CA Racial Discrimination and Inequality Among African American Essay

Please answer at least 3 out of the 4 questions below. For each question, use at least 1 quote or paraphrase from the text as evidence to support your reasoning:

What is Sojourner Truth’s main argument and purpose in her “Ain’t I a Woman” speech? Use examples from her text to support your reasoning.

In Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery, Chapter XIV “The Atlanta Exposition Address,” what does he mean by “cast down your bucket where you are?” How does this metaphor relate to Washington’s overall argument about how African Americans should go about pursuing upward socioeconomic mobility during his time?

For the Ida B. Wells materials for this week, please discuss the value of Wells documenting the lynching laws and cases the way she did. In other words, why was it so important (and still important today) for Wells to participate in this investigative journalism around lynching in particular? What do we, as scholars, citizens, and humans have to gain from reading her accounts of these horrific cases?

Please offer one key takeaway from this week’s materials. How did you feel while reading? What stood out to you as the most noteworthy message or passage? This is very open-ended here. I just want to know what your reading and listening experiences were.

Sojourner Truth

Instructions

Please read Sojourner Truth’s biography and watch an oral rendition of her speech “Ain’t I a Woman” performed by Kerry Washington. While reading her biography, take note of her experiences as a slave, her work as an abolitionist and minister, and the way that she supported herself.While listening to her speech, take note of how she uses rhetorical questions and repetition. Think about where her speech was delivered and who her audience was. Consider why she uses the rhetorical devices she does in her speech.You will use your notes for this week’s reading activity.

Text (Reading & Video)

Biography
Read a brief biography of the great Sojourner TruthLinks to an external site..Truth’s Speech performed by Kerry Washington

Transcript of the Speech

Here is the transcript of the speech:Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that ‘twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what’s all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man – when I could get it – and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what’s this they call it? [member of audience whispers, “intellect”] That’s it, honey. What’s that got to do with women’s rights or negroes’ rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ’cause Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain’t got nothing more to say. [1][1] This text is part of the Internet Modern History SourcebookLinks to an external site..