The Discovery of what it means to be an American Growing up as a poor African American in New York City, James Baldwin finds himself isolated from Whites and blacks with questions about self identity. ... He learnt that his hatred for America was from his lack of knowledge of self worth, which he found in Europe. The most important thing that he gained was the knowledge that his own development was and will always be in his own hands. ...

• Word Count: 1012
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

He had, " no accurate knowledge of [his] age, never having seen any authentic record containing it" (20). ... An enormous self-discovery Douglass encounters is the gift of learning. ... Douglass strived for obtaining new knowledge while enslaved discovering that he could learn to read while on the job. ... However, Douglass knew how important his self-discovery of education was to him. ... His important self-discoveries of creating understanding in a white man's world, his understanding of Southern religion and particularly his quest for gaining and spreading the wealth of knowledge h...

• Word Count: 1662
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

In The Color Purple, Alice Walker leads protagonist Celie on a journey of self-discovery where she has to overcome different obstacles because of her gender, race, and class. ... At the start of the novel Celie is a young girl of fourteen who is ignorant and naive but by the end, she is a middle-aged woman who has succeeded in achieving independence, self-esteem and an increased knowledge of the world. ...

• Word Count: 931
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

As poet laureate she was expected to raise the level of knowledge and appreciation of poetry. ... As a result of her time, she has received some very helpful knowledge she said "being Poet Laureate made me realize that I was capable of a larger voice."" ... "This important discovery "that blackness need not be ones central subject, but equally need not be omitted "has governed Dove's work since Thomas and Beulah."" ...

• Word Count: 1934
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Now, as a teenager, Hally attends some form of prep school (at least the stage directions say he is wearing a black blazer with a school badge), and is very proud of his "superior- education, and that he has been able to share this bounty of knowledge with Sam -- educating the savages, as it were. ...

• Word Count: 2048
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

This produced copious perspirations so that the air became unfit for respiration from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a sickness among the slaves, of which many died- - thus falling victims of the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers" (From The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African, London, 1789) In The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African the protagonist recounts the pain involved in entering this enormous ship, and how, gradually, the more the ship flew over ...

• Word Count: 4160
• Approx Pages: 17
• Grade Level: High School

CONTENTS Introduction . . . . .1 Chapter Part I. Racial Issues: From the Origins of Blacks to Slavery 1. What is Race . . . .3 2. Race and The Bible . . .6 3. Slavery . . . . 10 Part II. From Christianity to Black Religion 4. Influence of Christianity . 14 Concludi...

• Word Count: 3801
• Approx Pages: 15
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School