Who is speaking?
Document One: Chief Earl Warren
Document Two: One of the hundred plus members of Congress who signed the manifesto pledging resistance to the Supreme Court rulings
Document Three: High School Boy in Oak Ridge, Tennessee,1957
Document Four: High School Girl in Louisville, Kentucky,1957
Document Five: High School Girl in the Deep South, May 1966
Document Six: High School Girl in the Deep South, May 1966
Who is the audience?
Document One: The Court, and all of the American people from a distance.
Document Two: Was meant to counter the Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education.
Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: To the people of America.
Who does the speaker represent?
Document One: He represents the voice of the Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education, May 1954
Document Two: This document represents those who disagreed with the ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case.
Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: The speakers all represent themselves and their own personal encounters.
What is being said, argued and/or requested?
Document One: He is stating that the act of segregation of public schools based on race, even if the facilities and other material things in the school are equal in value, it is still denying the children of the minority group of an equal education. And such segregation will cause problems in the community when the children grow up and realize how mistreated they where, and it will then be unchangeable. So the doctrine of “ separate but equal” is then vetoed. In which, separating educational facilities depending on race are found unconstitutional.
Document Two: The Southern Manifesto accused the Supreme Court of "clear abuse of judicial power." in the Brown v. Board of Education case. It then states "We pledge ourselves to use all lawful means to bring about a reversal of this decision which is contrary to the Constitution and to prevent the use of force in its implementation” as a conclusion.” Hence, them saying that they will change the ruling, they also say that the diminishing of the “separate but equal” act only hurt the relationships between the two races, are they say “good people of both races”, which is ironic because of what they are pledging resistance from.
Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: All these stories tell of they like it better at integrated school, even with the extra strife it causes them as individuals. They all also talk about how they knew they were “unwanted” by the whites, but wanted better activities or schooling. Document five gives the most shocking story about how six African Americans were shunned from the school, only to later return with a court order, and when they did return all the students and most of the teachers left.
How is it being said, argued and/or requested?
Document One: This is all being said very factually. He list the problem, states what was decided on the problem ( that segregation of school by race does not make for equal educational opportunities), then states McLaurin in which a African American is being held to intangible considerations, after this he looks into long term and states the problems this could have for our communities, and then restates his conclusion. What he is saying is clear and yet not coming off in an aggressive manner, it’s just very assertive.
Document Two: This document is written more in an insult forum. It “calls out” the Supreme Court a lot for their ruling in 1954. It is set up in a very opinionated way, and it is contradicting what the petition is for when is says things about both races having good relationships before the transformation of African Americans legal and political rights.
Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: All of the children seem to be disappointed in what they are living right then but they seem to be hopeful for the future. In document four the young lady states “It’s not the school, it’s the community.” What insight.
What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
Document One: It states “…To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone..” this was said to make the point that by separating the children, it would only raise children with issues and then their issues would become the communities issues.
Document Two: It states that the Constitution of the United States along with the 14th Amendment do not say anything about education, and because the Supreme Court made the decision to support getting rid of children public school segregation that they are using their power in a unacceptable way.
Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: Nothing is being proven besides the mistreatment in these stories. Document three is talking about wanting to play on a basketball team at school and he can’t “Mostly it’s the fans or board of education that decides against me…” Then in document four she says she was treated alright at school but could not participate in extracurricular activities because once off school grounds everything is segregated again. In document five the girl is faced with a empty school to go to everyday because no one would go to school with African Americans enrolled as students. And document six said that the fact that the whites didn’t want the African Americans there was apparent. All of these are showing the discrimination that African Americans had to go through.
What is the historical significance/relevance of this document?
Document One: This was the Supreme Court’s decision to make it clear that change was going to happen, starting off the transformation of African American status during the 1950’s and 1960’s. This was a landmark ruling for the progress of equality for African Americans.
Document Two: This is relevant because it is the peoples strike back from the Court ruling. It gives the other side of perspective to how the people back then where feeling during these times.
Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: Real life experiences are important for history.
How do these document’s premise or themes fit into the historical context you are reading about in your textbook?
Document’s One,and Two: These two documents fit perfectly in to the two pages previous to page 1012-1013 which this article is located. The NAACP is explained to be the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and then gave the background information to the case Brown v. Board of Education.
Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: These stories from high school students during the 1950’s to 1960’s fits in with our reading because as we learn about all the transitions that occurred like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., it is important to remember the people with less voice, but the same problems.
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In these documents I found it interesting, like you stated in your TA, that in the Southern Manifesto case said that the “good” relationships between the two races were being torn apart because of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. I agree with you that these comments were contradicting the point of their reason to even be in court! Giving African American children the same education as young white children in my opinion would open up room for the segregation to diminish and then, with differences set aside, real relationships could grow. With each document you did a very good job in explaining the way in which each of these cases and stories where portrayed.
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to read documents writen by those that were experiencing the change in segregation first hand. I was most surprised by document six which was written by an african american girl. I was shocked when she said that none of the white student returned to the school and I admire those 6 african american students for completing the school year under those circumstances.
ReplyDeleteIt was sad that the fact that the African American's were “unwanted” by the whites, but wanted better activities or schooling. I felt like this was just one of those moments were life's not fair and evrything doesn’t always go the way you plan it. In document 5 when it said students had to get a court order to come back to school i was shocked that it went that far. I also couldn't believe that the teachers started leaving once the 6 African American students came back.All this information is very intersting though.
ReplyDeleteI found that out of these six documents, the ones that really hit my heart were the stories of the four students. To know that such issues occured in the States is appalling, but to read the true stories of some of the kids during that time, it makes you think. I liked in the justification question where you pointed out what the Constitution and the 14th amendment did not include about education. This was definitely an abused power.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the girl from document four had incredible insight. To realize how much of a community problem this was verses a schooling problem is amazing to me. Thinking back to being a young student, I never was concerned with much, especially the problems in my community. The fact that these young students had such heavy weights on their shoulders,and really dealt with so much hurtful discrimination goes to show you the power of the human spirit.
ReplyDeleteI agree, all these stories were unfortunate,that african anmericans werent valued because the color of the their skin yet set apart, in documents 3,4, and 6 each student realized they werent receving the knowledge the treatment that they should have because of the color of there skin. Yet they were still being mistreated, for realizing that they deserved better. so they all took advantages of there opprotunity, but sadly while reading this, this was there reality.
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