Influential African American Leaders

In the years following Reconstruction, many African Americans rose to the challenge of bringing rights and equality to blacks. Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, and Ida Wells-Barnett are Just of few examples of the outstanding influential African American leaders that had an impact on the people, time period, and history. Booker T. Washington did what seemed like the impossible for blacks; he founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. It was there that the former slave trained uneducated African American students in a trade that would help them achieve conomic freedom and experience the same equality as whites.To achieve this freedom and equality, he taught that if blacks excelled in fields like teaching, agriculture, and manual labor trades (blue collar fields), then eventually they would be treated as the equals they strived to be. Even though the Institute became an important center for technical education in the South, many blacks found his philosophies and teachings controv ersial. While those blacks wanted to integrate and become a bigger part of society, Washington saw no problem with segregation. One f his most famous doings is his Atlanta speech given 1895.In support of his campaign for segregation, he said during the speech, â€Å"In all things that are purely social, we (whites and blacks) can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress. † As always there as two sides to everything, and Mr. W. E. B. DuBois was the exact opposite of Washington. W. E. B. DuBois was the very first black Ph. D. graduate from Harvard University. DuBois was one of those African Americans that found Washington's philosophies and teachings controversial, and he disagreed with him n many things.Offended by the ideas that Booker T. expressed in his Atlanta speech, DuBois saw Washington as someone that only wanted to please the white community and population. In response to Washington's Atlanta speech, DuBois delivere d the â€Å"Atlanta Compromise. † Within this speech he argued about how the acceptation of segregation and settling for achievement would not get the African American community anywhere. He thought that blacks should go after occupations in humanities and managerial/professional (white collar) fields.It was his thoughts hat blacks must be politically, legally, and socially active in order to achieve equality. DuBois helped organize a group of black intellectuals known as the Niagara Movement; it was their goal to outline an agenda for African American progress in the US. In 1909, he was also an important part of the founding of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; they also devoted themselves to the progress of African Americans. Ida Wells-Barnett, an African American woman, led campaigns against the Ku Klux Klan and for the women's movement.As the KKK terrorized southern blacks, Ida led a ampaign against the lynchings that made many of the unaware northerners aware of the situations occurring in the southern states. As for the women's movement, her active role gained even more notoriety when she refused to march at the end of suffrage parades Just because she black. She, along with others, helped DuBois form the NAACP. These Atrican Americans tougnt tor the rights that they telt they were granted by the Bill of Rights and the amendments added afterwards. It was because of the efforts of these three men and women, African Americans and women now have the rights that they do.

Bureaucracy, Intelligence and Homeland Security Essay

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 shook the nation to its core. Politicians felt a tremendous pressure not only to go on the attack against the terrorists, but also to secure the homeland. As a result the United States’ government responded the way it often does in a crisis – It created a huge new bureaucracy. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was designed to consolidate dozens of agencies under one roof. Theoretically this would streamline the process of protecting the homeland. The Intelligence Act of 2004 was designed to better focus this process while also protecting the civil rights of Americans. Proponents of the DHS argue that there has not been a major attack on American soil since 2001. This presents an incomplete picture of the security landscape however. DHS is still very much a work in progress. It has been plagued by numerous well-publicized problems. The Department of Homeland Security has not met the strategic goals and objectives set forth in the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. Therefore, the DHS has not successfully provided national security. The Act and the Bureaucracy The consolidation of so many agencies under one roof was unprecedented in Washington. Early fears that the bureaucracy would be so unwieldy as to be out of control seemed to be justified. After 9/11 the government felt an intense pressure to do something. The lack of coordination between agencies was exposed by these attacks. Creation of the DHS was an attempt to remedy this problem, but the agency itself was a massive undertaking. In many ways it is an agency still trying to find its footing. The DHS began operations in 2003 with more than 180. 000 employees (Brzezinski, 2004). It oversees dozens of agencies with a dizzying array of responsibilities. From the start the agency has worked against long odds and excessive expectations. There is a gap between what the public expects of DHS and what DHS actually believes it can do. This makes it even more difficult for the DHS to operate effectively. A well known axiom within the intelligence community states that â€Å"The terrorists only have to be right once – we have to be right every time†. Meanwhile the American public is intolerant of failure. The reality that eventually the terrorists will succeed again is not well understood. In fact, â€Å"The very notion of trying to design a zero-terrorist-risk environment is dangerously futile† (Brzezinski, 2004). As the DHS scuffled through its first few years, Congress and the American people became impatient. In 2004 Congress took action to reform the DHS and the intelligence and security apparatus. In an effort to re-focus DHS activities to the modern threat environment, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. The Act revised a number of provisions of the National Security Act of 1947. It set guidelines for information sharing, inter-agency cooperation and covert operations. Five years later some of its provisions have been addressed; many have not. Prevention and Preparation The Department of Homeland Security is a vast organization with a vast number of duties. It is responsible for both day-to-day protection of the homeland and strategic long-term efforts to prevent terrorism in the future. Additionally it must respond to attacks already under way and is often called in on natural disaster situations. DHS duties on any given day include, but are not limited to: †¦ screening 1. 5 million airline passengers [and] inspecting 57,006 shipping containers†¦ very day DHS reviews 2200 intelligence reports. [It] stands watch over 8,000 federal facilities and pieces of critical infrastructure. (Brzezinski, 2004) The Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 was intended to further streamline inter-agency cooperation between the many departments of the DHS. In some cases, such as the apprehension of alleged terrorist cells in Buffalo, NY and Miami, FLA, better cooperation has been evident. However, reports of turf wars and lack of cooperation still surface periodically. In some cases the DHS has had a tin ear in regards to Congress and the American people. Frequent news stories have made the public aware of the vulnerability of U. S. ports. Only a tiny percentage of the cargo that passes through these ports is screened. Technology and manpower to do so thoroughly are still limited. In response to public pressure, Congress strengthened port security provisions in the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. The response from DHS was anything but urgent: The Department (Homeland Security) resisted 100 percent screening and offered a half measure involving known shippers†¦ Congress in 2007 mandated full inspection of shipping containers, which has not yet been implemented. (Clarke, 2008) The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is primarily responsible for both passenger and cargo security. It defends its record by pointing to several accomplishments. These include: screening of 700,000 port workers and issuing of directives mandating 100% screening of â€Å"high risk† cargo (The Library of Congress, 2004). These efforts still fall short of what Congress has mandated. Much recent focus has gone into the issue of border security. DHS has made progress on, but not completed a border fence. Border Patrol personnel have been increased. Technology for detecting illegal entry is improving, including the use of Predator drones to detect illegal crossers so Border Patrol can then be deployed. In response to criticism the DHS and ICE, its immigration division, have been forced to end the â€Å"catch and release† policy that was in place for many years. According to the DHS, the number of illegal aliens interdicted at the border has decreased. DHS and the border patrol claim this as evidence that their efforts are successful. It is likely, however, that additional factors explain the decrease in interdictions. Events in Mexico, the downturn in the U.  S. economy and more sophisticated means of entering the country also play a role. The FBI and CIA in tandem with local police are employing more sophisticated surveillance and search tools as well as providing security at large events that could be inviting targets for terrorists. Infrastructure security has improved but many important locations still lack adequate security. These include local water/sewer plants, electrical grids, mass transit systems and energy facilities. In the process of trying to provide such protections the DHS has had to face criticism from civil libertarians. An ongoing debate continues about where national security crosses the line into being an erosion of hard-earned American civil rights. This debate is likely to continue in perpetuity. The changing landscapes of threat and fear alter the position of that line. After the 9/11 attacks, Americans were much more willing to trade civil rights for a perceived sense of security. In the years since many of the actions taken during that time, such as domestic warrantless wire tapping and random airport searches have come under heavy criticism. It is likely that the DHS is engaging in a number of unknown activities that would be highly disturbing to the general public. This has always been true of the American intelligence and security establishment. There is no evidence that these activities are any worse or more prevalent since the founding of the DHS. In defense of the DHS, the organization must toe a slippery line. It is expected to take extraordinary measures to protect the nation. What is too extraordinary is never well-defined or unchanging. Bang for the Buck? The Department of Homeland Security has not been without certain successes. The Science and Technology Directorate has been a standout among the many branches of DHS. Composed of some of the finest minds in the world, the Directorate has made significant advances in a number of different areas targeted toward fulfillment of the Intelligence Act of 2004. The US-VISIT program has made progress in the area of VISA overstays. Behavior spotting software is helping agents at ports of entry to identify and address suspicious behavior. DNA mapping technology is helping to more quickly identify biological agents and assess any potential threat. At the same time an early warning system for these agents is in development. All of these developments have both civilian and military applications. On the forefront of information security is the Einstein 3 project currently undergoing testing. A Washington Post report describes the initiative this way: â€Å"the plan called for telecommunications companies to route the Internet traffic of civilian agencies through a monitoring box that would search for and block computer codes designed to penetrate or otherwise compromise networks† (Nakashima, 2009). If successful, Einstein 3 could help ensure secrecy of vital infrastructure and security information. This is all the more important in light of recent reports of widespread hacking of government computers. Analysts suspect, but are still unable to prove, that North Korean or Chinese hackers are responsible for the repeated breaches in security. The American public may have assumed that the founding of DHS represented a massive financial investment in America’s security. In reality, the DHS budget is not substantially more than its individual agencies were already receiving. The truth of the matter is that Homeland Security is a shoestring operation† (Brzezinski, 2004). This explains a lot about why measures deemed critical and necessary in 2001, and again in 2004, still have not been implemented. The agency is supposed to be free of the turf wars that plagued the intelligence community in the past. Because the individual agencies still lobby for a limited amount of funds this is not the reality. The harshest critics of the agency believe that is too much about appearing to do something and not enough about actually doing something. The confusing color-coded terror warning system is one such example. Col. David Hunt (ret. ) writes of such efforts: â€Å"Colors, duct tape and wooden desks don’t stop 10 – kiloton bombs or terrorists† (2005). With a new administration in power the DHS is considering dropping or altering the color-code warning system. Each time the alert system is raised costs are incurred by local, state and federal governments. The public has become oblivious to the system since specific information about the threat or what to do are never given. The ability of Americans to travel freely is the key to its future prosperity. For that reason a great deal of attention has been given to transportation links such as railroads, subways and airlines. The results have been mixed. Airport security, perhaps the most visible of DHS efforts has come under withering criticism. Inevitably errors will make better news than successes. The errors are numerous however, and come not only in the execution of policy but in the policies themselves. For example: â€Å"Our government keeps no fewer than twelve watch lists that we can choose from. Mind you, not one consolidated list; that would be too easy† (Hunt, 2005). Much of airport security has been federalized, but that does not mean the system is operating smoothly. The watch lists are anything but accurate. Babies and young children have been flagged. Even a U. S. Representative, Sen. Edward Kennedy was stopped because he somehow appeared on a list. Random checks that result in searches of senior citizens, disabled people and children have been a public relations nightmare for the TSA, the organization within DHS responsible for travel safety. Coping with these problems makes the jobs of airport screeners, many of whom are still being trained, all the more difficult. The TSA has required airlines to make certain security changes like locking cabin doors. On a random number of flights an armed federal air marshal is seated in the cabin. The prevalence of these marshals is a secret held tightly by the TSA. Random security checks run by independent agencies still raise concerns about the ease of getting potentially dangerous material on board domestic aircraft. Meanwhile the lack of a terrorist incident since the attempted shoe bombing by Richard Reid has led to a false sense of security. Since the border issue reached critical mass during the second term of President George W. Bush spending on border security has increased. Critics worry that this increase has come at the expense of other critical DHS efforts. â€Å"Department officials concede that most of the Homeland Security money is being funneled into one mission – controlling the border with Mexico† (Alden, 2008). The DHS and border patrol are fulfilling mandates of the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. But lack funding to complete many other initiatives. Analysis and Conclusion The Department of Homeland Security was proposed as an organization free of political influence. The reality is much different. A giant organization with tentacles stretching in numerous directions is inevitably political when funding for it is limited. DHS has the problems of any other Washington bureaucracy. The organization has garnered mixed reviews from independent analysts. To date there has not been another serious terrorist attack in the United States since 2001. A number of Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda- inspired cells have been infiltrated and brought to justice. The DHS should be given credit where credit is due in that regard. At the same time the actions of DHS have raised concerns that the civil rights of Americans are being eroded. It is also misleading to assume that the lack of attacks since 2001 is a strong indicator that the country is safe. In fact it is dangerous to assume so. The efforts of U. S. forces overseas probably have had as much to do as anything with the lack of attacks on American soil. At the same time, the enemy who successfully executed the 9/11 attacks did so after years of planning. It is very likely that they, or some other enemy is studying the cracks in the Homeland Security apparatus in preparation for a future attack. This is a 21st century reality. DHS was given license after 9/11 to take shortcuts around the civil rights of individuals in the name of national security. Each successive generation of Americans will have to decide what they are willing to give up for a sense of security that may or may not be realistic. Has the DHS protected America from terrorist attacks? Yes and no. Some of the actions it has taken have had clear-cut results. Others have not. Can it protect the homeland for the foreseeable future? Probably not. The DHS has not met many of its original mandates, as well as the mandates from the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. In certain instances it has shown the kind of bureaucratic inflexibility that allowed for the 9/11 attacks to take place. The American government has to be right every time – The terrorists only have to be right once.

Defining Race and Ethnicity Essay

Whether this definition is accurate or not, this is what the terms â€Å"race† and â€Å"ethnicity† mean to me: Race is a term that describes a group of people with similar descent. I believe race is determined physical specifications such as color, language, eye shape, or even things such as blood types. Human beings as a whole are described as the â€Å"human race;† I believe this to be an accurate definition as human beings (despite color, language, or any other physical characteristics) are all the same. Genetically speaking, we are all made up of the same â€Å"parts.† The term â€Å"race† is an all-encompassing statement used to define a large group, overall. Ethnicity defines the background of a particular person or thing. This term encompasses many backgrounds and associations. Foods can be â€Å"ethnic† if they originate or are commonly consumed in a specific country or region. The same applies to human beings. One’s ethnicity may be determined by his or her birthplace, religion, of beliefs. Ethnicity does not define physical characteristics, but rather backgrounds and traits. The United States is a melting pot. This country is made up of thousands and thousands of different people from different places. The USA is home to many ethnic backgrounds; however, the population (in my opinion) is a single â€Å"race.† We are all humans, as I have previously stated. Although our ethnic backgrounds may differ in many different ways, all in all, we are one race. This is important to bear in mind. Heritage should always be recognized, as it typically is in the United States. But acknowledging the vast backgrounds that exist in this country is the most important concept of all.

Individuals and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Individuals and Teams - Essay Example The assembly line followed in this company will be tested during this experiment in order to find the variation of effectiveness between teams and individuals within the manufacturing process. In the Recruitment stage, the applications are invited for positions like tailors, cutting experts, tacking experts, finishing experts and finally, supervisors. There is a need for 24 tailors, 8 cutting experts, 12 tacking and quilting experts, 12 finishing experts, and 4 supervisors to oversee these four activities. In the Selection stage, there are interviews and practical tests to find which applicant is best suited for which job in the operational activities. Also, they are questioned regarding their leadership abilities so as to find four supervisors who also know enough about the job. This brings us to the final phase known as Functional Study. By working in a group, the supervisors held meetings with each other at the end of the day. This brought about better communication and synchronization of activities. Also, they got a chance to discuss any strengths and weaknesses so as to garner second and third opinions on tacking and taking advantage of the same. This led to standardization of activities along the lines of a set formula. ... Motivate each individual appropriately. Get maximum cost economy from each group. Restrict material handling quantum by dividing the amount of material to be handled among various individuals. Find ways to break monotony in repetitive activities. This brings us to the final phase known as Functional Study. By working in a group, the supervisors held meetings with each other at the end of the day. This brought about better communication and synchronization of activities. Also, they got a chance to discuss any strengths and weaknesses so as to garner second and third opinions on tacking and taking advantage of the same. This led to standardization of activities along the lines of a set formula. By implementing these rules, the following was the motion and time study at the end of the second month: Old Method New Method The number of yards workers covered per day was reduced 500 120 Average number of tons per man per day 34 68 Average earnings per man per day $2.20 $2.90 Average cost of handling a ton of 1500 lbs $0.055 $0.025 Team 2: The following is the structure of the team working at the Banff and Buchan Education Office: (Source: Aberdeen Council) The job descriptions for the various positions were well coordinated through the following features: 1. Administrative Officer Line management of Admin. Staff Manage accommodation issues within Woodhill House Annexe Monitor and manage central budgets for accommodation improvements, furniture

Governing Global Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Governing Global Business - Essay Example Liberalism is the most accepted theory in this regard and the main principles of globalisation are based on this theory. Research Question Since the theory of liberalism is most close to the topic of globalisation, the theory has got a wide acceptance among the research scholars who have written about the state and the effects of Globalisation. This paper makes an attempt to analyse how far the principles of Liberalism are applicable to the globalisation and how it has been actually applied in practice. Literature Review Globalisation is a phenomenon that the world experienced through the opening up of the networks of communication and trade relations across countries in different parts of the world. As a result of the globalisation the world would be a single village of people where the flow of ideas would be free and the cultural exchange between people would be more liberal (Smith, 1980, p. 119). There are several facets of the process of globalisation. First of all it means the l iberalisation of the foreign policies of the state. Along with this it includes the privatisation of the government enterprises and investments in projects across the barriers of nationality (Waters, 1995, p. 11). The phenomenon would also include the easy mobility of the employable people and exchange of business ideas. But the idea chiefly includes mainly communication across cross country borders. The advent of Globalisation was seen mostly towards the fag end of the twentieth century (Appadurai, 2000, p. 82). With the inception of the World Wide Web, the people could easily establish the relations that lie at the diametrically opposite part of the globe. The time taken to carry out this communication process was also less which in turn facilitated trade across countries. The free flowing ideas and exchange of information had also brought the nations with the common interests on a same platform. On the other hand, a state in the sense of politics are a group of people living in a definite area of land and are controlled and guided by the rules laid down by a powerful body known as the government (Featherstone, 1990, p. 73). Often the term government is used interchangeably with the state. There are several states or nations in the world that have their specific set of rules and regulations. The process of globalisation would encourage the interaction of all these states from an economic, social, cultural and religious perspective on a common field. The terms that are commonly used along with the term globalization include Liberalism, Marxism and Realism. The political philosophy of Liberalism believes that a state should allow liberty and equality to all the citizens of the state. The people of the state should provide each and every citizen to take part in the election in the most open manner. The country should take part in free trade and the people should be allowed to have ownership of property (Rosefielde, 2008, p. 60). This is completely opposed to th e theory of Marxism that does not believe in the possession of private property but believe that the surplus value that comes out of any production process should be sent to the government who will have the responsibility of allocating the resources according to the needs of the people. The ownership of the means of production should lie in the hands of

Criminological Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Criminological Theory - Essay Example The biological perspectives on criminality holds that criminal behavior is caused by physiological factors that are rooted in an individual , the Sociological Development theory provides an integrated approach on the cause of crime in society as an interaction between an individuals and the societies social structures and the Psychological perspective on crime views deviancy and deviant behavior as the product of dysfunctional personalities in an individual. I have utilized the strain theory by Robert Merton as an example of sociological perspective on crime, the Somatotype theory by William Sheldon for the case of biological perspective and the Psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud as an example to Psychological perspective on crime. All this theories will seek to exemplify what cause crime and deviancy in society. This paper will look into various theory of crime in the society that have been put forward to explain causes of crime and deviant behavior and provide an example for each category presented .The theories that seek to explain crime and causes of criminal behavior in society are categorized in biological, sociological or psychological theories of crime. Sociological theories of crime are categorized into four groups namely, the social process theory, the rational theory, the social conflict theory and the social structure theory. The four theories are further categorized as social disorganization theory and the strain theory. The social disorganization theories focus on conditions prevailing in urban centers that influence crime. This theory presupposes that high unemployment, low income levels, large number of single parent households and high college drop outs contributes to crime. The strain theories on the other hand stresses that crime is caused by the existence of conflict between the goals and the legal means that

Managerial Challenges in 21st Century Term Paper

Managerial Challenges in 21st Century - Term Paper Example According to management consultants, rigidity will only result in decay and organisational bankruptcy, and flexibility is proposed as the only way to move with the dynamic times (IABMP, 2009). Management practices in the 21st century have had to change with the times as organizations are become more complex. Managers cannot afford to continue with the old managerial practices because 21st century workers can easily be unproductive if their needs are not taken into consideration. This paper will discuss some of the challenges managers face in the 21st century. Most organisations are aligning themselves with the appeal of the globalised business platform of the 21st century (Molinsky, 2012). Globalisation is characterised by the multi-national integration of technology, perspectives, culture, products and ideas. Therefore, it becomes an inevitable managerial requirement to incorporate the trend within organisational strategies. However, the pace at which technological, transportation and communication advances are driving globalisation is a major challenge to managers, charged with leveraging the technologies appropriately within their systems and structures (IABMP, 2009). Further, the very nature of being a multinational organisation translates into the need for a comprehensive international awareness by managers. A specific managerial challenge posed by globalisation is that of conflicting cultures (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin Cardy, 2009). While the essence of globalisation includes enabling some procedures to be conducted worldwide and univers ally, managers must acknowledge that some must be localised in their respective areas to ensure regional and cultural adherence. Managers will exploit any business opportunity that presents itself, but they are challenged by the need to not appear as if they are championing international culture at the expense of locally established regional ones (IABMP, 2009). Just as is the case with the