exam 3 terms

Nadir

refers to the period after Reconstruction (late 1800s–early 1900s) when anti-Black racism reached extreme levels. During this time, lynching, segregation, and disenfranchisement were widespread. It marked a low point in African American civil rights and social standing.

Rayford Logan

was a historian who coined the term “Nadir” to describe the post-Reconstruction decline in Black progress. He studied African American history and was active in civil rights efforts. His work helped frame how historians understand racial regression during this era.

Rastafarianism

• a spiritual movement originating in Jamaica in the 1930s that reveres Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia as the messiah. It blends Biblical themes, Pan-Africanism, and Afrocentric identity. Rastafarians reject Western culture (called "Babylon") and emphasize African heritage

Haile Selassie

was the emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 and is considered divine by Rastafarians. He symbolized African independence and dignity during a time of global colonialism. His leadership made Ethiopia a beacon of pride for the African diaspora.

Babylon

refers to oppressive Western systems, including racism, capitalism, and colonialism. It symbolizes everything that holds Black people down spiritually and socially. Rejecting Babylon is central to Rastafarian resistance and liberation.

Moorish Science Temple of America

was founded by Noble Drew Ali in the early 20th century, promoting Black pride through a blend of Islam and Moorish identity. Members were taught they descended from Moors and not "Negroes." It was one of the first U.S. movements to challenge racial identity through religion

Noble Drew Ali

• was the founder of the Moorish Science Temple of America. He taught African Americans that they were of Moorish descent and should reject negative racial labels. His teachings influenced later groups like the Nation of Islam.

Nation of Islam

• is a Black nationalist religious movement combining Islam with ideas of self-reliance and separation from white society. It was founded in 1930 and gained prominence under Elijah Muhammad. The NOI played a key role in 20th-century Black activism.

W.D. Fard Muhammad

founded the Nation of Islam and is viewed as a prophet or even divine figure by followers. He emphasized Black identity, self-sufficiency, and spiritual transformation. His mysterious identity and teachings laid the foundation for NOI ideology

Elijah Muhammad

led the Nation of Islam from the 1930s to 1975 and mentored figures like Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. Under his leadership, the movement grew significantly in political and cultural influence. He emphasized racial pride, discipline, and independence from white society.

Negritude

was a literary and cultural movement among Francophone Black writers celebrating African culture and identity. It began in the 1930s and rejected French colonial values. The movement promoted racial pride and connected Africans across the diaspora.

Edward W. Blyden

was a 19th-century Pan-African thinker who advocated for African repatriation and pride in African culture. He believed Africans should embrace their heritage rather than adopt European ideals. His ideas laid the groundwork for Pan-Africanism.

Marcus Garvey

a Jamaican-born activist who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). He promoted Black pride, economic self-reliance, and a return to Africa. His message of Black empowerment inspired future movements like the Nation of Islam.

William Monroe Trotter

a civil rights activist and newspaper editor who strongly opposed Booker T. Washington’s accommodationist strategies. He demanded full civil rights and equality for African Americans. Trotter’s activism paved the way for more confrontational approaches to injustice

Universal Negro Improvement Association

founded by Marcus Garvey to unite people of African descent around the world. It promoted economic independence, racial pride, and the creation of a Black-governed Africa. It became one of the largest mass movements in African American history.

Booker T. Washington

was a prominent Black educator who advocated for vocational training and economic self-help over immediate civil rights. He founded Tuskegee Institute to teach industrial skills. Critics argued he was too accommodating to segregation, but he built lasting institutions

W.E.B. Du Bois

a sociologist and civil rights activist who co-founded the NAACP and advocated for political and educational equality. He opposed Washington’s strategy and called for the “Talented Tenth” to lead Black advancement. His work shaped 20th-century civil rights activism

Herbert Spencer

was a British philosopher who applied Darwin’s theory of evolution to society, coining “survival of the fittest.” He believed some races were naturally superior to others. His ideas supported racist ideologies like Social Darwinism.

Francis Galton

was the founder of eugenics and believed in improving the human race through selective breeding. His pseudoscientific theories helped justify racism, forced sterilization, and white supremacy. He laid the foundation for harmful race-based policies.

American Colonization Society

1. Founded in 1816, this organization promoted the resettlement of free Black Americans in Africa, especially Liberia. Some supported it to "solve" racial issues in the U.S., while others believed it would give Black people autonomy. Its legacy is controversial, reflecting both Black nationalism and white racism.

Liberia

is a West African country founded by formerly enslaved people from the U.S. under the guidance of the American Colonization Society. It became Africa’s first republic in 1847. Liberia is both a symbol of Black self-rule and tensions between African Americans and native Africans.

C.L.R. James

a Trinidadian historian and Marxist who wrote The Black Jacobins, chronicling the Haitian Revolution. He emphasized the power of Black leadership and revolution. His work challenged Eurocentric narratives of history.

Black Jacobins

book by C.L.R. James about the Haitian Revolution and Toussaint Louverture’s leadership. It showed how enslaved Africans fought for and won their freedom. The book reframed the revolution as a global and anti-colonial milestone.

Paul Robeson

was a singer, actor, and activist who used his fame to fight racism in the U.S. and abroad. He supported Pan-Africanism and was persecuted during the McCarthy era for his leftist politics. Robeson was a symbol of global Black resistance and dignity.

Chief Alfred Sam

Ghanaian businessman who tried to lead African Americans back to Africa in the early 1900s. He organized voyages to resettle Black people in what is now Ghana. Though the plan failed, it reflected early Pan-African hopes.

New Negro Movement

was a cultural and political effort in the 1920s to promote racial pride and self-determination. It challenged old stereotypes of African Americans as passive or inferior. This movement was a foundation for the Harlem Renaissance

Alain Locke

philosopher and editor of The New Negro anthology, which showcased the intellectual and artistic achievements of African Americans. He encouraged Black people to embrace African heritage and modern creativity. Locke helped shape the Harlem Renaissance.

Claude McKay

Harlem Renaissance poet whose works expressed defiance against racism and love for Black identity. His poem If We Must Die became a rallying cry for Black resistance. He was one of the movement’s boldest voices.

Social Darwinism

1. applied the idea of "survival of the fittest" to justify racism, imperialism, and inequality. It claimed that some races were more advanced than others. This pseudoscience was used to rationalize colonialism and discrimination.

Scientific Racism

refers to the misuse of science to claim that certain races are biologically inferior or superior. It includes flawed studies on skull sizes, intelligence, and genetics. These ideas were used to justify slavery, segregation, and white supremacy.

Eugenics

1. belief in improving the human race by controlling reproduction, often through forced sterilization. It targeted marginalized groups, including Black people, the disabled, and the poor. Eugenics policies were adopted in the U.S. and later influenced Nazi ideology.

White Man’s Burden

This phrase comes from a poem by Rudyard Kipling encouraging imperial powers to colonize non-white nations. It justified colonialism by claiming whites had a moral duty to “civilize” other races. It reflects racist and paternalistic views of the non-Western world.

Disfranchisement

1. denial of voting rights, especially to African Americans in the Jim Crow South. It was enforced through literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation. This suppressed Black political power for decades.

Plessy v. Ferguson

This 1896 Supreme Court case upheld segregation under the doctrine “separate but equal.” It made racial segregation legal across the U.S. and legitimized Jim Crow laws. The ruling wasn’t overturned until Brown v. Board of Education in 1954

Berlin Conference

Held in 1884–85, divided Africa among European powers without African input. It started the “Scramble for Africa” and intensified colonization. The conference stripped Africans of sovereignty and land.

Ethiopia

one of the few African nations that remained independent during the colonial era. It symbolized Black pride and anti-colonial resistance, especially to African Americans.inspired movements like Rastafarianism and Pan-Africanism.

Battle of Aduwa

In 1896, Ethiopian forces defeated Italian invaders at the Battle of Aduwa. It was a rare African military victory over a European power. The win made Ethiopia a symbol of strength and independence.

Tulsa and Black Wall Street

a prosperous Black community in Oklahoma. In 1921, it was destroyed by a white mob in one of the worst race massacres in U.S. history. It remains a powerful example of racial violence and Black economic success.

Great Migration (Push and Pull Factors)

was the mass movement of African Americans from the South to the North between 1916 and 1970. Push factors included racial violence and poverty; pull factors included jobs and better living conditions. It reshaped Black communities and American cities.

Harlem Renaissance

was a cultural movement in the 1920s–30s celebrating African American art, music, and literature. It helped reshape how Black identity was expressed in the U.S. It laid the cultural foundation for the civil rights movement.