The Freedom Summer Murders ends with the main characters bringing more attention to the issue of civil rights, and in turn getting some justice for their murders.
This is book matters because it brings attention to the murders that were unjust, and never were "solved", even though the murderers were known. The most valuable idea in this book is that standing up for what you believe in can incite change within your community. This is still a valuable idea to use today, because with all of the injustices in society today, we have to remember that they personally can make a change, we don't have to wait for your superiors. I think that Mickey Schwerner did a good job of saying this when he said, "One day... you might find something worth dying for. Freedom is worth dying for, fighting for other peoples freedom."
6 Comments
The Civil Rights Movement relates to where we are now in the world, more than it should. The state of interracial relations has not progressed as much as it should have.
The problems we experienced in the Civil Rights Movement, such as separated housing, segregation in schools, and police brutality are still occurring today. Even the main point of my book, voting still isn't equal opportunity because of separated housing and voting locations being out of range. In my book it takes a big focus on how the murderers were never persecuted, even though they were caught by the police. As for the men murdered because of there political views, they were abused in jail and were constantly threatened in day to day life. "The Freedom Summer Murders" begins with a young black boy getting beat up by the police, the only reason being that he is black. This is an accurate portrayal of what occurred during the civil rights movement, and is still occurring today. The book continues to go through the story of three civil rights protesters that were murdered by the KKK, because they wanted better for our country. Being a true story, with accounts from many people that were experiencing this, it shows what life was like for a civil rights protester in a state controlled by white supremacists. All of the perspectives in my book are people fighting for voting rights for black people, in danger from the KKK, so a flaw is that it only gives me similar perspectives of this issue. In The Freedom Summer Murders book it says "Mickey was a kid; he was a loving fellow. He didn't believe anybody would hurt a fly, especially those white folks down south." This is what was said about Michael Schwerner, just after his murder. He was murdered by "those white folks down south." Throughout the book it talks about the school systems that the different people were attending. In my article it says "But in many parts of the country, schools are still segregated, if only by circumstance. Most kids attend a school close to where they live. Since blacks and whites still often live apart, they often learn apart as well." Both sources talk about the flaws in government systems, rooted in lack of opportunities for black people.
To me, personality is how someone acts, and composes themselves around their peers. My personality, is loud, talkative, controlling, fast learning, and positive. That is a lot of things, but personality is hard to describe in a few words.
I'm the type of person who cautiously leads a group, and makes people laugh. As a child I wanted to meet everybody, i was always curious, and I loved copying what others were saying to learn new words. Stray and abandoned animals are a big problem in Wake County. Thousands of animals are left in animal shelters in Wake County every year. I am passionate about this because I have a dog of my own. You should care about this issue, because so many animals are left without a home each year. The good thing, is that it is easy to help out with this issue. You can give any extra time that you have to a local animal shelter, like Wake County Animal Shelter. I think this is a great option for a community service project, because animal shelters are always looking for volunteers. Also we could give love to animals that really need it.
The issue I chose is bullying, especially racist, bullying in schools. I'm interested in this because I have been impacted by bullying, and many people I know have been too. When people bully others, they don't realize the effect they are having on others. Victims are hurt, both physically and mentally. You should stop bullying if you see it, because victims of bullying are hurt by bullying, and can have problems that you, and the bullies don't understand. Recently a student at Wake Forest High School was bullied because he is black, and he lashed out, hurt another student, and got suspended. Some things we can do to help this problem are being vocal about the effects of bullying, and to stop bullying when you see it. We could organize an event to spread awareness of the problem of bullying.
Immigration:
Just like 2017, in 1870-1920 there were many struggles paired with immigration. Though frequently discriminated against, immigrants fought through their difficulties and made a new life for themselves. Immigrants came from not only Northern and Western European nations, but Germany, Ireland, France, and Canada. Their motives to come to America varied from the country they were coming from. For those who weren't trying to get away from a war, they saw America as a place where they could freely express their religion. Problems Immigrants Faced: After their intense voyages averaging 40 days, immigrants would go the immigrant processing centers on the East and West coast. If they passed through the center, 250,000 didn't, they were left with poor sanitation and little food. They were in a breeding ground for disease, and diseases like Cholera and Typhus were rampant. Also they were Americanized, where complicated names would be changed to a common American name. Many immigrants were left in poverty, because they moved to cities like New York, where it was easiest to get a job. Housing was more expensive than their jobs could pay in the places where immigrants could get a job. Some immigrants rose to a middle-class status, and those who didn't were left in bad conditions. It was tough to start a life in America, mostly because so many people wanted to. |
AuthorGriffin Whalen |