Assess the importance of the African American population in US Essay

Assess the importance of the African American population in US politics - Essay Example xi). Historically, the African-Americans have been the largest identifiable minority group in the United States. The earliest writers of African-American ancient history were black men, who wanted to elaborate the achievements, and contributions of the people of African descent, in the United States.By the end of the nineteen century, the African-American historians were not trained in historical methods, instead they were educated than their predecessors (Hornsby, 2011). Nevertheless, the African American historians were better educated than the previous historians. Some of the notable African historians were like W.E.D Du Bois, whose writing was a breakthrough for the African American historian, Carter G. Woodson. During the nineteen century, many African-Americans got access to higher education and were able to travel. It was at this time that they were taken seriously because the wealthy elites in the United States believed in them. African-Americans shaped their own Africa, this process was during the nineteen century and the twentieth century, as the knowledge of African past increased (Painter, 2006). The African-Americans were denied the opportunity to education and personal advancements, until early 1950 and 1960`s. It was at this time that the National Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, began to fight for the rights of the black, and had an effect on the black civil rights (Cliff notes, 2012). The only way to see a clear picture on the role, purpose, and the potential power of the African-Americans in the American politics system was in a vital outline of the structure, and the system that influenced and shaped the democracy of America. Democracy was referred to as a system of government, where the people elected men and women to serve their interests in the political, economic, and socio-cultural interests (King, 2010). In the United States the rule of the people or by the people is exercised after every four years. In the American democracy, the participation of the African-Americans in the political system has been obstructed by several reasons. Firstly, the African-Americans have succumbed to persistence of institutional disadvantage, such as refusal of certain states to acknowledge their rights as stated in the United States constitution that were established through the Supreme Court ruling, and implemented by the executive and the legislature branches of Government (King, 2010). Secondly, the African American involvement and incorporation has been limited by manmade fear and intimidation tactics. This was well known as the period of the Black Code and Jim Crowism, and some of these intimidations methods were like hanging of nooses and cross burning, which were the well-known instruments to keep black people oppressed and in fear (King, 2010). There were historical legal and extra legal tactics used to intimidate the African-Americans political involvement, some people stated that the African-Americans operated under a facade of democracy in America. Facade â€Å"represents a superficial and symbolic presentation of equality which distributes markedly different democratic tenets such a liberty, freedom, and justice† (King, 2010, p.12). In American democracy, this is referred to as a facade because it not only limits particular groups, it also interferes with the main purpose of government, all which are established for justice, to insure domestic tranquility,