You will be asked to examine and post responses to a question regarding this unit (chapters 38-39). Then you need to REPLY to two different posts from within you assigned question. In total you will be creating THREE posts. In each case you need to follow the usual rules of posting (do not repeat information, build off of one another’s posts) and be sure to include a link or video that reinforces your evidence.
Examine the black movements of the sixties, from civil rights to black power.
http://www.core-online.org/
ReplyDeleteOne black movement during the sixties was headed by the Congress of Racial Equality. In 1961, this organization started a new tactic, also known as the “Freedom Rides”, that was aimed at the desegregating public transportation in the South. This tactic was meant for blacks to test the Supreme Court’s decision in the Boynton v. Virginia court case, which declared segregation in rail stations and interstate buses unconstitutional. On May 4th, 1961, seven black and six whites left Washington D.C on public buses that were going to the South. At first, they only faced really minor problems, but as time went on, many blacks were brutally hit. In Birmingham, many whites attacked the riders as they got into their town. Also, a bus was even burned in a city of Alabama, and many were injured. Due to those events, they were forced by the U.S Justice of Department to flee to New Orleans; in where the CORE decided that by stopping right there would give white people the satisfaction they wanted, and all of their efforts would have been meaningless. So they gathered more riders to volunteer, and they continue they trip. Once again, everything started fine, but as they arrived to Montgomery, they were attacked by more than 1000 white people. This incident was so violent that it put a lot of pressure on John F. Kennedy to end this. However, the white-mob attack did not stop the riders. They continued their trip to Mississippi, in where many of them were severely beaten, and some even were imprisoned. On the bright side, these incidents made the “Freedom Riders” to gain popularity, and by the end of that summer, there were many protests in airports, train stations, and many other public places in the South. Following that, in November of 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued laws that prohibited segregated transportation industry. All their effort was not in vain, and thanks to them, blacks were now allowed to be in any public transportation facilities. This shows how black, not only gained the right to use public transportation facilities, but also the equality that they had always deserved and needed to become important in society.
I liked you post, Jesus. I didn’t really know much about the Freedom Riders. When I began to search the Freedom Riders, I found out that one of the things that helped the Freedom Riders gain popularity was the media. The media had a great impact in which it helped get the news across of what was happening and also get other people to understand what exactly is happening. The media also got people to support them which in the end helped them achieve what they ultimately wanted. This would relate to all of the civil right movements in the sixties because the media is what got people’s words across the nation. The media created a lot of controversy within itself. It made people support what they were seeing and it also made people even angrier about everything. It even made the anti-equal rights people have stronger beliefs about African Americans. For example, when a burning bus was shown on the news it shocked the country. Also the images of the beating during the riot at the Birmingham bus station made people realize what was actually happening in the country. It also made people attack the photographers for showing such things that they believed should not be shown because they did not believe in equal rights.
DeleteAt the time the Freedom Riders became the cover story of every magazine and news story. They were the ones who set an example for other movement leaders to get their words across effectively. The media was impossible to ignore since it was everywhere. It made the movements be the best remembered ones.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/issues/the-media
DeleteI agree with Luisa being that I had never heard of the term, "Freedom Riders". I also agree with Luisa that media held a huge impact in the civil rights movement overall. It is what gets the people stirred up, good and bad. Just like the propaganda in the World War we had previously discussed. Then power of pictures, videos, and even words hold a huge influence in the mind of an American for they tend to believe what others believe and sometimes just what they see. Propaganda could also be very misleading and stir up the wrong emotions for some people have different viewpoints.
DeleteAs for the CORE. When Jesus had mentioned it I had assumed that it was an organization fighting along with the segregated African Americans although I didn't know exactly what it stood for. I looked more into the actual organization, turns out it stands for Congress of Racial Equality (which makes sense) and was founded in 1942. It was found in Chicago by a group of students such as George Houser, James Farmer, Anna Murray and Bayard Rustin. These group of people were strongly against violence and followed the ways of Ghandi with his peaceful methods as well as the teachings of Thoreau. The CORE was the group that created the "Freedom Riders".
James Farmer then became the National Director of CORE. It was because of him that student sit-ins became more popular. It only took 6 months for public places such as restaurants, parks, theaters, libraries, and museums to end segregation with this method. There was no violence involved in these organized sit-ins. It shows how powerful these silent messages would be.
Eventually, CORE, SNCC, and NAACP came together to organize its Freedom Summer campaign. This was to create equality among the Southern whites and blacks. Their main focus was in Missisippi where only 6.7% of African Americans were allowed to vote by 1962. 80,000 people came together to join the Mississippi Freedom Party. At the Democratic Party Convention, 68 delegates showed up to challenge the Mississippi representatives that were all white.
These three organizations also succeeded in establishing 30 other Freedom School in Mississippi, in which volunteers taught black history and the importance of the civil rights movement. By 1964, 3,000 students were attending these schools.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcore.htm
DeleteI thought it was pretty cool I had heard about the freedom riders but Not to an extent. But what they did was pretty interesting and seeing the things they had done.. I too agree with media having a great impact pushing the civil rights pulling attention of normal people and those in power in a way I'd say this was kinda revolutionary by the way it demanded change.
DeleteThe Civil Rights Movement
ReplyDeleteDone with segregation, African Americans wanted a change to their emotionally abusive society. African Americans had to go through segregated bathrooms, movie theaters, voting booths, restaurants, even water fountains, which were both an embarrassment and an outrage to the American society. The treatment of African Americans woke up people from all around the world when the civil rights movement commenced.
It started with the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Parks, where she refused to move out of her seat, and Rosa Parks was charged for insubordination from a white bus driver. This act triggered the Boycott where African Americans walked instead of riding the bus. At that point, the Civil Rights Movement was born. Leaders like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, groups like the Black Panthers and citizens like Rosa Parks were all involved in the making of the Civil Rights. Now, based on Elementary School, we already know what Martin Luther King established. “I have a dream,” speech is the most known speech and any middle school kid from around the nation can explain that to us. I’m not saying Martin Luther King wasn’t important, but his fame is so big that we already learned about his history from school and it becomes generic. But the first link that I have at the bottom is a mix of all the events of the Civil Rights movements, like I listed above and more, like the NAACP in the Brown v Topeka Kansas case. NAACP’s goal was to challenge issues of the Jim Crow laws and increase racial equalities, which made them a very important group of the 1960’s.
One of my favorite movement leaders from the Civil Rights Movement is Malcolm X. Malcolm X was one of the most influential African American Civil Rights leaders for the way he tried to make America into a multi-diverse nation where everyone is in integrated public places. As a child, Malcolm X was exposed to the degrading effects of the racism in America, especially threats from the Ku Klux Klan to his father. My second clip at the bottom of my post is a speech of Malcolm X and a reporter, Jim Hulbert. He explains to Hulbert that his father was killed by the Ku Klux Klan and his family had to move from his birth town because people attempted to burn down his house out of hate. In this interview, he was cut off by the reporter, due to the fact that he was intimidated by his power of change and to try to make him contradict himself so that he (Malcolm X) would look like a fool on television. It seemed daunting and scary to them, how an intelligent black man can sit by a reporter, not fazed by a white man’s comments, to voice his opinion of integration and equality to the people of America. But his last breath was at a speech in the Manhattan’s Audubon Ballroom on February 21, 1965. After switching organizations from the Nation of Islam, which he was betrayed by his leader for the leader’s inability to follow his own guidelines, to founding his own group, Muslim Mosque Inc. So, to stop the spread of Malcolm X’s power and his influence, members from the Nation of Islam devised a setup in the ballroom, and they shot him 15 times onstage. The man that wanted to influence not only the African American race to have equal rights, but he wanted to empower all races to have similar equal rights as well, making him a remembered person of our time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URxwe6LPvkM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izy6BiCV3Nw
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteReading Jara’s post, I learned many things that helped me understand Malcolm X’s ideals and his enormous influence in the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, and it was mainly for self-defense. As Jara mentioned in her post, colored people, like Malcolm X’s father, were being killed with no justification by racist groups like the KKK, so Huey and Seale realized that they needed to defend their rights. For that reason, they established militant self-defense of minorities’ communities, and in fact, they were one of the first American organizations to establish a real social, political, and economic equality despite color or gender. As I mentioned before, Malcolm X was very influential in the foundation of the Black Panther Party, and it was mainly because they saw Malcolm X as a dignified revolutionist who stood up for others to help them obtain the equality they deserved (specially minorities). But that’s not all, Malcolm X wanted to bring “about positive social services”, and that is what the Black Panther Party was trying to do. Since the party was not only trying to help the black get equal rights, many revolutionary whites joined and supported the party. Even though this party used some violence to obtain something they wanted was not right, it can be slightly justified because they have been ignored since many years ago. At one point blacks did not even count as a human being. There is a point in when people cannot take the injustice anymore, and the only thing left to do is to stand up for them, and get the respect one deserves. On the link below, you can see some of the things that the Black Panther Party had to go through in order to achieve their goal.
Deletehttp://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/
This second link shows a picture of the original first six Black Panthers.
http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/pics/november-6.jpg
Malcom X had an enormous impact in shaping the Black Panthers and how they are run, just as jesus said. Malcom X was an extremely influencial black civil rights reformer who was an idol to many black African Americans both young and old. They appreciated and looked up to his peaceful, self-defense outlook on life. The assassination of Malcom X is what sparked the birth of the Black panthers. Bobby Seale, a founder of the group describes how X’s death affected him: "I got mad, I put my fist through a window. I told them all, I'll make my own self into a Malcolm X, and if they want to kill me they'll have to kill me...That a big change for me...Malcolm X had an impact on everybody like that". Just a year after that, the Black Panther Party was formed. They represent the epitome of the civil rights movement that engulfed the US for over two decades. As jesus said, they took Malcolm's message of self-defense for blacks and translated it into action. During the 1970s they became a model for young blacks wanting to fight back against the racist police. The Black Panthers simply would not have been possible without Malcom X and his ideals. Malcom X has been called the most influential black man of all time and it shows in the legacy he leaves.
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLzIsJqxC5I
Something that struck me as interesting in this post was the Brown vs. the Board of Education lawsuit that was filed in 1954 in Topeka, Kansas. What Oliver L. Brown wanted out of this case was the chance for his children and 13 other parents’ children to be able to go to a school with white kids. Everyday Mr. Brown’s daughter would have to walk six blocks to get to a bus that would take her a mile away from her school. She would have to do all of this when there was a school just seven blocks away from their house. The reason that Mr. Brown decided to file a suit was because he was childhood friends with one of the local leaders of the NAACP in town and was convinced by him to argue for an integrated school. In 1951 these parents tried to go and enroll their children in what was at the time an all white school. The plaintiffs were denied the opportunity to enroll their kids in these schools and this was because of an old law passed in 1896. Finally Oliver Brown won the brown vs. the board of education case and Kansas now had integrated schools. If it was not for the Brown vs. Board of Education case who knows how long integration of schools could have taken.
DeleteThe beginning of the 60s was a hard time for African Americans who began standing up for themselves. Regarding the policies following the Civil War that attempted to make all men equal, including those who were colored, were in effect although it was advancing very slowly. Equality and justice were what the African Americans wanted for it was their country too. They wanted change. It was evident through-out history, fighting for Black's equality wasn't easy; so many different approaches and opinions with just one goal. NAACP was a program made earlier that was a huge milestone in the African American community. Then came Dr. Martin Luther King who was a significant figure in the Civil Rights Movement who took Ghandi's nonviolent and peaceful methods of protest. Rosa Parks also held a great significance, for not only was she a woman, but she was a black woman refusing to give up her seat to a white man which was unheard of.
ReplyDeleteEverything seemed to be going well with the March on Washington in 1963, where whites and blacks came together to show the meaning of "freedom".
Ironically, the white Americans still made some horrible actions concerning the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. The blacks used a peaceful approach while the whites retaliated with violence. Blacks were already segregated into different parts of the public, yet daily they were being tossed around like nothing. African Americans did not only have to deal with prejudice from common white folks, they had to deal with the extremists, Ku Klux Klan. The KKK was responsible for the burning of Mount Zion Church. They went as far as the church to hurt them. This enraged the African American community for the people didn't even respect religion, and even beat the church members.
It took a couple years for the federal government to create the Civil Rights Act, which enforced equality outlawing segregation and required equal opportunities, and the Voting Rights Act which outlawed any discrimination regarding voting polls. You would think by NOW the Civil Rights Movement was finally making some progress reaching their peak, until the Watts Riots broke out, which lasted 6 days in a black neighbor hood in Los angelos. 34 people were left dead, 1,000 injured, and over 4,000 arrested. This was ironic because it was an uprising of the African Americans who finally received more equality and legal rights. They had held everything inside for too long using their peaceful method that they couldn't take it any longer and revolted against the whites. They were mainly angry at the whites who lived in cities in the North who made life so much more difficult for them with their white flight and extreme discrimination. The more sympathetic whites were extremely shocked to discover such a sudden event.
This altogether marked the second Civil Rights Movement. Black Power! The African Americans were fighting for their deserved equal rights. They fought throught he hurtful discrimination initially using their peaceful methods. Some events such at the Watts Riots make me question some of their motives and for some of them to get to the peak and do such a thing? Regardless, they have come a long, long way.
http://www.shmoop.com/civil-rights-black-power/
http://crime.about.com/od/history/p/ms_burn.htm
Cristee mentioned the Watts Riots in her entry and they are pretty interesting once I started reading up on them. Black civil rights was a very popular movement in the 60’s, which led to many mixed reactions throughout the American population. The Watts reaction shows that because this six day, 40 million dollar riot was the most costly of the civil rights era outbreaks. It all started in August 11, 1965 when Marquette Fry, a young African American was pulled over by Lee W. Minikus, a white California Highway Patrolman. Minikus claimed that he had a hunch that Fry was driving intoxicated. A crowd of bystanders gathered around to see the action. The crowd was a mix between blacks and whites and the moment of Fry’s arrest was when the crowd started getting out of control. The scuffle quickly became a full-fledged riot in the middle of Watts, which was an African American neighborhood in southern Los Angeles. As Cristee said, 34 people were left dead, 1,000 injured, and over 4,000 were arrested. Over 14,000 California National Guard troops were mobilized in South Los Angeles in order to simmer down the riot. Despite all of the controversy, city and state officials still failed to improve the social and economic conditions in Watts. This riot shows that all of these black movements weren’t pretty and they all didn’t go to plan. A lot of African American lives were lost or badly affected during the 60’s when trying to fight for their rights. Blacks had to go through many tough stuggles and battles in order to gain the freedoms they deserved.
DeleteThis video shows some of the terrible effects the riots had in Watts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my3doRW-HWA
The Watts Riots stood out for me the most. I agree with Cristee, that the riots were ironic because African Americans believed in a nonviolent method. The Watts Riots was sparked by the arrest of Marquette Frye who was a 21 year old African American man with his brother in the passenger seat. He was arrested for drunk driving in Los Angeles. When his mother showed up at the scene, a problem occurred and his mother and brother were arrested as well. While this was all happening, other officers came and started hitting the brothers with their batons. A group of people were watching every second of it and it brought anger. The people watching were so angry that when white people would enter the area they would stone cars and beat the white people. The riots began and the destruction that was made was a value of minimum $50 million. Firemen would try to put out fires and they would end up being shot by the people living there. In order to stop the riots, the lieutenant governor of California had to send the National Guard. The troops would patrol the whole area. After the six days of the riots Martin Luther King went to visit Los Angeles to see the result of the riots. His experience there led him to his conviction of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference which addressed the problems faced by black people in urban areas. After the riots were study it came to the conclusion that the riots happened because of the high jobless number of people in the city, poor housing and bad schools. The riots were done for African Americans to get their point across because they were angry that white people had the best of everything and they had to struggle just because of the color of their skin.
Deletehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/issues/the-media
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_watts_rebellion_los_angeles_1965/
TheePickler beat me to it. I will elaborate on Martin Luther King’s reaction towards the riots. Martin knew the exact reason the riots had happened. He had gone to the area where it happened and supported the people living in the ghettos that were mostly likely the ones that needed the most help because with the condition of the community they were going to be left hopeless. He also tried to solve the economic and social problems at the time. In an interview he said that the struggles in the North were about “dignity and work” and not rights. Martin Luther King made sure to speak to the President of the country, Lyndon B. Johnson and suggested for him to put an antipoverty program in Los Angeles to help all the people. Martin Luther King was a great man that was interested in helping others and truly standing up for his beliefs.
DeleteAs Cristee mentioned earlier, African Americans did not only have to deal with prejudice from common white folks, they had to deal with the extremists, the Ku Klux Klan. The Ku Klux Klan was notorious for bombing buildings and killing women and children to solidify their hate and spread it to ensue racial intimidation. When Cristee mentioned the Mount Zion church and how the Ku Klux Klan had bombed the church, it made me think about a similar case, the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.
DeleteThe 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing is a tragedy where 4 little girls, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Roberston, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair, were attending Sunday School when the bomb exploded right next to the school, the girls killed instantly. Other people were injured or were later killed on the streets. A memeber of the Ku Klux Klan, Robert Chambliss, had at first been charged with having the dynamite underneath the steps of the church and not having a warrant for it. He was found not guilty, had a $100 fine, and was inprisoned for the possession of the dynamite. Later on during the late 70's, the case was reopened to bring the girls justice and Robert Chambliss was brought to trial again, getting exactly what he deserved, life in prison. Although he was 73, he suffered 9 long years rotting for killing innocent lives for his bigotry.
If the girls were from the later era, they would have been brought to justice better than they had before. It was the Ku Klux Klan that had made people too afraid to take action for the poor girls. Originally, that particular Baptist church was a meeting place for the civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Fred Shutterworth, and Ralph David Abernathy. The orginizations, SCLC and CORE were going to campaign to register African Americans to vote in Birmingham. However, the built up racial hate that the Ku Klux Klan have for African Americans led up to them killing innocent children, all because they had darker skin.
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/randall/birmingham.htm
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI came across this video of the 4 girls. This video contains pictures of the girls and the protests held in response to this and the civil rights movement. Just several pictures put together with sorrowful music can really make you emotional! :'(
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-A2__gCIuA&feature=player_embedded
When we think about the black movements of the sixties, we think about the most famous names, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks because they were the ones who initiated the black movement, although we don’t really talk about others who helped with the achievement of civil rights for African Americans. We barely hear or learn about the side stories that happened during this time.
ReplyDeleteAfter Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks had made their marks on American Society there were still other people fighting for the same equal rights for African Americans. In 1964, the 24th amendment abolished the poll tax which was originally had been instituted in eleven southern states after reconstruction in order to make it difficult for poor blacks to vote. This was the beginning to have change in American society. Some blacks were now able to vote but not all of them. They did not have equal rights just yet. In the summer of 1964, the Council of Federated Organizations and a network of civil rights groups like CORE and SNCC launched an effort to register black voters during the Freedom Summer.
Andrew Goodman was behind all of this. While Andrew was studying at Queen College in New York, he joined the Congress on Racial Equality which is CORE and was also in the Freedom Summer campaign. Freedom Summer was directed by Robert Moses and it was a campaign to end political disenfranchisement of African Americans in the Deep South. Andrew was one of the volunteers that concentrated in the efforts in Mississippi. They also established schools called freedom schools in Mississippi which the volunteers themselves educated the blacks. During this time there were many attacks on the schools by the white people. Andrew(white activist), and two of his friends James Chaney and Michael Schwerner which were black civil rights activists went to Longdale to visit Mount Methodist Church that was a building that had been bombed by the Ku Klux Klan. That church was going to be used for a freedom school. They had gone to see the church to investigate what had happened. They were immediately arrested by Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price for allegedly driving over the speed limit. Once they were released from jail, they were immediately murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. The bodies were found in a dam when the FBI had gone to Mississippi to investigate what happened. 18 men were arrested and put to trial for the murder of the three men. In 1967, seven out of the eighteen men were found guilty.
I found this very interesting especially because Andrew was not an African American but yet he was fighting for the African Americans to have their rights for voting and even risked his life for it. These men involved in the Freedom Summer campaign were very brave and it’s unfortunate that Andrew and his two friends had to be killed by the Ku Klux Klan. That just shows the corruptness that was going on at the time but without all of the protesting and people standing up for their believes, African Americans would have gotten the rights they deserved. When we look back into history in the sixties, we see the processes the American society had to go through in order to accept the fact that African Americans are just as equal as everyone else and that segregation is just absurd.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmjustice4.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5_YAnqc29k
While reading Luisa’s post, I really got interested on thing she was mentioning. Like Luisa said, it was very impressive for Andrew Goodman to help colored people, when he was not even black. I also got interested on the organizations Luisa mentioned, that’s why I decided to look up the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. On February 1, 1960, black students from the University of North Carolina denied to leave the cafeteria in where they were not wanted. (By the whites) This incident was very influential on behalf of the foundation of the SNCC. This committee, which was created in the University of Shaw, aimed to help the blacks publicize their activities. Many years passed until the organization had to phase bigger problems than just discrimination in cafeterias. They faced many whites who were brutally trying to end this movement, but with the help of Marion Barry, mayor of Washington D.C, Congressman John Lewis, the leader of the NAACP, and many black students, they left a huge legacy that changed American History. As Julian Bond, a politician who supported civil rights, summarized the SNCC’s outcomes, its “legacy is the destruction of the psychological shackles which had kept black southerners in physical and mental peonage; SNCC helped break those chains forever. It demonstrated that ordinary women and men, young and old, could perform extraordinary tasks.”
Deletehttp://www.ibiblio.org/sncc/
The Klu Klux Klan has always been an interesting, yet sinister organization to me. I can only imagine the troubles they faced during the powerful Civil Rights Act. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them were converted. The KKK was revived during the movement by its leader, Robert Shelton, who called his fellow cultists the “white knights.” They desperately tried to halt civil rights, but obviously failed in the end. The KKK threatened blacks to not vote with things like lynching, which was a popular method of getting rid of blacks. At one point, they bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where the Birmingham protests were held, killing 4 little girls and injuring 23 others. The KKK sickens me and this act of utter racism just strengthens that.
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFF3F-AhqCE
In that video, Malcolm X spoke strongly against the KKK and other racists saying that the government lacked to take action against them directly, so putting the action in their own hands was necessary. Malcolm X’s father was killed by Klan members, so his rage and passion are completely justifiable and needed in the Civil Rights Movement.
One thing that I found very interesting was the March Against Fear that started June 6, 1966, led by James Meredith. This solitary march lasted for 220 miles extending from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi. The purpose of this march was to bring the blacks together and protest against racism. The leader, James Meredith, lived an amazing life. Meredith was the first black student to successfully enroll in the University of Mississippi. Ross Barnett, the governor of Mississippi, vigorously opposed his enrollment. This sparked the violent riots that occurred due to his enrollment, which caused president Kennedy to send 5000 federal troops to try to regain peace. Despite all of that, Meredith still managed to graduate from the university in 1963. After his graduation, he became a civil rights enthusiast, which eventually led to the March Against Fear three years after. Shortly after the beginning of the march, Meredith was shot by a sniper and hospitalized. As soon as the news of Meredith’s injury got public, famous civil rights reformers such as Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael decided to carry on the march in his honor. He recovered and continued marching on June 25th. The very next day, the black marchers reach their destination after three weeks of marching and camping out in tents. Stokely Carmichael made the famous “black power” speech upon their arrival. This march was a crucial stepping stone in the civil rights movement and perfectly exemplifies the courage and devotion shown by blacks in the 1960’s. James Meredith may not be as famous as MLK or Rosa Parks, but he without a doubt made a major impact on civil rights and our world today.
ReplyDeleteThe first link shows a bunch of pictures from the March Against Fear and the second is a modern interview with James Meredith talking about the March. The third is a shortened version of Stokely Carmichael’s black power speech (ignore the Spanish subtitles)
http://johnphillipsphotography.com/Meredith/index.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB_kezlxv2w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYJU1_DSTF8
There were many peace-making marches that went on during the 1960's. One of them was what TheePickler had already elaborated on. Another peace-making march for voting equality was the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965.
Deletehttp://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/al4.htm
The information may be a little weak, but the site brings out the most important points. The first attempt of the voting march on their own led them to be beaten down by Alabama police and sprayed with tear gas after only traveling for about 6 blocks in the march. Two days later, Martin Luther King led the march in a symbolic and peaceful way, to the bridge. Then after receiving court protection, over 3,000 people marched from Selma to Montgomery, seeking rights to vote. After being noticed by Lyndon B. Johnson, he signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, in response to the marching pleas of the public. A link of the march can be seen here,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w2cCe_0Bjw&feature=fvst
The “Black Power” speech at the end of the March Against Fear made by Trinidadian chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Stokely Carmichael, stuck out to me in this entry. Looking at the pictures in the link of this entry, James Meredith’s March Against Fear was not only just protesting against racism but it gave African Americans a sense of pride. For instance, ordinary bands and even famous musicians like singer James Brown provided uplifting entertainment during the 1966 march. Unity was also strong among the thousands of black Americans that participated in the march, and other supporters of freedom were welcome as well. This sense of pride and unity in the black community was reflected in Carmichael’s speech, which he made after being released from his 27th arrest when the marchers arrived at Greenwood, Mississippi on June 16th. In Carmichael’s doctrine of “Black Power” encouraged blacks to unite to reject assimilation into “white culture” in terms of style and dress and embrace their traditional, African culture. This new Black Power movement spurred a new approach among African Americans. For example, the focus on civil rights switched to economic issues such as unemployment. However, unlike the peaceful protests for rights, this new movement resulted in an unfortunate rise of violent riots in some areas of the United States like the ones pictured below. For example, in Los Angeles, rioters set their neighborhoods on fire and attacked police officers and firefighters. Other peaceful responses to the movement included achievements like the increase of black voters in the South and the increase of blacks in elected office in the late 1960s in the Deep South.
Deletehttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-R6UwOE7U6M/TUksBy8-O5I/AAAAAAAAAPM/mq_cnHyji1I/s1600/1965_06b.jpg
In 1963, the Civil Rights movement was in full swing with activists from around the country fighting for black’s rights. During a time when everything seemed perfect, there was an under layer of social and political unrest. The blacks sought to end it and they did successfully. Activists like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks would not have been able to succeed if not for the brave children of the Children’s Crusade. The Children’s Crusade of 1963 took place in Birmingham, Alabama. It was here that America’s T.V screens flashed the images of young children getting hosed, beaten and sicken on by the police force’s dogs. The use of children was because many adults were afraid to lose their jobs and children had nothing to lose. In fact, the public would be more sympathetic towards children no matter what the cause. On May 2nd, 1963, students flooded the Sixth Street Baptist Church, skipping school, to protest for a brighter future, one where all men are seen as equal. Many were rightfully worried about the well being of the children, but Martin Luther King Jr. responded with, “don’t worry about your children; they are going to be alright. Don’t hold them back if they want to go to jail, for they are not only doing a job for themselves, but for all of America and for all of mankind.” The children’s valiant efforts would not go unnoticed. On May 10th, the desegregation of Birmingham Alabama was official.
ReplyDeleteHere’s a student made rap that summarizes the Children’s March while giving pictures at the same time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk_n-C5S8g4
First of all, I would like to tell you that that rap was so entertaining and amusing. I say you make one for our next topic! hahahaha.
DeleteAnyways, I really liked your take on the black children of America. It was hard for African Americans overall, but I couldn't imagine the hardships the young ones had to deal with for we don't expect them to be as independent or strong physically and mentally to take the beat downs of the violent whites. Since Sean had not mentioned the amount of students actually rounded up to be in this, I went to look for the answer myself. I would like to mention that Dr. Martin Luther King treated these children as adults of their own independence. He says that it was their decision to risk being arrested, but ultimately they were not only doing themselves a favor by standing up for themselves, it was for the rest of the African American people of America all suffering.
About 1,000 children marched as they sang "We Shall Overcome" and by the end of the day 959 children had been arrested.
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0126872/main.php?pic=rtm&left=rtm¢er=alabama&right=rtm
This was a video of Janice Kelsey who was involved in the Civil Rights Movement. As a young girl she was unaware of the issues regarding segregation of the blacks until she attended Mass. She was told that Philips the other white school had 3 full rooms of advanced type writers while they had one and the football jerseys they receieved were old ones from Ramsey, another white school. She was finally aware that the books they were using were outdated and finally realized that something was wrong. It was unfair treatment and he pushed her to do something about it because they could, not their parents who had everything they lose such as their job. Children were taught Freedom songs and peaceful methods to fight for their freedom rather than violent actions. The children all referred to Thursday May 2nd, 1963 as D-Day, it was like a secret because parents didn't know much about it. It was the day "We gonna go get our freedom". The children were told they were going to jail if they marched, yet they still did. That shows that children were willing to give just as much to the civil rights movement. They were disciplined and only sang and prayed in response to negative gestures and words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yrnY87EPdQ&feature=player_embedded
I found the 1963 Birmingham, Alabama Children’s Crusade very interesting. As stated in the entry, the use of children as well as the televised violent uses of weapons such as attack dogs, high-pressure water hoses, and even electric cattle prods--a device designed to use on livestock to encourage them to move--to combat the civil rights demonstrators effectively exposed the cruelty that segregation and discrimination had come to during the 1960s. I find it even more interesting that despite the violent, opposing actions by authority to keep down African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement, the movement was still carried in a peaceful manner as encouraged by leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. These type of aggressions of the crusade that alarmed the public are shown through several images in the link below, presenting the reality of the protest, where many children served as martyrs, suffering hostilities such as incarceration and even death. Another interesting aspect of the Children’s Crusade is the consequences for the students afterwards. Over a thousand African American students had participated in the march, and about a week and a half after the protest, the Birmingham Board of Education ordered that every one of these students must be suspended or expelled. On May 22, 1963 the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), who had recruited the students, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organization, went to the federal district court, but the judge supported the ruling of the Board of Education. However, on the same day of the court’s decision, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the ruling, and the Board of Education was condemned. In the end, although the children were exposed to danger during this protest, like King had stated, the students had done a job “for all of American and for all of mankind.” Without their involvement, perhaps the desegregation of the area--as well as other places in the United States--would not have occurred as soon as it had.
Deletehttp://www.crmvet.org/images/imgbham.htm
Claiming presidency in 1960, young, Democrat John F. Kennedy secured the support of diverse groups including the youth, who began to emerge more into society during the 1960s, as well as black Americans, who desired civil rights for protection. During his campaign, many of his promises appealed to blacks, including the end of public housing discrimination. He confidently stated the empowering words that he would end this particular racial discrimination quickly, “with the stroke of the pen.” Essentially, if he were to be president, he would use his “pen”--his executive power--to issue an order against it. However, the popular president did not follow through with his promise until two years after his presidency, making his supposed dedication to civil rights appear more like an empty promise for political gain. Nonetheless, it was the opposition of Southern legislatures toward civil rights that initially put his support on civil rights on hold. The “Ink for Jack” protest, led by civil rights leaders who were tired of waiting, was vital to compel JFK to give the people the rights they deserved.
ReplyDeleteIn a sarcastic response, thousands of pens were sent by civil rights groups directly to the White House, urging the president to use his “pen” and take action. Eventually, JFK signed the anti-discrimination pledge, finally proving he could keep his promises. Initially like President Eisenhower, Kennedy seemed hesitant to use the federal government’s power to solve the issues of civil rights, but unlike Ike, he was compelled to show his true strong commitment and support. In the 1950s, Eisenhower seemed reluctant to enforce integration, worried about risking his “popularity” and “prestige” as president, although he eventually was forced to send troops to enroll the nine black students in Little Rock’s Central high School. On the other hand, JFK knew he would risk his popularity, but he still openly displayed his support. In 1963 to a group of black civil rights leaders, he sated, “I may lose the next election . . . I don’t care.” Additionally, in his famous June 11, 1963 speech (part one linked below), Kennedy further confirmed his passion for civil rights, calling it a “moral issue,” letting the public know his stand on the matter as it was televised across the entire country. Kennedy proved his support of the Civil Rights Movement through actions other than the anti-discrimination policy like his push to enroll black student James Meredith in an all-white university. It would take a lot of effort and empowerment in the campaign against discrimination in the 1960s, but JFK--initially prompted by actions like the “Ink for Jack” protest--stuck to his promises until his untimely death.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cSrvqYKQH8
John F. Kennedy is famous for being one of the most charismatic and spirited presidents to date. His young charm captured the youth’s votes with ease. Everyone adored him. A man with such prestige and power can do anything and civil rights activists definitely knew this. His pen, as Liz said, was mighty. If the loved president believed in something, why shouldn’t everyone else? His “moral plea” must have taken hold of listener’s hearts. He used his likability and executive powers as weapons against segregation. Whether he knew it, or not, Kennedy was a huge factor in converting the public to accepting blacks in everyday life. The speech that Liz posted ignited the spark for a changed America.
DeleteI liked the way you phrased that, Sean. "Ignited the spark for a changed America." The world has been slowly going towards desegregation, but slowly is the key word there. People who still were advocates of the old regime of the white population always threw a road block in the way of progress. Segregation often became an issue that rose to the forefront, but suddenly something pushed it downwards, say, an economic crisis or a war. The reason it hadn't been resolved before now is that it was a kind of presidential tradition to show concern for the black population and then have it get buried under another major issue. Kennedy showing concern for the population -during a time of crisis- (pretend that's underlined or italicized) was really the catalyst for change. Finally, a person in control of our country's politics was taking initiative to improve rights for blacks even with all of this other political turmoil hanging over his head. It was time for a social reboot, and Kennedy was the person to jumpstart it, and encourage future presidents to continue his progress towards the total equality between whites and blacks.
DeleteIf one was to look back at both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, it becomes clear that Johnson was more effective in the establishment of civil rights. As Liz stated, JFK appeared to be supportive of ending segregation. However, although he talked a good talk, Kennedy was unable to put his words into action. His stance is clear - he wants civil rights - but he was unable to really establish justice within our nation.
DeleteThis is a link to an excerpt of JFK's speech regarding civil rights. It is clear that he believes African American should be granted freedom, but he was only able to propose the Civil Rights Bill. :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWX_pjyIq-g
"And this nation, for all its hopes and all its boasts, will not be fully free until all of its citizens are free." -Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson was definitely a civil rights activist as president. He is the man who actually signed both the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. His history of supporting the Civil Rights Movement was shown before his presidency, in the 1950's, when he was one of the very few southern politicians to support the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling. During his presidency, Johnson promised a "Great Society" with "an end to poverty and racial injustice". In the following clip, it becomes clear that Johnson was much more passionate about civil rights compared to Kennedy - despite his monotone voice. The video is his response to signing the Civil Rights Bill. It's obvious that Lyndon B. Johnson is rightly proclaimed a very important figure in the Civil Rights Movement. :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKfoJJA5xWM
"We believe that all men are created equally, yet many are denied equal treatment." -Johnson
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ReplyDeleteInstead of talking about who was fighting or what they were fighting for, I would like to take a little different route and talk about how they fought. The African Americans in this country from the very beginning have been abused, mistreated, and pushed away from society. Anyone who went through the same hard times as the blacks would have an extreme amount of anger built up, and would definitely want to take their anger out on somebody. While most would resort to fighting or violence this black community came together under leaders like malcom x and MLK Jr peacefully, without violence. These leaders led a verbal march that was full of peace and non aggression which was a very difficult thing to do for a group that had been treated the way they were. "We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear... That old law about "an eye for an eye" leaves everybody blind... The time is always right to do the right thing... Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) This great man knew that two wrongs did not make a right and he encouraged the outraged millions of marchers following him to simply turn the other cheek and do what is right. In life one may realize that the simple objective of doing what is right, can be much harder than it sounds. However this brilliant plan for equality eventually led to the rights of blacks growing. Their race gained respect and rights amongst the whites and they did it in the right manor. Although MLK Jr unfortunately lost his life for this cause, he took a giant leap forward for all men of his kind then and for eternity in this country. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74XJJ3Tq5ew&feature=related
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V57lotnKGF8