The Western Journal of Black Studies

Volume 30, Issue 4


Blackness in the Haitian Paintings of Ellis Wilson
in Six Florida Cities
Vivaldi Jean-Marie—Medgar Evers College, Cuny

The ambition of the present essay is to analyze the role and contribution of Haitian culture to the artistic evolution of the Southern African-American painter Ellis Wilson. The thesis is that Wilson’s paintings of Haitian rural life ought to be considered as the zenith of his career because they fulfilled his aesthetic goal which is to capture Blackness, as the authentic expression of the lived experiences of African-Americans in the South, by painting the practices that constitute the lifestyle of people that are of African descent. The argument is that Ellis Wilson’s artistic development reaches its apex in the paintings of Haiti.
pp. 1-5

Political Cartoons Readership Among Uyo Residents
of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria

Nkereuwem Udoakah—University of Uyo, Nigeria

This article examines the readership of Nigerian political cartoons in an effort to test the claim by Nigerian editors and cartoonists that cartoons are alternative communicative art form directed at the lowly educated and illiterates in countries with a low literacy rate. Those who registered during the February 10 and 17, 1997 voters’ registration were sampled, and editors and cartoonists on the newspapers selected for the study were interviewed. A self-administered questionnaire with three cartoons appended for interpretation by the subjects was employed.

The result showed that, although there was an audience for political cartoons, many of them hardly understood the message the cartoons carried. Also, contrary to the view that cartoons were largely for the lowly educated, it was found out that the readership was made up of the educated and politically conscious class.
pp. 6-15

An Appraisal of Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS. (1954)
and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Kwando M. Kinshasa—John Jay College of Crimnal Justice, Cuny

One hundred and sixty seven years after the American Republic was established in 1787, the United States Supreme Court in 1954 rendered a decision in Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka, Ks. that permitted equal access to educational opportunities regardless of ones racial background. Overturning the Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896) racial doctrine of ‘separate but equal,’ Brown was tested in the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott of 1955-1956. Though this Boycott was successful ineventually desegregating the Montgomery City Bus Lines, another strategy existed; petition the City of Montgomery for an African American owned bus franchise, (as suggested in the early planning for the boycott). This article asserts that if implemented, the latter strategy would have forced desegregation of the Montgomery City Bus Line while economically and politicallyempowering the African American community.
16-23

The African American Student Center and Black Student Retention
at a Pacific Northwest PWI

Johnny D. Jones—Arkansas Baptist College
Michelle Williams—Washington State University

The Predominately White Institution or PWI’s in the Pacific Northwest, USA, try maintaining a sufficient number of African Americans represented in the student population. This number should reflect the population of the state. African American students at the PWI conquer and face many non-academic issues daily. This analysis of the African American Student Center in the Pacific Northwest PWI, will examine the PWI support for black students.
pp. 24-34


Book Reviews

Between Cross and Crescent: Christian and Muslim
Perspectives 0/1 Malcolm and Martin.

Author: Lewis V. Baldwin and Amiri YaSin Al-Hadid
Reviewer: Rufus Burrow, Jr., Christian Theological Seminary
pp. 35-36

A Slaving Voyage to Africa and Jamaica: The Log
of the Sandown, 1793-1794

Editor: Bruce L. Mouser
Reviewer: Dougla s M. Paul, Ohio State University
pp. 36-37

The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance between
Hebrews and Africans in 701 BC

Author: Henry T. Aubin
Reviewer: Abraham Rzepkowicz, University of Toronto
pp. 37-39


 

WJBS Cover

 

The WJBS site is normally maintained by
Tanya Gonzales
. Please feel free to e-mail comments, queries, and suggestions.

 

 

Heading using the h3 tag

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.