Development of Civil Rights

Development of Civil Rights Dulce Melgoza Rodriguez Civil Rights: Power to the People The seeking of civil rights is a seemingly endless fight that is still experienced in the United States on a daily basis. Since America’s early years, there has been a struggle for people of color to have as much rights as Caucasians. Skin color has determined privilege, and despite the fact that there has been progress, there has also been regress as well. When the idea of civil rights was in the early stages, not all were conformed to the thought. Some even took matters into their own hands, such as with the infamous group formation of the Ku Klux Klan. Even with the supposed protection under the law, blacks still came under the harassment and hate crimes that came from the KKK and typical discrimination under the Jim Crow Laws that followed them; even with the elimination of those said laws, people still refused to accept the minority race as an equal. An evident racism and reaction to civil rights seen today mirrors the past and holds true to the fact that civil rights hav e isn’t just one battle, and that it to be continuously sought after. Civil Rights are, by definition, the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality. Minorities in the United States have individually worked to gain their rights that weren’t given to them since birth as it was with the non-minority race. It is a lot easier to be white than to be a minority. For whites, they don’t typically deal with racial profiling because their skin color doesn’t make them look like the enemy nor are they reduced to a stereotype. In the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence it is written that â€Å"we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights [†¦]†, however those rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were only to men who were white, and not to any other race or ethnic group. During the Civil War, a major tension between the north and south dealt with the topic of if blacks should be kept as slaves. North said no and the South said yes. After the loss of the Confederacy, and the establishment of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, blacks were happy, but the wealthy and plantation owners were not. African Americans exercised their new rights at first, but black codes were established that stripped them of their freedoms and reduced them to a level of indentured servitude. At this time as well the Ku Klux Klan rose to power to intimidate blacks so they wouldn’t attempt to gain more of their rights. The method was effective and fear and panic was spread throughout as members of the KKK could have been anyone from the average man to law enforcement officials. The period of Reconstruction in the South that was meant to be a prosperous time for blacks in America, didn’t prove to have as much progress as originally intended. Influential black activists who fought for their rights rose up at this time and made themselves known. Some looked for gradual methods to gain their freedoms and others demanded immediate equal rights. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in 1909 by W.E.B. Dubois. With the use of courts and legislature, the NAACP would fight for the Civil Rights of African Americans. Despite the Amendments established in the Constitution, Southern states imposed voting restriction laws to disenfranchise African Americans through the use of literacy tests, poll tax, and the grandfather clause. The South went even further by passing the Jim Crow Laws that instituted segregation between blacks and whites in public facilities. These laws came to be challenged in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson where Homer Plessy, a part black and part white man who could technically use both white and black facilities, was told to move to the end of a train, and ended up suing. Plessy lost the case and out of it, the doctrine â€Å"separate but equal† was established and ruled that the fourteenth amendment only ensured political equality and that segregation was not the same as inferiority, which made segregation legal for the next sixty years. Civil Rights had a long ways to go at this point, and the discrimination against blacks was followed into both World Wars. In World War II, American troops told the French to treat the white troops better than the black troops and they bunked in segregated facilities. After WW2, Blacks fought alongside NAACP and the Congress of Racial Equality to eliminate the Jim Crow Laws. In 1954, Congress declared the â€Å"separate but equal† rule to be unconstitutional, with the court case of Brown v. Board of Education that desegregated schools and began to apply the 14th amendment to its full extent, though it would be eleven more years until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and fourteen years until the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Since the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act, there has been change in the public policy towards the issue of racism and discrimination; however, it is still present despite the legislation passed to combat it. No matter how much America has gone forward in it’s advancements in Civil Rights, but just like it was in the 1860s, not everyone is willing to follow suit in the idea of equality for all races. The NAACP and other civil rights activist groups are still around today just like the KKK is. The need for civil tights is still prevalent today, and not just for blacks – but for all minority groups such as Hispanics, Native Americans, or Asians who have also benefitted off the legislation passed. In a typical election, most minorities would rather vote Democrat rather than Republican because the Democrats are those whose policies like Affirmative Action which seek to advance those who have been at a disadvantage throughout history. Liberal standpoints favor Civil Ri ghts while Conservatives have opposed them. When it comes to future policy-making issues, no minority wants to vote for an official who wouldn’t care about the importance of their rights and whose actions could lead to something simple as ignoring the fact discrimination exists and that it occurs to their constituents or to going out of their way to make the minorities the less represented group. This could go from anywhere such as gerrymandering, where district lines can be drawn up in a way to favor one party representation over another which actually has to be approved by Congress when done by the South to actual passing of legislation such as in Arizona’s Immigration Enforcement laws passed in 2010 that allowed for anyone who remotely looks â€Å"illegal† to a law enforcement official to be questioned and detained. Though it is a law that isn’t supposedly based on the color of one’s skin, it’s evident that the appearance of the individua l is what determines if the police officer approaches them and asks to see their papers. Progress is gradual overall, so there needs to be a stronger initiative to gain more than just rights, but also a sense of respect and to break the barrier of discrimination for something trivial like the color of one’s skin. There can’t be talk about progression when the progress is so little and there are people constantly trying to stop it through laws or discreet methods. If judging people on their race continues, nothing will ever get accomplished because the non-minority child will grow with a mindset that they can’t amount to anything. The institutionalized racism will discourage those minorities even though they are not to be the minority group within the future years of the growing population. The minority needs to know of their rights and the impact they can have on the United States if they banded together to bring change. All that needs to happen is for this group to understand they are not weak and that if they show the same amount of gusto that thei r predecessors showed, the United States could prove to be an entirely different place for its citizens, especially those of color.

Filmmaking :: essays research papers

The Film about Filmmaking Truffaut's irresistibly charming "film about filmmaking" is an enormously affectionate homage to cinema, as well as a portrayal of the joy and anguish of filmmaking. The framing film Day for Night tells the story of a director; Ferrand (Truffaut) and his crew shooting a romantic family melodrama entitled Meet Pamela at the Studio Victorine in Nice. As the shooting proceeds, the personal crises of the crewmembers engulf the professional sphere of their lives, and threaten the smooth progress of the filming: one of the leading actresses, Sà ©verine (Valentina Cortese), is anguished by her son's terminal illness and unable to remember her lines because of her alcoholism; Stacey (Alexandra Stewart) is three-months pregnant and refuses to shoot a swimming scene in a bathing suit; Alphonse (Jean-Pierre Là ©aud) seeks feminine/maternal affection and lingers over the same question: "Are women magic?" Ferrand realizes that films are more harmonious than life: there are "no traffic jams or no dead waits," and people like them are happy only in their work of making films. Despite a series of difficulties and the accidental death of Alexandre (played by Jean-Pierre Aumont) in a car crash, the crew manages to complete the filming and then disperse to future destinations. From the outset Day for Night is full of Truffaut's nostalgia for cinema of the past. A title sequence accompanied by orchestral music gradually turns into a melancholic accordion tune; a still of Dorothy and Lillian Gish with subtitle announces that the film is dedicated to these legendary stars of the silent screen. The spectator is then led to a square seemingly in Paris, a rather chic landscape dotted with a metro station, a fashionable cafà ©, stoned buildings, the sound of busy traffic and pedestrians. A young man (Jean-Pierre Là ©aud) with a solemn expression on his face appears from the metro station and walks towards an elderly man. After a while the young male slaps the latter on his face. As soon as an immense tension occurs we hear the voice "Cut" and the camera tracks back to reveal that it was a shooting of a film. The camera pulls back further and we see the film crew, a television presenter and her crew. The television crew interviews the actors and they p rovide us with a synopsis of the film they are shooting: Meet Pamela is the story of a tragic affair of an adulterous couple.

Masculinity portrayed in “The Great Gatsby” Essay

Masculinity is a well known stereotype that often defines men as being tough, strong, and having no emotions. In most cases, their work tends to identify their level of masculinity. In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald, and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the male characters create their identities through their abilities to provide for their families. In these three texts, the males portray their masculinity by their roles as head of the family and their work and wealth. As a tradition in many cultures, the males assume the position as head of the family. In most cases, their family responsibilities and obligations establish their masculinity. Pa was the head of the family now (Steinbeck 139). In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Pa became the leader of the family after Grandpa died. Pa took over Grandpas role in the family and was responsible for the whole family in result. Traditionally, the position of the family leader is passed down to the eldest male. Similar to Pa in The Grapes of Wrath, Tom in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, demonstrated his masculinity as the head of the household after his father had abandoned the family. I mean that as soon as Laura has got somebody to take care of her, married, a home of her own, independent — Why, then youll be free to go wherever you please, on land, on sea, whichever way the wind blows you! (Williams 35). Tom is obligated to support his family, especially his crippled sister Laura, until she finds a husband. Because Tom was the only male in his sister and mothers lives, he had to assume household responsibilities, as most men did for their families. Ultimately, Pa and Tom expose their masculinity by obtaining the duties of being in charge of their families. Customarily, a mans masculinity is defined through his wealth, occupation, or means of work. Throughout society, it is a stereotype that if a man makes a sufficient amount of money and has a job that easily supports himself and or his family, he is masculine. If he has a small, not so important, low earning job, then he is typically considered less masculine. In The Grapes of Wrath, Pa struggles to prove his masculinity. Well what the hell am I gonna do? Were out of money. One of my boys got a short job but that wont  feed us. (Steinbeck 374). Pa gets frustrated because hes helpless when it comes to work. He does not feel like he is supporting his family, therefore he feels like he is masculinity is diminishing. Different from Pa, Tom and Gatsby in The Great Gatsby are able to successfully display their masculinity by the amount of wealth that they have. Tom Buchanans arrogance and pride that he shows toward his wealth seems to prove his masculinity to his mistress Myrtle. They are both hung up on his money and Tom likes to flaunt it. Because Tom is wealthy, Myrtle sees him as the perfect gentleman. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face (Fitzgerald 7). Tom is described as being clearly aware of his power and manliness. Like Tom, Jay Gatsby also has a large fortune. The fact that Mr. Gatsbys money is entirely earned from work, unlike Tom whose money is passed down through the family, also displays masculinity. His gorgeous home and lavish parties provided by his abundant wealth makes the community realize how much he earns, which otherwise depicts his masculinity. Masculinity is identified in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald, and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, through the male characters abilities to support their families, which also touches upon their jobs and wealth. In modern society, while masculinity still seems to be based on a mans ability to provide for his family, the type of job he has, or the money that he earns, it plays a crucial and distinctive role in the way that people view men. Overall, it classifies their level of manliness. Furthermore, men tend to strive to gain these qualities that illustrate masculinity, as it is portrayed in these three novels.

Art And Simplistic Beauty In Station Eleven By Emily St....

Casually portraying elements of beauty in the simplest things, Emily St. John Mandel explores the response of a closely related group of characters to a devastating world catastrophe in the novel Station Eleven. While examining themes of art and simplistic beauty, Mandel grabs the readers attention by moving back and forth throughout time, displaying how art is hidden in every aspect of human life. The novel itself is a post-apocalyptic fictional about the aftermath of a worldwide flu pandemic, the â€Å"Georgia Flu,† wiping out most of society. As the book floats between the ways of the world before and after the pandemic, many different characters are introduced. Appearing often in the novel include Jeevahn, a journalist who became a†¦show more content†¦According to Mandel, art reminds us that we’re human. It is a subconscious human instinct, even â€Å"in the midst of catastrophe† (Knopf). By year twenty, billions of the population are deceased and all that remains now of the world are wastelands that endure the memory of bustling cities and small dispersed settlements of the few survivors. Although nothing’s the same, Mandel sheds light on the artistry and allure of the simple things. Saying, â€Å"What was lost in the collapse: almost everything, almost everyone, but there is still such beauty† (Mandel 57). Talking about the scenery from nature and the production put on by the Traveling Symphony, Mandel subtly shows how it’s in our human nature to express oneself. Although nearly the entire population of the world was wiped out, art survived and remains in everything; unavoidably associated with human life, from the natural happenings of the environment to characteristics exhibited from people. The Traveling Symphony is a troupe of actors and musicians who travel in caravans around the Great Lakes to settlements made by other survivors. Mandel says she added the group because she found it â€Å"hopeful† and â€Å"interesting† (NPR). In each little town the troupe stops at, the Symphony puts on concerts and theatre performances of mostly recreated Shakespeare plays. Written on the leading caravan is the Symphony’s motto â€Å"Because survival is insufficient,† taken from a Star Trek: Voyager episode (Mandel 58, 119). According