Black History Education and African American Studies

Maya Hall
10 min read
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Study Guide Overview
This study guide covers the New Negro Movement, focusing on its educational goals and cultural contributions. It also explores the development of the Black Intellectual Tradition, highlighting key figures like Du Bois, Hurston, and Woodson, and institutions such as the African Free School and Schomburg Center. Required sources include Schomburg's essay "The Negro Digs Up His Past" and Woodson's The Mis-Education of the Negro. The guide provides practice questions and final exam tips covering multiple-choice, short-answer, and free-response formats.
#AP African American Studies: Ultimate Study Guide π
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#The New Negro Movement & Black History Education
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Educational Goals
- Challenged Inferiority: The movement directly confronted the racist idea that Black people lacked cultural contributions, which was often taught in U.S. schools. π πΎββοΈ
- Empowerment Through Knowledge: It pushed for African Americans to control their own education and explore their history to inform their future progress. π‘
- 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. π
- Refuting False Narratives: The movement created a rich collection of literature and educational resources, proving that African Americans had a rich history and culture. π
- Curriculum Integration: Early efforts to include Black history in school curricula helped the movement's ideas reach Black students of all ages. π«
- Journal of Negro History: Founded in 1916 by Carter G. Woodson, this journal published scholarly articles on African American history and culture. π°
#Cultural Contributions
- Artistic Explosion: The movement produced a wealth of literature, art, and music celebrating Black culture, identity, and experiences. π¨
- Key Figures: Langston Hughes (poet) and Zora Neale Hurston (anthropologist and writer) were prominent figures. βπΎ
- The "New Negro": The movement promoted a confident, creative, and politically active African American who challenged stereotypes and demanded equality. πͺπΎ
- Racial Pride and Unity: It encouraged racial pride and unity while advocating for civil rights and social justice. βπΎ
- Foundation for Future Movements: Laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement and Black Arts Movement. π€οΈ
- Inspiration: Inspired generations of Black artists, writers, and intellectuals. β¨
Practice Question
Multiple Choice:
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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
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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. π°οΈ
- Activist-Led: Developed through the efforts of Blac...

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