Post 13 The March Video

The movie, The March, a PBS documentary that digs deep into the work of Dr. Martin Luther King and the March on Washington. With more than 250,000 people in attendance for the March on Washington for Jobs and freedom, it crushed the record for the biggest multicultural event in American History. Members of powerful and revered civil rights organizations, labor unions, and civil rights leaders from all the states joined together in unity for one main idea. That idea was to protect the rights of African-Americans in the United States. This documentary digs into the events that lead to the march event occurring and the Government's response.

This is truly a mind-blowing photo to me and speaks a thousand words. Thousands of Americans joined together to highlight the economic inequalities during this time. People from all different walks of life joining for the March on Washington is what America is about. People joining together not for agreements but for the overall respect for each other and love for their country.

 The march was seen as an event that could always occur in America for the reason that cultures mixed,  fundraising, and the chance for people to meet nationwide groups. Instead, this was turned into the biggest civil rights protests to ever occur. Besides this, PBS goes on to talk about the fear, chaos, and sadness of the African-American community. What makes this so interesting is the fact the documentary is told through the eyes of people who were there that day. Not only will this give an idea of what happened. But this gave me a sense of connection with the speaker throughout the whole documentary.

Blog 9 EOTO and Mock trial 2 FINSIH

 During the most recent mock trial series we did, my group and I were tasked with the criminal court Judge John Ferguson, the second prominent member of the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Although there were many points brought up by Plessy during the Supreme Court case. Ultimately, during this time, Ferguson was going to win. For the side of the state, they claimed that this occurrence did not violate Plessy’s 13th, which outlawed slavery, and 14th Amendment, which granted full rights to American Americans. The major decision was said because this case did not show any signs of slavery. It was also said that the 14th Amendment was created for the reason of all races. The judge made it specifically clear that there was not going to be any special treatment towards African-Americans. Segregation did not constitute as unlawful discrimination. In my own opinion, I think for the time period, this case could have gone either way. One side is an emotional group of individuals who recently lost a massive war fighting for what they believe. This made it easy for them to search through every law in American history at the time and discrete where Plessy was wrong. The other side is a blood-thirsty group of people seeking a new life and change. For Plessy, he did have a point on the idea that slavery and discrimination were done with after the two Amendments. He also had evidence of the separate but equal sign on the train. 

Blog 6 EOTO and Mock Trial 1

During the presentations that were given during the first town hall meeting class personally taught me lots of information I had not known. Doing a presentation on the Movements for Anti-Slavery opened my eyes to many new stories. The first push to change the main thoughts around slavery was the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a book, that served to make slavery personal with the reader. With the publication of a new book like this, I would never think that there would be so much pushback from the south. I did not know that people became very defensive on the idea of slavery. Many people who grew up at or around the time of slavery or people who were far away from it got to realize through reading the harshness of being a slave. The reaction from the south was mainly because slave owners thought they were not depicting the real story. With that type of reaction, I immediately thought this book would be banned, which it was. 

This book cover for Uncle Tom's Cabin is my favorite one by far. The reason being is it shows the two races who had been clashing for years coming together in unity. Also, it shows the younger age groups adjusting to the recognition of African-American into their community. 

Learning about the underground railroad is one of the first things that comes to mind when talking about slavery. This was because of brave northern men and women who risked their lives helping slaves go to freedom. Ending slavery was a huge concern for the northern, they would go to extensive roots to stop the problem. Americans knew they could count on the end of slavery in a big way, and that was the 16th Presidential election. President Lincoln while campaigning repeatedly said, “American Democracy is equal rights and opportunity for all.” The election of Lincoln was an exciting day for all, except the southern slave owners. 

The Presidential Election of 1860 was the most consequential elections in American history. During his election, his name was not put on the ballots in the slave holding states, but was extremely popular in the northern states. The election of Lincoln was the immediate impetus for the Civil War. 

These southern slave owners immediately gave push back and refused to listen to President Lincoln. The southerns immediately resolved to fire and fury, leading to the start of the second war ever on American soil. Days after this election, states had already been putting in their succeeding letters to leave the United States of America. After losing the war, many southerns still couldn’t accept Lincoln's achievements and assassinated him in cold blood on April 14th, 1865. He was 56 years old.

Post 4 Town Hall

 The famous case of Plessy v. Ferguson is a benchmark case that would "bring" back slavery for African Americans. After the implementation of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments many African Americans believed that slavery was banished from the United States. With this, many hate groups including the KKK came about and many southern citizens were not accepting. On May 18, 1896, the Supreme Court would the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. The case of an African American named Plessy began when he purchased a first-class ticket on the train. Plessy, when asked, to move from the seat he was sitting in refused and was then thrown off the train. The law stated that in Louisiana in the section there must be a separate but equal sign, although there were designated rows. Plessy claimed that he was seven-eighths white, had equal rights to whites, and was a United States citizen. In the first court case, Plessy lost immediately due to a single-sided judge and immediately filed for the Louisiana Supreme Court to hear the case. With the next trial date, Plessy went in arguing that the law was not constitutional but was again struck down. For this trial, I believe that Plessy should not have been kicked off the train and taken to jail for many reasons. First, I believe that the separate but equal sign that was in clear sight, upon which the Government made it mandatory. Second, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were benchmark Amendments made to include African-Americans in the daily lives of white Americans. The power and confidence of Plessy played a huge role in American history. From that point on this case, served as the backbone for future civil rights cases. 

This political cartoon sums what this case was, separate but equal. Based on this photo it doesn't look very equal to me. The cartoon photo on the left shows the beautiful fountains that the white people were allowed to drink out of. While taking a took at the right you see the broken down well with most likely non-fresh water. Truly sad for America to make such tremendous strides with equal rights and then the sadness of being separate but "equal" from the rest. I don't think the term equal has any right being in this because they weren't equal, no part of this case showed people being equal.