Techniques to Generate Sustainable Fuels and Biofuels

Techniques to Generate Sustainable Fuels and Biofuels SUSTAINABLE FUELS LIKE BIOFUELS Vishal Kaatal[1] University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies, Toronto, Ontario I have studied different ways to generate Sustainable fuels like Biofuels. My focus is whether Biofuels can help the future of Aviation industry as a fuel source of energy, is it easy to produce in environmental without damaging it. What are the ways of generating Biofuels. Whether any country is focusing to produce Biofuels in abundant quantity and difficulties faced by them. Following selected papers have been selected to start my work but will not be limited to find various answers throughout the project and can be added when required. [1]In recent years, it has been seen drastic change in Climate, Natural resources got reduced, and fossil fuels are in the situation of extinction in near future which triggered scientist and researchers to find an alternative source of energy. They came up with an idea of Biofuel which is generated from the waste of trees, sewage, grass, etc. popularly known by Biomass. Biomass is available in abundant quantity in the world as well as cheaper in cost. In this paper, it shows how to produce Biofuel from Biomass for safer world. [2]This paper talks about the development of aviation biofuels. Aviation biofuel has been tested in various test flights which shows positive result but will take time for commercialized. The constrains which were discussed in interviews with leading global aviation biofuel stakeholders between October and December 2011 are costly production, feedstocks limitation and lack of policy for aviation biofuel throughout the world having rules and regulation at different countries. Paper discussed how to apply these problems for future development of global market for aviation biofuel. [3]This paper talks about Biofuels as a transport alternative fuel in Australia because it the 2nd largest about 24% of total energy consumption.ÂÂ   This large amount of energy demand can be meet with biofuels. It shows different biofuels sources available in Australia which can be produced and used by thinking of future projects.ÂÂ   In future, how to develop biofuel supply chain from different generations of biofuel. [4]This paper deals with the implementation of Biofuels in India as a substitute of fossil fuels and target to use biodiesel and bioethanol for the substitution of 20% fossil fuels by 2017. Also, it shows implications for land use, food production in India. [5]It talks about the use of many algae species to produce biofuels. It also talks about the issue of sustainability of commercial-scale microalgae to produce biofuels with the requirement of environmental conditions. [6]This paper talks about the advantage of algae over first and second generation biomass feedstocks to produce biofuels. It shows the scope and possibilities of Algal biorefineries and how the future of biofuels will be developed using algae. [7]In various ways algae is used to produce Biofuels but did anyone wonder whether the production is possible to meet our requirement. In this paper, the author talks about the limitations to commercialization of algae fuels should be learned and addressed for future commercialization. [8]It is notable that when another source of energy like solar, wind and biofuels usage increases concerns over environmental issues mostly in land use which effects on wildlife. In this paper, it talks about the several uncertainties and limitations to establishing energy production at airports, how to overcome these challenges. [9]In current situation, microalgae used for energy production seem not to be economically feasible. When microalgae cultivated under stress condition produces high-value compounds along with lipids or carbohydrates has been discussed here. [10]The extraction of oil consists of various steps which require energy, the cost of biodiesel from microalgae cost more compared to plant oil. Here sustainable approach for utilization as well as emerging cost effective methods has been discussed. References [1] S. Chakraborty, V. Aggarwal, D. Mukherjee and K. Andras, Biomass to biofuel: a review on production technology, ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. S254-S262, 2012. [2] P. K. Gegg, L. C. Budd and S. G. Ison, The market development of avaition biofuel: drivers and constraints, Journal of Air Transport Management, vol. 39, pp. 34-40, 2014. [3] A. K. Azad, M. Rasul, M. Khan, S. C. Sharma and M. Hazrat, Prospect of biofuel as an alternative transport fuel in Australia, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 43, pp. 331-351, March 2015. [4] N. Ravindranath, C. S. Lakshmi, R. Manuvie and P. Balachandra, Biofuel production and implications for land use, food production and environmnet in India, Energy Policy, vol. 39, no. 10, pp. 5737-5745, October 2011. [5] M. A. Borowitzka and N. R. Moheimani, Sustainable biofuels from algae, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 13-25, January 2013. [6] J. Singh and S. Gu, Commercialization potential of microalgae for biofuels production, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 14, no. 9, pp. 2596-2610, 2010. [7] Y. Chisti, Constraints to commercialization of algal fuels, Journal of Biotechnology, vol. 167, no. 3, pp. 201-214, September 2013. [8] T. L. DeVault, J. L. Belant, B. F. Blackwell, J. A. Martin, J. A. Schmidt, L. W. Burger Jr and J. W. Patterson Jr, Airports offer Unrealized Potential for Alternative Energy Production, Environmental Management, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 517-522, March 2012. [9] G. Markou and E. Nerantzis, Microalgae for high-value compounds and biofuels production: A review with focus on cultivation under stress conditions, Biotechnology Advances, vol. 31, no. 8, pp. 1532-1542, December 2013. [10] B. Singh, A. Guldhe, I. Rawat and F. Bux, Towards a sustainable approach for development of biodiesel from plant and microalgae, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 29, pp. 216-245, January 2014.

African American Culture Essay

African American culture in the United States includes the various cultural traditions of African ethnic groups. It is both part of and distinct from American culture. The U. S. Census Bureau defines African Americans as â€Å"people having origins in any of the Black race groups of Africa. â€Å"[1] African American culture is indigenous to the descendants in the U. S. of survivors of the Middle Passage. It is rooted in Africa and is an amalgam of chiefly sub-Saharan African and Sahelean cultures. Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Africans in America to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values and beliefs survived and over time have incorporated elements of European American culture. There are even certain facets of African American culture that were brought into being or made more prominent as a result of slavery; an example of this is how drumming became used as a means of communication and establishing a community identity during that time. The result is a dynamic, creative culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture and on world culture as well. After Emancipation, these uniquely African American traditions continued to grow. They developed into distinctive traditions in music, art, literature, religion, food, holidays, amongst others. While for some time sociologists, such as Gunnar Myrdal and Patrick Moynihan, believed that African Americans had lost most cultural ties with Africa, anthropological field research by Melville Hersovits and others demonstrated that there is a continuum of African traditions among Africans in the New World from the West Indies to the United States. The greatest influence of African cultural practices on European cultures is found below the Mason-Dixon in the southeastern United States, especially in the Carolinas among the Gullah people and in Louisiana. African American culture often developed separately from mainstream American culture because of African Americans’ desire to practice their own traditions, as well as the persistence of racial segregation in America. Consequently African American culture has become a significant part of American culture and yet, at the same time, remains a distinct culture apart from it. History From the earliest days of slavery, slave owners sought to exercise control over their slaves by attempting to strip them of their African culture. The physical isolation and societal marginalization of African slaves and, later, of their free progeny, however, actually facilitated the retention of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans in the New World generally, and in the U. S. in particular. Slave owners deliberately tried to repress political organization in order to deal with the many slave rebellions that took place in the southern United States, Brazil, Haiti, and the Dutch Guyanas. African cultures,slavery,slave rebellions,and the civil rights movements(circa 1800s-160s)have shaped African American religious, familial, political and economic behaviors. The imprint of Africa is evident in myriad ways, in politics, economics, language, music, hairstyles, fashion, dance, religion and worldview, and food preparation methods. In the United States, the very legislation that was designed to strip slaves of culture and deny them education served in many ways to strengthen it. In turn, African American culture has had a pervasive, transformative impact on myriad elements of mainstream American culture, among them language, music, dance, religion, cuisine, and agriculture. This process of mutual creative exchange is called creolization. Over time, the culture of African slaves and their descendants has been ubiquitous in its impact on not only the dominant American culture, but on world culture as well. Oral tradition Slaveholders limited or prohibited education of enslaved African Americans because they believed it might lead to revolts or escape plans. Hence, African-based oral traditions became the primary means of preserving history, morals, and other cultural information among the people. This was consistent with the griot practices of oral history in many African and other cultures that did not rely on the written word. Many of these cultural elements have been passed from generation to generation through storytelling. The folktales provided African Americans the opportunity to inspire and educate one another. Examples of African American folktales include trickster tales of Br’er Rabbit and heroic tales such as that of John Henry. The Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris helped to bring African American folk tales into mainstream adoption. Harris did not appreciate the complexity of the stories nor their potential for a lasting impact on society. Characteristics of the African American oral tradition present themselves in a number of forms. African American preachers tend to perform rather than simply speak. The emotion of the subject is carried through the speaker’s tone, volume, and movement, which tend to mirror the rising action, climax, and descending action of the sermon. Often song, dance, verse and structured pauses are placed throughout the sermon. Techniques such as call-and-response are used to bring the audience into the presentation. In direct contrast to recent tradition in other American and Western cultures, it is an acceptable and common audience reaction to interrupt and affirm the speaker. Spoken word is another example of how the African American oral tradition influences modern American popular culture. Spoken word artists employ the same techniques as African American preachers including movement, rhythm, and audience participation. Rap music from the 1980’s and beyond has been seen as an extension of oral culture. Harlem Renaissance [pic] Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Main article: Harlem Renaissance The first major public recognition of African American culture occurred during the Harlem Renaissance. In the 1920s and 1930s, African American music, literature, and art gained wide notice. Authors such as Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larsen and poets such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen wrote works describing the African American experience. Jazz, swing, blues and other musical forms entered American popular music. African American artists such as William H. Johnson and Palmer Hayden created unique works of art featuring African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was also a time of increased political involvement for African Americans. Among the notable African American political movements founded in the early 20th century are the United Negro Improvement Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Nation of Islam, a notable Islamic religious movement, also began in the early 1930s. African American cultural movement The Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s followed in the wake of the non-violent American Civil Rights Movement. The movement promoted racial pride and ethnic cohesion in contrast to the focus on integration of the Civil Rights Movement, and adopted a more militant posture in the face of racism. It also inspired a new renaissance in African American literary and artistic expression generally referred to as the African American or â€Å"Black Arts Movement. † The works of popular recording artists such as Nina Simone (Young, Gifted and Black) and The Impressions (Keep On Pushin’), as well as the poetry, fine arts and literature of the time, shaped and reflected the growing racial and political consciousness. Among the most prominent writers of the African American Arts Movement were poet Nikki Giovanni; poet and publisher Don L. Lee, who later became known as Haki Madhubuti; poet and playwright Leroi Jones, later known as Amiri Baraka; and Sonia Sanchez. Other influential writers were Ed Bullins, Dudley Randall, Mari Evans, June Jordan, Larry Neal and Ahmos Zu-Bolton. Another major aspect of the African American Arts Movement was the infusion of the African aesthetic, a return to a collective cultural sensibility and ethnic pride that was much in evidence during the Harlem Renaissance and in the celebration of Negritude among the artistic and literary circles in the U. S. , Caribbean and the African continent nearly four decades earlier: the idea that â€Å"black is beautiful. † During this time, there was a resurgence of interest in, and an embrace of, elements of African culture within African American culture that had been suppressed or devalued to conform to Eurocentric America. Natural hairstyles, such as the afro, and African clothing, such as the dashiki, gained popularity. More importantly, the African American aesthetic encouraged personal pride and political awareness among African Americans. Music [pic] Men playing the djembe, a traditional West African drum adopted into African American and American culture. The bags and the clothing of the man on the right are printed with traditional kente cloth patterns. African American music is rooted in the typically polyrhythmic music of the ethnic groups of Africa, specifically those in the Western, Sahelean, and Sub-Saharan regions. African oral traditions, nurtured in slavery, encouraged the use of music to pass on history, teach lessons, ease suffering, and relay messages. The African pedigree of African American music is evident in some common elements: call and response, syncopation, percussion, improvisation, swung notes, blue notes, the use of falsetto, melisma, and complex multi-part harmony. During slavery, Africans in America blended traditional European hymns with African elements to create spirituals. Many African Americans sing Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing in addition to the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, or in lieu of it. Written by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900 to be performed for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the song was, and continues to be, a popular way for African Americans to recall past struggles and express ethnic solidarity, faith and hope for the future. The song was adopted as the â€Å"Negro National Anthem† by the NAACP in 1919. African American children are taught the song at school, church or by their families. Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing traditionally is sung immediately following, or instead of, The Star-Spangled Banner at events hosted by African American churches, schools, and other organizations. In the 1800s, as the result of the blackface minstrel show, African American music entered mainstream American society. By the early twentieth century, several musical forms with origins in the African American community had transformed American popular music. Aided by the technological innovations of radio and phonograph records, ragtime, jazz, blues, and swing also became popular overseas, and the 1920s became known as the Jazz Age. The early 20th century also saw the creation of the first African American Broadway shows, films such as King Vidor’s Hallelujah!, and operas such as George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Rock and roll, doo wop, soul, and R&B developed in the mid 20th century. These genres became very popular in white audiences and were influences for other genres such as surf. The dozens, an urban African American tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) developed through the smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies into a new form of music. In the South Bronx, the half speaking, half singing rhythmic street talk of ‘rapping’ grew into the hugely successful cultural force known as Hip Hop. Hip Hop would become a multicultural movement. However, it is still important to many African Americans. The African American Cultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s also fueled the growth of funk and later hip-hop forms such as rap, hip house, new jack swing and go go. African American music has experienced far more widespread acceptance in American popular music in the 21st century than ever before. In addition to continuing to develop newer musical forms, modern artists have also started a rebirth of older genres in the form of genres such as neo soul and modern funk-inspired groups. Dance [pic] The Cakewalk was the first African American dance to gain widespread popularity in the United States. [pic] African American dance, like other aspects of African American culture, finds its earliest roots in the dances of the hundreds of African ethnic groups that made up African slaves in the Americas as well as influences from European sources in the United States. Dance in the African tradition, and thus in the tradition of slaves, was a part of both every day life and special occasions. Many of these traditions such as get down, ring shouts, and other elements of African body language survive as elements of modern dance. In the 1800s, African American dance began to appear in minstrel shows. These shows often presented African Americans as caricatures for ridicule to large audiences. The first African American dance to become popular with White dancers was the cakewalk in 1891. Later dances to follow in this tradition include the Charleston, the Lindy Hop, and the Jitterbug. During the Harlem Renaissance, all African American Broadway shows such as Shuffle Along helped to establish and legitimize African American dancers. African American dance forms such as tap, a combination of African and European influences, gained widespread popularity thanks to dancers such as Bill Robinson and were used by leading White choreographers who often hired African American dancers. Contemporary African American dance is descended from these earlier forms and also draws influence from African and Caribbean dance forms. Groups such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have continued to contribute to the growth of this form. Modern popular dance in America is also greatly influenced by African American dance. American popular dance has also drawn many influences from African American dance most notably in the hip hop genre. Art [pic] Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1859-1937 From its early origins in slave communities, through the end of the twentieth century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. During the period between the 1600s and the early 1800s, art took the form of small drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures and ceramic vessels in the southern United States. These artifacts have similarities with comparable crafts in West and Central Africa. In contrast, African American artisans like the New England–based engraver Scipio Moorhead and the Baltimore portrait painter Joshua Johnson created art that was conceived in a thoroughly western European fashion. During the 1800s, Harriet Powers made quilts in rural Georgia, United States that are now considered among the finest examples of nineteenth-century Southern quilting. Later in the 20th century, the women of Gee’s Bend developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional African American quilts with a geometric simplicity that developed separately but was like that of Amish quilts and modern art. After the American Civil War, museums and galleries began more frequently to display the work of African American artists. Cultural expression in mainstream venues was still limited by the dominant European aesthetic and by racial prejudice. To increase the visibility of their work, many African American artists traveled to Europe where they had greater freedom. It was not until the Harlem Renaissance that more whites began to pay attention to African American art in America. [pic] Kara Walker, Cut, Cut paper and adhesive on wall, Brent Sikkema NYC. During the 1920s, artists such as Raymond Barthe, Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, and photographer James Van Der Zee became well known for their work. During the Great Depression, new opportunities arose for these and other African American artists under the WPA. In later years, other programs and institutions, such as the New York City-based Harmon Foundation, helped to foster African American artistic talent. Augusta Savage, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and others exhibited in museums and juried art shows, and built reputations and followings for themselves. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were very few widely accepted African American artists. Despite this, The Highwaymen, a loose association of 27 African American artists from Ft. Pierce, Florida, created idyllic, quickly realized images of the Florida landscape and peddled some 50,000 of them from the trunks of their cars. They sold their art directly to the public rather than through galleries and art agents, thus receiving the name â€Å"The Highwaymen†. Rediscovered in the mid-1990s, today they are recognized as an important part of American folk history. Their artwork is widely collected by enthusiasts and original pieces can easily fetch thousands of dollars in auctions and sales. The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s was another period of resurgent interest in African American art. During this period, several African-American artists gained national prominence, among them Lou Stovall, Ed Love, Charles White, and Jeff Donaldson. Donaldson and a group of African-American artists formed the Afrocentric collective AFRICOBRA, which remains in existence today. The sculptor Martin Puryear, whose work has been acclaimed for years, is being honored with a 30-year retrospective of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York starting November 2007. Notable contemporary African American artists include David Hammons, Eugene J. Martin, Charles Tolliver, and Kara Walker. Literature [pic] Langston Hughes, a notable African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance. African American literature has its roots in the oral traditions of African slaves in America. The slaves used stories and fables in much the same way as they used music. These stories influenced the earliest African American writers and poets in the 18thcentury such as Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano. These authors reached early high points by telling slave narratives. During the early 20th century Harlem Renaissance, numerous authors and poets, such as Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Dubois, and Booker T. Washington, grappled with how to respond to discrimination in America. Authors during the Civil Rights era, such as Richard Wright, James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about issues of racial segregation, oppression and other aspects of African American life. This tradition continues today with authors who have been accepted as an integral part of American literature, with works such as Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Beloved by Nobel Prize-winning Toni Morrison, and series by Octavia Butler and Walter Mosley that have achieved both best-selling and/or award-winning status. Museums The African American Museum Movement emerged during the 1950s and 1960s to preserve the heritage of the African American experience and to ensure its proper interpretation in American history. Museums devoted to African American history are found in many African American neighborhoods. Institutions such as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and The African American Museum in Cleveland were created by African Americans to teach and investigate cultural history that, until recent decades was primarily preserved trough oral traditions. Language Generations of hardships imposed on the African American community created distinctive language patterns. Slave owners often intentionally mixed people who spoke different African languages to discourage communication in any language other than English. This, combined with prohibitions against education, led to the development of pidgins, simplified mixtures of two or more languages that speakers of different languages could use to communicate. Examples of pidgins that became fully developed languages include Creole, common to Haiti,and Gullah, common to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. African American Vernacular English is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language closely associated with the speech of but not exclusive to African Americans. While AAVE is academically considered a legitimate dialect because of its logical structure, some of both Caucasians and African Americans consider it slang or the result of a poor command of Standard American English. Inner city African American children who are isolated by speaking only AAVE have more difficulty with standardized testing and, after school, moving to the mainstream world for work. It is common for many speakers of AAVE to code switch between AAVE and Standard American English depending on the setting. Fashion and aesthetics [pic]. A man weaving kente cloth in Ghana. Attire The cultural explosion of the 1960s saw the incorporation of surviving cultural dress with elements from modern fashion and West African traditional clothing to create a uniquely African American traditional style. Kente cloth is the best known African textile. These festive woven patterns, which exist in numerous varieties, were originally made by the Ashanti and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. Kente fabric also appears in a number of Western style fashions ranging from casual t-shirts to formal bow ties and cummerbunds. Kente strips are often sewn into liturgical and academic robes or worn as stoles. Since the Black Arts Movement, traditional African clothing has been popular amongst African Americans for both formal and informal occasions. Another common aspect of fashion in African American culture involves the appropriate dress for worship in the Black church. It is expected in most churches that an individual should present their best appearance for worship. African American women in particular are known for wearing vibrant dresses and suits. An interpretation of a passage from the Christian Bible, â€Å"†¦every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head†¦ â€Å", has led to the tradition of wearing elaborate Sunday hats, sometimes known as â€Å"crowns. † Hair Hair styling in African American culture is greatly varied. African American hair is typically composed of tightly coiled curls. The predominant styles for women involve the straightening of the hair through the application of heat or chemical processes. These treatments form the base for the most commonly socially acceptable hairstyles in the United States. Alternatively, the predominant and most socially acceptable practice for men is to leave one’s hair natural. Often, as men age and begin to lose their hair, the hair is either closely cropped, or the head is shaved completely free of hair. However, since the 1960s, natural hairstyles, such as the afro, braids, and dreadlocks, have been growing in popularity. Although the association with radical political movements and their vast difference from mainstream Western hairstyles, the styles have not yet attained widespread social acceptance. Maintaining facial hair is more prevalent among African American men than in other male populations in the U. S. In fact, the soul patch is so named because African American men, particularly jazz musicians, popularized the style. The preference for facial hair among African American men is due partly to personal taste, but because they are more prone than other ethnic groups to develop a condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly referred to as razor bumps, many prefer not to shave. Body image The European aesthetic and attendant mainstream concepts of beauty are often at odds with the African body form. Because of this, African American women often find themselves under pressure to conform to European standards of beauty. Still, there are individuals and groups who are working towards raising the standing of the African aesthetic among African Americans and internationally as well. This includes efforts toward promoting as models those with clearly defined African features; the mainstreaming of natural hairstyles; and, in women, fuller, more voluptuous body types. Religion While African Americans practice a number of religions, Protestant Christianity is by far the most popular. Additionally, 14% of Muslims in the United States and Canada are African American. Christianity [pic] A river baptism in New Bern, North Carolina near the turn of the 20th century. The religious institutions of African American Christians commonly are referred tocollectively as the black church. During slavery, many slaves were stripped of their African belief systems and typically denied free religious practice. Slaves managed, however, to hang on to some practices by integrating them into Christian worship in secret meetings. These practices, including dance, shouts, African rhythms, and enthusiastic singing, remain a large part of worship in the African American church. African American churches taught that all people were equal in God’s eyes and viewed the doctrine of obedience to one’s master taught in white churches as hypocritical. Instead the African American church focused on the message of equality and hopes for a better future. Before and after emancipation, racial segregation in America prompted the development of organized African American denominations. The first of these was the AME Church founded by Richard Allen in 1787. An African American church is not necessarily a separate denomination. Several predominantly African American churches exist as members of predominantly white denominations. African American churches have served to provide African American people with leadership positions and opportunities to organize that were denied in mainstream American society. Because of this, African American pastors became the bridge between the African American and European American communities and thus played a crucial role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Like many Christians, African American Christians sometimes participate in or attend a Christmas play. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes is a re-telling of the classic Nativity story with gospel music. Productions can be found a African American theaters and churches all over the country. Islam [pic] A member of the Nation of Islam selling merchandise on a city street corner. Despite the popular assumption that the Nation represents all or most African American Muslims, less than 2% are members. Generations before the advent of the Atlantic slave trade, Islam was a thriving religion in West Africa due to its peaceful introduction via the lucrative trans-Saharan trade between prominent tribes in the southern Sahara and the Berbers to the North. In his attesting to this fact the West African scholar Cheikh Anta Diop explained: â€Å"The primary reason for the success of Islam in Black Africa†¦ consequently stems from the fact that it was propagated peacefully at first by solitary Arabo-Berber travelers to certain Black kings and notables, who then spread it about them to those under their jurisdiction† Many first-generation slaves were often able to retain their Muslim identity, their descendants were not. Slaves were either forcibly converted to Christianity as was the case in the Catholic lands or were besieged with gross inconviences to their religious practice such as in the case of the Protestant American mainland. In the decades after slavery and particularly during the depression era, Islam reemerged in the form of highly visible and sometimes controversial heterodox movements in the African American community. The first of these of note was the Moorish Science Temple of America, founded by Noble Drew Ali. Ali had a profound influence on Wallace Fard, who later founded the Black nationalist Nation of Islam in 1930. Elijah Muhammad became head of the organization in 1934. Much like Malcolm X, who left the Nation of Islam in 1964, many African American Muslims now follow traditional Islam. A survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations shows that 30% of Sunni Mosque attendees are African Americans. African American orthodox Muslims are often the victims of stereotypes, most notably the assumption that an African American Muslim is a member of the Nation of Islam. They are often viewed by the uneducated African-American community in general as less authentic than Muslims from the Middle East or South Asia while credibility is less of an issue with immigrant Muslims and Muslim world in general. Other religions. Aside from Christianity and Islam, there are also African Americans who follow Judaism, Buddhism, and a number of other religions. The Black Hebrew Israelites are a collection of African American Jewish religious organizations. Among their varied teachings, they often include that African Americans are descended from the Biblical Hebrews (sometimes with the paradoxical claim that the Jewish people are not). There is a small but growing number of African Americans who participate in African traditional religions, such as Vodou and Santeria or Ifa and diasporic traditions like Rastafarianism. Many of them are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America, where these are practiced. Because of religious practices, such as animal sacrifice, which are no longer common among American religions and are often legally prohibited, these groups may be viewed negatively and are sometimes the victims of harassment. Life events For most African Americans, the observance of life events follows the pattern of mainstream American culture. There are some traditions which are unique to African Americans. Some African Americans have created new rites of passage that are linked to African traditions. Pre-teen and teenage boys and girls take classes to prepare them for adulthood. They are typically taught spirituality, responsibility, and leadership. Most of these programs are modeled after traditional African ceremonies, with the focus largely on embracing African ideologies rather than specific rituals. To this day, some African American couples choose to â€Å"jump the broom† as a part of their wedding ceremony. Although the practice, which can be traced back to Ghana, fell out of favor in the African American community after the end of slavery, it has experienced a slight resurgence in recent years as some couples seek to reaffirm their African heritage. Funeral traditions tend to vary based on a number of factors, including religion and location, but there are a number of commonalities. Probably the most important part of death and dying in the African American culture is the gathering of family and friends. Either in the last days before death or shortly after death, typically any friends and family members that can be reached are notified. This gathering helps to provide spiritual and emotional support, as well as assistance in making decisions and accomplishing everyday tasks. The spirituality of death is very important in African American culture. A member of the clergy or members of the religious community, or both, are typically present with the family through the entire process. Death is often viewed as transitory rather than final. Many services are called homegoings, instead of funerals, based on the belief that the person is going home to the afterlife. The entire end of life process is generally treated as a celebration of life rather than a mourning of loss. This is most notably demonstrated in the New Orleans Jazz Funeral tradition where upbeat music, dancing, and food encourage those gathered to be happy and celebrate the homegoing of a beloved friend. Cuisine [pic] A traditional soul food dinner consisting of fried chicken, candied yams, collard greens, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products in the United States, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, sorghum, grits, watermelon, indigo dyes, and cotton, can be traced to African influences. African American foods reflect creative responses to racial and economic oppression and poverty. Under slavery, African Americans were not allowed to eat better cuts of meat, and after emancipation many often were too poor to afford them. Soul food, a hearty cuisine commonly associated with African Americans in the South (but also common to African Americans nationwide), makes cre.

Constitution Dbq

A few hundred years ago, a large group of men gathered in one big room to establish a Constitution that would lay down the basic set up of the United States of America. This new constitution covered everything from government to the rights of all the citizens of America. Thomas Jefferson, who was not part of the creation of the Constitution, said that all the good that is in the new Constitution was accomplished by amending the Articles of Confederation. Shortly after the Articles of Confederation was created, the creators of the document realized that the newly found country was running as smoothly as planned.The Articles did not cover everything necessary to ensure a well balanced country. With thirteen states independent, rebellion started to break out. So when they got together to write the Constitution, they had to look at the faults in the Articles and determine what needed to change. Whether it was giving Congress more power, establishing a military, or having the states only hold enough power to deal with local matter, if this country wanted to prosper, the Articles of Confederation had to be amended.The writers of the Constitution didn't want too much power to go to a single group in the government, so they set up a three branch system to ensure that not one branch had to much power. After the Articles were written, states were using their power to try to gain more and the balance was broken, so by amending the Articles, the balance could be restored. The first branch was the Legislative branch, which was made of of the Congress. The problem was that congress had been set up with proportional representation and the smaller states weren't happy about that.So it was decided that Congress be split into two branches, House of Representatives (which was based on proportion) and the Senate (which every state had representatives in) and this satisfied all the states, big and small. The reason that all these compromises had to be made was because the Articles did not give everyone equal share so the states were not happy and therefore they rebelled. With the Constitution being written to help every state equally, a well balanced government was put into play. The second branch of the government that they set up was the Executive ranch, which was made up of the newly founded President and Vice President. This was different from the Articles because originally there was no figurehead in government, but the Constitution out in play the role of a man who would control one branch of the government and balance out the shaky governmental issues. The role of the President is to veto laws made by the legislative branch of the government, he appoints other positions in the government and also deals with foreign treaties. This was an amendment to the Articles that would not strike rebellion or unsettle the states.The final branch of government that was set up by the constitution was the Judicial branch. This was the branch that interprets the law up on those in the country who break them. It was a court system set up by smaller courts that dealt with minor or local crimes and then the supreme court that dealt with crimes to the government, or serious affairs. The reason that this was a good thing to change from the Articles, was now that there are laws set, there is also a system in which to punish those who feel the need to break them.With this three branch system, the government would be very strong, and would not anger the United States. The writers of the Constitution knew that, like the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution would not be a perfect document and that problem with the way it is set up might appear in the future so they wrote it very loosely. The Constitution was set up so that amendments could be made, the same way they were made to the Articles. If something in the constitution needed to be amended, the Legislative branch would create the amendment, then if the Executive branch didn't agree, they would veto it.If all went well then the amendment would be made and the Judicial branch would interpret the amendment to the country. The Constitution was well thought out when being written. The last thing that was added to the constitution was the Bill of Rights, which ten of the most important rights given to Americans. Whether it was the freedoms of speech, press, or religion, the writers of the Constitution wanted all men to have their rights to living in freedom. Giving set rights of Americans was never established in the original Articles of Confederation.The Articles of Confederation were created very loosely and with many flaws. It was not well thought out and had many issues that would bring the citizens of America to unrest. When writing the Constitution, the writers had to look back on the Articles of Confederation and review the problems in the construction of the document, and assessed the issues in it. The Constitution was such a success because it amended the unsuccessful Articles of Confederation. Constitution Dbq DBQ: How Did the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny? Americans desperately fought against tyranny with the best weapon they had, the Constitution. During the colonial times, King George III demanded many things from the colonists that were living in the Americas. This was caused by the aftermath of the French and Indian War. This caused increasing debts for the King and England; therefore the King was forced to raise the taxes of America and England. This increase in tax made the Americans angry which caused more events to unravel.After many different battles between King George III and America, America declared its independence on July 4, 1776. After this declaration, many things began to heat up over the representation in government. Tyranny was mentioned many times during the course of these events, causing the creation of the Constitution. The Constitution guarded against tyranny in four ways: federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and big states versus small stat es/The Great Compromise. One part of the Constitution that helped the Americas was federalism.Document A shows that the first step the framers of the Constitution took to protect the Americas from tyranny was using a form of government called Federalism. James Madison’s idea for division of power between central and state governments is known as Federalism. (Doc A). From the chart in Document A, you will notice that this clearly prevents tyranny from happening. The powers that are needed to run a country are given to the federal government such as declaring war, coining money, and conducting foreign relations. (Doc A).Also, powers that are needed for a state are given, such as holding election and regulating in-state businesses. (Doc A). Powers that are needed by both state and federal law are shared. This prevents tyranny from happening because the states can’t take control of federal powers, and the federal government can’t take control of state powers. They c an only take the power shared and the powers that each of them own. The second step the framers took to protect us from tyranny was to divide the central government into three branches.The section in Document B taken from the Constitution shows the three branches of government and their powers. James Madison said, â€Å" The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elected, may be justly pronounced the very definition of tyranny. † (Doc B). The Constitution clearly does not put the powers of legislative, executive, and judiciary in one or many hands.All branches have split power. The legislative branch can only have the powers of Congress. (Doc B). The executive branch has powers vested within the president. (Doc B). Lastly, the judicial branch has its powers vested in the highest court of the nation, the Supreme Court. As you can see, the Constitution preve nts any branch to gain power from other branches. The framers of the Constitution created a clever way to prevent tyranny of one branch over other branches, with a system of check and balances.James Madison said, â€Å"The constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that they may be a check on the other. † (Doc C). The diagram shows the branches have checks on each other. If the president tries to take power of another branch, the legislative branch can then impeach the president. (Doc C). This is the check of the legislative branch on the executive branch. Each branch has a check of every other branch, so if one branch is doing something wrong, another branch can check the wronged branch, and fix the problem.This explains how another branch can’t take full control and there is always going to be equal checks and balances. One of the last things the framers of the Constitution did to make sure no tyranny would arise was to make sure th e smaller states got a fair vote in Congress. In the Constitutional Convention, two plans were proposed called the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan was favored by the large states and was based on population. The New Jersey Plan favored the small states and gave each state an equal amount of votes.Eventually after all the arguing, they came up with something called the Great Compromise. This proposed Congress would be composed of the Senate and The House of Representatives. The House of Representatives is based on population, which provides fairness to large states. (Doc D). On the other hand, the Senate has two representatives from each state, which provides fairness to the smaller states. (Doc D). Unquestionably, this provides fairness among both large and small states, taking a closer step to ridding tyranny.To sum it up, the framers of the Constitution protected us from the evil of tyranny using the four methods, Federalism, dividing the government into t hree branches, a system of checks and balances, and preventing large states from creating tyranny over the small states in Congress. James Madison said, â€Å"The accumulation of power in the same hands whether of one, a few, or many, is the very definition of tyranny,† and the Constitution does a great job of preventing that. The framers succeeded in creating a strong built Constitution because all four methods have created security that no tyrant or tyranny would arise.

Owen Meany Essay - 1384 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;quot;Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean-make sure they know what they mean!quot; (572). In the novel written by John Irving, A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY, the protagonist, Owen Meany, developed an unusual religious significance. Owen experienced visions of future events, he had a unique type of faith in God that most do not attain, and Owen spoke endlessly to inform people about God. Throughout Owens life he demonstrated the same characteristics as a prophet through his actions and his words. Thus one could conclude that Owen Meany is a prophet. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Similar to a prophet, Owen was given precognitive powers that allowed him to see into†¦show more content†¦Owen stated in his diary, quot;THE WAY THEY LOOK AT ME, I KNOW TWO THINGS. I KNOW I SAVED THEM-I DONT KNOW HOW. AND I KNOW THAT THEYRE AFRAID FOR ME†¦quot; (474). The entries in his diary revealed that he died saving Vietnamese children. He was a prime example of courage and integrity. A prophet uses their prophecies to not only prove that they have powers, but also to somehow benefit the world or allow people to learn from their visions. In Owens case, quot;he had established himself as a prophet†¦quot; (201). It was a wonder to John that quot;the changing of the year had so little effect on Owen Meany - when [John] considered that he thought he knew†¦exactly how many years he had left. Yet he appeared content†¦ maybe thats what faith is†¦quot; (358). Was Owens sole purpose in life only to save the Vietnamese children? The mind wants to say no because many of us could never comprehend such a sacrifice. Owen Meany found strength in his belief that God made him for a special, heroic purpose. Owen thought he was the reason Johns mother was killed. One night, Having gone into her room, he witnessed an apparition. Owen believed the task of Johns mothers death had been passed to him for he had interrupted the angel of death at her holy work. To imply that this incident was an accident was to be accused that you lacked faith. In Owens opinion quot;†¦he had DISTURBED AN ANGEL AT WORK, he had UPSET THE SCHEME OF THINGSquot; (102). Robbed from anShow MoreRelatedA Prayer for Owen Meany800 Words   |  4 PagesA Prayer for Owen Meany In A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving, Irving portrays the relationship between faith and doubt within the struggles of Johnny, which in the end alienates him from a normal, human life because the miraculous moments he has encountered changed him and vanishes all his doubt. However, it demonstrates that he is living in the past, which has causes grief and anger for his lost best friend, which has kept him from living normally. In the beginning of the novel, it demonstratesRead More A Prayer for Owen Meany Essay724 Words   |  3 Pages A Prayer for Owen Meany In literature of significant standing, no act of violence is perpetrated without reason. For a story to be legitimate in the area of fine literature violence cannot be used in a wanton manner. In John Irving’s modern classic, A Prayer for Owen Meany the audience is faced with multiple scenes of strong violence but violence is never used without reason. All of the violent acts depicted in the novel are totally necessary for the characters and the plotRead More A Prayer for Owen Meany Essay1331 Words   |  6 PagesA Prayer for Owen Meany Not the least of my problems is that I can hardly even imagine what kind of an experience a genuine, self-authenticating religious experience would be. Without somehow destroying me in the process, how could God reveal himself in a way that would leave no room for doubt? If there were no room for doubt, there would be no room for me.- Frederick Buechner In the novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving, Owen Meany’s belief of predestination makes a significantRead MoreA Prayer For Owen Meany1080 Words   |  5 Pagesto yourself. John Irving, the writer of A Prayer for Owen Meany, depicts what the constructed idea of fate and free will is conferred for Owen Meany. Lead by many religious individuals, there is an almighty superhuman that dominates the world with his words and acts. A few people have the ability to sense what is going to happen in the near future, they were placed on this ground for a reason, but the question is, for what? As told through Owen s eyes, he believes he is very special, and not likeRead More Essay on Owen Meany928 Words   |  4 PagesFor Owen Meany† In the novel â€Å"A Prayer For Owen Meany,† John Irving creates the character of Owen as a foil to John, the protagonist. Owen Meany embodies the qualities of a true leader while John grows more like his father: doubtful and lost. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the beginning of the novel, immediately there is a clear difference between Owen and Johnny. There is the field of academics; Owen is the head of his class while he helps John not to fail in his studies. There is Owen, veryRead MoreA Prayer For Owen Meany1785 Words   |  8 PagesA Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving is about two best friends, John and Owen who are bound to one another. With the draft enlistment for Vietnam coming closer, it is time for John to make a hasty decision. The year of 1967 not only represents an important part in their lives, but it so happens to change John’s life forever. On the Rainy River, by Tim O’Brien, O’Brien tells the story of him as a young twenty-one-year old adult who faces the hard decision of whether to go to Vietnam or flee toRead MoreSuspense Examples in a Prayer for Owen Meany1493 Words   |  6 PagesDifferent Ways John Irving Creates Suspense in A Prayer for Owen Meany In John Irvings novel titled, A Prayer for Owen Meany, suspenseful events are of abundance, and there are multiple ways the author creates this suspense. Among these methods of creating suspense, four that stand out are the use of setting, the pace of the story, the involvement of mysteries to be solved, and the ability of the reader to easily identify and sympathize with the protagonist. By placing a character in a gloomyRead MoreThe Character and Psyche of Owen Meany Essay1260 Words   |  6 Pagesthe theme of the book born, what follows it is a journey that is different from any other. John Wheelwright, the narrator, tells a story of his best friend Owen Meany and what effect he has had on John’s own life, while concurrently interjecting the plot with information about the occurrence in the world around him and how it relates back to Owen. Through the uses of sporadic but continuous plot development John Irving develops a self acclaimed Christ-like character whose life, actions, and beingRead MoreImportant Qoutes in a Prayer for Owen Meany Essay606 Words   |  3 Pagessterile, said my cousin Hester, to whom every event of our shared childhood was either sexually exhilarating or sexually damaging. Armadillo, p. 54 Â…Owen Meany and I were permanently conditioned to flinch at the sound of a different kind of gunshot: that much-loved and most American sound of summer, the good old crack of the bat! Owen Meany believed that ‘coincidence was a stupid, shallow refuge sought by stupid, shallow people who were unable to accept the fact that their lives were shapedRead MoreThe Case Of A Prayer For Owen Meany By John Irving1628 Words   |  7 Pagesperfect family who owned all of this. For years, it was said that this was the true ideal to be met. The long sought after American Dream has been apart of this nation for decades and continues to change as the times do. In the case of A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, the author incorporates both the American Dream from the 1950s and 1960s, but also today s take on the subject. To thoroughly understand the differences between the American Dream of the 20th century and today, one must first look