Thursday, May 03, 2007

What would you do if you lived back then?

My question is:
If you were an African American living during the Civil Rights Movement, what would you have done? Would you have joined the movement, or would you be too afraid of going to jail? Do you think you might have partcipated in a sit-in or a march?

Kaitlyn - 6th Hour

Editor's note: If it were me, I would go to jail and break the unjust laws like Dr. King talked about in the "Letter from a B'ham City Jail". Unjust laws are against morality.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would have joined in the movement if I were living during the Civil Rights Movement. I would break the laws and go to jail because the laws were unjust. In the letter that Martin Luther King wrote, it said that one has a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and that an unjust law is no law at all. I probably would have been afraid to go to jail but I would have done it anyway. I would have seen all the other teenagers doing it, and I would know that it would be the right thing to do. I also would have participated in the sit-ins and marches because they were for the right cause and it would be something I would have to do.

-Claire M.
5th hour

Anonymous said...

If I were African American living during the Civil Rights Movement I think I would have stood up for my rights. I believe I would have gone to jail if that’s what it would have taken. I would not like to be treated how they were treated and I would have put up a fight to keep that from happening. If you don’t try to change things without making risks then there will be no rewards. Great risk can achieve great rewards but no risk will get you no where. I believe there is nothing wrong with non violent protests. If you participate in them then I believe you should not have to go to jail or suffer other consequences either. I probably would have participated in a sit-in or a march because I don’t believe there is anything wrong with that. I would fight for my rights as an American citizen and do whatever I believed would help my cause.

Jeff Kohl
5th Hour

Anonymous said...

I would have definantly have joined the children's march and do sit in's and stuff. i would have done anything to fight for my rights. I know that I didn't live during that time and can't understand what some of the troubles and stuff would have been, and I'm sure I would have been scared. I think I still would have done it anyway because I wouldn't have been alone because others were doing it and I would want to make a difference even if it meant getting hurt. I've always protected my friends when theres been troubles before and I think that if one of my friends had gotten hurt or made fun of, I would have stuck up for them. I would do all i could because I knew the leaders would need numbers for things to get done.

colleen moran

Anonymous said...

i defenatley would have gone to jail and i would not have turend violent in anyway. i would have gone to jail the first day. i think its a great thing in history what the kids did for that. i'd want to be apart of changeing the world and makiing history. the un-just laws are worth breaking and obviously breaking that law could make good come out of it. but honestly if not many people were to do it i still would have because its something i strongly beleive in for haveing equal rights for each person.

Jessica P.
6th hour

Ian Kohler said...

If I were an African-American living during the Civil Rights Movement, I would have been very frightened. I also, would have wondered to myself if I should have stood up for who I was, or to put up with the rudeness the white people would have given me. I know that if I would have put up with the racism, in the future, the white people probably would have a much better relationship with African-Americans. Hence, even in 2007, there are still people out there that follow racism. However, I believe white and black people live a much better life today, then they did 45 years ago.

I probably would have joined Civil Rights Movement. Even though, things were unjust back then, I would know deep down that I did something MORAL not only for me, but for both the African-American and white community. Also, I probably would have been afraid to go to jail, because jail is a dark place called “hell." According to the 1960's white people thought that the (white) police were doing the just things against the black people. This is what lead to inequality justice between the African-Americans and white people.

In conclusion, I believe everyone should live happily and freely in the most powerful country in the world. Racial injustice should have never happened between blacks and whites, because we were all made in the image of God. If I could change one thing about this country, I probably would have put every person that was unjust to another person, in solitary confinement. As it says in the Declaration of Independence, everyone has the inalienable rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Anonymous said...

If i were an african american living during the civil rights era, i think i would have joined the civil rights movement. Learning about what took place during the time of the civil right, i feel what what people did to the blacks was so wrong and so unjust. I would have gone to sit in's and joined the chilrens march. I would have done all this because i know that what the blacks were fighting for was something worthwhile to join and be a part of.

-Zack S.
5th hour

Anonymous said...

if i lived during the Civil rights movement i probably wouldn't of done much. Me leaving school and going to jail would of never happened. The reason why is because i'm to scary. I would of been afraid of what would of happened once i got home and my mom found out i disobeyed her. I do believe that i would of probably participated in the sit-ins and the marchs because it seemed a little more peaceful and my mom would probably be more excepting of that. But, if I would of known what the out come was going to be then i probably wouldn't have went.
~Shayla McElroy~

Anonymous said...

If I was an African American in the Civil Rights Movement, I would participate. I believe we should stand up for our rights and what we believe to be right. Although I would have been scared I would of still stood up for my rights and gone to jail. I think it really made a statement that it was children who stood up for their rights. This made people realize how important it was. I also think that I would partake in a march or sit in. I give a lot of credit to the people who did go to jail or who participated in the sit-ins because it must be a really hard and probably frightening experience. Not know what to expect, or if what you are doing is going to even make a difference. I think it is very important to learn about these kids and is a significant part of African American History.

Allison L.

Anonymous said...

If i was an African American during the civil rights movement, I would have probably joined the movement. I would want to fight fort he rights of my people. It wouldn't matter if I had to go to jail I'm not scared. When you have been oppressed for many years will stop at nothing when you have the chance to be equal. The determination inside you helps to not be scared of the concequences for standing up to the dominant race. This is what i would have done if I was an African American during the civil rights movement.

Jasmine W.
5th hour

Anonymous said...

I would have joined the movement. I think at the time it would be really important for the movement to get as many supporters as it can. i would have gone to jail too, becuase it was a happy place at that time, people wanted to go. I would feel proud of helping my people, and join what everyone else was doing. I would have participated in a march becuase I think they have more effect and more of a rally.
Adam Seyburn
6th hour