African American woman working towards better education - Research Paper Example

? African American woman working towards better education number: . The African American women had to endure pain and alienation during the civil rights movement. The white people were violent and terrorized the black people, women especially. The African American women were discriminated in terms of education. Other forms of discrimination included employment and demoralization through verbal abuses. The intensity of pain and discrimination propelled the African American women to fight for liberation in the United States of America. This paper looks into the struggle for African American women to have access to education and voting rights during the civil rights movements. In doing that, this paper examines seven sources. Allen Zita’s account of black women leaders in the social privileges lobby groups contains details on the hardships racial segregation brought to the national stability. Bramlett-Solomon gave an account of Fannie Lou Hamer and civil struggle in the South. Holmes-Norton gives a detailed account of the civil struggle in the South but narrows down to Fannie Lou Hamer courage. She seems to agree with Bramlett-Solomon in many instances. Raymond D’Angelo shared readings and interpretations of the social privileges struggle and the power of political organizations during the struggle. Janice Hamlet gave a detailed account of the unrelenting spirit of the struggle and Fannie Lou Hamer. She appears to be more detailed that Bramlett-Solomon. They wanted to liberate themselves from social oppression. Davis Houck and Dixon analyze the civil unrest happenings from 1954-1965. They give an account of the women who participated in the civil lobby group and their contribution. Angela Jones sheds light of the Niagara movement and the social privileges movement. Thesis The Americans of African origins faced many hardships in their struggle from civil privileges. Many women rose to defend their rights to education and voting. There is a need to expose the nature of the struggle these women went through and how it’s influenced the nation in promoting equal rights for all races. Body Allen Zita During the civil war, the African American women had a low economic and political profile compared with other women in society. According to A. Zita (1996), the urge to liberate themselves caused them to agitate for freedom and equal rights in the society. The African American men faced similar oppression. The civil rights movement was marked by women being relegated to negligible positions in the society. The men were always at the front lines of leadership, in spite of the fact that it was women who spearheaded the Birmingham bus boycott. Analysis The source is credible since it been confirmed by other sources. The African American women instigated the freedom rides and demonstrations. Women rose to be significant political representatives. Men controlled positions of leadership in organizations and often ignored the contributions from their women counterparts. A telling example is in the year 1963, at the apex of the social constitutional rights lobby group, tens of thousands of black women participated in March on Washington. The women included Fannie Lou Hamer and Jon Ann Robinson. Ella Baker was a women activist who became influential in the movement. However, not a single woman was invited by all male march committee when it came to making a speech in front of the crowd. Bramle1tt-Solomon The women believed that they should be given equal chances with men in all avenues. T2he women were involved in the movements by supporting their male counterparts from behind the scenes. They were able to get fulfillment through supporting the male leaders and activists. Others like Ericka Huggins, Elaine Brown, Shakur and Cleaver remained stubborn. They rejected positions that were of little consequence. According to these women activists, preparing food, typing minutes for the meetings, providing moral support to the male activists, washing dishes and sexually gratifying men were demeaning roles. They wanted more than service roles. They agitated for equal partnership with male peers. The women believed that had they own ideas which could work in the society and lead the people in the right direction. Analysis The African American women believed the girl child should be educated and prepared for the future just like the boy child. Sharon Bramlett-Solomon’s journal reveals they had to move again the social grain which was dominated by racial discrimination and male chauvinism. The imagination of the young African American women fighting for education rights and leadership positions was captured by the Black Panther party. Impact of the Black Panther party: Elaine Brown’s contribution. The African American women involved in the civil rights struggle were drawn to a promise of equality by the party. The party also attracted female recruits. According to Bobby, the founder of the party, the structure of the class was seen to be the root of all manner of oppression. Male chauvinism was dominant. Through the party, female and male panthers were to accept and treat each other as comrades. The shared all the responsibilities and activities equally in the party. The women who longed to dominated and lead on the frontlines got the ultimate invitation through the set up. Through the Black Panther party, the female colleges, also known as sisters, discovered the need to earn respect amongst each other. The male members of the group expected women to defy their vulnerability and weakness and assert their toughness. According to Bobby Sheale, they demanded that women take risks saying the challenges of the system did not respect the gender inclinations. This is what prompted the women to desire to stand out by disowning pettiness and accept the responsibilities of the revolution. According to this initiative, the desires and needs of the women were to come second. According to female members in the party, despite the party rhetoric, male chauvinism dominated the ranks. At a memorial event for a fallen party member, Elaine Brown observed that while men sat in a room discussing the revolution, women were gathered in the kitchen cooking and serving men. Kathleen Cleaver found out that the ideas from men were implemented while those from women ended up being sidelined. That suggestion, according to Cleaver, was never viewed with objectivity. The main reason being that the suggestion came from a woman and that alone lessened its value. The women in the Black Panther group rose to positions of influence and leadership. Erick Huggins ended up serving as deputy ministers of defense in the state of Connecticut. In 1974, Elaine Brown became second in rank to the p3osition held by Huey Newton, the founder of the central committee and leadership o4organization. Elaine said she had control over all the money and secrets of the party. She anticipated no internal or external opposition. She also announced that anyone challenging her ostensibly because she was a woman would not be tolerated. The national human rights lobby group and the black women in the society were considerably boosted by the Black Panther party. The party natured many women and allowed them to develop leadership skills and knowledge of their rights. The organization allowed the women to take pride in them and other African- American girl child in the fight for social privileges. The African American women were able to build self confidence in a male dominated culture. Notwithstanding the gender disparity in the organization, the African American women concurred they were able to transcend many limitations of sexism. This caused them to see the first fruits of their struggle. The sexists and racists were beginning to consider changing their positions in order to accommodate the changing views arising from the civil rights movement. According to Sheeba, the organization offered the African American women the chance to know their strength and to give their contribution to the society in the fight for civil rights. Janice Hamlet: Fannie Lou Hamer and the unquenchable spirit for civil rights. Janice Hamlet’s journal reveals that Fannie Lou Hamer volunteered to assist the student nonviolent coordinating committee in 1962. She was to assist them by registration of African Americans as voters in the south. The impact of her action resulted in her job dismissal. Her family suffered the same fate. In 1963, she was able to register as a voter for the first time in her life. It was believed that African American women were not eligible to vote. She enlightened the other African American women on the need to pass the literacy test in order to register as voters. While organizing the women empowerment forums, she often led activists in singing Christian hymns about freedom. In planned and organized the Freedom summer in 1964. This happened in Mississippi. The campaign was sponsored by the southern Christian leadership conference. This was done in conjunction with NAACP and congress of racial and equality. In 1963, she was charged with disorderly conduct. This was after her refusal to comply with the whites only policies in a restaurant. Fannie Loy Hamer was beaten so badly in jail. She refused take medication which led to her permanent disability. Davis and Dixon: women and civil rights African Americans were excluded from the MDP. As a counter measure, Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) was instigated with Fannie Hammer as both a founding vice-president and member. The party sent a delegation to democratic national convention in 1964. The delegation consisted of sixty four African Americans and four native Americas. In the conference, Fannie Lou testified to the delegates the violence, intimidation and discrimination the African American voters were facing in the process of voter registration. His testimonial speech was aired on national television. The Mississippi freedom democratic party declined an offer to have two of their delegated included in the mainstream party. Instead, they resulted to political rallies and organization in the state of Mississippi. Holmes-Norton, Eleanor. Woman Who Changed the South According to this source, the African American women faced incredible discrimination and had no5 voting rights. In 1965, President LB Johnson accepted to append his signature on the 6voting rights Act. This was a crucial milestone in the civil rights era. This influenced the incorporation of Fannie Lou into the membership of the democratic national committee for the state of Mississippi. Five years later, she filed a suit demanding racial segregation to end in schools. This would give the African American s rights to quality education and enhance their ability to vote. According to Holmes account, Fannie Lou went ahead to run for a senatorial seat in Mississippi in 1971. She was unsuccessful, but she succeeded in becoming a delegate in the democratic national convention in the following year. She struggled to convince the society through activism that all races where the same and racial discrimination needed to be abolished. D'Angelo, Raymond. The American civil rights movement According to this source, the civil rights movement continued to gain momentum against many odds. Fannie gave extensive lectures on freedom. She became known for her signature statement-“being sick and tired of being sick and tired”. She used her oratory skills and music to influence the societal views during the civil rights gatherings. Many other activists joined in the fight for social freedom and civil rights. The social justice movement spread across the United States of America. From 1950 to 1960s, faced intense opposition and almost came to an end. African American women played a significant role in the process of voter registration and organizing protests. The women also engaged in letter writing campaigns. Countless women became instrumental in the process of mobilizing grassroots movements to take off and cause an impact in the mid twentieth century. Ella Baker was among the earliest activist to reject the unjust policies in the society. She called upon women to register as votes and founded an organization and outfit called crusade for citizenship. She took active roles in NAACP and young Negroes cooperative assembly. She became a member of the southern Christian leadership conference. Having been raised in North Carolina, she organized a major protect to challenge racial segregation in the same state. This proved to be her biggest mark in the social privileges lobby group. She died at 83 in the year 1986. Analysis: Fannie was among the planners of the freedom summer group that urged the African Americans to register as voters. The source gives a passionate account of the active members of the civil rights lobby group. The source acknowledges the impact of Fannie Lou and Ella Baker in the Struggle. The initiative hit the international headlines as one of the most well run civil initiatives. The leading activists in the struggle for equal rights began to earn recognition gradually. The mainstream society resisted, but gave consideration to the issues raised. The African American group deserved to be given education just like the other racial groupings. This account has no contradictions. Jones Angela: early activism The whites’ only policies began to be revised due to protests on resentments expressed by African American activists. According to this source, Fannie Lou Hamer believed the African America7ns had the power to change their political and economic conditions through voting their f8avorite candidates. She had to try three times before she passed her voter registration test. She is reported to have told the registrar to expect her on monthly basis until she passed her test. She observed that the federal government was sluggish on the African American rights to vote. This prompted here to act in 1963 by forming the MFDP. The party alone had over sixty thousand black votes registered in the entire state of Mississippi. The aim of the party was to develop a platform to challenges the political seating during the civil rights era. The seating was seen to segregate African Americans. She used the opportunity to tell the world the treatment she got after spearheading elector listing seminar at Charleston S C. On their way back, the delegated stopped to buy a meal, but instead they were arrested according to her speech9. While in the police cell she described her ordeal in the hand of police men who beat her until they were exhausted. She was taken to hospital on the third day after the intervention of SYNC. The beating led to a blood clot in her right eye artery and permanent kidney failure. Fannie is known to have gone out of her way to fight for the rights of the African Americans. The injuries caused her to start limping (Hamlett 1996). Her speech at the convention was interrupted by President Johnson’s speech. In his speech, the president gave information on the treatment African Americans were receiving in Mississippi State. He said the harsh treatment was coming from the whites, and it was spread to the south. Summary Fannie continued to appear in rallies and universities around the United States of America speaking to students on the need for a free society. In the year 1965, she led the cotton pickers in a movement to resist racial segregation and unjust policies. She agitated for civil rights for all races (Allen 1996). In her home town, Ruleville, in the state of Mississippi, she influenced the format10ion of (HSP), head start program (Holmes 1977). She became involved in other p11rograms, in Mississippi. In 1972, the House of Representatives passed a resolution unanimously commending Fannie Lou for her state wide and national contribution to American civil rights. Several universities gave her an honorary award for her courage and boldness. The civil rights movement has made some strides. The African Americans were allowed to vote. They were increasingly becoming accepted in the mainstream society as a group with rights and privileges just like any other group. Elaine Brown, the founder of the Black Panther party had began agitating for a justice criminal system that was fail and credible without any gender bias. The civil rights movement became relentless in their emphasis that African Americans should access all social amenities freely and without any prejudicial treatment. The recognition of the Fannie Lou Hamer by the House of Representatives was a substantial milestone in the struggle for civil rights by the African American women. Rosa Parks’s act of civil disobedience in the year 1955 led to the strengthening of the civil rights movement. She died at 92, but her records are useful to students and her contribution caused a tremendous impact in the liberation of the African American society. Fannie Lou Hamer died in 1977 due to cancer, heart problems and hyper tension. In conclusion, the communal privileges lobby group in the United States of America was characterized by protests and brutalities. This was the direct result of unfair treatment of the African Americans. Racial segregation was rampant. There were actions for the white and the black communities. The civil rights movement pushed to equal treatment of all races. The movement was spearheaded by bold African American women like Fannie Lou Hamer, Elaine Brown and Rosa Parks. Thousands of many others went without recognition, but they all left an indelible mark in the history of civil rights in the United States of America. The right to education and voting was on top of their list in fighting for civil rights. Bibliography Allen, Zita. Black Women Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Danbury, Conn.: Franklin Watts, 1996. Bramlett-Solomon, Sharon. "Civil Rights Vanguard in the Deep South: Newspaper Portrayal of Fannie Lou Hamer, 1964-1977." Journalism Quarterly. 68 Autumn 1991: 515-521. D'Angelo, Raymond. The American civil rights movement: readings & interpretations, 1st ed. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2001. Hamlett, Janice D. "Fannie Lou Hamer: the Unquenchable Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement." Journal of Black Studies. May 1996: 26(5) 560-577. Holmes-Norton, Eleanor. Woman Who Changed the South: Memory of Fannie Lou Hamer. MS July 1977 Houck, Davis W., and David E. Dixon. Women and the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1965, 1st ed. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2009. Jones, Angela. African American Civil Rights: Early Activism and the Niagara Movement: Early Activism and the Niagara Movement, 1st ed. ABC-CLIO, 2011. . Read More