Reconstruction in 1865 through 1877 was terminated by Southern men due to their lack of acceptance of African Americans in restricting their political rights, not following the North’s precedence of equality, and the assassination of many a men by their ever so popular Klan. Reformation began after the Civil War which was fought over sectional differences and heavy slavery in the South. Southerns had always been pro slavery which contributed to their low treatment of African Americans as a whole. Once the South lost the War they could no longer legally enslave African Americans, but that did not change their persona in the eyes of the rich white men. Equality was a concept for white men according to the South, especially considering that
In Coates’s letter to his son, he wrote about the racial injustices that African Americans lived through from now and back then. Although most Americans believe that all the promises of the Civil Rights Movement have been realized based on Obama’s speech on Selma, after analyzing a Langston Hughes poem, Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter, and the article “A Letter To My Son” it is clear that we still have a long way from truly ridding America of racial tensions and progressing toward becoming a more integrated America. If you were to look at the world through the eyes of an African American back in the 1950’s, you would notice that everything is in black and white rather than color.
Presenting to the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, Booker T. Washington delivered his most famous speech, "The Atlanta Compromise Address". In this speech Washington shares his belief that his fellow African Americans and other former slaves should make the best of what they have and to strive to excel in the positions and jobs they already occupy rather than continually fighting for. He insists that the people of the white race also do not see what they have around them. He wants the whites and blacks in south to realize that they need each other and should act in ways to coexist. To convey his belief, Washington uses rhetorical strategies such as the following: the three rhetorical appeals, allegory, and repetition.
However, not everyone was as successful as they hoped to be. When the reconstruction period began after the Civil War the Republican set into motion their own plans, restoring rebellious states into the Union and finding a place in society for free slaves. However, there were two major problems standing in their way, the ex-Confederates and President Andrew Johnson. The ex-Confederates were causing trouble by starting riots and trying take political action against freed African Americans, such as during the Memphis Riot in 1866. Johnson, being a Democrat, allied himself with the ex-Confederates because he shared the same beliefs as them regarding freed slaves.
“It is time to wake up Washington as it has never been shocked before,” were the famous words spoken by black labor leader A. Philip Randolph. After WWII in the 1940’s African Americans wanted to see change following the war. African Americans became more assertive for equality and the rights they knew they should be given. During this time the NAACP worked to end the discrimination within the armed forces. There was an organization called CORE, congress of racial equality that wanted to protest without using violence, which lead to the sit ins in the south that challenged the Jim Crow laws.
The most notable example of imagery in his speech is when King describes his hopes for the future as "black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers." This example shows Martin Luther King Jr.'s hopes for the future; he wants to live in a country where everyone sees each other as equals. Background information needed to understand this use of imagery is knowing about the discrimination occurring at the time, especially in the southern states where most of the violence occurred. By providing these specific details, the audience can virtually experience what King is demonstrating. After hearing and visualizing King's hopes for the future, the audience cannot help but feel motivated to help the world become a better place.
After the civil war, the question of “what’s next” was the main focus throughout politics, the government and the country. Abraham Lincoln was president during that time and he had a plan for reconstruction he hoped would bring the nation back together quickly and easily without too many harsh punishments or difficulties. Unfortunately, after Lincoln was murdered, his Vice President, Andrew Johnson had a plan for reconstruction that was different than Lincoln’s and many disagreed with Johnson’s views and ideas. Radical Republicans, were a large majority of the people who did not like Johnson the most, and so they came up with a reconstruction plan of their own as well, however only one was put into place and it changed the future of the United States forever. President Lincoln developed a reconstruction plan called the “Ten Percent Plan”.
He had to stick to his goals of becoming a lawyer and a politician. The strength gained from these experiences undoubtedly influenced Coolidge’s policies as president, where he was tasked with making controversial yet just choices. From discussing civil rights injustices at a time where minorities were treated unfairly, to bringing awareness about the need for more money into the education system, Coolidge had bold ideas that he eagerly expressed to the public. During the early and mid-1900’s, African Americans were discriminated against in many ways. They were forced to go to public places that were separate from Caucasians, had limited rights, dealt with racial slurs, and risked the threat of being lynched.
It also brings to light the sacrifices and bravery these African Americans made so that their families could experience freedom the way they were able to in the North. Moreover, it demonstrates how not every white soldier in the North was against slavery and racism, which is a common belief of many people. But, it also shows that the war changed many people's opinions over blacks and their abilities. The progression of black soldiers treatment over the course of the war was immense, as they began by solely doing manual labor and ended being recognized as one of the reasons the North won the war. This same pattern is being followed today, but instead of black rights, it is the rights of women because they are proving their abilities and diminishing stereotypes.
Robinson represented a symbolic figure for black America in the matter and his voice and influence helped prosper the sentiment of independent black voters who are beholden only to themselves and other blacks. His action provided an important ideological benchmark that was echoed by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1958, stating that he was not inextricably bound to either party. Robinson acted as a catalyst for the change in political affiliation and proved instrumental in re-establishing black votership through peace. Robinson further quipped about his independence, stating, “It would make everything I worked for meaningless if baseball is integrated but political parties were segregated”, demonstrating a palpable awareness that his role as a baseball player was hollow if he could not