Jason R Young
ETH/125
11/03/2013
Scott Bell Historical Report on Race
I am writing to you because you were inquiring about African Americans within the U. S. history. African Americans have a long history in America which I will be glad to discuss here to better inform you. A major part of their life was slavery in the beginning of their time in the United States. African American had problems with civil rights in the early creation and even in the current times. This has cause major cultural, political and social concerns throughout American history. Legislation and different important people have taken action to change the way African Americans are treated in society. African Americans have been through many things during the history of the United States. Since early is American history, African Americans have been considered colored. Slavery and slave labor was formed and in 1619 when a Dutch ship brought 20 legally contracted servants or slaves to the English colony of Jamestown, Virginia (African American World, 2012). The problem with slavery is that are bought as slaves and some of the slave owners would beat, rape, or even kill female and male slaves alike. Raping of an African slave was not only legal, but it also was a normal thing to do for owners of slaves (Scholastic, 2012). The harsh treatment of slaves was not right in any sense, no matter how people explained the treatment of. It is inhumane and takes the rights of people away, and this is not the way to treat anyone or anything that is one of God’s creatures.
In1861, during the spring, northern and southern states thoughts about state and federal laws, westward expansion, and opinions on slavery led to the American Civil War (American Civil War, 1996-2012). In 1866, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act and granted African Americans “separate but equal” treatment that was recognized by many states. Jim Crow laws were passed to spate Blacks and Whites from everything from transportation to stopping African Americans from voting (Jim Crow laws denied blacks dignity, vote, 2003). In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously against school segregation, overturning its 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. The next year, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus to a White person. Malcolm X became known as a minister of Islam in 1962 and rejected the nonviolent movement for civil rights and integration of blacks into Society. Malcolm X even stated at one point the equal rights should be secured by “any means necessary” that he later decided against. Later that same year, more than 200,000 people marched to see Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which was the largest civil rights demonstration in history. Later in 1964, not only does Martin Luther King Jr. got awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act. The Civil Rights Act provided the federal government powers to prosecute discrimination in employment, voting, and education. In 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated by Nation of Islam member after he decided to separate from the organization. Race riots broke out that same year from the arrest of a young African American man that was charged with reckless driving as well as additional causes of mass unemployment, poor living conditions among L.A.’s African Americans with cause of widespread racism. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968 which caused a week of rioting across the nation. Reverend Jesse Jackson founded Operation People United to Serve Humanity which is a movement that stressed African American economic growth and education (African American World, 2012). The various groups mentioned tried to fight the legislation with assassinations, murders, and the still ever-present lowering of respect of the African American people. The legislation was passed by public outcry and heavy criticism of the way that the United States was handling the segregation of African American people. It is easier to understand the present outlook of the nation if you understand that African Americans are still looked down on and that there are still changes that need to be made to make African Americans equal to other races that may be considered better than them. NO race is better than another and we should fight for equality of all people and races. The reality of this is that no one will really be considered equal. There will always be hate because there will always be differences of people, beliefs, and upbringing. People have opinions about things and this will always be the way it is going to be until the end of time.
I hope this letter answers some of your questions and I look forward to hearing back from you and hearing about your vacation to Mexico.
Your Friend Jason R Young
References
African American World. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/timeline/early_01.html
American Civil War. (1996-2012). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war
Jim Crow laws denied blacks dignity, vote. (2003) The Jackson Sun Retrieved from http://orig.jacksonsun.com/civilrights/sec1_crow.shtml Scholastic. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/african-american-history
References: African American World. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/timeline/early_01.html American Civil War. (1996-2012). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war Jim Crow laws denied blacks dignity, vote. (2003) The Jackson Sun Retrieved from http://orig.jacksonsun.com/civilrights/sec1_crow.shtml Scholastic. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/african-american-history
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