Final blog post

The era we are living in is surrounded by social media. The biggest concern is that social media creates polarization. The era we are living in is the era of social media and political activism as a trend. The era of social media is showing that people will support political activism the moment it becomes important to the world. However when time passes it no longer becomes of importance to people. 

A big example of this is the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement was centered around fighting for justice for black people and trying to fight for justice and equality. Once the movement moved to social media it became a trend of political activism for attention without truly caring for the issue at hand which is police brutality in the black community. 

The biggest takeaway from our discussion as a class when we spoke about Black lives matter was that to myself and other classmates of color is that black lives matter is more than a movement it’s the way we live our lives everyday navigating the world. In closing I believe our class discussion opened my eyes to many different perspectives of the world. 

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner reaction

The film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is about an interracial couple Joanna Drayton and John Prentice. The marriage between Joanna and John is innocent and sweet. However, the perspective of their love is interesting to see, because Joanna never had any concerns about being in an interracial relationship because she was only concerned with being in love, she never once thought about John being a Black man. Whereas John was concerned with Joey’s parents' reactions and the ones of the world. 

The film also focuses on the differences in race discrepancies between Joanna and John's fathers. The fathers of the film were the biggest obstacle in the relationship, because they claimed it was irrational for their children to be together however it was all based on their differences in race, and it was damaging to the relationship that Joanna and John had formed all because they couldn’t put aside their differences to see the bigger picture that love is the only thing that matters. 

I also enjoyed how the film used comedic relief to sugar coat the original awkwardness of Joey and John’s relationship. The film shows that many characters make jokes to relieve the racial tension. My favorite comedic joke was spoken by Tilly when she was asked by Joanna “Who’s Coming to Dinner” and her response was Martin Luther King Jr. The film was well written in expressing the different perspectives of interracial dating especially from certain people in the Black community, because it’s seen as a questionable act to date outside of your race. A great example of that in the film is when John’s father makes the comment that he’s never made a mistake like that before as if choosing to love someone different than you is a mistake, which can translate years later into the black community in this day and age. 

Klansville USA

              

Klansville USA was a documentary about the second uprising of the KKK in Southern states after the civil rights movement. However, the documentary also focused on the KKK activity in the state of North Carolina. The charter organizer for one chapter of the klan in North Carolina was Bob Jones. He was a prominent member of the klan even before his birth. His parents were klan members and his mother participated in a klan parade while pregnant with him. The klan was seen as a birthright to Bob. Bob’s birthright into the klan was officially certified when he became a grand dragon in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

The moment Bob Jones became a grand dragon, he increased the size of the klan in North Carolina. The size of the klan went from a small group to a few hundred thousand in a matter of years. The state of North Carolina had the largest klan population in the capital of Raleigh. The greatest accomplishment Bob wanted to be known for was the rise of the klan in North Carolina, so much so that he petitioned for a klan in every area of the state. The biggest reason for Bob’s actions were fear of integration and finally black people being considered equal. 

Bob’s petition for klansman groups was earning justification because the members of the klan were fueled by the same racist energy that Bob held in his heart. The argument made by the klan was always centered around the inferiority of black people being so low that being in the same area with white people was seen as criminal.  The argument was always a weak leg to stand on, but it’s how the kkk survived and thrived. 

In closing, the Klansville USA video showed the true feelings of the South and the threat it felt when faced with integration and the fear it spread throughout racist white people everywhere. The kkk is a terrorist organization that thrived off of the harm it caused towards black people and the video showed the true motives behind the actions, with the biggest motivator being fear of change.  

 

Hazel Scott

Hazel Scott was born in Trinidad in the 1920’s. She later moved to Harlem, New York as a child. She grew up in a musical and intelligent household with her mother being trained as a pianist and her father who was a scholar. Hazel followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a pianist. Hazel following in her mother’s footsteps led her to become a prodigy and private student at Julliard at the age of 8. The beginning of Hazel’s piano career occurred when the great depression hit.

Hazel Scott was an inventive individual who became a powerhouse throughout her teenage years. Her big career moment happened at nineteen with the help of Billie Holiday. Hazel Scott’s career skyrocketed at the Cafe Society which was New York’s most popular integrated nightclub. Hazel was known to perform classical pieces with a jazzy twist. She was determined to avoid any circumstances of her venues being segregated. When she would arrive at her venue and notice segregated areas, she would decide to opt out of performing at that location. 

This provided Hazel with an opportunity to develop an acting career. She refused to accept  any demeaning roles. Hazel refused to back down from her morals to demean Black women. The movies she played in were done in the early 40’s and late 50’s. The power held by Hazel Scott was so influential that any role she accepted accompanied requirements for the producers to accommodate.  The most important demand she ever made was done in the film “The Heat’s On”. The film was a sendoff to soldiers in the military, however it still found a way to demean black women by having them wear dirty aprons to appear disheveled. Hazel disagreed with the message the film was sending to audiences. She said she would not lend her performances to the film if the costumes were not changed. The director originally met Hazel’s demands with disdain, before changing his mind. 

Hazel’s career was a whirlwind full of impact. Throughout her career in film and music, she also fought for equal civil rights and she was able to find love through her activism. She found love with Adam Clayton Powell who was an activist and pastor. Adam and Hazel began an affair, because he was married at the time, but four days after his divorce they married in 1944 and two years later Hazel gave birth to their son Adam Clayton Powell the third. Hazel’s marriage was thriving for some time, but when the marriage dissolved she moved to Paris to leave her old life behind and get away from the racism and discrimination she faced in the US. She lived out the rest of her life in Paris, before she returned back to the US in the late 60’s to see that her time of fame had faded into the background with the uprising of new music from rock and roll artists. Hazel Scott lived out the rest of her days in the US, before dying of cancer in 1981.   

EOTO reaction: Redlining

The redlining was what stood out to me the most from the EOTO presentation. The redlining stood out because it was the start of low income housing and denying equal housing opportunities to black people. The redlining of districts was created to condense the area where black people lived and keep them from encroaching on other living districts. The process of redlining was showing the reality of housing discrimination. For example, the areas where the district lines on maps were shown in blue were the areas with money and a higher chance of receiving a loan for housing consideration. The other districts that were deemed acceptable for loan consideration were the yellow and green areas. The housing areas that were considered unacceptable for loan consideration were the red areas. The areas that were red earned the title of redlining. 

The housing districts were separated into colors as explained above but the creation of said districting allowed for loan discrimination and terrible living conditions for people of color. The housing areas that did not qualify for loans became known as low-income housing that gained the reputation of being commonly known as housing for black people. The housing discrimination was determined to keep black people in an inferior position. The housing loan redlining had programs known as the Home Owners Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration which made paying for loans and mortgages more accessible and reasonable to pay. The services were offered for most people; however minorities were excluded because they were seen as a risk in terms of credit. 

In closing, the struggles that were faced by these minority groups are still present in this current day, but it is done in a different way. Redlining still exists and is termed government housing. The truth of redlining was to discriminate and put all people of color in a place of inferiority. It also attempted to try and keep them from moving up in economic status. This was kept in place for years, before becoming illegal in 1968 with the passing of the Fair Housing Act.

                                                          

  Sources

                                    redlining | discrimination | Britannica

  A 'Forgotten History' Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America : NPR

Redlining was outlawed in 1968. Here's how the practice is still hurting Black Americans. - CBS News

Mock Trial: Board of Regents v Bakke

The argument I am presenting today is in favor of Mr. Bakke and the economic growth that will be prevented if he is unable to attend medical school. Mr. Bakke being rejected from attending the University of California, Davis Medical School twice is a violation of his civil rights. His rights should be protected under the 14th amendment. However, it was instead a direct violation of his civil rights inciting that with the violation of the 14th amendment to attend the institution. It also inhibits his economic growth since he is unable to attend medical school. It affects his economic growth due to not gaining income. This prevents him from making money to help grow the economy and also from a personal perspective his lack of income will leave him poor and destitute. 

Mr. Bakke has applied to the medical school in California twice in hopes of advancing his career. However, that was unable to be accomplished due to the fact that he was rejected to give space to minorities which will grow their economic standing. Leaving Mr. Bakke to fall behind due to the fact that he was rejected. The rejection is preventing the personal economic growth he would have if he was able to attend medical school. He is now suffering from a lack of personal prosperity that was taken away by the minorities who received admission into the institution.

Further research shows that Mr. Bakke received better test scores and had a higher-grade point average as opposed to the other candidates that applied that were minorities. Denying him admission will only harm his potential economic growth since he is unable to attend medical school. In closing, the evidence above shows that Mr. Bakke will have to struggle for the rest of his life and be behind in his economic status due to his rejection from the Californian Medical School. 

Sources 

Bakke decision | law case | Britannica

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke | Oyez

Heat of The Night Reflection

The Heat of the Night film is centered around the job and help provided by the Black detective Virgil Tibbs from Philadelphia who is going through Mississippi to visit family. He gets involved in the murder mystery as a suspect due to his suspicious nature of being a black man in the state of Mississippi. As the movie progresses, we see that no evidence was given to support the arrest of Officer Tibbs, so he goes against the Mississippi police department and head chief Bill Gillespie and does his own investigation to solve the homicide case. 

The movie shows the aspects of being discriminated against as a detective of the police force and race relations in the 60’s. The movies we have seen as a class show very little complexities of Black characters in a progression of time since the era of Gone with the Wind and Band of Angels. The two previous movies were centered around the era of slavery and romance, and to see a movie with such a different plot and action was intriguing. I believe the movies lack of romance in the plot made the movie better. The last point I would like to make is about the wonderful acting ability of Sydney Portier.

Heat of the Night as a whole was captivating in part due to the mystery of the film, and only made better by the brilliance of Sydney Portier’s acting. Sydney's ability to portray the emotions of anger felt by his character throughout much of the movie added to the emotions felt as an audience throughout the film. An example of heightening emotions felt by the audience would be when Virgil Tibbs speaks to Endicott about his whereabouts when the victim was murdered. The conversation leads to Endicott feeling inferior for having to answer to a Black man. The questioning continues which leads to the altercation between Virgil and Endicott, where both men slap each other. The reaction I had to the altercation between these two men was pure shock, because I was not expecting for Virgil to slap Endicott partly, because a black man defending himself against a white man was shocking to see due to the time period of the movie taking place in the 60's.

Brown vs Board of Education reaction blog post

The mock trial on Brown vs Board of Education was interesting. The opposing parties of the argument allow segregation and the other argument allows integration. The Brown vs Board of Education was the case in Topeka, Kansas to fight for integration. The plaintiff was Oliver Brown who was determined to fight for his daughter's right to a better education in an environment with more resources to aid in her learning. The resources and education black kids received presented a different image than what actually occurred. In reality it was separate but not equal because the institutions attended by white children were well kept and held to the highest esteem, while the institutions for black children were run down and overcrowded. 

The arguments presented by the lawyers for segregation were based on religion and social standards that allowed for segregation to be a part of life and by saying that God felt integration was not allowed. The arguments presented to keep segregation enforced could only be argued from a religious standpoint. 

The arguments made to keep segregation went against the doctrine of separate but equal, however the United States of America enforced segregation in schools until 1954. The integrated environment was portrayed as a positive environment for black children’s education, but the environment was harsh and unwelcoming. This was detrimental to their mental wellbeing and fueled the negative racist stereotypes and scrutiny they faced everyday attending school. 

An example of a better education and negative stereotypes that arose from integration of schools is the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas. The nine high school students in Arkansas were faced with racist remarks and assault when attending school, the environment became so dangerous that the black students were escorted to school by the national guard. Another example of integration and its effects on black children is Ruby Bridges. She was only eight years old when she went to an all-white school and suffered the same hostility and discrimination as the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas. 

In closing, I would like to say that the landmark case of Brown v Board of Education gave way to integrated institutions. Integration has fostered diversity all across the US and the world. Without this landmark decision the world would not be as developed as it is today. 

Sources

Brown v. Board of Education: Summary, Ruling & Impact - HISTORY

The Little Rock Nine | National Museum of African American History and Culture (si.edu)

Ruby Bridges | National Women's History Museum (womenshistory.org)

EOTO Voting Rights Act Blog Post

The EOTO presentation I had was on the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The act outlawed illegal voting tactics in Southern states. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. The act enforced the 15th amendment which granted Black men the right to vote. The obstacles that came with gaining the rights to vote were opposition items such as literacy tests, harassment, and violence if Black people tried to vote. 

In 1964 leading up to the passing of the voting rights act was the Bloody Sunday March in Selma, Alabama. The march was to demonstrate the dedication to the fight for civil rights, which was met with opposition by the Alabama police who incited violence. The march led to Lyndon B. Johnson and congress to discuss effective voting rights. The voting rights bill was passed and it became a big piece of civil rights legislation in the United States. 

The passing of the Voting Rights Act was a pinnacle achievement for the Black community because it led to pillars of equality that became more encompassing for the black community. The Voting Rights Act was created to level the playing field for the black community and catch up with the other voting acts that had been passed for white men and women. Black people were the last to receive the benefits that other races were afforded in regards to the right to vote. 

Expanding upon the difficulties that came with voting rights such as literacy tests and guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar at the voting polls to prevent a ballot from being cast. Another form of danger was lynchings and harrasment. The literacy tests scrutinized the intelligence of black people and was made to put them in a box of inferiority. The other issue that arose when black people tried to vote was harassment. The harassment and lynchings that occured toward black people when they tried to vote was a way of silencing their voices and opinions. 

The issues faced by the black community were acts of voter suppression, before it earned a name for itself on a national scale. The history of voter suppression in the 50’s and 60’s has spiraled into present day voting registration among black people. The suppression suffered by Black people in the present day is shown in the voting requirements and districts. In closing, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave way to the civil rights movement as it progressed through the years and created a revolution for black people. 

Sources

Voting Rights Act | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica

Voting Rights Act of 1965 | NAACP

Historic Lynchings in the U.S. South Are Linked to Lower Levels of Voter Registration Among Black People | RAND

Voting Rights Act of 1965 - Definition, Summary & Significance - HISTORY

 Voting Rights Act (1965) | National Archives 

Section 4 Of The Voting Rights Act (justice.gov)

2nd EOTO reflection post

The EOTO presentations were centered around the Reconstruction Era. The truth behind the statement 40 acres and a mule and a more in depth look into the Ku Klux Klan piqued my interest. These two items stuck out to me the most, because I always heard about the 40 acres and a mule phrase, but actually finding out the true purpose was shocking to say the least. It was shocking that everytime the country was in need, black people were called upon to provide assistance or leadership then swept aside once the issue(s) were handled.

The sad fact that black people were made promises that no one was able to keep plays into the sad truth that no one cares to help increase the wellbeing of Black people. The 40 acres and a mule is not only a forsaken promise, but it is a reminder that when you get your hopes up that the government can let them come crashing down. The 40 acres and a mule was proposed by General Sherman, he would give freed slaves 40 acres of their own land and a mule to help aid the land. The deal was never fulfilled by Sherman. 

The second event that was discussed was the rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan. The first branch of the KKK was formed in Tennessee in 1865. The first members of the terrorist group were former confederate veterans that planned to destroy the efforts of the Reconstruction Era. The victims of the KKK were women, people of color, children, and white Republicans. 

In closing, I feel that these two EOTO presentations were the most impactful, because they were the most controversial and they had an impact on the lives of Black people. The KKK was a notorious terrorist organization that harmed thousands of people all because of hatred. In regard to the 40 acres and a mule, it goes back to the previous statement that it symbolizes broken promises and false hope that the government feeds to Black people to appease them. 

Band of Angels reflection post

      The movie Band of Angels is a film that showed what it was like to be a person of color who is able to pass for white. The main plot point of interest for me was with the character Amantha Starr who was a woman who had gone all of her life believing she was white. However, all of that changed when her father died, and she learned she was biracial. Her father had relations with her mother who was a slave. The movie shows the progression of how Amatha navigates through her identity crisis while being sold into slavery. Her progression in the film is characterized by her having an identity crisis where she learns that she is no longer the woman she thought she was. 

The complexities of this movie show a different black perspective as opposed to Gone With The Wind. Band of Angels shows the black perspective from the eyes of an educated man who is enslaved. While Gone with the Wind focused on the negative stereotypes associated with black people. The point I want to focus on is the fact that Band of Angels gave complex black characters that did not play into any stereotypes of that time period. For example, in the movie when we first meet Rau-Ru we see that he was a complex character who was well spoken and educated, who was still in bondage, but he is not treated as such. I found this interesting, because it is the opposite of how the characters of Gone With The Wind were portrayed. 

The complexity of Rau-Ru was interesting to see how he differed in his disdain for his owner Hamish Bond, while Amantha believes that Hamish treats the slaves fairly, but she has not experienced the life of a slave. Rau-Ru understood being subjected to manual labor and harsh conditions that other slaves dealt with. The other major difference between Amantha and Rau-Ru was that they were both brought into bondage, but one gained a romantic relationship, while the other developed a disdain for their captor.  

In closing, I feel that Band of Angels was a better movie in terms of the complexities of Black characters in the time period of the civil war. The movie Gone With the Wind did not give enough complexities to their black characters and they were all seen as uneducated and simple minded. However, Band of Angels did the opposite and fueled the narrative of complex Black characters for films that would come years later.

Mock Trial Key Post: Plessy vs Ferguson

The argument I was presenting was defending segregated rail cars. I was a pro-segregation lawyer for Homer Plessy. I argued from a history perspective to keep segregation from the black perspective. 

The case of Plessy vs Ferguson is the case of a mixed male named Homer Plessy who was a test case to get on an all-white rail car and see if would be able to pass for white. The authorities caught on to the plot of Homer’s actions. He was asked to leave the all-white car, refused to do so, and was arrested. I am here as a pro-segregation lawyer for Homer Plessy. 

I am here arguing in favor of segregation from a Black perspective. Homer identified as Black under Louisiana law. The history of segregation for the black community can be seen as a benefit. The first instance of pro-segregation working in favor of the black community is the separate but equal act in favor of segregated schools. Segregated schools were the first instance of where black students were given a full chance at receiving an education at institutions where the teachers looked like the students and could relate to the challenges that would be encountered on the way to success. The resources may have been limited compared to white schools, but the separate institutions had a better chance at true student development along the path to development. Thriving in this environment was expected compared to white schools with teachers who did not look like their black students and in some instances did not have the student’s best interest at heart. 

The outcome of Plessy vs Ferguson being seen as a negative for the black community can be seen as another positive aspect for segregation. For example, in regard to black wall street in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This city had a flourishing economy and was a positive aspect of segregation in the sense that the Black community was thriving. There were stores for all needs, self-sustaining agriculture, grocery stores, and a movie theater. This was an environment where black people thrived untouched by the dilution of white integration. Black wall street was the pinnacle of what black excellence could achieve until it was taken away by white people. In regard to black excellence and dilution of what black people could achieve in terms of segregation it is best said in the words of Malcom X. Malcolm X says that “America preaches integration and practices segregation.” I believe this quote fits perfectly with the facts and knowledge we have on this case and the doctrine of separate but equal which we have seen to be untrue and a false narrative by the government in this regard to Plessy vs Ferguson. The governments are responsible for providing separate and equal facilities to people of color. The separate rail cars should be kept, because other instances shown in previous arguments and cases have shown that segregation works in favor of the black community. The development that takes place in black communities is evident when left untouched. 

Sources 

Malcolm X - America preaches integration and practices... (brainyquote.com)

Plessy v. Ferguson | Oyez

What the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Destroyed - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Integration—We've Been Doing It All Wrong — Shelterforce

The Reconstruction Era

The Reconstruction Era was the rebuilding of Black America. The reconstruction was riddled with many ups and downs. The biggest tragedy of reconstruction was that the better Black people became as a group, the worse it became for their safety and wellbeing. A common theme throughout history was whenever Black people gained power, they were attacked and were threatened to stay in an inferior position. A group who was set in their ways to keep power and put fear into Black people was and is the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The KKK became a counter political revolution against the Reconstruction Era. The KKK was threatened by the power that black people held. Congress held the Ku Klux Klan hearings where black people were given the opportunity to speak out against the crimes against them. 

A specific story shown in the video was Abram Colby who was elected to the legislature and offered a monetary bribe to be replaced. When he refused, he was attacked in his home and beaten. The actions perpetrated against Abram Colby showed jealousy and fear which was the catalyst of many of these white people who were in fear of the power that Black people have. The attacks were retaliatory and an attempt to prevent them from speaking out. The condition of affairs: the late insurrectionary states are eight thousand pages of testimony that were given about their experiences. The history of violence against Black people has created a white supremacist paradigm that has yet to dissolve. 

Ulysses S. Grant was the president during the Reconstruction Era and did well integrating Black people into the federal government. The downfall that came with Grant putting Black people in power is that when they left the environment of the federal courts, their lives were threatened. In order to act against the violence directed towards Black people from the KKK. Congress passed a series of enforcement acts which became known as the Ku Klux Klan Act. The act was designed to give the federal government the direct right to act against the KKK’s actions. The political divide between the North and South was relentless. The North was already more advanced in race relations as opposed to the South. 

The White South was set on denying and creating a difficult situation for reconstruction to continue. The last great effort to try and achieve better before the reconstruction ended was the Civil Rights Act. The bill was shot down by Democrats and Republicans.  It was seen as forced integration, eventually The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was passed. After the Civil Rights Act of 1875 passed, the Reconstruction Era came to an end with Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency. The new candidates for election were Samuel J. Tilden and Rutherford B. Hayes led to the end of reconstruction. “In backroom negotiations, Democrats conceded the disputed election returns to Hayes in return for his agreement to withdraw the remaining 3000 federal troops, thereby putting a formal end to Reconstruction and assuring Democratic control, based on a platform of white supremacy and black disenfranchisement, throughout the South”. 

                                                                                

Sources

                                        The End of Reconstruction, 1876 (umich.edu)

                  #RECONSTRUCTION: AMERICA AFTER THE CIVIL WAR - YouTube