Introduction to African American Literature Exam 2 Keywords

The Great Migration

The movement of over six million African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West between 1916 and 1970.

Plessy v. Ferguson

An 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Talented Tenth

A term coined by W.E.B. Du Bois referring to the leadership class of African Americans who were educated and could uplift the community.

Cult of True Womanhood

A 19th-century ideology that defined women's roles as pious, submissive, pure, and domestic.

Conceit

An extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.

Jump Jim Crow

A minstrel show song that became a symbol of the Jim Crow laws enforcing racial segregation in the United States.

Blackface

A theatrical practice where non-Black performers painted their faces black to caricature and stereotype African Americans.

Ideology

A system of ideas and ideals that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

Bessie Smith

An influential African American blues singer in the 1920s, known as the 'Empress of the Blues.'

Respectability

A social standard that emphasizes moral behavior and appearance, often used to judge individuals or groups.

The New Negro

A term popularized during the Harlem Renaissance that represented a new sense of racial pride and cultural identity among African Americans.

Harlem

A neighborhood in New York City that became a cultural center for African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance.

Aesthetics

A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art.

The Cotton Club

A famous nightclub in Harlem known for its racially segregated performances featuring African American entertainers.

Zora Neale Hurston

An African American author and anthropologist known for her contributions to literature and her portrayal of African American culture.

Long Civil Rights Movement

A perspective that views the civil rights movement as a long-term struggle for racial equality that began long before the 1950s and continues today.

Negro Theater Project

A program established during the Great Depression to support African American theater and artists.

Agitprop

A form of political propaganda that uses art and literature to promote a political agenda.

Double V

A campaign during World War II that called for victory against fascism abroad and racial discrimination at home.

The Cup of Trembling

A metaphorical expression often used to describe the struggles and fears faced by marginalized communities.

Jeremiad

A literary or rhetorical work that laments the state of society and warns of impending doom if moral standards are not upheld.

Emmett Till

A 14-year-old African American boy whose lynching in 1955 became a catalyst for the civil rights movement.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies gain independence from colonial powers, often involving political and social change.

Louis Armstrong

A renowned African American jazz musician known for his trumpet playing and distinctive vocal style.

Mississippi Goshdamn

A protest song by Nina Simone that addresses racial injustice and violence against African Americans in the South.

Simile

A figure of speech that compares two different things using 'like' or 'as.'

Redlining

A discriminatory practice in which services are withheld from residents of certain areas based on race or ethnicity.

The American Dream

The national ethos of the United States, centered on the ideals of democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity, and equality.