In 1963 Martin Luther King called for an end to racism, in which he spoke the words "I have a dream". These four words would come to be one of the most famous phrases in America 's history. Martin Luther King, gave the speech to an audience of more than two hundred and fifty thousand supporters of civil rights and the speech was heard throughout the world. He gave this speech during the March to Washington for jobs and freedom, in which he shared his dreams of equality and freedom, which he believed could rise from the hate and slavery in America. Even if slavery had been gone for more then 100 years, African-Americans were still being treated unfair and were not completely free.
The 1960’s was truly an age of reform and revolution that set the stage for Susan Sontag 's, “Notes on ‘Camp,’” published in 1964. The decade saw the emergence of large scale political campaigns aiming to increase opportunities for all people, such as the Civil Rights movement. Some reformers demanded social change and denounced capitalism in order to create a counterculture encouraging self-exploration and fulfillment, often involving sex positivity, drug use and communal living. To counter some of these liberal movements the modern conservative movement was born with the ideals later reflected in the Reagan era. Additionally, 1960’s America saw a the development of several new forms of art such as Op art (or Optical art), Pop art, Performance art and Feminist art.
An important time of change in the South was during the civil rights movement in the fifties and sixties (CR46, Access to English: Social Studies, 2008). The commotion stirred up by the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. brought nationwide attention to the horrible injustice that was segregation in the southern states. During these decades, a series of laws and reforms gradually removed the South 's institutionalized racial discrimination (sadly, laws can 't quench the fiery racism in the heart of the racist). The federal government took power away from the states and forcibly ended the segregation. This paved the way for a new, less “white-supremacist” generation of politicians in the southern states (CR46, Access to English: Social
The 1960s brought about a great movement of the arts as the oppressed people and the activists spoke out against the unfair laws through their various art forms. Because of anger and built up black frustration, the Civil Rights Movement was at a peak from 1955-1965. The Black Arts Movement stemmed from
However, the first thing that comes to one’s mind when they hear 1984 is George Orwell’s novel of the same name, released in 1949, a dystopian novel. The story of Frenesi Gates is set in the 1960s, which were notable for the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Vietnam War that also caused a number of protests and the emergence of a counterculture movement that was led by the hippies. The movement was notably because many adherents would use psychedelic drugs. This affected popular culture of the time, mostly seen in music, but also in film and other forms of art. The story of Frenesi Gates’ parents is set during the “Red Scare” that began after World War II, which was a time of fear of communism spreading.
The Beatles and more specifically John Lennon had an immense impact on society throughout the 1960s to the 1980s. The Beatles affected society with their music by bringing about an age where experimentation with drugs, sex and hallucinogens (previously taboo) became the norm. They were also very popular amongst the new hippie counter culture as they too were anti-war and shared continuity with the ideals of the band. They served as examples and leaders not only to the hippies and other youth movements, but also to the youth of society in general. The Beatles and their music redefined the rules of society.
Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come’ is a song that defined a generation while bringing the oppression and injustice that African Americans experienced, on a daily basis, to the forefront of society. Around the same time that Cooke released “A Change is Gonna Come”, America was in harsh turmoil. On the inside of our country, people were still allowing African Americans to be mistreated, just as they were before the abolition of slavery in 1865. Martin Luther King Jr. was making tremendous strides in the progression of the Civil Rights movement, but it could not be him alone fighting for the rights of a whole race. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, which began the “1960s” era for many people.
They had segregated schooling, transport and toilets under the Jim Crow laws. This is justified by, ‘the popularity of protest music in the 1960s was also fuelled by the massive social change that evolved from the Civil Rights Movement, the rise of feminism,’ (4) showing that many artists were also fighting for an ideological change in the way American citizens were treated by their country, namely African Americans and women, rather than only fighting against what they believed was an unjust war. Artists like James Brown (5) fought for black empowerment in American society. Brown’s song, ‘Say it Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud’ (5) is described as being ‘an important document in the development of the Civil Rights Movement’ (5) due to its infectious rhythm and strong message about black pride and self-empowerment. Another example of a black artist is Aretha Franklin, who wrote songs about women rising up and demanding ‘respect’ (5) in the country in which she lived, both as an African American and a woman, as shown by her song title.
The War on Drugs, as imposed by Richard Nixon in 1971, is called many things: an old concept; a never-ending war; a fight for humanity. With drugs all around us, in our schools, communities, and families, many people call for the fight against drugs and drug abuse. On the flip side of the coin, there is a force, equally powerful and just as determined to push back at those who want to break the grip that many believe that drugs have placed on our country. In the almost fifty years since Nixon was in office, many people wonder if the fight is worth the money, time, and pressure to continue. In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared war on drugs.
185). Soon, Andrew Jackson won the election, but it was through his appeal to the many southerners (pg. 152). It was now time for Ibrahima to depart the United States and return back to Africa because within a few months, Andrew Jackson will be inaugurated, and if he has not left the United States by that time, he will have to become Thomas Foster’s slave again (pg. 169).