#AP African American Studies: Ultimate Study Guide 🚀

Hey! Let's get you totally prepped for your AP African American Studies exam. This guide is designed to be your go-to resource, especially the night before the test. We'll make sure you're confident and ready to ace it! Let’s dive in!

#The New Negro Movement & Black History Education

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• Challenged Inferiority: The movement directly confronted the racist idea that Black people lacked cultural contributions, which was often taught in U.S. schools. 🙅🏾‍♀️
• Empowerment Through Knowledge: It pushed for African Americans to control their own education and explore their history to inform their future progress. 💡
• Harlem Renaissance: The 1920s-1930s saw an explosion of Black art, literature, and music, celebrating Black culture and identity. This was a crucial period for the movement. 🎭
• Refuting False Narratives: The movement created a rich collection of literature and educational resources, proving that African Americans had a rich history and culture. 📚
• Curriculum Integration: Early efforts to include Black history in school curricula helped the movement's ideas reach Black students of all ages. 🏫
• Journal of Negro History: Founded in 1916 by Carter G. Woodson, this journal published scholarly articles on African American history and culture. 📰

#Cultural Contributions

• Artistic Explosion: The movement produced a wealth of literature, art, and music celebrating Black culture, identity, and experiences. 🎨
• Key Figures: Langston Hughes (poet) and Zora Neale Hurston (anthropologist and writer) were prominent figures. ✍🏾
• The "New Negro": The movement promoted a confident, creative, and politically active African American who challenged stereotypes and demanded equality. 💪🏾
• Racial Pride and Unity: It encouraged racial pride and unity while advocating for civil rights and social justice. ✊🏾
• Foundation for Future Movements: Laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement and Black Arts Movement. 🛤️
• Inspiration: Inspired generations of Black artists, writers, and intellectuals. ✨

Practice Question

Multiple Choice:

1. The Harlem Renaissance is BEST characterized by which of the following? (A) A period of increased segregation and discrimination against African Americans (B) A political movement focused on gaining voting rights for African Americans (C) A cultural and artistic movement celebrating Black culture and identity (D) An economic movement focused on creating Black-owned businesses

2. Which of the following was a key goal of the New Negro movement? (A) To encourage African Americans to assimilate into white culture (B) To promote the idea that African Americans lacked a history or culture (C) To challenge the notion that Black people were inferior due to a lack of cultural contributions (D) To establish separate but equal educational facilities for African Americans

Short Answer Question:

Explain how the New Negro movement challenged existing stereotypes about African Americans, and provide one example of a cultural contribution from the movement.

#Development of the Black Intellectual Tradition

#Early Origins

• Pre-1960s Development: The tradition emerged two centuries before African American Studies became an academic field in the late 1960s. 🕰️
• Activist-Led: Developed through the efforts of Black activists, educators, writers, and archivists who documented and preserved Black experiences. ✊🏾
• Challenging Dominant Narratives: Aimed to challenge narratives that marginalized or erased African American history. 🗣️
• Empowerment Through Knowledge: Sought to empower African Americans by providing them with knowledge of their history and culture. 🧠
• Example: David Walker's Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World (1829) challenged slavery and racism. 📖

#African Free School's Role

• Late 18th Century: Established to educate children of enslaved and free Black people in New York. 🏫
• Leadership Preparation: Played a key role in preparing early Black abolitionists for leadership. 🧑🏾‍🏫
• Notable Alumni: Included figures like Henry Highland Garnet and Alexander Crummell. 🌟
• Education as Empowerment: Demonstrated the importance of education for social change. 🔑
• Foundation: Laid the groundwork for future Black educational institutions. 🏗️

#Schomburg Center's Establishment

• Arturo Schomburg's Collection: Based on the vast collection of Arturo Schomburg, a Black Puerto Rican bibliophile and historian. 📚
• Donation: Schomburg donated his collection to The New York Public Library in 1926. 🎁
• Leading Repository: Serves as a leading repository of materials documenting the global Black experience, with over 11 million items. 🏛️
• Resource: Provides a valuable resource for scholars, students, and the public. 👨🏾‍🎓
• Preservation: Plays a vital role in preserving and promoting the Black intellectual tradition. 🛡️

#W.E.B. Du Bois's Sociological Research

• Groundbreaking Research: Du Bois conducted research on the experiences of African Americans. 🔬
• Early Sociological Surveys: His work, like The Philadelphia Negro (1899) and The Souls of Black Folk (1903), provided early surveys of Black communities. 📊
• Challenging Inferiority: Challenged the idea of Black inferiority by highlighting social, economic, and political factors. 🤔
• Empirical Research: Advocated for using data to understand challenges faced by African Americans. 📈
• Influence: Influenced the development of African American Studies. 💫

#Zora Neale Hurston's Cultural Documentation

• Anthropological Approach: Hurston documented African American culture and linguistic expression. 🗣️
• Ethnographic Fieldwork: Conducted fieldwork, collecting folklore, oral histories, and cultural practices. 🗺️
• Their Eyes Were Watching God: Her novel is a seminal work that celebrates Black vernacular and explores the complexities of African American life. 📖
• Challenging Monolithic View: Highlighted the diversity and richness of African American culture. 🎭
• Preservation: Contributed to the appreciation of African American cultural heritage. 🏺

#Carter G. Woodson's Historical Initiatives

• Promoting Black History: Woodson played a pivotal role in promoting the study of African American history. 👨🏾‍🏫
• Association for the Study of Negro Life and History: Founded in 1915 to promote research and education on African American history. 🏛️
• Negro History Week: Established in 1926, which later became Black History Month. 🗓️
• The Mis-Education of the Negro: Chronicled Black experiences and challenged dominant narratives. 📚
• Curriculum Inclusion: Advocated for the inclusion of African American history in school curricula. 🏫
• Foundation: Laid the foundation for African American Studies as an academic discipline. 🏗️

Practice Question

Multiple Choice:

1. Which of the following best describes the role of the African Free School in the development of the Black intellectual tradition? (A) It primarily focused on vocational training for Black students. (B) It served as a center for the study of European literature and philosophy. (C) It provided education to children of enslaved and free Black people, preparing them for leadership roles. (D) It promoted segregation by establishing separate schools for Black and white students.

2. What was a major contribution of W.E.B. Du Bois to the development of the Black intellectual tradition? (A) He established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. (B) He conducted groundbreaking sociological research on the experiences of African Americans. (C) He founded the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. (D) He wrote the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Free Response Question:

Explain how the works and initiatives of Carter G. Woodson, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Zora Neale Hurston contributed to the development of the Black intellectual tradition. Be sure to discuss specific examples of their work and their impact.

Scoring Breakdown:

• Carter G. Woodson (3 points):
  • 1 point for identifying Woodson's role in promoting the study of African American history.
  • 1 point for mentioning the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History or Negro History Week/Black History Month.
  • 1 point for discussing The Mis-Education of the Negro and its critique of the education system.
• W.E.B. Du Bois (3 points):
  • 1 point for identifying Du Bois's sociological research on African American experiences.
  • 1 point for mentioning The Philadelphia Negro or The Souls of Black Folk.
  • 1 point for discussing his challenge to the idea of Black inferiority and his advocacy for empirical research.
• Zora Neale Hurston (3 points):
  • 1 point for identifying Hurston's documentation of African American culture and linguistic expression.
  • 1 point for mentioning her ethnographic fieldwork or Their Eyes Were Watching God.
  • 1 point for discussing her challenge to the monolithic view of Black experience and her contribution to cultural preservation.
• Overall Coherence (1 point):
  • 1 point for a well-organized and coherent response that effectively connects the contributions of all three figures to the Black intellectual tradition.

#Required Sources

#"The Negro Digs Up His Past" by Arturo A. Schomburg

• Pivotal Moment: Schomburg's essay is a pivotal moment in African American historiography. 📜
• Challenging Narratives: It challenged narratives that dismissed Black contributions to world civilization. 🗣️
• Preservation: Emphasized the importance of uncovering and preserving African American history. 🕵🏾
• Foundation: Laid the groundwork for future scholars and researchers. 🏗️
• "The New Negro": Inclusion in Alain Locke's anthology amplified its impact. 📢
• Cultural Awareness: Inspired a renewed interest in African American heritage. 💡

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• Systemic Biases: Woodson's work exposed biases in American education that perpetuated racial inequality. 😠
• Eurocentric Curriculum: Critiqued the Eurocentric curriculum and its effects on African American students. 🌍
• Educational Reform: Shaped African American studies and educational reform movements. 🏫
• Self-Empowerment: Woodson's call for self-empowerment through knowledge continues to resonate. 💪🏾
• Key Arguments:
  • The education system has failed African Americans, indoctrinating them with white supremacist ideas. 🙅🏾‍♀️
  • African Americans are taught to look down on their own culture while venerating European culture. 👎🏾
  • The system trains African Americans for subservient roles, not leadership. 🧎🏾
  • African American history and achievements are largely ignored. 📚
  • African Americans need to develop independent thinking and pride in their heritage. 🧠
  • Education should be redesigned to be relevant to African American needs. 🛠️
  • The ultimate goal is for African Americans to think for themselves and work toward empowerment. 🌟

Practice Question

Multiple Choice:

1. According to Arturo Schomburg, why is it important to "dig up" the past of African Americans? (A) To prove that African Americans are superior to other races (B) To challenge the prevailing narratives that dismissed or ignored Black contributions (C) To promote segregation and racial separation (D) To focus solely on the suffering and oppression of African Americans

2. What is a central argument presented in Carter G. Woodson's The Mis-Education of the Negro? (A) That the education system for African Americans is excellent and prepares them for success (B) That African Americans should focus on assimilating into white culture (C) That the education system has failed to properly educate African Americans, instead indoctrinating them with white supremacist ideologies (D) That African Americans should not study their own history or culture

Short Answer Question:

Explain how the ideas presented in Schomburg's essay and Woodson's book are related to the goals of the New Negro movement.

#Final Exam Focus

#Highest Priority Topics

• New Negro Movement: Understand its goals, key figures, and cultural contributions. 🎭
• Black Intellectual Tradition: Know the origins, key figures (Du Bois, Hurston, Woodson), and institutions (African Free School, Schomburg Center). 🧠
• Required Sources: Be familiar with Schomburg's essay and Woodson's The Mis-Education of the Negro. 📚

#Common Question Types

• Multiple Choice: Focus on key concepts, figures, and events. 🧐
• Short Answer: Expect questions that require you to explain connections between concepts and provide examples. ✍🏾
• Free Response: Be prepared to analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources and perspectives. 📝

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• Time Management: Pace yourself during the exam. Don't spend too long on any one question. ⏱️
• Common Pitfalls: Avoid oversimplifying complex issues and be sure to use specific examples. ⚠️
• Challenging Questions: If you get stuck, take a deep breath, reread the question, and try to break it down into smaller parts. 🧘🏾‍♀️
• Connect the Dots: Remember that AP questions often combine multiple concepts. Look for the connections between different units. 🔗

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• NEW: Negro movement, Education, Woodson, Du Bois, Hurston, Schomburg (Think of NEW as the key figures and ideas!) 💡

You've got this! Go ace that exam! 🌟