The Josephine Baker Story Essay - 1142 Words

Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine Carson in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 3, 1906 to washerwoman, Carrie McDonald, and vaudeville drummer, Eddie Carson. Josephines father abandoned them shortly after her birth and her mother married a kind but perpetually unemployed man named Arthur Martin. Their family came to include a son and two more daughters. Josephine grew up cleaning houses and babysitting for wealthy white families until she got a job waitressing at The Old Chauffeurs Club when she was 13-years-old. While working there she met a man named Willie Wells whom she had a short marriage with. Josephine never depended on a man for financial support and she never hesitated to leave when a relationship hit its breaking point.†¦show more content†¦Josephine battled two other women for the title of the most photographed woman in the world, and by 1927 she earned more than any entertainer in Europe. She starred in two movies in the early 1930s and moved her family from St. Louis to Les Milandes, her estate in Castelnaud-Fayrac, France. A 1936 return to the United States to star in the Ziegfield Follies proved disastrous, despit e the fact that she was a major celebrity in Europe. American audiences rejected the idea of a black woman with so much sophistication and power. Newspaper reviews were equally cruel (The New York Times called her a quot;Negro wenchquot;), and Josephine returned to Europe heartbroken. She served France during World War II in many ways. She performed for the troops, and was an honorable correspondent for the French Resistance (undercover work included smuggling secret messages written on her music sheetsin invisible ink) and a sub-lieutenant in the Womens Auxiliary Air Force. She was awarded the Medal of the Resistance and awarded into the Legion of Honor by the French government for hard work and dedication. Josephine visited the United States again during the 50s and 60s with renewed vigor to fight racism. When New Yorks popular Stork Club refused her service she engaged a head-on media battle with pro-segregation columnist Walter Winchell. The NAACP named May 20 Josephine Baker Da y in honor of her efforts. During this time she began adopting children, forming aShow MoreRelatedEssay about Josephine Baker2425 Words   |  10 PagesJosephine Baker While Jim Crow laws were reeking havoc on the lives of African Americans in the South, a massed exodus of Southern musicians, particularly from New Orleans, spread the seeds of Jazz as far north as New York City. A new genre of music produced fissures in the walls of racial discrimination thought to be impenetrable. Musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, King Oliver and Fletcher Henderson performed to the first desegregated audiences. Duke Ellington starredRead MoreJackie Robinson : African American Civil Rights Activist1181 Words   |  5 PagesIncorporated. 2004. Print. Sweat is a short story by writer and folklorist, Zora Neale Hurston. It first published in 1926. The story revolves around a washerwoman and her unemployed, insecure husband. Zora’s role in society shapes the story. The plot holds a strong political statement relating back to racial and gender inequality. Josephine Baker. â€Å"Speech at the March on Washington†. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Washington D.C. 28 Aug. 1963. Josephine Baker, French singer and exotic dancerRead MoreThe Women s Rights Movement1711 Words   |  7 Pagesof America’s Suffragists by Jean Baker and Century of Struggle: The woman’s Rights Movement in the United States by Eleanor Flexner both cover the issues and the struggle that lead to giving women their right to vote. The two books both discussed the issues but they did not convey the message the same way. While one book captivated one’s emotion and changed the views of many, the other book just gave fact. Sisters: The lives of America’s Suffragists by Jean Baker showcase the lives of five women;Read MoreThe New Negro Of The Harlem Renaissance879 Words   |  4 Pagesthe late 1880’s. An â€Å"Afro-American†, Charles W. Chesnutt, was noticed for his â€Å"post-Civil War southern literature and a singular voice among turn-of-the-century realists who treated the color line in American life† (Andrews). After writing short stories and poems, he was an idol and a symbol to many writers during the Harlem Renaissance, according to Andrews. He was a major influence to the writers because Chesnutt â€Å"[revealed] the harsh world of prejudice and social indifference in the late nineteenthRead MoreWorld War II : A Time Of Heroes2462 Words   |  10 Pagesspy work was so commonly used and effective that governments felt that it was such a â€Å"major issue† (Keep) that they had to issue propaganda to warn their soldiers about these women. While being beautiful was prerogative, it didn t provide a cover story for the women to conceal themselves with. One of the best covers that a woman could have was the protection of a job in the entertainment business. Female performers from before the war started, could use their peacetime jobs in order to secretly helpRead MoreRacial Prejudice By Langston Hughes990 Words   |  4 Pagescollege years, he had many odd jobs that included assistant cook, launderer, busboy, and seaman on voyages to Europe and Africa. He travelled to and from Europe until 1938. Along these journeys is when Hughes started to write poems, long and short stories, plays, non-fiction, and autobiography (â€Å"Langston Hughes† Contemporary Black). Upon writing, Hughes wrote â€Å"The Weary Blues†, a poem that sounds like street talk and music. It won an award, and had captured Carl Van Vechten’s attention; he publishedRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance, A Social, Cultural, And Artistic Movement1298 Words   |  6 Pagesnovels but her most famous being Their Eyes Were Watching God, a coming of age story set in Florida. Wallace Thurman was also a novelist during the Renaissance. He is best known for his novel The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life (1929). The novel exposed discrimination occurred even among the black community, with the lighter skin being preferred. Jean Toomer was another black author who wrote plays, short stories, and poems to capture the spirit of this time. These poets and novelists helpedRead MoreJudith Walzer Leavitts Typhoid Mary Essay1345 Words   |  6 Pageswas one of the first known typhoid carriers. The story recounts Marys life in the early 1900s and social and public health issu es going on at that point in time. The book tells Marys story and what others thought of her through seven overlapping perspectives, which are that of medicine, public policy makers, her lawyers, social expectations about her, her representation in the media, her own perspective, and the frequent retellings of her story. Each perspective helps explain the whole pictureRead MoreThe Art Of The Folk1699 Words   |  7 Pagestale of the blues is the tale of dark culture going to a place where they become open about the truth of the American culture. It is the stories of the women of the blues whose early records indicated an enormous market for African-American social creation. It is the account of the social present discovering motivation in the social past. Folktales are stories that are passed on by word of mouth, and was often told over many centuries. Each folktale that was told to a younger generation most commonlyRead MoreBlack Newspapers And The Holocaust1608 Words   |  7 Pagesnewspapers. Were they on the front page or were they tucked away on the 10th page? Were they given ample amounts of space to tell the full story or were they only given two paragraphs? These questions can help me understand how prioritized news of the Holocaust was in the black newspapers. Another driving question I had was how did the newspapers approach each story. Did they approach it as a simple news piece only displaying the facts or did they dedicate space to give their opinions on the matter

Essay about Womens Rights in the United States - 2288 Words

Even as far back as the United States independence, women did not possess any civil rights. According to Janda, this view is also known as protectionism, the notion that women mush be sheltered from lifes harsh realities. Protectionism carried on throughout the general populations view for many decades until the 1920s when the womens movement started. Women finally received the right to vote in the Nineteenth Amendment. The traditional views of protectionism, however, remained in peoples minds until the 1970s (Janda et al, 2000: 538-539). Around this time, women started to take on other roles outside the typical traditional role of housewife. Women were going to college, obtaining their degrees, and starting their†¦show more content†¦To see what other factors play a role in individuals beliefs is important for a political figure to take in consideration when proposing bills or campaigning for office in order to respond and appeal to their voters. Method and Theory The method of research used to fully understand a societys views on working mothers is simply designed. An analysis of the 1990-91 World Values Survey is possible through the SPSS program. In Citizen Politics, the World Values Surveys are a series of representative national surveys designed to provide an empirical base for the study of social and cultural change among the publics of societies throughout the world (Dalton, 1996: 289). The nations surveyed are the United States, Great Britain, West Germany, France, and East Germany. In order to examine the dilemma of these beliefs, specific variables are chosen and run through the program using the results of the surveys. First, variables referring to women job independence and women and their children were analyzed across nation to understand what nations views on women workers. Then a cross tabulation of the variable KID.JOB (referring to the statement if a preschool child is affected by a working mother) across nation is anal yzed. Then other cross tabulations of KID.JOB to religiosity (PIOUS) and age (AGE) across nation were run through SPSS to prove that these are factors in individuals beliefs toward this issue. These variables used together areShow MoreRelatedEvolution of Womens Rights in the United States1933 Words   |  8 Pagesthat for quite a long period of time, men have generally had more rights than their female counterparts. The denial of equal rights in this case has traditionally revolved around areas like voting, ownership of property, legal identity etc. Today, the various rights women enjoy are as a result of the bitter struggle those who came before them went through so as to secure the same. Thus taking into consideration the numerous rights women enjoy so far in comparison to the situation a century or soRead MoreWomens Rights in the United States in the 1700s1781 Words   |  8 PagesIn the mid to late 1700s, the women of the United States of America had practically no rights. W hen they were married, the men represented the family, and the woman could not do anything without consulting the men. Women were expected to be housewives, to raise their children, and thinking of a job in a factory was a dream that was never thought impossible. But, as years passed, women such as Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Elizabeth Blackwell began to questionRead MoreEssay on The Women770 Words   |  4 Pages The womens suffrage party fought for years on the right to vote. They werent going to stop until they got their right. For instance, Alice Paul organized a parade through Washington D.C. on inauguration day, which supported womens suffrage and also picketed the White House for 18 months. Paul was put in jail for that and started a hunger strike. Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Shanton supported the womens suffrage for fifty years later. Neither of them lived to see the 19th amendment ratifiedRead MoreCEDAW Essay1131 Words   |  5 Pageshuman rights and the internalization of human rights laws into domestic policies and norms. Alongside the development of Human Rights, CEDAW has grown from a weak and largely unenforceable document into a widely-accepted international framework for the protection and advancement of women and women’s rights. Rather than acting as a strict enforcer of hard-law, CEDAW acts more so as a universal set of guidelines to establish a collectively a ccepted set of norms to protect and promote the rights andRead MoreWomen s Rights During The 19th Century1507 Words   |  7 PagesWomen’s Rights In The 19th Century The 19th century was an important period for women especially in Europe and North America. It was a crucial time for demand for change and women were at the forefront of it all. Viewed only as a homemaker, women found it difficult during this time to show society what they were capable of. Limitations on their capabilities created by gender stereotypes called for change. To understand the significance of the 19th century for women, one must consider the conditionsRead MoreEssay on Womens Right to Vote875 Words   |  4 PagesWomens suffrage refers to the right of women to participate in democratic processes through voting on the same basis as men. In the medieval and early modern periods in Europe, the right to vote was typically severely limited for all people by factors such as age, ownership of property, and gender. The development of the modern democratic state has been characterized internationally by the erosion of these various limitations following periods of collective stru ggle. Womens suffrage has been achievedRead MorePaper On Writing And Thinking1425 Words   |  6 Pagesviewed women as second-class citizens because women were expected to stay at home and to look after their children. They also performed the traditional household chores, such as cooking meals and cleaning the house. Women had more limited freedom and rights than male citizens. These men controlled the lives of women by establishing laws and rules that restrict what women can and cannot do in the community. Because women did not receive a good education, they were not allowed to say anything about theRead MoreThe United Nations Conference On Sustainable Development Essay1380 Words   |  6 PagesRecovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance. Other efforts of the UN: Protecting the rights of women ïÆ'Ëœ United Nations Conference On Sustainable Development 2012 The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (â€Å"Rio+20†) brought Heads of State and Government to Brazil in 2012, to appraise progress in the implementation of agreements struck since the landmark 1992 United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. At â€Å"Rio+20†, countries renewedRead MoreThe Women s Suffrage Movement1553 Words   |  7 Pagesratified, enforcing that all American women had the right to vote, and were granted the same rights and responsibilities as men in terms of citizenship. Until this time, the only people who were allowed to vote in elections in the United States were male citizens. For over 100 years, women who were apart of the women’s suffrage movement fought for their right to vote, and faced many hardships and discrimination because of it. The American women’s suffrage movement was one of the most important politicalRead MoreElizabeth Cady Stanton And The Influence Of Womens Righ ts924 Words   |  4 Pagesbeginning of the United States, the womens rights movement has been a crucial part of womens lives. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the leading activists of womens rights movement in the nineteenth century. The Worlds Anti-Slavery convention was held in London, England in 1840. Stanton, along with a woman named Lucretia Mott, attended this convention. They both were determined to have a womens rights convention when they returned back to the United States. In 1848, the first womens rights convention

Curley’s Wife Free Essays

How does Steinbeck present the character of Curlers wife in Of Mice and Men? Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a poignant tale which tells of a number of disconnected, isolated characters. Curlers wife epitomises the extreme loneliness of the human condition. Although she only makes a significant appearance three times in the novel, she plays an important part both in terms of plot development and in terms of furthering the readers’ understanding of the theme of loneliness and alienation. We will write a custom essay sample on Curley’s Wife or any similar topic only for you Order Now Steinbeck uses a number of techniques to portray Curlers wife and the resulting character is fairly hard to pin down. Although Steinbeck uses a third person omniscient narrator, it is important to acknowledge that we learn of Curlers wife through a male perspective; the author/ narrator is male, as are all of the other ranch dwellers who comment on and Judge Curlers wife, potentially subtly prejudicing the reader. Curlers wife is known throughout the novel as ‘Curlers wife’ and this has a number of effects. Firstly, her lack of personal identity dehumanises her. Every other character, including Crooks, has a name. Curlers wife is consistently identified as her husband’s possession. This is a constant reminder as to the main reason that the anch workers cannot talk to her: they are anxious that Curley could take offence at any male engagement with his wife and that, because he is the boss’s son, they could lose their Jobs as a result. The name she is referred to by the narrator and by the other characters in the novel could be seen as indication of women’s inferior social status in 1930s America. Although in a letter to an actress playing Curlers wife in a stage version of ‘Of Mice and Men’, Steinbeck insists he is sympathetic to the only female character, as readers, we have to work hard to feel sympathy towards her. Through the use of the other characters’ opinions, the reader is given a biased view of Curlers wife before even meeting her. For example, Candy, who is portrayed as a trustworthy, likeable character, tells George that Curleys wife ‘gives Slim the eye’, meaning that she flirts with him, and apparently all the other men on the ranch. He finishes his piece of gossip by concluding that she is ‘a tart’. This view is echoed by other men on the ranch later in the novel, and George also decides after their initial brief meeting that Curlers wife is indeed a tramp’, ‘poison’, Jailbait’ and a ‘rat trap’. All of the men’s insults suggest that Curleys wife is sexually available to anyone. There is a sense of hypocrisy here given that almost all of the men, including Curley, frequent Susy’s place, the local brothel or ‘cathouse’. When Curlers wife first appears in the novel, supposedly looking for Curley (as she always is) in the bunkhouse, the description of her appearance may seem to support Candys opinion of her. Her heavy make-up (full, rouged lips’†¦ fingernails were red’), her overly coiffured hair-style which is mentioned every time she appears in the novel, and her choice of clothes and shoes ‘red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers’) is not only incongruous with the ranch lifestyle, but also could be seen as an attempt to appear seductive. Her body language – ‘leaned back against the door frame so that ner body was thrown torward ‘ – could ce rtainly suggest that sne is physically ottering herself to the men, and her manner of speaking – ‘playfully- could be interpreted as flirtatious. However, it is significant that when she is first introduced, she is referred to as a ‘girl’ which suggests that she is young and naive. Indeed, it is implied in the ovel that she is very young. Whit refers to her as the new kid’ (although subsequently calls her a ‘100100’) and she herself retorts Whatta ya think I am, a kid? In addition, when she tells her story to Lennie, she refers to a recent incident which happened when she was fifteen. The other interesting aspect of her first appearance is that the men are alerted to her presence because the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. Again, later on, in the barn, Steinbeck uses light in the description of Curleys wife’s dead body. The contrast is that in the first scene she locks off natural light and in the final scene, the light was growing soft’ casting an almost romantic atmosphere in the barn where Curlers wife lies, seemingly at rest. The second point here, is that Curleys wife is always appearing at doorways – of the bunkhouse or in Crooks’ room, but never managing to enter. This may be a metaphor for the fact that she is always an outsider. The only time she enters a male space and seems to make contact is Just before her death. After our first meeting with Curleys wife, it would be easy to agree with the men’s sexist view towards her. Steinbeck ontinues to make it difficult for the reader to sympathise with her in her second scene when she appears at the doorway of Crooks’ quarters. Her mannerism may be seen to be somewhat unpleasant and aggressive, ‘They left all the weak ones here’†¦ ‘An’ what am I doin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs – a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy 01†² sheep – an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else’. However, if we look at her actions, all the time, the only thing she is seeking is human contact. She is extremely lonely and isolated, as she tries to explain to the men: ‘Think I don’t like to alk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time? Several times she indicates that her marriage is not happy, that Curley is self- obsessed and that he is boastful and violent. Between the lines, Steinbeck is portraying a sad, isolated character who is doomed to be unsuccessful when she reaches out to other human beings because of her position on the ranch. In this scene, we also see what might be described as an extremely nasty side to Curlers wife. When the conversation does not go her way – Candy openly insults her she turns on Crooks, using her one element of power as a white woman over a black man: Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny. Although this threat is abhorrent, perhaps it indicates the level of her frustration with her own position. She is at the bottom of the hierarchy of white people, and her only form of control could be to accuse Crooks of some sort of inappropriate behaviour that would lead to his being put to death. The final time we see Curleys wife is the only time she seems to open up and reveal her vulnerability nd her disappointment with the way her life has turned out. Ironically, even as she is confessing all, ‘l ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I oughtn’t to’, her audience, Lennie, is not listening because he is caught up in his own fantasy world. Therefore, although this scene serves to show the poignancy of Curlers wife’s character, it also underlines that at no time in the novel does she succeed in making any human contact. When we learn that ‘her words tumbled out in a passion of communication, as though sne hurried betore ner listener could be taken away, it is as though sne as had her story, her identity, bottled up inside her and she is desperate to share her hopes, dreams and disappointments with anyone who might listen. Her background reveals a sad and lonely childhood full of mistrust. We learn that she has a poor relationship with her mother and that she has enjoyed male attention which has probably been superficial and has led to her believing that she could have had a career in the movies’. Curleys wife’s naivety is emphasised by the way that she behaves around Lennie. She flits between thinking he is ‘nuts’ and encouraging physical contact. She believes that e is ‘Jus’ like a big baby, and although she is aware that he had crushed Curlers hand, shows no caution around him when she offers for him to stroke her hair. This may be because she is so over-excited by the fact that she believes that she has somebodys attention – possibly for the first time since arriving on the ranch – that she does not think beyond the moment. The reader knows that Curlers wife is doomed the minute she says that she likes to stroke her hair because it is soft. There is a poignant irony that it is her offer to Lennie that leads to her death. She is enjoying the attention and perhaps is also lightly motivated by a moment of kindness to let Lennie enjoy the feel of her hair. Ultimately, though, it is her concern with her appearance: You’ll muss it up†¦. You stop it now, you’ll mess it up’ that makes Lennie inadvertently break her neck in a panicked effort to keep her quiet. The image Steinbeck uses to describe the moment of her death dehumanises Curlers wife: ‘her body flopped like a fish’. It is in the final description of her that it seems that we are offered a true account of Curleys wife’s true essence: ‘And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache or attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple and her face was sweet and young. ‘ This short passage shows that underneath her hardened exterior she was in essence a decent person, which is what Steinbeck refers to in his letter to the actress. The ‘ache for attention’ had had the opposite of its desired effect, in fact pushing people away rather than attracting them to her. Furthermore, her dream to be a movie star or iconic figure is echoed in the almost Sleeping Beauty-like description of her: ‘Now her rouged cheeks and reddened lips made her seem alive nd sleeping very lightly. The only time Curleys wife is described in a positive manner is in her death, and even this is quickly negated by Candy placing blame on her for ruining their dream: You God damn tramp†¦. Ever’body knowed you’d mess things up†¦ You lousy tart’. In conclusion, Steinbeck uses a number of techniques to create Curlers wife. Some readers may feel sympathy for her, others may share the ranch workers’ view of her. For my part, I see her as the epitome of loneliness; her only defence against a sexist environment ironically leads to her further alienation. How to cite Curley’s Wife, Papers

Human Resource Management Roles Essay Sample free essay sample

All companies. organisations. and offices have the demand for a individual or a squad who can efficaciously actuate their staff. and guarantee that all policies are followed and enforced. This section is called the human resources or â€Å"HR† section. Harmonizing to â€Å"Www. enterpriser. com† ( 2013 ) . human resources is defined as – â€Å"The section or support systems responsible for forces sourcing and engaging. applicant trailing. accomplishments development and trailing. benefits disposal and conformity with associated authorities regulations† ( parity. 1 ) . This one section has the duty to non merely the company/ organisation. but to the employee as well- they are expected to maintain path of every recorded needed to maintain a concern running decently. In the wellness attention puting the HR section is responsible for so many more facets than merely the definition given antecedently. This section or individual is responsible for maintaining path of go oning instruction credits for both employees and physicians. doing certain that all labs within the office stay accredited. We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resource Management Roles Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page guaranting that the proper safeguards and preparation are accessible and enforced when it comes to federal ordinances such as HIPAA and OSHA. ailments from patients. and working with the upper direction squad to maintain all communicating lines unfastened and information shared as necessary. HR is at that place for the employee every bit good. In the medical field there can be many things that an employee can digest that a â€Å"lay person† may neer encounter- such as decease. disease. utmost unwellness. and calamity. The HR section is at that place to give support and supply avenues to the employee to do certain they get reding and therapy if needed to do certain the employee is mentally alright. Lower degree employees- or employees who are non considered directors. in the medical field are considered to be â€Å"line employees† . and HR staff are considered to be â€Å"staff employees† . The definitions of line and staff employee’s are described by Mejia. Balkin. and Cardy ( 2010 ) . â€Å"line employees are straight involved in bring forthing the company’s good’s. or presenting the services† and staff employee’s as â€Å"those who support the line function† ( p. 3 ) . In the medical field a line individual can be considered a medical helper. nurse. physician. and all front office forces. HR section helps employees understand their benefits. and resources available to themselves and their households. HR can do a difference when there is struggle on the occupation as well- they are considered to be the employee advocator if needed by the employee and the hatchet man for the employer if necessary. To set it lightly the HR squad or HR section has decidedly got their custodies busy. They carry a batch of duty to the people they work with and for. Without and HR section carry throughing their responsibilities right and expeditiously staff may non acquire paid right. federal regulative bureaus could close the office/ company down for failure to mandate with OSHA and HIPAA conformity. and at that place would non be incentive plans in topographic point to lure the staff. HR is at the bosom and psyche of the medical and dental office. and they are needed to decently keep and run an office. organisation. or medical company. Mentions World Wide Web. enterpriser. com. ( 2013 ) . Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. enterpriser. com/encyclopedia/term/82184. html # Mejia. L. . Balkin. D. . A ; Cardy. R. ( 2010 ) . Pull offing Human Resources ( 6th ed. ) . Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.