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Bruce Watson's Freedom Summer

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College of Charleston Bruce Watson, author of Freedom Summer, writes about the struggles of the civil rights movement in Mississippi during the 1960’s. The volunteers as well as the African Americans in this book are trying to break the white supremacist society by: holding a voter registration drive, hosting sit-ins, and helping to set up Freedom Schools. Organizations such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) were created to help African American’s receive equality in: education, politics, and society. Freedom Summer reflects what I am learning in Women’s and Gender Studies because it addresses the topic of rape and privilege. When the Klansman created the Birth of a Nation film they made it in favor of white women. The clans motto to create this film was to, “organize for the protection of women, property, civilization itself” (Watson 2001 p.42). I found this to be very sickening because rape culture is something …show more content…

While reading Freedom Summer I learned about a period in history that I did not learn about previously in other history classes. In my history classes my teachers mainly talked about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks but they never really talked about the Little Rock Nine students who were always bulled and picked on when they went to an all white school. After reading about this it made me realize that students of African American descent still face discrimination when they are in school. African American students seem to get labeled as “bad kids” and they get suspended at different levels in comparison to white students. This is a form of discrimination because if a punishment is given then it should be equal, and a person who is of color should not face harder punishment in comparison to a person who is not of color if both of those people committed the same

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Anne Moody in her book “Coming of Age in Mississippi” recounts growing up within the Jim Crow ’s law south where she was involved in a Civil Rights movement as a young adult. While reading this book we get to check her first-hand thoughts and recollections of the struggle while growing up encircled by racial discrimination that existed in the society and the difficulty one had to go through to fight it. The book includes a personal touch pertaining to instances from Anne’s life.

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Since the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in 1863 there was a perpetual battle for African American equality in the United States that was a key part of our history throughout the twentieth century. Anne Moody’s Coming of in Mississippi is a book that greatly outlines the hardships faced by a black individual during the fight for equality. One main theme covered in the book is whether violent or nonviolent action is more productive in the fight for equality. This argument is one that defined various African American leaders in the mid nineteenth century. Leaders such as Martin Luther King prided themselves on nonviolent protests while others such as Malcolm X argued that violence was needed to truly reach equality.

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When looking at a picture of such controversy it brings emotions of sadness and anger. When the nine black students tried to attend an all-white school on September 4, 1957, although they had the right, they were denied. Not only were they denied the right from the students but from adults and people of political influence in Arkansas. The Little Rock Nine were part of a major part of the Civil Rights movement. Although we have come a long way we are still faced with some of the same hatred that was shown back

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”This is what is supposed to be in effect overall public schools and colleges. But discrimination is inevitable, not because of all the racist people out there, but because of the lack of opportunities to be aware of discrimination between races. Although the United States has come a very long way in race equality, there is still vast room for improvement among all

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On May 17, 1954 the case of Brown v. Board of Education, “declared that segregation in schools of black and white students would no longer be constitutional.” After this law was passed, in 1957 nine African American students enrolled in a predominantly white school in Little Rock, Arkansas. When word got out that, nine students, Melba Pattillo, Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Minnijean Brown, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls, Jefferson Thomas, Gloria Ray, and Thelma Mothershed were attending Little Rock Central High School, the governor of Arkansas sent the Arkansas National Guard to the school. Many of the students that already attended the school also barricaded the doors so they would not enter the school. The students started “throwing stones, spat on them, shouted and yelled death threats.”

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“Coming of Age in Mississippi”, a memoir by Anne Moody, details her life story from childhood through her years at college as a young adult in the prime of the civil rights movement in the rural southern United States. This book was first published by Bantam Dell Publishing in 1968, and has been deemed a classic in its recount of Moody’s personal and political struggles against racism as an African American female in the South. I believe this book’s subject matter is social in nature, and deals with many issues including race, class, gender and politics. With the above mentioned, it is my belief that this book is very relative to the social sciences field.

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In 1950’s many lawsuits were filed in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia on the same struggle of African American elementary school students who attended segregated schools. Despite differing somewhat in the details, all alleged a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

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A historic case in the U.S. supreme court was called the Brown vs. the Board of Education. Getting a good education is essential and we can see diverse population of students from different nationality in the classroom. However, this wasn’t always the case in the United States. Up until 1954, classrooms were very different than they are today—not allowing African American students to attend schools with white students. This was allowed because of the previous court case of 1896 of Plessy vs. Ferguson.

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Since the late 1950s, when the case for African American rights to receive the same education as their graduates began and ended, or so we thought. Schools today still remain widely segregated throughout the U.S. nation. In 1954 in Topeka, Kansas, the supreme court began to review many cases dealing with segregation in public education. Oliver Brown was one who went against the supreme court for not only his daughter, but for many other African American children to receive equal education in the ray of society. The Brown v. Board of Education case marked the end of racial discrimination in public schools which impacted African Americans to get an equal education in the American society.

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The Union victory in the Civil War prompted the abolition of slavery and African American’s were granted freedom, along with rights that should have been there from the start, however, white supremacy overpowered in the South, forcing African Americans back into a state of slavery. The Reconstruction era, the postwar rebuilding of the South, proved to be an attempt towards change in the lives of African Americans but the opportunities were only available for a limited time. African Americans had hopes of a new South after the Civil War was fought yet that was only accomplished to a certain extent. African Americans have always faced discrimination in society, for that same reason they weren’t accepted into Congress. The graph shown in Document

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The media enlightened events during the times when African Americans were beaten, called names, and even when they were physically tormented, to show what the students had to prevail through. The media interpreted events the wrong way by saying something that did not really happen and by making the Little Rock Nine feel a way they did not actually feel. Due to the brave souls that risked their lives for all of America, many schools are now somewhat segregated but other races do

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It seems that the school system is always mistreating them when it comes to certain things. Black girls have been dressed coded for their hair, black kids are afraid of getting targeted by the white students in the school for being different, and also white teachers show racism to the black students. In an article by Maya Allen, a group of schoolgirls were suspended for having natural hair. The principal called their natural hair "untidy, un-groomed, and unkempt." To the principal, the hair didn't look like it was brushed for days, which is against school rules.

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Black women are treated less than because of their ascribed traits, their gender and race, and are often dehumanized and belittled throughout the movie. They are treated like slaves and are seen as easily disposable. There are several moments throughout the film that show the racial, gender, and class inequalities. These moments also show exploitation and opportunity hoarding. The Help also explains historical context of the inequality that occurred during that time period.

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The decision behind Brown versus Board of Education is bigger than a “won case “but a case that helped Americans realize interaction, companionship, and learning in a school setting among different races is detrimental and effective. The theory behind the concept was for Americans to change bias thought processes of race and notice success and academic goals is not associated with skin color. For generations to come, it is our responsibility now to reverse racial desegregation not only in schools but everywhere. Brown versus Board of Education was the stepping stone for many to take action. We must continue to

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