The Civil Rights Movement
a. When did the Civil Rights Movement begin?
The movement began on 1st December 1955, when Rosa Parks, a black refused to give way to a white passenger on the bus.
b. What was the Civil Rights Movement about?
The Blacks fighting for their freedom in America and to rid of the Jim Crow Law.
c. State some of the significant incidents that took place in the civil rights movements (choose 2-3 incidents and state them briefly not in great detail.)
- The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955- 1956)
o On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks (the "mother of the Civil Rights Movement") refused to give up her seat on a public bus to make room for a white passenger. She was secretary of the Montgomery NAACP chapter and had recently returned from a meeting at the Highlander Center in Tennessee where nonviolent civil disobedience as a strategy had been discussed. Parks was arrested, tried, and convicted for disorderly conduct and violating a local ordinance. After word of this incident reached the black community, 50 African-American leaders gathered and organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott to demand a more humane bus transportation system. However, after any reforms were rejected the NAACP, led by E.D. Nixon, pushed for full desegregation of public buses. With the support of most of Montgomery's 50,000 African Americans, the boycott lasted for 381 days until the local ordinance segregating African-Americans and whites on public buses was lifted. Ninety percent of African Americans in Montgomery partook in the boycotts, which reduced bus revenue by 80% until a federal court ordered Montgomery's buses desegregated in November 1956, and the boycott ended.
- Sit-ins, 1960
o The Civil Rights Movement received an infusion of energy with a student sit-in at a Woolworth's store in Greensboro, North Carolina. On February 1, 1960, four students Ezell A. Blair Jr. (now known as Jibreel Khazan), David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical College, an all-black college, sat down at the segregated lunch counter to protest Woolworth's policy of excluding African Americans. These protesters were encouraged to dress professionally, to sit quietly, and to occupy every other stool so that potential white sympathizers could join in. The sit-in soon inspired other sit-ins in Richmond, Virginia; Nashville, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia.
- Freedom Rides
o Freedom Rides were journeys by Civil Rights activists on interstate buses into the segregated southern United States to test the United States Supreme Court decision Boynton v. Virginia, (1960) 364 U.S. that ended segregation for passengers engaged in inter-state travel. Organized by CORE, the first Freedom Ride of the 1960s left Washington D.C. on May 4, 1961, and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17.
d. Which American President supported the movement?
John F. Kennedy
e. What was the outcome of this movement?
A gradual acceptance of Afro-Americans as equals and that they are of the same social status.
Gradual integration of Blacks and Whites
Laws keeping the Blacks as 2nd class citizens are slowly eradicated
f. In what way is the Civil Rights movement related to the novel?
Atticus Finch, Mrs Crawford, Mrs Maudie, Judge Taylor amongst other people in Maycomb support and accept the fact that Blacks are equals.
Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Scottsboro Trials
a. State the specifics of each trial and why they were insignificant.
The 1st rounds of trial were hopelessly insignificant as the defense attorneys used were absolutely incompetent.
The 2nd trial had evidence that pointed to the fact that the rape conducted by the Scottsboro boys on a train did not even happen. Even the witnesses called up by the prosecutors had many inconsistencies. Yet, Haywood Patterson was announced guilty
On the 3rd and 4th trial (3rd trial for Haywood Patterson and the 2nd for Clarence Norris), a white man called Orville Gilley, who claimed to be at the scene, was called to the witness stand, when the prosecution most needed him. He corroborated with Mrs. Price on essential facts, though his story still differed. General Knight, the prosecution attorney later admitted that he had been checking on Gilley’s mother and even gave Gilley some money to spend, therefore making Gilley to testify reluctantly. So these too trials showed that bribe took place within the prosecution, making the statements made by Gilley invalid. Yet the jury still ruled that both Patterson and Norris were guilty.
On the 5th trial (4th trial for Haywood Patterson), though Patterson was convicted of rape, he was given 75 years of jail instead of a life sentence, due to a compromise made by a Methodist who was determined to persuade the other 11 people in the jury into giving a 75 year jail sentence instead of a death sentence. Again, there was injustice in the court, though it was less severe in a way.
In the last round of trials, Clarence Norris got a death sentence, Andy Wright’s sentence was 99 years in prison and Charlie Weem was given 75 years in prison. Ozie Powell was only pleading guilty to assaulting a deputy, who was transporting him to from the court back to prison, with a penknife. After which, the 4 remaining Scottsboro boys had charges against them all dropped, all of them either too young or too weak to be even accused that they committed the crime at the time of the incident. This was due to the fact that this case could be financially and politically draining for Alabama and that General Knight wanted to end the case quickly by reaching a compromise.
b. How is the Scottsboro trial related to the trial in the novel?
The Scottsboro trial is very similar to the trial in “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Both cases took place in the 1930s, a time of turmoil and change, in Alabama. In both instances, poor white women falsely accused black men of rape
c. In what way are the trials similar?
Firstly, there was the threat of lynching is common to both cases. Secondly, there is a similarity between the novel's Atticus Finch and the real-life judge James E. Horton, both of whom acted in behalf of black men on trial in defiance of their communities' wishes at a time of high feeling. In several instances, the words of the Alabama judge remind the reader of Atticus Finch's address to the jury and his advice to his children. Thirdly, the accusers in both instances were very poor, working-class women who had secrets that the charges of rape were intended to cover up. Therefore, the veracity or believability of the accusers in both cases became an issue.
Trials of a true Southern Belle and Southern Gentleman
Ladies
- Never wear white shoes before Easter or after Labor Day except is if it is a bride.
- Thank you notes are a necessary component of being gracious and appreciative.
- Never chew gum or smoke on the street.
- Never show anger in public. Smile and act like a lady.
- Act helpless and confused when it's to your advantage; never let them know how clever and capable you really are...
- Charm, Charm, Charm.
- Be elegant and graceful
More in http://vizions-of-lace.com/gpage5.html
Gentlemen
- Must take time to dress up and look presentable before going out, especially when going out with ladies
- Gentlemen were advised against asking ladies a question period when having a conversation with them
- If they wanted to give a gift to a particular lady, a bouquet of flowers or a book were the only suitable gifts
- When eating, it was not appropriate to blow your nose with your napkin, nor was it acceptable to pick up your soup bowl and drink from it
During their free time, they read to educate themselves (they knew the importance of education), they embroider and they write letters to neighbouring belles.
c. Picture of Southern ladies and gentlemen
Southern Gentleman (http://13thmass.org/1862/front_royal.html)
d. Identify characters in the novel that fit the mould of true southern belles and gentlemen and those who don’t? Explain why they fit the mould and why they don’t?
They are: Calpurnia, Mrs. Maudie, Aunt Alexandra, Atticus Finch, Mr. Underwood, The Cunninghams (In a way), Little Chuck Little etc.
All the characters mentioned above carry a kind of upbringing in their actions. They are truthful and follow the general rules of a Southern Belle and Gentleman.
This is unlike the Ewells, where they spray vulgarities like no one’s business; don’t address people by ‘sir’ or ‘madam’, and dress rather inappropriately.
Harper Lee
Nelle Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama on the 28 of April, 1926. She currently is 84+ years of age. She was the youngest of the four children of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee. Her mother’s surname is Finch. Her father, a former newspaper editor and proprietor, was a lawyer who served in the Alabama State Legislature from 1926 to 1938. As a child, Lee was a tomboy and a precocious reader, and was best friends with her schoolmate and neighbour, the young Truman Capote.
In 1944, Lee graduated from Monroe County High School in Monroeville, and enrolled at the all-female Huntingdon College in Montgomery for one year, and pursued a law degree at the University of Alabama from 1945 to 1949, pledging the Chi Omega sorority. Lee wrote for several student publications and spent a year as editor of the campus humor magazine, Rammer Jammer. Though she did not complete the law degree, she studied for a summer in Oxford, England, before moving to New York City in 1950, where she worked as a reservation clerk with Eastern Air Lines and BOAC.
Lee continued as a reservation clerk until 1958, when she devoted herself to writing. She lived a frugal life, traveling between her cold-water-only apartment in New York City and her family home in south-central Alabama to care for her father.
After the publication of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, she declined many interviews and public appearances. She did want to write another 2 books: Another novel “The Long Goodbye” and a factual book about an Alabama serial killer, but both of them were eventually shelved unfinished because she was not satisfied with their predicted end-products.
Source: Wikipedia
b. Novels written by her
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is her only book that she published.
c. Awards received
On November 5, 2007, Lee was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush at a White House Ceremony. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States and recognizes individuals who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavours."
Source: Wikipedia
d. Why is “To Kill a Mockingbird a significant novel to her?
The book is mainly autobiographical. Like Harper Lee, Scout in the book was a Tomboy. She was a daughter of a respected small-town Alabama attorney, Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch was based on Harper Lee’s father, who was a former newspaper editor and proprietor, before becoming a lawyer who served in the Alabama State Legislature from 1926 to 1938. Scout's friend Dill was inspired by Lee's childhood friend and neighbour, Truman Capote, whom Harper Lee met when she moved to New York City. Truman was later to become famous as an American author and comedian.
Source: Wikipedia
Good analysis greg! I would like to elaborate more on the scottboro trials. I agree completely that the jury and the judges for the trials were all biased for the fact that they were whites. The jury did not even consider the evidence presented and deemed the accused guilty at the fact that he is black!
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Yu Xiang that this is a good analysis! The information are all here and well organised too. I think this is the way how all of us should post our blog posts to facilitate easier and more enjoyable reading for the reader. Good job Gregory!
ReplyDeleteJack Tan 2O307
Hi Greg! You have a really deep and profound analysis here. Your information is well organised and your points are logical and coherent. One small thing: Could it help if you can break up the more lengthy paragraphs into smaller more easily read chunks? I was slightly discouraged at the start because your post was very lengthy. However, I'm happy to note that it is full of good and actually useful information. Kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteGood analysis here but some of the sentence seemed to be overwriting each other on my screen. You seem to be missing out on the post on the telephone conversation and the one about setting or maybe its because I could not find it. Maybe you would like to check whether you have posted it up. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWow. My first reaction was " THIS IS LONG ". Really good analysis. Very detailed research work. What I suggest is that maybe you can include some of the links you get from the sources and iclude more pictures. As your post is very, very, very log, it is quite wordy. It will be great if you iclude more pictures to make the post more interesting.
ReplyDeleteGood and detailed analysis. I liked "The Trails of Southern Gentlemen and Belles" the most as it was really detailed.Other people's blog,including my own blog only gave a few examples but you gave a long list of them. I also updated my knowledge when I read your post. Good Job!!!
ReplyDelete