MLK vs. Malcolm X

Undoubtedly, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were both influential in the Civil Rights Movement, although they both had different methods to approach unjust treatment. MLK was about passive resistance while Malcolm X was more vengeful and belligerent against the "superior" whites. I believe, however, that MLK's method was more effective because when you're "killing with kindness" your opponents realize that your spirit can never be broken. It takes restraint to sit in silence and not resist the violence that is shown towards you. If they used violence like Malcolm X, that would've given the whites even more reasons to show hatred towards the blacks. Being nonviolent in silent protest makes them look strong and gives them a voice that is loud and clear.

Meritocracy

Although in the segment "A Class Divided" the student performed better when they were "superior" on that specific day, I still believe that children can achieve anything if they have the desire and drive to do so. People who are labeled as "inferior" are not educated about the many opportunities that they have to succeed. Instead they are only informed about the many ways that they can fail. If someone truly works hard and is not willing to settle for mediocre than they have just as good of a chance as the rest of us who are so called "superior." Kids just need to be encouraged of all the things they can accomplish instead of being constantly reminded that they are "inferior." Putting a label on students is unnecessary and only makes the situation worse. Because they think that they are inferior, they are going to perform that way. It's very much mental. If kids are all labeled the same and not separated they can perform at a higher level and achieve goals they never dreamed of.

Jena and Little Rock

In Jena, Louisiana and Little Rock, Arkansas actions were taken against African Americans trying to do something that white people saw as "wrong." In Little Rock they were just trying to attend school while white protesters were chanting obscenities and trying to do everything they could to stop integration. While schools are integrated now, 50 years later, struggles for civil rights and equality are still continuing today. This is the case of Jena. In Jena, students decided to hang a noose from a tree that white students normally hang around because they felt that the black students were intruding on "their" tree. The incidents are similar because of the way people reacted. Many blacks protested this unfair and unjust treatment through passive resistance and not through violence to get their message heard. In Little Rock, the students eventually won that "war" because President Eisenhower sent in soldiers to escort the black students in and in a way showed his support for integration and respect for the law. In Jena however, many of the students involved did not face the consequences for performing this racist hate crime.

Topic 11 Concept Guide

MLK and Civil Disobedience

-fighting for equal rights

-passive resistance

-"hug the person that hits you" "killing with kindness"

Power of the “Mob”

-Montgomery Bus Boycott

-Passive Movement

-381 days not riding the buses before Supreme Court intervened

Plessy v. Ferguson

-"Separate but Equal"

-maternity wards, morgues, drinking fountains, pools, prisons, polls

Civil Rights Goals

-integrate school systems

-desegregate all private and public areas

-equality and civil liberties

-passive resistance

-ending discrimination

Eisenhower’s Role in Little Rock

-sends 1000 soldiers to Little Rock to escort the nine black children into school

-segregation was unconstitutional, and Eisenhower enforced the Law

Rights of the Accused

-6th Amendment requires counsel for defendants who are unable to afford an attorney

-criminal suspects have the right to counsel during interrogations

-Suspects must be informed of their right to consult with counsel before interrogation (Anything you say will be held against you)

Brown v. Board of Education

-Oliver Brown sues Topeka, Kansas School Board on behalf of his daughter

-Thurgood Marshall, attorney of the Browns, integrated school systems

Chavez and the United Farm Workers

-tried to improve working conditions and receive better pay

-helped organize strikes (Delano grape strike)

-participated in fasts

-anti-immigration

FHA and ADA

-outlawed refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to any person because of race, color, handicap, or origin

-all facilities must be accessible (elevators, ramps, wider doors)

Purpose of Filibusters

-to obstruct certain legislature from passing

-preventing a vote entirely

Sit-Ins and Other Protests

-power of the mob

-passive resistance

-different "waves" of people

-had food dumped on them, got arrested, next wave comes in

Tradition

This is what the Gillis family was proud of. Members of their family have fought and died with honor in every war dating back to the 1800's. And every single one who served had their picture hung up on the wall in the Gillis household. They are proud of their ancestry and respected their relatives who courageously fought and defended this country. Captain Joseph died in the American Revolution, George Gillis died in the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, Phillip Gillis died at the Battle of Wounded Knee, Tommy Gillis died in WWI, and most recently, the sole Gillis left, Willis, died in WWII. Although this family has sacrificed so much, they have contributed to what makes America the way it is today, freeing us from the British, fighting against slavery, and defending us from European turmoil and totalitarian governments. They fought for independence and democracy, everything that America stands for and the tradition of men in the Gillis family serving their country will continue for generations to come.

The Majestic Outline

I. Life is good

a. Peter Appleton is a successful screenwriter in 1950's Hollywood

b. His girlfriend is an actress that starred in one one his movies "Sand Pirates of the Sahara"

c. Everything is going well in his life

II. Communist Shenanigans

a. However, everything quickly comes crashing down as he's called before the commie-hunting House Un-American Activities Committee

b. He admits that he did go to a communist meeting once but insists that it was only to impress a girl

c. The script for his new movie and almost all of his possessions are taken to be used as evidence

d. Depressed and drunk, Peter drives along the California coast, before crashing his car off a bridge

III. You look familiar...

a. The next day you see Peter washed up on a beach because him and his car fell into a river which washed into the ocean

b. He hit his head on the concrete foundation of the bridge and seems very disoriented and confused suffering from amnesia

c. An elderly man and his dog find him washed up and brings him into the town of Lawson

d. He is then mistaken by the townspeople to be missing WWII veteran Luke Trimble, who was missing in the war for 9 years

e. The resemblance is so uncanny that even Luke's father, Harry, mistakes Peter for being Luke

IV. The Majestic

a. "Luke" (really Peter) is reunited with his father who lives in an apartment above the movie theater "The Majestic" which they used to run together

b. But since Luke disappeared in the war, the theater has fallen into a state of disrepair and is deserted

c. Now that Harry thinks that his son is back he plans to reopen it to the public and restore it to its former glory

d. "Luke" also gets back together with his girlfriend before he left for the war, Adele, who's father is the town doctor

e. Peter has amnesia so he truly believes he is Luke

V. Welcome Home

a. The people of Lawson organize a welcome home party for "Luke"

b. He tries to play a song on the piano, and just when it looks like he's about to give up, he breaks out into a great jazz song

c. However, the real Luke never could play jazz, only classical music, but no one really notices

VI. I Remember

a. With help from the townspeople, The Majestic is repaired and open with "Luke" and Harry running it

b. One of the movies that they are showing is "Sand Pirates of the Sahara" and suddenly "Luke" starts repeating lines from the movie like he already knows it

c. He then realizes who he truly is, Peter Appleton, and not Luke Trimble

d. As soon as this happens, Harry collapses from a heart attack

e. With Harry on his death bed so sure that his son is by his side, Peter decides not to tell him that he is not actually Luke as Harry dies

VIII. The Constitution

a. After Harry's funeral, Pete decides to tell Adele that he is not really Luke and he remembers who he is

b. She tells him that she always somehow know that it couldn't be him

c. Just then the cops pull into town and arrest Pete for evading the government when he was due in court

d. The people of Lawson are stunned and outraged as they believed that he faked being Luke, when instead he couldn't remember

e. Before he leaves he sees Adele in the graveyard and she reminds him of the constitution and his rights as he prepares to go to court

IX. I Am Not Communist

a. Peter tells the court that he was only involved once in communist actions and it was only to impress a girl

b. He said that the America that Luke and other veterans fought and died for was not the same America today

c. He gives a powerful and uplifting speech and finally walks out without being dismissed

d. The court tells him that he is free to go because he in fact gave them the name of the girl he wanted to impress

X. Welcome Home Peter

A. Peter takes the train back to Lawson after the trial and is welcomed as a hero

b. All of the townspeople watched and heard his trial and immediately regained their senses and felt bad about ever doubting him

c. Adele forgives Peter and they kiss

d. The movie closes with photos of Adele and Peter together with their kids and rests on the last photo with Harry and Peter standing in front of The Majestic

Sexism

http://www.adclassix.com/a4/56gedishwasher.html

This is an ad for the new G.E dishwasher and how it's "easy to load." Many ads for household appliances featured women clad in their best clothes and always eager and excited for new products to make it easier to help out around the house. The wife was always doing work in the house whether it was cooking, washing clothes, washing the dishes, cleaning up the house, and they hardly ever had time for themselves. It's almost like they were brainwashed; they wanted to live the perfect lives and have the perfect families so they thought that they were expected to do these things and no one complained. Even today, many women are still housewives looking after their kids while the husband goes to work and earns money. However, it is getting to the point where women are marrying later because they want to enter the work force and this is empowering for them to contribute to society. The 1950s was a very prosperous era and embodied "The American Dream," where everyone had a house with a white picket fence and a car in the driveway. Where your wife greeted the kids when they were home from school and greeted you when you got home from work, all the while slaving away in the kitchen, or laundry room, or wherever else needed cleaning. This was just the way things were.

Topic 10 Study Guide

McCarthyism Impact on Society

-people, especially filmmakers, producers, and actors in Hollywood , grew more wary of the increasing threat of Communism

-shined a spotlight on some of the Democratic Party's associates who were identified as being communists
Communist “Witch Hunt” and impact on those accused

-put many businesses and people out of jobs

-many people tried in front of congress and convicted regardless of the statement of the accused

-Big Ten targeted and most sent to jail

Space Race impact on government policies

-expedited funding of science and technology

-ended conservative opposition to developing space travel

-increased foreign tensions

Cold War mind set for the United States Government and public

-we needed to outcompete, outsource, and outlast the Soviets in every possible aspect whether it was political, economic, or social facet

-we need the "containment" of Communism to prevent it from spreading any further

Relationship of suburbs, automobiles, and roads

-the suburbs formed because people were emigrating out of the cities so they could find a good place to raise their families

-because of the formation of the suburbs, roads eventually had to connect the suburbs to the main city because people still needed to commute to work

-alternatively more cars were produced and used because of the increase in roads and opportunities to travel

-the Interstate Highway Act of 1956 also increased the the amount of roads with 41,000 miles of new roadway

Baby Boom

-occurred when WWII soldiers returned home to their wives and families

-started a new generation of children and teenagers who broke away from the previously traditional lifestyles that were in place

Urban-Suburban Pattern

-the city is where low income classes live, although the business district within the city also has high class residents

-the suburbs are separated into two groups

-the houses closer to the city are for middle income families and the houses further away are relatively larger and also house higher income families

GI Bill

-if you sign up to join the military (army, navy, marines, etc.) and complete your training, your college tuition will all be paid by the government

-basically is you give the military four years, they give you four years

Expansion of the Middle Class (why were things “affordable)

-because the middle class was expanding, demand for products increased and so did production which made things cheaper because there was more of it

-Americans began buying goods not available during the war, which created business expansion and jobs