To illustrate the issues that affects an African American its important to understand first who is an African American. In a simple illustration, an African American constitutes American citizens from an African origin. Their existence as American citizens could either be through birth or migration. Their history dates back to the days of slavery and with the passage of time there have been significant development in key aspects related with political, economical and social attributes. Of utmost importance is their contribution to the American society in the period beginning 1960 to the present time. Indeed it can be argued that the progress of the modern African American have been greatly influenced by the events that happened in the period between 1950 and 1970.
Pre 1960's
Political
In general, the average African American in years preceding 1960 faced a lot of problems mainly due to the state of slavery across the entire country. Discrimination was the order of the day especially in the 19th century. However towards the beginning of the 20th century there began to evolve some radical groups which sought to fight for the rights of African Americans. The formation of confederacy marked the beginning of the end of slavery. The ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment happened in 1870 and consequently the election of Hiram Revels as the first African American senator acts as good indicators of the initial efforts towards black liberation.
Economical
This era saw the formation of important institution aimed at addressing economic issues affecting African Americans. The Tuskegee Institute for instance was established in 1882 to help students in areas of agriculture, education and industry. Despite this most of the people continued to work as slaves in predominantly white owned farms especially in the south. However the election of Booker T as president sparked some hope for majority of African Americans. He engineered some radical changes aimed at empowering people economically.
Social
Slavery, poverty, racism and discrimination characterized the social environment in this era. Most of the social and civil right efforts were aimed at addressing these evils. This era saw the establishment of important unions and movements aimed at uniting black people. Marcus Garvey is accredited to the creation of the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1914; a body aimed at uniting black people and empowering them to celebrity their pride across America.
1950'0-1970's
Political
The period preceding the civil war and the reconstruction era is associated with major changes in the history of African Americans. The most important was the passing of congressional acts denouncing any form of discriminations especially in public places. Influential individuals masterminded the course of black people liberation. Malcolm X for instance headed the Nation of Islam that advocated for the rights of black people. Martin Luther King is another popular figure to emerge during this period further strengthening the place of the average African American in the American society.
Economical
The post reconstruction era happened to be the defining moment in the economic backgrounds of African Americans. Black people were trying to fight for recognition in the society thus they were not in a position to engage in elaborate economic activities. This was the time that saw the average earnings of most black people hit an all time low. Basically the labor force experienced some shortages as some young black people started to engage in anti-social activities. It can be agreed that the economic status of the African Americans improved slightly during this period characterized by such phenomenon like the establishment of financial institutions aimed at meeting the economic needs of this group of people.
Social
Late 1960's and early 1970's is perhaps the most memorable and significant moment towards the liberation if African Americans. This is a period which saw the establishment of Civil Right Act in 1964 primarily to champion for the rights and privileges of the single largest minority group in the United States. Martin Luther King was a vocal leader during this period and he sometimes was the subject of brutality and arrests from the authorities. This era was characterized by massive riots and demonstrations across the entire nation. Issues of discrimination and prejudice were effectively addresses mostly by many young people. The famous sit-ins of the 1960 were for instance associated with the recognition of black people in most Woolworth's outlets. These incidents help to shape the destiny and course of the present African American.
1980's-2010
Political
African Americans have been able to influence a significant stake in modern American society. They hold high positions in most political offices the epitome of which is the election of President Barrack Obama to the White House. His election signifies that the modern American is ready to assert his place in the society without any fear from the Whites majority. In a way the election of Barrack Obama acted as positive motivator for majority of young black people who now harbors the self belief that they can make it big in life.
Economic
Economically most African Americans have been able to establish their places in the society through engaging in elaborate entrepreneurial activities. For example Oprah Winfrey is regarded as the richest African American of the 20th century. In addition African Americans now own properties and assets that was otherwise the preserve of the whites. Despite this progress there still exists an income gap whereby in such places like Brooklyn poverty and other societal ills are the order of the day.
Social
Over the years the social fraternity of this group of people has been changing dramatically. In the early 80's for instance there not many black entertainers in the respective industry. Additionally some genres of music were the preserve of white people. Today people like Kanye West, Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Lil Kim, Lil Wayne among others are regarded as the best entertainers of their generation. Actually majority of the awards in Grammy Awards happens to be won by African Americans. The same case can be said of sporting disciplines lie basketball and football. Personalities like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant continues to represent the enormity of the black race. Another great person is Tiger Woods who revolutionized the game of golf for the better part of late 20th and early 21st centuries
Conclusion
The struggle of a socially, economically and politically empowered African American is not yet realized. Though we have brilliant African American hip-hop artists like Kanye West and 50 Cents, Africans Americans are not well represented in the classical music industry. In addition there are some posts that are still reserved for white people. African Americans want to see their own head such organizations like FBI, CIA, and NASA among others. The trailing behind of the African Americans to their white counterparts in education lowers their self esteem. This lowers their participation in the showbiz industry due to inferiority complex gap aggravated from civil right issues.
