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The Theme Of Life Isn T Fair

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Segregation in America was the systematic separation of Black and White people in the United States that started after the Civil War, and was around up until the 1960s. Minorities have had the experience of being oppressed throughout the entire history of the upbringing of our country, and this quote further explains that. While not every white person was racist back then, there was still an overwhelming and loud side that was very against black people even being equal. They had power and influence within the government to get this system going. It was a true belief that they thought that white people were simply better due to genetics and that black people were inferior. They envisioned segregation as the idea of keeping the white race pure. …show more content…

Within the story, there will likely be many themes that come forward and push the boundaries of comfortability as they confront the harsh realities of this time period. The two that I see that will coincide with his sense of dignity are Life Isn’t Fair, and Man vs Self. Life Isn’t Fair as a theme is described as a realization that everything in life is not just. Within a perfect society, the ideal scenario would be that if you do wrong, wrong will come back to you. However, we know that especially during the Civil Rights Movement era, things weren’t even for black people in America. It’s known that while Elwood didn’t do anything wrong, he is still arrested and brought to the juvenile hall. He has a sense of naivety in the world and knowing that he is disadvantaged as a black person he still believes that he’s able to make it through if he just behaves and goes off to college. We see this immediately come to get him at the end of Chapter 3, where all he does is hitch a ride to head to college, he’s pulled over and immediately discriminated against on the basis of nothing other than the color of his skin. This theme will further be delved into at Nickel, as they already mistreat boys and other young men of any skin tone. It will likely be hyper-aware that he is a black young man in there, and that will further wear down his sense of what he believes the world to be. The other theme that I see coming to the story is Man vs. Self. In Nickel, there will be semblances of the other Man vs. themes, but the one that will affect him the most is himself. When you’re in a place like this, your thoughts are sometimes the only things that you can keep to yourself. He’ll have it driven down his throat and physically beat into him that he’s a black person, and they won’t let him forget that. He will be forced to ask himself why is this

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Segregation was the act of separation because of a difference in the people, and in this case, white and black. The Plessy v. Ferguson case was one of the main events that started the

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Which is what was happening at that time but he argued that segregation

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History is constantly playing a role in the way the world works in the present day. Octavia Butler's Kindred provides a unique, science fiction perspective on slavery in the Antebellum South. On the other hand, Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys invites readers into a depiction of the loopholes the Thirteenth Amendment left that allowed places like the Dozier School to be functional for over one hundred years. Although on the most basic level both novels have different elements, they contain a great deal of foundational similarities.

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Others might say that segregation shows that one race should be inferior, but segregation is wrong because people united together are stronger. The hatred of whites motivated them to separate African Americans. For instance, “When the black students, known as the “Little Rock Nine,” attempted to enter Central HIgh School, the segregationists threatened to hold protests and physically block the students from entering the school (source B).” In simpler terms, these black students were excluded from the school for their color differences. In consequence, segregationists’ threats caused the Little Rock Nine to be escorted to the school through a back door.

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Segregation was when one racial group set themselves apart from another racial group. Segregation took many different forms: restrooms, schools, waiting rooms, theaters, taverns, buses, and other public places. There are many stories and articles of the injustices caused by segregation; perhaps the most angering, however, is what was underwent by the Little Rock Nine when they attended school at Little Rock Senior High School. Along with not being let into the school until nineteen days into the school year and having to get the president with the U.S Army’s 101st Airborne Division involved, the Little Rock Nine all experienced “routine harassment” as they later described it. Most of the students attending the school at the time were extremely opposed to the idea of integrating with the black students and wanted to continue the schooling with segregation.

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In order to live a meaningful life, one must learn to overcome societal pressures. In The Nickel Boys, Elwood wants justice. While at Nickel, Elwood is brought to the white house and is beaten multiple times for standing up for someone. Just like Elwood, if one wants to make a difference in their life, they need to take action for change to happen.

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comprehends that most people of his race is dignified enough to be acknowledged of their actions. He refers to all of the remarkable people such as Rosa Parks, Hunter-Gaunt and an amazing poets who lived through this era with courage and dignity. “... noble sense of purpose … characterizes the life of pioneers … rose up with a sense of dignity … ‘ My feet are tired, but my soul is at rest’ …” ( P.49, Paragraph 30). He sees his race being put down while they should be known for their decisions or actions in life.

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The practice of segregation in American history was not black and white. Although technically segregation was the separation of the black and white races in American societies, it had a certain ambiguity and complexity that surrounded the practice. This ambiguity and complexity pertained mostly to its origin within American history. Though many people believe segregation was a practice throughout America emerging from Southern slavery in the 19th century, author C. Vann Woodward argues differently in his highly appraised historical work, The Strange Career of Jim Crow. Prior to the publication of The Strange Career of Jim Crow, Woodward worked very closely with individuals involved in the black community.

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Even though slavery was over, there was still racial tensions across the country, highly, and African Americans continued experience oppression (Source 1). Oppression meaning being subjected to unfair treatment (Source 1). With this mind, African Americans were unfairly even though before they were used, bought and also sold before this. ”The Supreme Court had given segregation a legal “okay” and many states took advantage of this” (Source 1). With this happening, it was very prevalent in the South.

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institution. Marcus Garvey chose this strategy of separation to fight White supremacy for many different reasons. Marcus Garvey believed that separation would be the best strategy to fight White supremacy. There are a few reasons to why he would think this is the best strategy. The first reason is that he believed that nowhere in the world that Black people were treated equally, “…nowhere in the world…are Black men accorded equal treatment with White men…”

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In the years following the Civil War throughout the south, state, city and town governments passed laws to restrict the rights of free African Americans; these laws were known as the “Black Codes”. In the Louisiana Law it states that African Americans are only allowed with permission. The saying “YOU ARE NOT WELCOME” became a very popular phrase. They were not allowing any African Americans to do anything, be anywhere without permission from a white person, this is what started the idea of segregation. The Black codes were made to be discriminating against the African American race, which encouraged white

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“What can more certainly arouse race hate, what more certainly create and perpetuate a feeling of distrust between these races, than state enactments which, in fact, proceed on the ground that colored citizens are so inferior and degraded that they cannot be allowed to sit in public coaches occupied by white citizens?”- John Marshall Harlan. On May 18, 1896, the Supreme court passed the separate but equal act on a vote of 7-1. This allowed separate facilities to be made for whites and blacks. This was the result of the Plessy vs Ferguson case, where a man was forced out of a whites-only car because he had African descent. The Supreme court couldn’t find any differences in the train cars, yet separate facilities for blacks had a decrease in quality.

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In his method of trying to get through the ranks by simply following the school's rules, he's stopped following his passion. This highlights the importance of resistance in situations of oppression and injustice. While it may seem easier to comply and go along with the rules, this led to a loss of Elwood’s true self and values. Once he has recovered his mental strength, he makes a connection between his circumstances and those of history, as well as Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches and words. When considering telling the truth about the school to the inspectors, Elwood remembers, "They had whipped Elwood.

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African Americans were forced to live, eat, work, and learn in “dumpier” places than white Americans. They could not do anything a white man or woman could, the whole idea of “‘Separate but equal’” was a contradiction within itself (Howell np). Everything was separated, different water fountains, schools, homes, restaurants, buses so on and so forth. Nothing was fair; nothing was as it should have been. White Americans felt the need to treat African Americans as lesser beings, when they were not any less than themselves.

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