Week 2 - Civil Rights in the Sixties Paper 1

Week 2 Assignment
Frederick R. Paige III
Universit !" Ph!enix
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Week 2 - Civil Rights in the Sixties Paper 2
'he Civil Rights str(ggle that )as *eginning t! "r(iti!n in the 1+,-.s )as )ell c!vered
* all tpes !" media. 'elevisi!ns )ere *rand ne) at this time and media c!verage a*!(t civil
rights m!vement thr!(gh!(t the United States "illed televisi!n sets acr!ss America t! th!se )h!
c!(ld a""!rd it. /e)spapers )ere "illed dail )ith the str(ggles !" /egr!s "r!m 0!s Angeles1
Cali"!rnia t! 2reens*!r!1 /!rth Car!lina. 3ven *e"!re televisi!ns1 radi! )as the n(m*er !ne
s!(rce "!r c!mm(nicati!n and media c!verage. Radi! *r!adcasts "illed the air)as )ith the
str(ggles !" A"rican Americans1 the vi!lent pr!tests and n!nvi!lent m!vements all thr!(gh !(t
the nati!n in the sixties.
'he perspective !" the media c!verage thr!(gh!(t the United States )as in the ma4!rit
!" the )hite American seeing it "r!m their p!int !" vie). A"rican Americans )ere n!t the !nes
)riting ne)spaper articles1 *r!adcasting !ver the air)as1 !r rep!rting the ne)s !n televisi!n.
A"rican Americans )ere "ighting "!r th!se rights t! *e a*le t! h!ld 4!*s as rep!rters1 4!(rnalists1
ne)s anch!rs and p(*licists. America primaril !nl g!t media c!verage "r!m the )hite
American p!int !" vie). 'he vie) !" racism and str(ggle "!r 5lack Americans )as painted *
the White American. 'he )hite p(*lic !pini!n had t! *e taken int! acc!(nt and c!nsidered *
radi!1 ne)spaper1 and televisi!n "!r ratings and p(*licit. 6!( c!(ld al)as c!(nt !n s!me tpe
!" c!ntr!vers *et)een )hat )as said * s!me!ne and h!) the media interpreted them. 7'he
c!nditi!ns !" the ghett! are resp!nsi*le18 he said1 7the p!!r sch!!ls1 p!!r h!(sing and lack !"
4!*s in the sl(ms. 'hese are resp!nsi*le "!r ri!ts1 n!t )hat 9r. :ing sas8 ;9r. :ing Critici<ed
"!r 7vi!lence8 talk1 /e) 6!rk 'imes=. 'he media had s!meh!) tried t! dist!rt 9r :ing.s )!rds
as him *eing a vi!lent man and n!t the n!n vi!lent sp!kesman he act(all )as.
9r. >artin 0(ther :ing ?r )as c!nsidered the v!ice !" reas!n d(ring the civil rights
m!vements in the late "i"ties and in the sixties (ntil he )as assassinated. In 1+&+ 9r. :ing )ent
Week 2 - Civil Rights in the Sixties Paper @
t! India t! st(d >!handas 2handi.s phil!s!ph !" n!n vi!lence. 9r :ing *ecame the
sp!kesman "!r 5lack America d(ring the sixties and pr!m!ted n!n vi!lence in his tireless e""!rts
!" the civil rights m!vement. 'he ?im Cr!) la)s that denied *lacks rights t! eat in p(*lic
esta*lishments )ith )hites1 drink !(t !" the same )ater "!(ntains1 (se the same p(*lic restr!!ms
and attend the same p(*lic learning instit(ti!ns )ere c!n"r!nted * 9r :ing. 9r :ing
!rchestrated the "irst 7sit-in8 in 2reens*!r!1 /!rth Car!lina in )hich himsel" and !thers sat in a
7)hite.s !nl8 resta(rant peace"(ll (ntil the g!t served "!!d. A" c!(rse the did n!t get
served1 instead s!me !" them g!t 4ailed and pr!sec(ted *eca(se !" this. 'his m!vement !" n!n
vi!lent 7sit-ins8 )as the "irst !" man. 'he Freed!m Riders )ere esta*lished and )ent all !ver
the c!(ntr in greh!(nd *(sses and per"!rmed 7sit-ins8 in Ala*ama1 'ennessee1 /!rth Car!lina1
S!(th Car!lina and 2e!rgia.
Peace"(l n!n vi!lent pr!tests and )alks )ere als! carried !(t * 9r. :ing and his
"!ll!)ers in man cities thr!(gh!(t the s!(th and int! Washingt!n 9.C. Where !ver 2--1---
pe!ple marched "r!m the Washingt!n >!n(ment t! the 0inc!ln >em!rial )here he gave his
"am!(s 7I have a dream8 speech. 'his )as the largest civil rights dem!nstrati!n in hist!r.
9r. :ing pr!m!ted n!n vi!lence and lived that the!r in his everda li"e. #is st(dies
"r!m India and 2handi !pp!sed vi!lence n! matter )hat !(r persec(t!rs d! t! !(. #e )as
4ailed !ver @- times1 sta**ed and even )as a target "!r assassinati!n1 et did n!t retaliate *(t )ith
)!rds !" peace. 79r. :ing.s *elie" in n!nvi!lence )as s(*4ected t! intense press(re in 1+,,1
)hen s!me /egr! gr!(ps ad!pted the sl!gan 7*lack p!)er8 in the a"ter math !" civil rights
marches int! >ississippi and race ri!ts in /!rthern cities. #e re4ected the ida1 saingB 7'he
/egr! needs the )hite man t! "ree him "r!m his "ears. 'he )hite man needs the /egr! t! "ree
him "r!m his g(ilt.8 ;>. >arch /e) 6!rk 'imes=
Week 2 - Civil Rights in the Sixties Paper %
'h!(gh 9r. :ing.s meth!d !" peace1 n!n vi!lence and a m!re reserve appr!ach gained
l!ts !" m!vement t! *lack Americans1 there )as a ne) appr!ach * >alc!lm C. A dev!ted
m(slim that )as artic(late1 charismatic1 and c!(ld relate t! a !(nger generati!n that )anted
even m!re rights that )ere d(e t! them (sed the sl!gan !" the >(slim teachings1 79e"end
!(rsel" at all c!sts81 and 7'ake resp!nsi*ilit "!r !(r !)n lives8. 'he m(slim teachings als!
ta(ght t! re4ect an dependance !n )hites and live * a stricter c!de !" *ehavi!r. >alc!lm C
and 9r. :ing did n!t see ee t! ee !n this tpe !" m!vement *(t each man )as "ighting "!r the
same ca(se. >alc!lm C.s "irm (nc!mpr!mising !pp!siti!n t! all "!rms !" racism and
!ppressi!n inspired a !(nger generati!n !" 5lack Americans t! take their rights instead !" )ait
"!r them t! *e given. 'he sl!gan 75lack P!)er8 held man meanings t! *lacks at that time.
5lack Panthers in 0!s Angeles )!re g(ns !penl !n their sh!(lders in a sh!) !" de"ense "!r
)hat had happened in the 0.A. Ri!ts in )hich )hite p!lice !""icers and "ire"ighters savagel *eat
*lacks.
;#andler sas= 'he 5lack >(slim asserted that the great ma4!rit !" the dem!nstrat!rs
)ere negr!es )h! re"(sed t! accept 9r. :ing.s d!ctrine !" n!nvi!lence.8 >alc!lm C )as an
activist "!r "ighting "!r rights1 and de"ending !(rsel" and h!(seh!ld at all c!sts.
#andler1 >.S. ;1+,@=. >alc!lm C 'erms 9r. :ngDs 'actics F(tile. New York Times, ;1=1 p.2.
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Week 2 - Civil Rights in the Sixties Paper &
Sch(mach1 >. ;1+,H=. >artin 0(ther :ing ?r.B 0eader !" >illi!ns in /!n Ii!lent drive "!r Racial
?(stice. New York Times, ;1=1 p.1.
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;1+,K=. 9r. :ing Critici<ed "!r LIi!lence. 'alk. New York Times ;1=. P.1.
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Week 2 - Civil Rights in the Sixties Paper ,