism. However, Afrocentrism
supports the conservation along with the rise of contemporary
African American culture(expand on this with a cultural
example). Lastly, Afrocentrism acquired great authenticity in
the U.S. during the 1960s because of the social equality
development, the multicultural movement, as well as the
immigration of several people who were not whites. Therefore,
they must ultimately reflect traditional African values(expand
further on assertions like this). The exponents of Afrocentrism
support the statement that the contributions made by black
African people have been discredited as part of the history of
colonialism and the pathology of slavery, more so in the act
writing Africans out of history they believe that Africans and
African Americans should be included in the history, they too
contributed.
Works cited
Bangura, Abdul Karim. "From Diop to Asante: Conceptualizing
and contextualizing the Afrocentric paradigm." The Journal of

4. Pan African Studies 5.1 (2012): 103-125.
Ince, Lynda C. Kinship care: An Afrocentric perspective. Diss.
University of Birmingham, 2010.
Final Thoughts:
It is clear that the ideas are present and that the delivery of
them is what needs improvement. One of the primary
suggestions I have is finding a more accurate, definitive
definition of Afrocentricity to utilize and refer to throughout
the paper. The current explanation of Afrocentricity being used
in the paper is inaccurate as it paints Afrocentricity as more of a
study rather than a framework. Afrocentricity is based upon the
proper contextualization of Africa and its descendants’ history
and that idea did not seem to be conveyed. It would also help to
expand on the importance and role of Afrocentricity in
academia. Another important component that needs work is the
thesis; there is no clear thesis connecting Afrocentricity to a
contemporary cultural example. It seems that the paper does not
connect Afrocentricity to a contemporary cultural example at
all.
Another suggestion I have is using more precise word choice.
For this, I would highly recommend using thesaurus.com as you
can enter a word close to what you want to say and use it find
related words that are more aligned with the idea being
conveyed. Within this, it is important to use the proper names
for the proper populations being discussed (I’m specifically
referring to the sentence that mentions African Americans being
sold “where-in Europe,” it is unclear whether the idea isn’t
being conveyed correctly or if the incorrect title was selected).
I would also like to note that “Afrocentric” and “Afrocentricity”
are not interchangeable; Afrocentric is a verb and Afrocentricity
is a noun. A final comment is that there seems to be some
missing references, specifically when discussing the critics of
Afrocentricity. All in all, the foundation is there, it just needs
to be built upon.

5. Logan
Claire Logan
Ms. Williams
AAS 27100
17 April 2020
#BlackGirlMagic
CaShawn Thompson is the creator of #BlackGirlMagic, one of
the most impactful social media movements that has crystallized
its place in contemporary culture. #BlackGirlMagic will be
referred to as a movement because it is the categorization that
CaShawn Thompson uses, though it is worth nothing that it has
expanded to also function as a common expression used to
simply express empowerment of Black women and girls.
#BlackGirlMagic encapsulates essential elements of Black
Feminism and allows Black women to contribute their personal
stories in a manner that promotes collective action for
establishing a more intersectional framework for perceiving
Black women.
Black Feminism is a movement that works for recognition of the
complex experiences of Black women, with proper regard for
the contexts in which they exist. The unique positions and
experiences of African American women have prompted Black
Feminists throughout history into “looking at questions of
justice and equality more deeply and broadly than...many of
their counterparts” (Wright 86). This complexity found in the
search for equality of Black women comes from both (a)
looking outward at racist oppression and (b) looking within the
Black community at patriarchal norms that pass asymmetrical
power as ‘natural’ (Wright 86). Thus, Black Feminists must
operate in a manner that addresses both umbrellas of inequality
experienced by Black women.
Black Feminism calling for the proper recognition of these

6. points is essential to the liberation of Black women because, as
the Combahee River Collective writes, “...no other ostensibly
progressive movement has ever considered our specific
oppression a priority or has worked seriously for the ending of
that oppression” (31). This is said to note that while the Civil
Rights movement worked to address racism, it did not address
the sexism experienced by Black women, and while the
Women’s Liberation movement worked to address sexism, it did
not address the unique sexism and racism experienced by Black
women. Concisely put, Black women’s unique positions and
struggles for equality have only ever been properly addressed
by Black Feminism and the frameworks it has established.
The Combahee River Collective also writes, “We realize that
the only people who care enough about us to work consistently
for our liberation is us. Our politics evolve from a healthy love
for ourselves, our sisters, and our community which allows us
to continue our struggle and work” (31). This spirit of Black
Feminism is found within CaShawn Thompson’s creation of
#BlackGirlMagic.
When discussing the origin story of #BlackGirlMagic,
Thompson recalled being sick of the amount of mass media that
consistently framed Black women in a negative light in 2013,
citing examples such as articles saying that Black women are
the least attractive, rumors of Black women having more STIs,
and noting the final straw being media negatively framing
Serena Williams (during what is regarded as her best year, no
less) (Ballin). Expressing her frustrations with media and
fundamental love for Black women and their liberation,
Thompson put “Black girls are magic” out into the world
(Ballin). The phrase was shortened to #BlackGirlMagic due to
Twitter character limits at the time (Ballin). From then on,
#BlackGirlMagic skyrocketed and made its place in popculture.
Thompson goes on to discuss the influx of people reaching out
to her to express gratitude for providing them the language to
celebrate themselves (Ballin). The popularity of
#BlackGirlMagic spread like wildfire, helping correct

7. frameworks for perceiving Black women along the way.
Thompson indicates that #BlackGirlMagic celebrating the
everyday power of all Black women is what makes the
movement so special. She relays that at one point some Black
women felt as if their other identities prevented them from
being included in #BlackGirlMagic, identities such as “hood
girls,” trans, or disabled, but Thompson reassured everyone that
all Black women are included in #BlackGirlMagic, not just the
Michelle Obamas and Regina Kings of the world (Ballin).
Thompson shows that the movement came from the innate love
for all Black women, because it’s the 'everyday’ (re: non-
celebrity) Black women who have inspired her throughout her
life (Ballin).
There are three main reasons why #BlackGirlMagic is one of the
most quintessential Black Feminist movements: (1) it was
created by a Black woman to address an issue that is specific to
Black women; (2) it celebrates the ‘everyday’ Black woman, not
just the famous Black women that occupy traditional white
spaces; and (3) it celebrates Black women as multifaceted and
complex, rather than one-dimensional. As previously stated,
Black Feminists have historically been the only robust actors in
the fight for the liberation of Black women, as they are the only
ones who directly address the unique, pervasive inequalities that
affect Black women specifically. Thompson reflects this by
being the first to popularize a movement that deliberately calls
for more compassionate framing of Black women. She saw how
the media framed Black women and sparked mass agency
against it, doing what no one else has done.
#BlackGirlMagic encapsulates Black Feminism because it
brings forth celebration of the ‘everyday’ Black woman, a
necessary component of inspiring group agency for liberation
rather than just individual agency. Maria del Guadalupe
Davidson discusses the danger of young girls looking to figures
like Michelle Obama and Viola Davis, seeing they occupy
traditionally white spaces, and then believing that conditions
for all Black women are better (96). Davidson uses this point to

8. stress the value of group agency and its irreplaceability in the
liberation of Black women. By Thompson making
#BlackGirlMagic an inherently relevant and accessible form of
activism for all Black women, she created a movement that
utilizes group agency for the liberation of Black women. The
group agency that advances the movement is the reason for its
success and popularity. #BlackGirlMagic celebrates all Black
women while simultaneously bringing attention to and ending
the unwarranted negative framing of Black women through
collective agency, proving its Black Feminism.
Works Cited
Ballin, Sofiya. “CaShawn.” Black History Untold, 25 Feb. 2019,
www.blkhistoryuntold.com/herstory/cashawn.
Combahee River Collective. “A Black Feminist Statement.”
Monthly Review, Jan. 2019, pp. 29–36., doi:10.14452/mr-070-
08-2019-01_3.
Davidson, Maria del Guadalupe. “Millenials.” Black Women,
Agency, and the New Black Feminism. Routledge, 2017.
EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1
470040&site=ehost-live.
Radford-Hill, Sheila. “Feminism, Black Women, and the
Politics of Empowerment.” Further to Fly: Black Women and
the Politics of Empowerment, University of Minnesota Press,
2000, pp. 120–127.
Wright, Michelle M. “Feminism.” Keywords for African
American Studies, New York University Press, 2018, pp. 86–89.