Friday, February 5, 2010

Explortation #6

Civil rights was the main topic in the 1960, especially in Southern states. All Americans are aware of Martin Luther King Jr., the main person that really pushed civil rights. However, the civil rights movement and desegregation had several other groups that were not written in the history books. Many high school and college students decided that they were going to change things. They decided to hold nonviolent protests, it first started by refusing to leave the downtown lunch counters. The very same counters that blacks were never served at. They all sat quietly, John Lewis a Fisk College student and nonviolent protester stated "we continued to sit all day long". After about a week of the sit ins, the white community became frustrated. They stated to beat the non violent protesters and the police took them away.
"As the police started to handcuff the first set of protesters the second wave of students sat down. In shock the police decided they would arrest all of them too. Then the third wave of students sat down." says Diana Nash, another Fisk College student whom was merely 18 years old at the time.
More than 80 students and other nonviolent protesters were arrested that day. This shows that the protesters had a mission. They were going to get the point across-they wanted there constitutional freedom. They were going to be heard and recognized. All of the protesters stuck together, staring the realization of jail directly in the face.
The best quote to sum up this movie is one that Dr. King preached in a church in Alabama, he states :Alabama will have to face the fact that we want to be free....we are not afraid and will not back down." It's amazing how much the nonviolent protesters endured, and how far they went to get the rights they deserved.

1 comment:

  1. I agree. It is incredible how much courage these young people must have had in order to endure everything that they did.

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