Civil Rights

When I soak in the lecture in class about the Harlem Renaissance, I take away from that a new perspective on African American progression through art. The Harlem Renaissance was originally known as the New Negro Movement, and it was sparked by the huge migration of slaves into northern cities in early 1920’s. The outcome of this massive wave of people was culminated into a beautiful artistic movement that consisted of writings that redefined the African American perspective, and music that lifted the African American culture to new heights.
The basic idea or definition of the Civil Rights Movement was more of a fight than a movement if you think about it. But this fight did not consist of fisticuffs and broken pool sticks. This fight was one of civil disobedience, and the fight happened every day. When Mrs. Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, and when Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to thousands on Capitol Hill, and when Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the one fist solute to the rights of all African Americans, the fight was present. And this slow struggle to gain full freedom in a country that was not one of choice for this people, but force. And to think that this struggle of freedom and basic rights still plagues some African Americans today. The struggle was the opponent in the other side of the ring. And we can only hope that the fight will at least slow down, as we saw in the class video with Tom Wise, racial prejudice is still very present in our everyday lives, and racial violence still kills millions of people to date.
The SNCC refers to the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee, and the group was originally founded by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. It started primarily as a civil rights activist group and at end of the life of the company it was directed in a different but equally important issue, feminism. With the new feminism movement came the same traditions from the civil rights movement of sit-ins and various protest activities.
The Shaman in the old eastern mythology was a man that was not granted the right of high priest, but he was ordained to become Shaman through his experiences of a higher bliss, it was as if he was meant to lead and preach his message. I think this is true of both Martin and Malcolm, in that by some miracle and invisible force lived inside them that told them to stand up against prejudice and hate. The difference between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X is a simple product of environment. Experience is what shapes all human beings personalities and beliefs. Martin Luther obviously grew up in a different environment with different philosophies taught to him during his youth. Martin’s father was a reverend and might have taught Martin the stories of Gandhi and non-violent civil disobedience. The difference between them is their own personal journey to follow their dream.
I believe in a certain way that the civil rights movement did accomplish many of the goals it set out in order to gain to freedom in America. Now to say that the problem is completely fixed just because the President of the U.S. is an African American is a complete overstatement. A struggle to survive and live ideal life is process and we get closer to bliss everyday. Or do we.