Although slavery was abolished and African Americans were granted citizenship, they still suffered from racial inequality. Widespread racism continued to oppress African Americans. Document 6 – A Public Fountain in North Carolina 1950 by photographer, Steve Kasher (The Civil Rights Movement). Segregation in public facilities – This photograph by Elliot Erwitt epitomizes racial discrimination in the South during 1950.
The media is illuminating racial relations in the South and they are showing how people in the North are being treated. When people in the North sees how the segregationists are treating African Americans in the South, they support the side of integration. In “A Mighty Long Way”, Carlotta said that, “Finally one of them delivered a crushing blow to the back of Wilson”s head with an heavy object believed to be a brick” (pg.85 Lanier). People are seeing how white racists are attacking African-Americans.
EJ Brown “was inspired by a photograph he saw of Ferguson police shooting victim Michael Brown dressed in his graduation gear, and felt that the image illustrated the contrast between the perception and reality of being an African American college graduate” he used this opportunity to shed some light and positivity against the stereotypical ideas held to black individuals through the use of graduation cap and gown and a criminal slate (Neuendorf, 1). After witnessing an unarmed black male be shot in the back by a police officer on the news, Brown felt he must express his anger through art to convey his message. He felt frustration towards how the media conveyed the blame onto the victims rather than the officers who committed the killing. Through how the media represents the information,
In the essay “Just Walk on By” written by Brent Staples, the author uses a mixture of exaggeration, quoting, and word choice to grasp the attention of his readers and further his point that racial profiling is an unfortunate circumstance that impacts African American men in negative ways. One can witness very early on in the piece that exaggeration is used, particularly with the way Staples describes his actions. By referring to the first woman to run from him as “My first victim”, two effects are created. The harshness of the word “Victim” draws in attention, and causes one to crave a further investigation into the story. When reading further, the exaggeration is put into place once the reader realises that he committed no crime, and was simply walking down the street.
In the article “Let Them Eat Dog”, Jonathan Safran Foer addresses the taboo subject of humans using dogs as a form of protein and sustenance. He analyzes the intelligence of our canine companions in comparison to the species most Americans would believe to be acceptable to consume, such as: pigs, cows, and chickens. While their intelligence is relatively similar, even the most devoted of carnivores still wouldn’t consider dog as a meal option. “Despite the fact that it’s legal in 44 states” (Foer para 1), poses no additional health risks than any other meat, and tastes just as good, American people still refuse to cook the family dog. Foer goes on to mention how millions of dogs, as well as cats, are euthanized every year just in the United
In his article, “Black Men and Public Space,” Brent Staples writes about his encounters with people during his nighttime walks in and around the city streets of Chicago and New York. He argues that, as a result of crimes committed by criminals of African American descent, people tend to quickly avoid him because they assume that he will likely mug them because of the color of his skin. Nevertheless, on the subject as to whether this article is an appropriate and good example of the reaction of others, it is quite obvious that this is a good example of the reaction of others, given how Brent Staples spent much of his time working in the city as a journalist, and that crime rates are high in inner city areas. However, despite the fact that this
Instead the police often challenge black people for walking or driving. This leaves the communities frightened of police rather than feeling supported. In society today, the fear and violence in which the author lived when growing up in Baltimore still continue on. The growing media coverage of police brutality and racial injustice in the United States can be described as “An Event”. Because of all these issues taking place, many in society are becoming psychologically impacted never forgetting the events they have experienced.
Over the last 500 years people of color, especially African American, have endured a pattern of state-sanctioned violence, civil and human rights abuse. To enforce capitalist exploitation and racial oppression the government and its police, courts, prisons, and military have beaten, framed, murdered, and executed private persons, while brutally repressing struggles for freedom, justice, and self-determination” (Fitzgerald, 2007). More often than not, police brutality has been a persistent problem faced by African Americans. “Historically, racist violence has been used to impose racial oppression and preserve white power and privilege. Racist violence has served five primary purposes: to force people of color into indentured, slave, peonage, or low wage situations; to steal land, minerals, and other resources; to maintain social control and to repress rebellions; to restrict or eliminate competition in employment, business, politics, and social life; and to unite “whites” across ethnic/national, class, and gender lines” (Fitzgerald, 2007).
Article Summary and Response Name Institution Date In the article “Black men in Public Space,” the author Brent Staples narrates how he has been mistaken for a criminal several times bruise he was African American. In this story, he recalls his first victim a young white-woman he scare on a deserted street in Hyde Park. The author argues that in other occasion he would see people black, white, female, or even male hammering down the doors of their cars since they thought he was a mugger.
The Detroit Race Riot of June-July 1943 always had the question mark as to what the cause was for the riots. It has also been known as the “biggest and bloodiest race riots in the history of the United States” of America. A review that was completed by Welfred Holmes reveals some information from the book with the title: The Detroit Race Riot: A Study in Violence by Robert Shogan, and Tom Craig. The information that came to the fore was that the book explained the build-up to the riots as it occurred at least one year before the event. It was revealed that the morale of the Black people (Negroes as the book calls them) was very low.
On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by former officer George Zimmerman. Instantly media had blown up with headlines involving the tragic fatality. Protests occurred titled as “Black Lives Matter” during the trial of Florida v. Zimmerman. These protests led to distrustful actions toward American government and American Law Enforcement. This protest wasn’t just a segmented time period event, it’s lasted from 2012 to present day and occurs daily and is expanding rapidly.
Ain’t Scared of Your Jail Arrest, Imprisonment, and the Civil Rights Movement is a telling expose of the Civil Rights Movement and the trial and tribulations of such. The book touches on the Imprisonment of several individuals during the civil rights movement. She examines the time period when the Civil Rights Movement was at its height, the 1950 and 1960s. She covers several major markets that had an effect on the civil rights movement and where people were arrested the most at. She writes of jailing’s in Albany, Atlanta, and Birmingham where some of the most notorious jailing occurred.
As a great author, Himes effectively identify the racism and racial power in wartime Los Angeles and applies metaphors and characterization to reveal a reality that the white group uses the power to discriminate, segregate, and oppress minorities in order to limit their rights and deprive them of their opportunities to move upward. Bob’s reaction to inequalities and oppression reflects African Americans’ emotional plight when living in the white world. Finally, many minorities like Bob are forced to join the army to serve the country that makes them experience racism. However, their fights, struggles, and achievements will be a prelude to the future Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s for people of color in the U.S.
In the article, “From Trayvon Martin to Andries Tatane - Cognitive Dissonance and the Black Male Body [analysis],” author Gillian Schutte reflects on the ongoing issues of racial profiling and how many blacks are viewed as skin and surface level human beings. To connect this main point to a real life scenario, Schutte notes the shooting of Trayvon Martin, an innocent 17-year old boy who was walking home from a cafe, unarmed and posed no threat. Zimmerman, the gunman, viewed Martin as a threat, and proceeded to call the police five times to express his concern. Schutte addresses the issue that no matter where blacks are in society, they face danger from whites. Schutte describes how the people think the color of their skin determines their
Introduction Attention Getter: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “One in three black men can expect to go to prison in their lifetime” (Kerby 1). Bridge: People of color are going to prison at a drastically high rate for something they may or may not have done. Introduction of Topic: Racial profiling is happening all around the country and it is violating the rights and equality of African Americans.