Day 6 Documents

Warmup

Background: Photo images of Black and White schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia were taken by Dr. Edward H. Peeples, Jr. from 1961 through 1963. The images illustrate the differences between the resources that the county provided for its Black students and White students. According to Dr. Peeples’ research, in 1951 all but one of the 15 black school buildings were wooden frame structures with no indoor toilet facilities, and had either wood, coal, or kerosene stoves for heat. All the white schools were made of brick, had indoor toilets, with steam or hot water heat.

Task: Compare the sets of pictures. In your group’s opinion, are these racially segregated schools really equal? Explain your views.

Document 17-Photographs of Prince Edward County, Virginia, SchoolsSource: www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/pec02.html).

Source: www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/pec02.html). This “temporary” building was built in 1949 andused for grades 2-3. It was covered with roofing paper and had a pupil capacity of 40 students The building had no windows, heat or indoor plumbing.

(Source: www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/pec02.html).The Darlington Heights Elementary School forWhite students was built in 1927. An addition to the structure was added in 1937. The building had steam heat and indoor plumbing.

Can the United States respond to issues of racism in the modern world?

Background: In the 1950s and 60s, America became a volatile and confused nation, as the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum, and black Americans demanded equality, both in the eyes of the legal and social systems. At the center of the movement were many bright, charismatic leaders who called for radical changes within American society, but perhaps the best known of these men were Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. They both worked tirelessly in the fight against injustice and inequality, and ultimately paid for their dedication with their very lives. Despite their common goals, King and Malcolm were two very different men, and their philosophies for achieving equality diverged greatly. King was staunch advocate of non-violent protest and civil disobedience as means of social change, while Malcolm believed that the fight should be waged by any methods necessary, including violence or other aggressive actions. So while both men wished to see changes enacted that would recognize black Americans as human beings with the same basic rights as whites, King and Malcolm disagreed over the means by which to achieve that goal.

Task: We will be examining the ideas of two major Civil Rights figures-Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X-as well as critiquing the ways issues of race and racism have been addressed in the United States. With your student teams:

A-Examine the excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. B-Discuss the key images, phrases, tone, and actions supported or taken by

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. C-Connect your interpretation of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

with the document you are assigned; you can focus on the following topics:o What message did you get about freedom, equality, and citizenship

based on your document?o What is the strength and weakness of the message of the document? o How would Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X respond to the

document? What would they agree about it? What would they disagree?

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Document 18-Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X discuss Civil Rights in the United States:Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X

Excerpt of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech, 8/28/63

Excerpt of Malcolm X’s “God’s Judgment” Speech, 12/4/63

“Five score years ago, a great American, in whose shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation…. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free…When the framers of our country wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a … promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

…I have a dream that one day this nation will rise upand live out the true meaning of its belief: "We hold thesetruths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

…And when this happens, when we allow freedom toring, when we let it ring…from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

“How can America make up for her crimes?...A desegregated theater or lunch counter won't solve our problems. Better jobs won't even solve our problems. An integrated cup of coffee isn't sufficient pay for four hundred years of slave labor, and a better job in the white man's factory or position in his business is, at best, only a temporary solution. The only lasting or permanent solution is complete separation on some land that we can call our own.

…We will take our share and depart, then this white country can have peace…Give us our share in gold and silver and let us depart and go back to our homeland in peace. We want no integration with this wicked race that enslaved us. We want complete separation from this race of devils. But we should not be expected to leave America and go back to our homeland empty-handed. After four hundred years of slave labor, we have some back pay coming, a bill owed to us that must be collected.”