Flapper and the New Negro, Essay Example

Part One- Term Identification and Comparison

Flappers were women who were products of consumerism and were mainly characterized by their haircuts, above knee skirts, makeup, and liberal nature. They defied the norm and did not succumb to the typical standards, and were primarily young middle-class single girls. Majority were financially self-sufficient, and they possessed a confident nature that allowed them to make confident eye contact. The new negro was a term used during the Harlem renaissance; it referred to black people who refused to submit and fought for their dignity and against racial segregation rules. The new negro was very outspoken and refused to stay quiet, embracing his African culture. The term is greatly attributed to the anthropology of Alain Locke called “The New Negro”.

The flappers were vital as they kicked off the era of feminism; This is because the women were self-sufficient, earning their upkeep by getting jobs at, for example, at telegraphs. Additionally, they broke free of the traditional values inflicted among women by being fast-talkers, confident, smoking and drinking. They posed a threat to their anti-feminism men; however, their courage paved the way for women to fight back against inequality, especially in regards to politics. They also changed the way women viewed sexuality as they were more liberal, often seen interacting with different men at the then-popular jazz clubs.

The new negro transitioned from old to new after the first world war; they were vital as they fought for political freedom for the colored. They were the first to display cultural self-expression and African pride; this sent a surge of confidence and assertiveness among the African Americans. They fought for racial consciousness and the right to dignity for the black man in America. Using armed self-defence tactics, they called for an end to racial segregation and segregation rules. But most importantly, they radicalized African Americans to come together and fight for their rights and freedom. They promoted black pride and spread the message that black skin color was just as aesthetically pleasing as white skin.

The New negro and flappers’ debate was to bring an end to standard practice and invoke progressive change for their respective groups. The flappers mainly debated against the standard rules that put limitations on women and forced them into submission. The big picture was that women could be liberals, which they showed through financial independence and how they dressed. The big picture for the new negro was to instil African pride and to put an end to the racial segregation that denied them dignity as human beings. Alain Locke stated that there were endless possibilities for the black man, but first, he had to earn his freedom.

The flapper image was influenced by many aspects such as films and literature work such as ‘The plastic age of 1924′. This then influenced the flapper to view equality and sexuality differently. This, in line with the end of the first world war, which had seen many young people dead, prompted them to view life as short. It is due to this notion that life was short that women refused to stay home and get married; they wanted to enjoy life and receive equal treatment like their male counterparts. The new negro viewed their movement as an era of hope and self-acceptance through embracing their African culture, which they had been denied by racial segregation. Additionally, their view on ending racial segregation and reclaiming their dignity changed from peaceful and lacking force to armed rebellion.

The new negro and flapper agreed with each other as they both saw the need for change and were willing to fight for it by denying the current standards. They also agreed as both chose to express themselves in their own unique identities, the new negro through embracing their African culture and flapper through their dressing and mannerisms.

Part 2: Document-based essay

The United States had a phase of community action and diplomatic transformation known as the Progressive Era.  The Progressive Era was duration of massive community action and democratic change in the States. In source 12, Ronald Reagan advocated for democracy which later lead to change in the system of governance. The progressive movement’s primary goal was to eradicate corruption. Power brokers and their leaders were the primary focus of the movement. By eliminating these officials from the government, a new way of true governance would be established. Monopoly legislation was also utilized to control enterprises (“trust-busting”) and organizations. These antimonopoly ways were seen as ways of enhancing competitive balance. The below discussion depicts how the reforms changed the government.

Establishing an efficiency movement in every sector, which could identify outmoded systems that required to be modernized and bring technical, therapeutic, and architectural answers to bear, was one issue that was debated. According to source 7, the New Deal created legislation that caused the government more interested in residents’ affairs, such as social welfare and state financial assistance. The deal transformed the relationship between citizens and the government. Although progressives advocated for greater federal involvement in local affairs (particularly in metropolitan areas), most Progressives focused on restructuring local and provincial administrations to improve service delivery as cities grew dramatically. As a result, “local administration” was born, which successfully coordinated legal mechanisms, market activity, regulatory government, and city transformation.

In source 10, after Jackie Robinson testimony about the mortgage situation, the municipalities later evolved and the management too changed. There were better services from the municipalities as compared to the previous times. The advent of the city-organizer structure, in which hired, experienced professionals who oversaw the day-to-day business of local municipalities within parameters created by voted into office town councils, was an example of Progressive reform. In addition, numerous cities established local “evaluation offices” that undertook inefficient surveys of public bodies. Municipal and state administrations have been reformed due to deep surveys to deduct the number of personnel and remove overlapping functions of jurisdiction among ministries. Local municipalities were also improved, with local constituency bosses losing power and the city council gaining more.

Prominent Liberal thinkers prioritized a thorough and deep educational structure, arguing that if autonomy is needed to succeed, the public must be informed. In source, the Butlers Act advocated the teaching of man’s origin. Although it did not support the evolution theory, the aspect of education is being insisted. Progressives argued that the education system needed to be expanded and developed by all means. They felt that to modernize society, all children must be educated, even if their parents disapproved. Progressives resorted to educationists to assess the policy agenda by evaluating various characteristics of education, which eventually led to the development of standardized assessments.

In conclusion, the Progressive Era began a revolutionary movement that has persisted in American culture since then. Enterprises were dismantled as a result of a federal law infringement. Many trade unions, trade organizations, and professional, civic, and faith communities arose. People’ and societies’ lives were bettered as a result of their efforts.