SaadKhalid

Sep2,2016

OurthreereadingthisweekwereTheTerrorofLynching,AimsandObjectsforthe
MovementforSolutionoftheNegroproblem,andHasAmericaaRaceProblem.
ThefirstofthesereadingspertainedtoIdaB.Wells,tohermessageandformofaction,
andtothestrugglesshefacedalongthewayofmovingtowardshergoals.Whilethefocusofthis
readingwasonfightingforthedignityofblackAmericans,italsoevoked,atleastinme,
sentimentsandfeminism.Thearticledoesntelaboratemuchonwhetherpartofherstrugglewas
duetoherbeingawoman,butIfindithardtobelievethatitwasnt.Really,Ithinkifithadbeen
amanwithherpersonality,hewouldhavefoundmoresuccessthanshedid,simplybecause
manydontlikeforwomentobehavetostrongly.But,thisissimplyspeculationonmypart.The
readingspokeprimarilyaboutthestrengthwithwhichshefoughtagainstlynchingandtowards
leadershipinacommunitythatdidntfullyappreciatewhatsheoffered.
ThesecondreadingwasbyMarcusGarvey,ablackmaninfavorofthestrategyof
deportingalloftheblackAmericanstoAfrica.Itshardformetosaytoomuchaboutthis
readingintermsofasummation,becauseIdisagreewithitsostronglythatitfrustratesmeto
typeaboutit.However,Idounderstandhisperspectiveintermsofreactingtothestateofaffairs
inthattime.Hespeaksofracialprideandseparation,ofnotfraternizingwithotherraces.His
beliefisthateachraceshouldbepurelyitsownandshouldbaskintheirownbeingratherthan
trytofindsomeartificialequalityatthecostofignoringracialdifferences.
Thethirdreadingwasabouthowcivilizationstendtocometoastandstillwhentheyare
notinternallyforcedtofacedifficultiesanddifferencesofopinion.Hismessagewas,asfarasI
couldtell,thathavingequalityinanationwasnecessaryforitsgrowth,thoughImnotsureI
agreedwithhisrhetoric.Theargumentrevolvedaroundconflictandresistanceleadingtopeace,
andthuswhiteandblackpeopleneedtobeequalsothattheycanbringtheirconflictstogether
andgrowwitheachother,insteadofbehavingdestructively.However,Itendtothinkthatthe
mixingofracesneedonlybringconflictforafiniteamountoftime,andthatovertime,we
shouldbemovinginthesamedirection,towardsunderstanding.
Ithoughtthatthesecondandthirdreadinghadincommonthisideathatdifferentraces
inherentlybroughtsomethingdifferenttothetable.Now,IdontknowifCoopermeantthatthe
differencesbetweentheraceswereduetodifferentculturalupbringings,oriftheywere
somehowtherethroughouttimeandwouldneverdisappear.Itsinterestingtome,however,how
antitheticalGarveyandCoopersconclusionsare,consideringtheyarebothfoundedonthisidea
ofdifference.IalsodidntseemuchincommonbetweenIdaB.Wellsopinionsandthoseof
Garvey.However,WellsandCooperbothsharedsimilaritiesintheirideasofequalityandalso
inthethemeofconflictrather,itseemstomethatWellswasanincarnationoftheconflictthat
Cooperwroteabout,servingasaforceofresistancethatbringsaboutimprovementandforward
motionbybeinginoppositionwithothers.

Iftheresonethingthesereadingshaveshownme,itshowwidelyvariedtheopinionsof
peoplefightingforfreedomcanbe.Despitelivingundersimilarcircumstancesandwanting
similarthings,theirthoughtsonhowtoachievetheirgoalswereverydifferent.Ofcourse,thisis
onlythreereadings.Iminterestedinknowingwhatproportionofpeopleinthattimelinedup
withGarveysviews,comparedtothoseofCooperandWells.