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Picture of SNCC Sit In, from "Eyes On The Prize" Documentary.
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Claudette Colvin Then and Now Picture.
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This weeks blog really gave me more insight to the freedom movement that was happening in the 60's. One thing I didn't like about one of the protests in the 60's was Rosa Parks being the headline for the Montgomery Boycott. Don't get me wrong, she did a courageous act but there was another women before her that did the same thing. The women before Rosa, name is Claudette Colvin. She had sat in a white passenger seat but didn't get up. Her story went unnoticed because she was an unwed pregnant lady. The NAACP thought it would be trouble and bad media attention because of her pregnancy. Her case was found guilty, she lost her job and future jobs, and she went unnoticed by the civil rights movement.
I never thought I would see live footage like I have in the documentary, "Eyes On The Prize". This documentary talked about the Birmingham Children's Campaign and March on Washington. Both of these marches was to stand up for black people and make a voice be heard by all the injustice. I really found that there was great courage in the kids in the Birmingham Children Campaign. Seeing how the boys and girls were being abused and some blown away by waterholes made me angry. Just imagine kids that are petite and not as strong as adults, being beaten, arrested, attacked by dogs, and having big force of water charged at them by Firefighters and Police Men (the countries protectors). I also heard about the March on Washington but seeing more footage of how the black people were so happy really made me happy. I was happy that they were being heard and I saw peace within people eyes. March on Washington and the Birmingham Children Campaign carried dignity and made National Attention. Martin Luther King even became more known since his arrest in the Birmingham Children Campaign. One other thing that angered me was after the victory of these marches, the Church in Birmingham was bombed leaving four your girls dead. I always get sad when I hear this story. Black people didn't have a lot of voice back then, and when they finally got a chance to speak they were threaten and even tortured.
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A picture from the "Eyes On The Prize" Documentary.
Every time I learn more about the SNCC, I wish I could go back in time to be in the group. Yes it was dangerous but it was powerful. I remember doing a sit in at my high school, there was a lot of racial tension so me and other black people made BLM posters and sat during 2 hours while the students were watching, some were upset us. This sit in even made my city news but in a negative way (they said we were making high schoolers scared and "threatened") I was proud that day. The SNCC wasn't really violent, they did sit ins and other protests that sparked violence within the white communities. Many people (black and white) didn't like the Black Power movement, they didn't like their Militant ways. The Civil Rights said the Black Power movement was too aggressive and would not get heard because of being this way. The Black Power movement was more with Malcom X than MLK. They felt MLK was "kissing" up to the white people and that equal rights didn't equal the same opportunities for blacks. Malcom X was the way for the black power movement, a demand to be heard and loved for being black. While reading the document of Carmichael and Hamilton, I really like the quote, "'Integration' is a subterfuge for the maintenance of white supremacy." I like this quote because I agree, African-Americans feel that in order to be appreciated and even considered human, we have to conform to white society, that is white supremacy all in itself. Although I love the civil rights and preach peaceful protest, I also agree with Black Power. Sometimes it takes anger and rage to let someone know that you are not playing, that the cause you are fighting for has to be heard. 
I first want to say that time truly does repeat itself. I actually talked about this part of the lesson with my younger sister and she had brought up a valuable point. She said, "It seems like every time a group of people come in to the US, they help build the country but is taking for granted once the US got what they needed." African-Americans, Asians, Africans, Hispanics, and so on. America really can't appreciate the value within other countries and cultures wanting to help them out. It disturbes me how Mexican Americans have to fight for citizenship and rights when they had help make this country into America as well.
With African Americans fighting for civil rights being compared to Women, Mexican-Americans, Native-Americans, LTBQ, and Environmentalist fighting for Civil Rights, it is common when we are put under strict conditions in order to be heard and get justice. We are criticized and often crucified by the majority and superiority. The contrast of it all is, since each cause being fought for are deal with different types of rights, we can sometimes over look each cause and even be ignorant to everything else around us. What we need to all realize is that we are fighting for equal rights as a Human Race! |
When I read about moments like this in history i'm always left in shock. I think it's so crazy how much whites were able to get away with and even to this day it still surprises me. The treatment that they used against blacks was so unnecessary. It's very important to understand that we all need to fight for equal rights as a human race, something that should have been a natural right. I do feel that sometimes we can be ignorant to what others go through because we get caught up in irrelevant things like race, it shouldn't matter, we should be able help each other not tear down one another.
ReplyDeleteI will always find it appalling that the people that are supposed to protect us are so against. They caused so much destruction to the citizens they signed up to protect. As we all know this isn't random. I've said it multiple times, America operates in fear directed at what they don't understand. They still shoot at us now, and they won't stop because they think they can always get away with it. I wonder who put that idea in their head?
ReplyDeleteJazmin I loved your Blog, I loved how it was filled with information that was not given much attention. I like your use of the story of Claudette Colvin, and the why it did not get much attention. I agree the children marching did take great courage, they basically stood in the gap for their parents and gained word wide attention, they say a child shall lead them and in my opinion the children were a great part of gaining progress for justice. Good Work!
ReplyDeleteYou gave so much information within your blog, I am truly happy that i read it. You know how to speak to your audience and make them see your views on the situations that are present within the week. The images you used were just as powerful as your writing.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post for this week. I can agree to your post for this week with how other races help build the US but never get the credit that was done. For example, you learn about the NASA of three powerful and educated black African American women who did the impossible when the other race couldn't figure it out but we had to learn about them through a movie or a book. If they didn't get recognized until between 2015 thru 2018 I believe. Another example would be the invention of simple stuff like water guns and another stuff event by African American and probably other races weren't given credit that they were due. In some had to fight just to get the money they made of there to work. Excellent Job
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