DOCSLIB.ORG

The Civil Rights Movement: the Power of Television

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Civil Rights Movement: the Power of Television 3690: A Journal of First-Year Student Research Writing Volume 2012 Article 4 2012 The Civil Rights Movement: The Power of Television Amanda Philley [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/journal3690 Part of the Television Commons How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited ou?y Recommended Citation Philley, Amanda (2012) "The Civil Rights Movement: The Power of Television," 3690: A Journal of First- Year Student Research Writing: Vol. 2012 , Article 4. Available at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/journal3690/vol2012/iss1/4 This document is posted at https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/journal3690/vol2012/iss1/4 and is brought to you for free and open access by Fisher Digital Publications at St. John Fisher College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Civil Rights Movement: The Power of Television Abstract Overview: “I am not a nigger” (Thomas). These five words seared through American television screens in May of 1963. James Baldwin, a preacher and novelist, declared his freedom from the chains of discrimination in an interview with Kenneth Clark and forever changed the conscience of black and white television owners. When asked if he was optimistic or pessimistic about the future of the nation, Baldwin made one thing clear: the fate of America lies within the ability to answer the question, why was the ‘nigger’ created? Born in Harlem in 1924, Baldwin grew up following in his father’s footsteps as a preacher, then went on to work on a railroad in New Jersey and eventually became a freelance writer and moved to Europe. Despite spending the majority of his adult life in Paris, Baldwin demonstrated the power of media by never ceasing to tell the story of his life as black man living in America, the influence of brotherhood, and the power of voice (Reference.com). Moments similar to Baldwin’s interview validate the reign of television and the impact of media on the Civil Rights Movement. During the interview, all the personal challenges that James Baldwin faced become apparent in his mannerisms, his gestures, and in every one of those five words. Baldwin’s unique and articulate comments, combined with access to the majority of American citizens via television media, left an impression that would span across states and decades. Commonly heard legal and moral arguments on injustices such as segregation and discrimination paled in comparison to Baldwin’s interview. It must be noted that the impact media had on the Civil Rights Movement was not unintentional by organizational leaders. For that reason, this paper will examine the use of television as a means to build momentum towards change, the implications of peaceful demonstrations on public consciences, the Church and its role in sustaining the movement via media, and the ability of unbiased television to shatter stereotypes. Despite the prominence of racially biased television and media during the Civil Rights Movement, coverage of demonstrations and interviews of protestors sparked national interest and quickened the pace towards racial equality. By employing understanding I have gained from documentaries, footage of demonstrations, online encyclopedias, journal articles, essays, and personal perspectives given by journalists who themselves covered the Civil Rights Movement, I intend to inform my reader about the implications of media coverage during the Civil Rights Movement. Keywords Writing This article is available in 3690: A Journal of First-Year Student Research Writing: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ journal3690/vol2012/iss1/4 Amanda Philley The Civil Rights Movement: The Power of Television “I am not a nigger” (Thomas). These five words seared through American television screens in May of 1963. James Baldwin, a preacher and novelist, declared his freedom from the chains of discrimination in an interview with Kenneth Clark and forever changed the conscience of black and white television owners. When asked if he was optimistic or pessimistic about the future of the nation, Baldwin made one thing clear: the fate of America lies within the ability to answer the question, why was the ‘nigger’ created? Born in Harlem in 1924, Baldwin grew up following in his father’s footsteps as a preacher, then went on to work on a railroad in New Jersey and eventually became a freelance writer and moved to Europe. Despite spending the majority of his adult life in Paris, Baldwin demonstrated the power of media by never ceasing to tell the story of his life as black man living in America, the influence of brotherhood, and the power of voice (Reference.com). Moments similar to Baldwin’s interview validate the reign of television and the impact of media on the Civil Rights Movement. During the interview, all the personal challenges that James Baldwin faced become apparent in his mannerisms, his gestures, and in every one of those five words. Baldwin’s unique and articulate comments, combined with access to the majority of American citizens via television media, left an impression that would span across states and decades. Commonly heard legal and moral arguments on injustices such as segregation and discrimination paled in comparison to Baldwin’s interview. It must be noted that the impact media had on the Civil Rights Movement was not unintentional by organizational leaders. For that reason, this paper will examine the use of television as a means to build momentum towards change, the implications of peaceful demonstrations on public consciences, the Church and its role in sustaining the movement via media, and the ability of unbiased television to shatter stereotypes. Despite the prominence of racially biased television and media during the Civil Rights Movement, coverage of demonstrations and interviews of protestors sparked national interest and quickened the pace towards racial equality. By employing understanding I have gained from documentaries, footage of demonstrations, online encyclopedias, journal articles, essays, and personal perspectives given by journalists who themselves covered the Civil Rights Movement, I intend to inform my reader about the implications of media coverage during the Civil Rights Movement. Television Creates Movement So what exactly will we consider ‘media’ as it relates to the topic of study? For this discussion, I would like to focus on television and, more specifically, news and talk shows or interviews. These facets of television covered the Civil Rights Movement from a press and political perspective while including both segregationists along with desegregationist’s arguments. Also, news stations covered the majority of demonstrations led by civil rights organizations and broadcast interviews featuring African Americans, Caucasians, and city government officials. The first working television set was introduced to the United States in 1928 by Philo Farnsworth and was employed mainly for commercial purposes (Stephens). What is considered the ‘television revolution’ did not occur until the 1950s and 60s around the same time the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum and then peaked in 1964 with the passage of the Voting Rights Act. During this period of time, politicians noticed the power television had over the public and thus used the medium to their advantage. Doherty argues that, for example, Richard M. Nixon’s “Checkers” speech, given on September 23, 1952, was broadcasted in an attempt to set the record straight on several controversial accusations against Nixon. On the other hand, televised airings of the Army-McCarthy hearings, broadcasted live on ABC, ultimately led to McCarthy’s loss of popularity and censure from the Senate in December of 1954. Both of these dramatic political broadcasts reflected the power of the media in directing public opinion. Broadcasting of the “Checkers” speech and the Army-McCarthy hearings both served as television milestones not only because of the significance of the events but also because of television’s role in the meaning and unfolding of the events. Beginning in the 1950s, television stations began broadcasting political conventions, inaugurations and hearings with millions of Americans tuning in. The immediacy and intimacy of at home viewing allowed the viewer to feel as though they were live with political leaders and created demand for vivid visual stimulation. Soon enough, producers and organizations were looking for “good television” and found it hard to ignore the ground breaking demand for and the appeal of the civil rights struggle (Thomas). Debates heated up across the United States over the issue of desegregation and integration in Southern schools. According to the digital history expert William Thomas, after the 1957 Bill of Civil Rights passed, congressmen put more pressure on television stations to ensure that the Southern point of view was heard. Shows such as The Citizen’s Council Forum stimulated the growth of Citizen’s Councils, which campaigned to maintain segregation and lend support to biased television shows all over the South. Thomas argues that in the nineteenth century, the United States Southern white conservatives claimed that national television news programming “instigated African American protests and poisoned race relations in the South.” Anyone familiar with national television news programming should agree that it is hard to ignore the facts especially in the case of segregation and discrimination. For example, in an interview with three white students at White Lane High School in Virginia, covered
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Board Meeting Minutes December 09, 2020 @ 5:00PM Zoom
    Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Board Meeting Minutes December 09, 2020 @ 5:00PM Zoom PRESENT: Voting Board Members: Voting Board Members Absent: Deanna Litzenburg, Chair Beth Shindel Anne Haltenhof Micki Weaver Steve Bushong Paula Nixon Priscilla Jacks Tracy Smith Melanie Mills Amy Williamson Norma Trimble Terra Hamilton James Sabella Amanda Highlander Robin Steinmann Staff members: Loretta Graham, CEO Kelley Young, CFO Jessica Upchurch, COO. Beth Hammock, CAMO Ashley Green-Bryant, Executive Governance Coord. Non-Voting Board Members: Guests: KayLee Melton, Girl Ex-Officio Charleston, IL Troops Mary Buchanan, Girl Ex-Officio Megan Biggs, BDC Chair *Note any late arrivals or early departures here: 1. Mission Moment Christmas Carol Sing-a-long from the Charleston, IL Troops 2. Approval of the Consent Agenda • Board of Directors Minutes 10/28/2020 • Finance Partial Packet 10/22/2020 & 11/19/2020 • Fund Development Committee Partial Packet 09/17/2020 Motion: To Approve the Consent Agenda of 12/09/2020 to as presented. Moved: Amanda Highlander Seconded: Norma Trimble MOTION CARRIED 3. CEO Summary GSUSA working on a Network alignment including 4 key items; Organizational Management, Fund Development, Finance, and Membership. PC’s for People has been very successful and will be helpful during the cookie season. Product Program – Cookies – could be a challenge this season. A lot of Troops aren’t selling out of fear of COVID. Council is trying to find alternate ways of selling cookies safely, drive thru cookie booths as an example. Big push for digital cookies which starts December 19th. Camp Chan Ya Ta – Auction is ending Monday, December 14th.
    [Show full text]
  • Working Against Racism from White Subject Positions: White Anti-Racism, New Abolitionism & Intersectional Anti-White Irish Diasporic Nationalism
    Working Against Racism from White Subject Positions: White Anti-Racism, New Abolitionism & Intersectional Anti-White Irish Diasporic Nationalism By Matthew W. Horton A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education and the Designated Emphasis in Critical Theory in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Dr. Na’ilah Nasir, Chair Dr. Daniel Perlstein Dr. Keith Feldman Summer 2019 Working Against Racism from White Subject Positions Matthew W. Horton 2019 ABSTRACT Working Against Racism from White Subject Positions: White Anti-Racism, New Abolitionism & Intersectional Anti-White Irish Diasporic Nationalism by Matthew W. Horton Doctor of Philosophy in Education and the Designated Emphasis in Critical Theory University of California, Berkeley Professor Na’ilah Nasir, Chair This dissertation is an intervention into Critical Whiteness Studies, an ‘additional movement’ to Ethnic Studies and Critical Race Theory. It systematically analyzes key contradictions in working against racism from a white subject positions under post-Civil Rights Movement liberal color-blind white hegemony and "Black Power" counter-hegemony through a critical assessment of two major competing projects in theory and practice: white anti-racism [Part 1] and New Abolitionism [Part 2]. I argue that while white anti-racism is eminently practical, its efforts to hegemonically rearticulate white are overly optimistic, tend toward renaturalizing whiteness, and are problematically dependent on collaboration with people of color. I further argue that while New Abolitionism has popularized and advanced an alternative approach to whiteness which understands whiteness as ‘nothing but oppressive and false’ and seeks to ‘abolish the white race’, its ultimately class-centered conceptualization of race and idealization of militant nonconformity has failed to realize effective practice.
    [Show full text]
  • A Summary of the Contributions of Four Key African American Female Figures of the Civil Rights Movement
    Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 12-1994 A Summary of the Contributions of Four Key African American Female Figures of the Civil Rights Movement Michelle Margaret Viera Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Viera, Michelle Margaret, "A Summary of the Contributions of Four Key African American Female Figures of the Civil Rights Movement" (1994). Master's Theses. 3834. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/3834 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A SUMMARY OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF FOUR KEY AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE FIGURES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT by Michelle Margaret Viera A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Department of History Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan December 1994 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My appreciation is extended to several special people; without their support this thesis could not have become a reality. First, I am most grateful to Dr. Henry Davis, chair of my thesis committee, for his encouragement and sus­ tained interest in my scholarship. Second, I would like to thank the other members of the committee, Dr. Benjamin Wilson and Dr. Bruce Haight, profes­ sors at Western Michigan University. I am deeply indebted to Alice Lamar, who spent tireless hours editing and re-typing to ensure this project was completed.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2019/20 “We Are Here, Standing Strong, in Our Rightful Place.”
    Annual Report 2019/20 “ We are here, standing strong, in our rightful place.” Over the last two years, Highlander has expand our reach to tens of thousands of new is alive and well, and we have been able to persevered in the face of the intersecting and returning Highlander friends and family. thrive because we are held up by a community crises of white supremacist violence, a global Highlander’s operations continued, providing of care. pandemic, climate disaster, the failures of administrative infrastructure for a robust the state, the rise of authoritarianism, police fiscal sponsorship program, offering a range violence, and the many other interlocking forms of movement accompaniment and support of oppression that impact our staff and the services to the uprisings of Summer 2020, and people we serve. giving extra attention to building democracy in (and beyond) election season and attending to After the March 2019 fire, the outpouring of capital improvements of Highlander’s land and support from Highlander’s movement family buildings. across the region, the United States, and globe meant that we could focus on recovering even After the fire, we shared a message inspired by while continuing to welcome thousands of the song, “Solid as a Rock,” with our supporters: people to Highlander for educational work “We are here, standing strong, in our rightful and radical hospitality. The fire required us to place.” That message remains true today. The quickly adapt and practice resilience, a posture fire that destroyed our main office did not that effectively prepared us for early 2020’s destroy us or our work.
    [Show full text]
  • Parker, Betty J. TITLE Myles Horton (1905-90) of Highlander:Adult Educator and Southern Activist
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 336 615 CE 059 031 AUTHOR Parker, Franklin; Parker, Betty J. TITLE Myles Horton (1905-90) of Highlander:Adult Educator and Southern Activist. PUB DATE 91 NOTE 17p. PUB TYPE W.storical Materials (060) EDRS PRICE ME01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Activism; Adult Education; Biographies; *Black History; *Civil Rights; ConflictResolution; *Folk Schools; Labor Relations; Racial Discrimination; Racial Relations; *Social Change;Social Influences; Unions; Voting Rights IDENTIFIERS *Highlander Folk School TN; *Horton (Myles) ABSTRACT As a leader of social change in theSouth, Myles Horton (1) unionized southern textile workersand coal miners and advanced civil rights through hisHighlander school;(2) conducted Highlander workshops for black leaders; (3)first popularized the song "We Shall Overcome"; and (4) initiatedCitizenship Schools to help blacks register to vote. Asa youth, he questioned racial inequality. He was dismayed at unfairlabor practices in a Tennessee factory and urged workers to organize.Horton wanted to create a school that would serve poor people inlabor and racial strife and help them to gain freedom, dignity,and justice. Studying sociology at the University of Chicago in 1930-31,Horton recognized that conflict redirected tnin'e:ing. HighlanderFolk School, inspired by Danish folk schools, was opened inMonteagle, Tennessee in 1932. Horton's wife Zilphia introducedmany cultural programs at Highlander. During 1953-61,as Highlander's civil rights activities increased, so did segregationist attackson the school. Horton is remembered for his efforts to fight fora batter world.(A "Myles Horton Chronology 1905-1990" anda 35-item bibliography are Amcluded.) (NLA) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRSare the best that can be made from the original document.
    [Show full text]
  • Are We Green Yet? Sustainability Takes Root in Our Intellectual Culture P
    University Magazine Spring 2015 ST.LAWRENCE Are We Green Yet? SUSTAINABILITY TAKES ROOT IN OUR INTELLECTUAL CULTURE P. 16 ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2015 Spring,15 Features Nowadays, when we ask ourselves “Are We Green Yet?” we’re 16 talking about a lot more than just energy consumption. SLU Connect-DC may be “One Small Step Inside the Beltway” 24 for our students, but we’re betting it will lead to many giant leaps. As her graduation looms, a stellar student-athlete probes what makes 26 her think “There’s Something About This Place.” He’s an actor, a philanthropist and a distinguished Laurentian. 30 That’s what we say when “Introducing Kirk Douglas Hall.” Departments In Every Issue 4 On Campus 2 A Word from the President You might say these are 12 Sports 3 Letters St. Lawrence’s representatives in Congress. They’re the 32 Philanthropy in Action 41 First-Person students who participated in 37 Laurentian Portraits 42 Class Notes the University’s inaugural SLU 40 On Social Media 81 From the Archives Connect-DC program in January. One of them, Mariah Dignan ’15, On the Cover: Sustainability at St. Lawrence is a work in progress, and illustrator Edmon de Haro far right, tells us more on page JEFF MAURITZEN © demonstrates that it’s becoming part of our cerebral DNA—as well as part of our pipes and groundskeeping. 24. And if what she predicts : Above: Alexander Kusak ’12 captured this shot of a trio of Denmark Program students in Copenhagen. proves true, you may see her SITE Margot Nitschke ’16, center, describes how Denmark incorporates sustainability into its national life; page 20.
    [Show full text]
  • Unclaimed Capital Credits As of November 13, 2015 NAME
    Unclaimed Capital Credits as of November 13, 2015 NAME ADDRESS City A & B Holdings LLC, PO Box 4005 West Columbia A & E Auto & Truck Salvage PO Box 8054 Sumter A C Enterprises, 4101-C Thomas Sumter Hwy Dalzell A J Briggs Estate, 1421 James Loop Rd Manning A-1 Inc 1385 Broad St Sumter A-1 Truck & Trailer Service, 3860 Artesian Dr Sumter Aaron, Neomia Rheams 50 Colin Lee Rd Mayesville Abbott, Dianna L 5994 Center Grove Rd Kershaw Abbott, Robert K 985 Wilds Park Cir Sumter Abdulrazzaaq, Mu Min 49 Sams Ln Camden Accent Mobile Homes, 274 Bridle Trl Beaumont Adams, Alvin Eugene 69A Somerset Dr Sumter Adams, Brian H 124 Rawhide Way Cibolo Adams, David L 10 Yellowstone Cir Sumter Adams, Ernest 1082 Eubanks Dr Pinewood Adams, James D 543 Lost Branch Rd Lexington Adams, Mary Michelle 9748 Margery Ave California City Adams, Neomia 1082 Eubanks Dr Pinewood Adams, Rena Bishopville Adams, Shelly A 62-A Azalea Dr Shaw AFB Adams, Timothy B 3205 Green View Pkwy Sumter Adams, William B 1078 Saint Phillip UME Church Rd Pinewood Adamson Jr, Alonzo 408 Oakview Dr Lugoff Adamson, Renee 308 Old Brass Dr Columbia Aday Sr, Charles W 4900 Bass Dr Holly Hill Aday, Joyce E PO Box 732 Bethune Aday, Randy 37 Colony Dr Camden Adkins, Charlotte PO Box 129 Santee Adkins, Edwina D 918 W Oakland Sumter Agnew, Neil E Luke AFB Agosto Jr, Rafael A 7906B Almond Dr Shaw AFB Aguon, Fritz L RR 5 Box 267 Manning Aiken, Cynthia M 518 Short St Camden Alderman, Robert J 313 Pine Cliff Ct Columbia Aldridge, Franklin L 316 Chapel Hill Rd Burlington Alexander Mockey Estate, 30 Woodland
    [Show full text]
  • Civil Rights Done Right a Tool for Teaching the Movement TEACHING TOLERANCE
    Civil Rights Done Right A Tool for Teaching the Movement TEACHING TOLERANCE Table of Contents Introduction 2 STEP ONE Self Assessment 3 Lesson Inventory 4 Pre-Teaching Reflection 5 STEP TWO The "What" of Teaching the Movement 6 Essential Content Coverage 7 Essential Content Coverage Sample 8 Essential Content Areas 9 Essential Content Checklist 10 Essential Content Suggestions 12 STEP THREE The "How" of Teaching the Movement 14 Implementing the Five Essential Practices 15 Implementing the Five Essential Practices Sample 16 Essential Practices Checklist 17 STEP FOUR Planning for Teaching the Movement 18 Instructional Matrix, Section 1 19 Instructional Matrix, Section 1 Sample 23 Instructional Matrix, Section 2 27 Instructional Matrix, Section 2 Sample 30 STEP FIVE Teaching the Movement 33 Post-Teaching Reflection 34 Quick Reference Guide 35 © 2016 Teaching Tolerance CIVIL RIGHTS DONE RIGHT // 1 TEACHING TOLERANCE Civil Rights Done Right A Tool for Teaching the Movement Not long ago, Teaching Tolerance issued Teaching the Movement, a report evaluating how well social studies standards in all 50 states support teaching about the modern civil rights movement. Our report showed that few states emphasize the movement or provide classroom support for teaching this history effectively. We followed up these findings by releasingThe March Continues: Five Essential Practices for Teaching the Civil Rights Movement, a set of guiding principles for educators who want to improve upon the simplified King-and-Parks-centered narrative many state standards offer. Those essential practices are: 1. Educate for empowerment. 2. Know how to talk about race. 3. Capture the unseen. 4. Resist telling a simple story.
    [Show full text]
  • Section on Child Law
    2018-2019 Bar Year Activities Section on Child Law The Mission of the ISBA Child Law Section: General: To inform all lawyers practicing in the areas impacting children, including but not limited to juvenile justice and child ♦ protection law, adoption, education, guardianship, and family law, of current and significant developments in these Section dues are $30 areas; to review , monitor and propose legislation in all legal areas impacting children; to enhance the professional skills per year. of lawyers who practice in these areas through continuing legal education programs and publications; and to provide ♦ To join, go to www. a forum for all entities, lawyers and other interested parties to work for the refinement and improvement of laws and isba.org/sections systems impacting children. Continuing Legal Education Newsletters The Section sponsored the following program During the 2017-18 bar year, the Section published 4 newsletters. during the year: Articles included: ◆ ♦ Note from the editor (Oct. 2018) Navigating Your Child Client Through The Juvenile Delinquency ◆ Process (09/27/18) The child abuse hearsay exception (Oct. 2018) ◆ Case note: In re Marriage of Milne (Oct. 2018) ◆ Section members also receive discounts on section- Spotlight on Tracy Weaver, 2017-18 Child Law Section Council chair sponsored CLE programs. (Oct. 2018) ◆ Case note: In re Marriage of Dee J. and Ashley J. (Oct. 2018) ◆ A must-see movie: Minding the Gap (Oct. 2018) ◆ Spotlight on Missy Greathouse, Child Law Section Council member (Oct. 2018) ◆ Juvenile abuse and neglect cases: A short primer for non-Cook County matters (Oct. 2018) Legislation ◆ Note from the editor (Feb.
    [Show full text]
  • Photography and African American Education, 1957–1972
    “A Matter of Building Bridges”: Photography and African American Education, 1957–1972 Connie H. Choi Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2019 © 2019 Connie H. Choi All rights reserved ABSTRACT “A Matter of Building Bridges”: Photography and African American Education, 1957–1972 Connie H. Choi This dissertation examines the use of photography in civil rights educational efforts from 1957 to 1972. Photography played an important role in the long civil rights movement, resulting in major legal advances and greater public awareness of discriminatory practices against people of color. For most civil rights organizations and many African Americans, education was seen as the single most important factor in breaking down social and political barriers, and efforts toward equal education opportunities dramatically increased following the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. My dissertation therefore investigates photography’s distinct role in documenting the activities of three educational initiatives—the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, the Mississippi Freedom Schools formed the summer of 1964, and the Black Panther liberation schools established in Oakland, California, in 1969—to reveal the deep and savvy understanding of civil rights and Black Power organizations of the relationship between educational opportunities and political power. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations
    [Show full text]
  • Justfaith Week 12
    JustFaith Week 12 These documents are for registered groups to use during the program year, per the licensing agreement. Do not copy, share, or forward without permission. Copyright 2014 by JustFaith Ministries • www.justfaith.org • 502-429-0865 Note to Co-Facilitators This week we continue our journey into the difficult dialogue about racism. Understanding racism is difficult even for people who do not experience it as its immediate victims. These can be challenging weeks for both you and your group, so be prepared for some resistance. To that end, it might be helpful to remember that the way a great many of us process a new idea is first by resisting. We heartily recommend that you be patient with individuals who express dissatisfaction with or rejection of the author’s arguments; it is not uncommon. But, by way of encouragement, it is also not uncommon for people to alter their perspectives— sometimes significantly—in due time. How many of us can remember arguing one position in a conversation or informal debate only to find ourselves later, after some thought and integration, arguing the other position? People do change, but it takes time. (That’s why JustFaith is 30 weeks long!) So, allow for disagreement and differing views; the walk to justice is just that – a walk. Each of us travels at our own pace. The readings for this week include a segment in Cloud of Witnesses that highlights the life and work of Fannie Lou Hamer, a woman of great courage, inspiration and leadership who became a nationally recognized leader of the civil rights movement.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 6 “Are You a Communist?” Highlander 1957
    Chapter 6 Remember the teakettle. It sings even when up to its neck in hot water. Helen Keller “Are You a Communist?” Highlander 1957 During the Labor Day weekend of 1957, the Highlander Folk School of Monteagle, Ten- nessee, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary by sponsoring a conference entitled "The South Looking Ahead." In 1954, the Supreme Court had issued its famous Brown v. Board of Educa- tion decision, unanimously ruling that racially separate educational facilities were inherently unequal. The following years, 1955 and 1956, saw the successful Montgomery bus boycott and the rise of a charismatic, powerful young black leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. All of these events pointed to a growing civil rights movement that Highlander itself had fostered. Maurice McCrackin supported Highlander's work for unions and for civil rights and thought highly of its founder and director, Myles Horton. He helped Horton solicit funds in the Cincinnati area, welcoming his yearly visits. Horton and McCrackin had much in common. They were the same age, and both were inspired by their Presbyterian backgrounds, their youth- ful YMCA activities, and other common experiences to develop variations on the kind of social program Jane Addams had established at Hull House. While McCrackin's urban, church-related version was taking shape in the West End of Cincinnati, Horton's secular, rural version was evolving as an educational center in Tennessee for farmers and industrial workers. Both men were interested in facilitating the creation of a new, more just social order.' From its beginnings in the early 1930s, Highlander was dedicated to racial justice and integration, although it was originally established as a labor school, fostering democratic unions and assisting in the training of union leaders.
    [Show full text]