March By John Lewis And Aydin

1240 Words5 Pages

Division During the Fight For Equality Throughout history, we have always experienced white supremacy. Whether is was through the disgusting acts of slavery or the saying, separate but equal. No one had ever truly challenged this way of thinking in America until 1955. The Civil Rights Movement was extremely successful, although it did have some of its own sources of conflict. However there was one shared goal that was the glue of the movement. Basic human rights for people of color. In the book trilogy March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin the major events in the Civil Rights Movement are described in vivid detail to give the reader insight to the devastating reality of segregation and racism. In the books the cause …show more content…

However, during the middle of the second book in the trilogy, things started to get rocky within the movement. People like Stokely Carmichael stood up for using violence whenever necessary. During a SNCC conference in April 1962, one speaker proposes, “If we are met with violence, we must be able to defend ourselves” (Lewis and Aydin March Book Two 117). Many of the violence, supporters felt they should have the right to fight for their lives if needed. After the SNCC conference many looked to Lewis to see what his opinion was on the idea of using violence. Lewis thinks to himself “Everyone knew I stood with Jim when it came to nonviolence…” (Lewis and Aydin March Book Two 118). Ever since the beginning of the sit ins Lewis had followed Lawson and that was not about to …show more content…

For example the people of color who, believe it or not, were comfortable with segregation. This was brought to attention in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.” While protesting in Birmingham, King was arrested which lead to his infamous letter to everyone. In the letter he addresses problems such as some blacks feeling, in some sense, safe with segregation. “One is a force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression; are so drained of self respect…” (King Letter From a Birmingham Jail). This shows the disgusting reality of what many years of hate and evil can do to someone. They feel so tired of being told they are not human so they start to believe it and stop fighting it. The second half of the quote explains “...that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part a few middle class Negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses.” (King Letter From a Birmingham Jail). Some may see this as cowardice, however after decades of suppression and nothing changing if something is finally semi comfortable why challenge it? The people of color who profit from segregation cannot be completely forgiven though. It takes an army of people standing up for what is right to make a