Brown v. Board Trial Recation

 Today in class, I was able to listen to the Brown v. Board of Education Trial Case from the sides of Brown and the side of the Board of Education. First, I will be talking about what I found interesting from the first team, which was the team that was assigned to be on the side of Brown. Lastly, I will be talking about what I found interesting about the second team, the team assigned to the Board of Education. 

The First group on the side of Brown said some very interesting things about the case. One of the things that I found to be very interesting was as much the team talked as much about how having segregated schools is a waste of money and wasting the human resources and talents. When they spoke about the waste of human talent and human resources, they spoke about how, because of this segregation, the economy, businesses, and more are not putting to good use the human resources and talent that people have. Also, because of segregation, they have two schools that are spending more money on everything, but if they would just end segregation, then the spending cost would be cut in half, and save more money.  

Lastly, something that I found to be interesting about the second group's side on the Board of Education was how much they used the Plessy v. Ferguson case and the Political Question Doctrine. I thought that it was interesting how they used the Plessy v. Ferguson case to further strengthen their case because of how the court chose to side with Ferguson and claimed that it did not violate the 14th Amendment. I also found how they used the Political Doctrine, which I mean by that is that they kept claiming that the court should not listen to this issue because they think that it's constitutional. How segregation does not violate the 14th Amendment but meets its standards and improves the economy, which is why they used the Plessy v. Ferguson and the Political Question Doctrine. 

In the Heat of the Night

The movie In the Heat of the Night effectively portrays the Progressive Era. I think that it shows this through the friendship that grows between Chief Bill Gillespie and Detective Virgil Tibbs, and through the racism that is still prevalent. In this film, I was able to see how this film goes against the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, because in this movie I can see that even though the African Americans and the whites lived separate from each other, it did not create a utopia. 

For the people of Sparta, this idea and concept of separate but equal did not work, but instead created more conflict. Throughout the film, I saw how Detective Virgil Tibbs is able to change and improve the people and the police system in Sparta. When watching the movie I can see that Tibbs change things for the better by not taking anything from anyone and showing the people around him that just because he is African American does not mean that he cannot solve or be as smart or smarter than his co-workers, and his does this when he and the Chief police Gillespie become friends and gaining his and his co-workers trust.

While I was watching the film, I was able to see how Gillespie and Tibbs' relationship went from a hostility and being forced to work together to a relationship of friendship and respect. When I see their relationship, I can think and look at how, just like the course of their relationship in the movie, in the real world, it was also happening like that. What I mean by that is that after slavery was abolished, some white people still did not like African Americans and thought of them as below them, and then, just like at the end of the movie, we can see how white people started the like and respect African Americans. 

Tibbs and Gillespie are in the so-to-be factory land talking about the case

When I look back at the movie, it gives me a positive feeling. This is because throughout the film, I saw how two people who are different yet so alike in the end come together and build a bond. When looking back at the film, I did and did not think that the system was protecting the privileged white men. I say this because they still got thrown under the bus by others, but at the same time, they did get different privileges than African Americans. 

Overall, this is a great film that is about the Progressive Era. This movie, I would say, is a great example of the Jim Crow Laws, the idea of abortion, and racism that African Americans still faced after the abolition of slavery. I would also say that this film is great for people who love a story about two different people being forced to come together and end up creating a bond in the end. I think that Tibbs and Gillespie are great examples of how, even though we may look, think, and act differently, in the end, when we come together, we can make great things happen. 

Klansville Video

 In this blog, I will discuss some of the things I learned from it. For context, the video 'Klansville' is about the Ku Klux Klan's third rise in North Carolina during the Progressive Era. The Ku Klux Klan is a group of white men and women who harassed and tormented African Americans since 1865. 

                                                    Ku Klux Klan walking at the Captial

One of the things I learned from the video was the importance of Bob Jones. As someone who was born

 and raised in North Carolina, I knew about the Ku Klux Klan and what they did and how bad it was; 

I also knew that Bob Jones was a leader of the Klan, but not how important he was. I did not know that Jones was the leader of the biggest group of the Ku Klux Klan in North Carolina. 

                                                                Bob Jones and his wife 

Something else that I learned was that the Klan was mostly made up of poor white people. I had always thought that the Klan was made up of influential people, more than poor whites. I thought this people this because when I was younger, I thought that the more influence and power you have, the more you have to lose. As it turns out, what I thought was not true, and the Klan is made up of poor whites who felt like they were scared that they were going to lose their rights. 

Klan member gathering

The last thing that I learned was that the Klan's favorite form of intimidation is cross burning. I thought that their favorite form of intimidation would be more violent. Looking at the cross burning as their favorite form of intimidation because it sends a message in a more psychological way, which has been proven that psychological intimidation is much more effective, that is why I think that's why that was their favorite form of intimidation. 

The Four Little Girls

 

Four Little Girls: The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

A Sunday Morning Tragedy

On the morning of September 15, 1963, as families gathered for Sunday worship at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, an act of unthinkable terror would forever change the course of American history. This wasn't just another day of worship—it was the day that four innocent children would become martyrs for a cause they were too young to fully understand. 

The Victims

The victims included Denise McNair, just 11 years old, and three 14-year-olds: Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. These young girls were in the basement of the church, getting ready for Sunday school, when their lives were tragically ended by a bomb set off by Ku Klux Klan members.

The Attack

At approximately 10:22 a.m., an unidentified caller contacted the church and stated "Three minutes" before abruptly ending the call. Moments later, an explosion shattered the church's outer walls. The devastating blast tore through the wall, resulting in the tragic death of four African-American girls on the other side and injuring over 20 individuals inside the church. 

The Historical Context

To understand the significance of this tragedy, we must recognize that the church was a key civil rights meeting place and had been a frequent target of bomb threats. Birmingham had become a focal point of the civil rights movement, and segregationists were determined to stop the progress at any cost. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing marked a turning point in the United States during the civil rights movement and also contributed to support for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by Congress, but this was because of an act that cost the four young girls their lives. 

The Response

Upon learning of the bombing, President Kennedy stated that he had " a deep sense of outrage and grief over the killing of the children." The brutal attack shocked the nation and drew international attention to the violent struggle for civil rights in Birmingham. 

The Catalyst for Change

Outrage over the death of the four young girls helped build increased support behind the continuing struggle to end segregation—support that would help lead to the passage of both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

National Impact

The bombing represented the extreme lengths to which segregationists would go to maintain the status quo. But rather than silencing the movement, it amplified it. The brutal attack and the deaths of the four little girls shocked the nation and drew international attention to the violent struggle for civil rights in Birmingham. Many whites were as outraged by the incident as blacks and offered services and condolences to the families. 

The Funeral and Mourning

Over 8,000 people attended the girls' funeral service, demonstrating the profound impact these young lives had on the nation. Their deaths became a symbol of the innocence destroyed by hatred and the urgent need for change. 

Their Legacy

Today, we remember Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley not just as victims, but as catalysts for justice. Their sacrifice, though involuntary and tragic, became a powerful force that helped push America toward a more equitable future. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing stands as a stark reminder of the cost of hatred and the power of courage in the face of injustice.

Thank you.

I used Claude AI to help me put my research into a script format. 

EOTO Reaction

In this blog, I am going to discuss something that I found interesting from each group that presented today in class. The first group I will be talking about is Group One, and then I will discuss Group Two. I was very happy and impressed by the presentations today and how well the presenters spoke. 

For the first group, something that stuck with me was the Mary Turner lynching case. It stuck with me because of how inhumane, disgusting, and heartbreaking the case was. The poor woman who was pregnant was attacked by a mob of people and was hanged by her feet from a tree, beaten, covered in gasoline in pain. It does not stop there, the mob then cut open Mary's stomach, which made her unborn child fall from her stomach, and then the mob chose to stomp on the baby until it was crushed dead.

When they were telling me her story, I felt like I wanted to throw up and cry at the same time. Those people who did that to her are monsters. What they did to her was inhumane and disgusting. That is why it stuck with me, because what she went through should never have happened. 

Something that I learned from Group two was who the first African American to be a member of the House of Representatives and Senate. The first African American who was a member of the House of Representatives was Joseph Rainey. Mr. Rainy did so many good things while being in the House of Representatives, like the Enforcement Acts against the Ku Klux Klan. The first African American to be a member of the Senate was Hiram Revels. While in the Senate, he helped to expand the rights for African Americans and pushed for equal treatment and desegregation of schools. 

Greenbook Movie

 Today in class, we watched another one of my all-time favorite movies, Green Book. Green Book is about a man named Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) and his work for an African American Music Doctor named Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali): while working for Dr. Shirley, Tony learns about how unfairly African Americans still get treated, and while they are together, their friendship grows. In this blog, I'll discuss what I found interesting about the movie, what I liked and disliked about it, and share my overall thoughts. 

Something that I found interesting was how much the character Tony Lip smokes. I knew that back in the day, it was considered normal and fine to smoke everywhere and all the time, but I did not think that it was every single place people went, there would be people smoking. I thought that it would just be a couple of scenes where Tony was smoking, but no, in most of his scenes, he was smoking. I just find that to be interesting, how many people used to smoke back in the day. 

I also found it interesting how well the costumes were done. Now, even though most of the time Tony and Dr. Shirley were in suits but when they were not in suits, the costumes looked very good. If I did not know that this movie was made in 2018, I would have thought that the clothes were actually from that time in the movie. The last thing that I have to say about the costumes is that each of the characters' costumes suited their different personalities so well. 

Next, I am going to talk about something that I liked about the movie. Something that I liked was the scene at the very end of the movie when Dr. Shirley came to Tony's door and came in, and ate dinner with Tony's family. I loved this scene so much. I love this scene because it makes the perfect end to the story, but also because it shows how when two different people get together for a long period of time and grow with one another, they start to feel like and become family, even though they are both very different. 

There was also something in the movie that I did not like. The thing in the movie that I did not like was the scene when the cops pulled over Tony and Dr. Shirley for driving during sundown and then was very aggressive towards them both and said something that I will not say in the blog because it is bad but the cop said something and then Tony punches the cop. The reason I did not like this scene was because of what the cop said and how proud the cop was. I just felt like this scene was bad for all the wrong reasons.  

Lastly, I want to talk about my overall thoughts on this movie. I thought that this was a great movie to watch and shows how even after slavery ended, there were still people who did not accept this. I also think that this movie shows how two people can come together when put through hard situations. Overall, I think that this is a movie that everyone should watch at least once in their life. 

Plessy v. Ferguson: Religion and morale

 

Plessy v. Ferguson: Religious and Moral Arguments Against Segregation

4-Minute Script (Approximately 500 words)

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Introduction

Honorable justices, today I stand before you not merely as an advocate for Homer Plessy, but as a voice for the fundamental religious and moral principles that define our nation's character. The Louisiana statute requiring racial segregation on railway cars violates not only our Constitution but the very morale foundation upon which our society rests.

Biblical Foundation

The Holy Bible instructs us that all of humanity originates from the same belief and possesses inherent dignity. Genesis 1:27 states that God " created mankind in His own image" - indicating that no races are made in His likeness while others are deemed inferior. This is the sacred truth that makes no distinctions based on skin color. 

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, declared that " There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are one in Christ Jesus." This unquestionable message of equality surpasses all human divisions, including those founded on race. 

When Christ himself walked among us, he consistently broke down barriers of social separation. He spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, despite the deep racial prejudice of His time. He healed the Roman centurion's servant, showing that God's love extends across all ethnic boundaries.

Morale Philosophy

Beyond religious scriptures, our morale conscience tells us that segregation is inherently unjust. The esteemed philosopher Immanuel Kant taught us that morale actions should be those we would desire to become universal principles. Can we truly wish for all individuals to be divided based on arbitrary physical characteristics? The response is unmistakably clear: No.

The Golden Rule, which is a common principle in nearly all religious traditions, commands us to "treat others as we would like to be treated." Would any of us desire to be assigned to lesser accommodations, denied equal access to public amenities, or labeled as second-class citizens merely because of our appearance?

American Values

Our Declaration of Independence boldly proclaimed that "all men are created equal" and endowed with "certain unalienable rights." These words were not empty words but a solemn agreement with the Divine and future generations. Law-enforcing segregation stands in direct opposition to this fundamental principle.

The Louisiana statute creates a caste system that divides God's children into separate and unequal categories. This artificial hierarchy contradicts both Christian teaching and democratic ideals. It reduces human beings to their physical characteristics rather than recognizing their inherent worth and dignity.

Conclusion

Esteemed justices, Mr. Plessy asks not for special treatment, but for equal treatment under both God's law and man's law. The practice of segregation violates the religious principle that we are all children of the same Heavenly Father, and the moral principle that justice must be blind to color.

We urge this Court to recognize that "separate" can never be "equal" when it divides humanity along lines that our Creator never intended. Justice demands that we tear down these artificial barriers and fulfill the promise of equality that both our faith and our Constitution proclaim.

Thank you.

While creating this blog, I used Clause AI to help with the research gathering, and I used Clause AI because I wanted to make sure that I was using good research and that I was making my thoughts and words sound more formal.