My experience with reading comics has overall been pretty good for me even though it’s been a while since I’ve last done it. Although it definitely caught me off guard getting assigned a comic book, especially on civil rights, in English class. It wasn’t too difficult of a template to adjust to as I used to read some Garfield and I’ve liked Garfield. I found it easier to read than a book as it made it easier to skim through. This was helpful as it allowed me to easily get the main idea due to the images. The only issues I had while reading was sometimes figuring out who said what and occasionally, I’d get lost when the book started jumping around between subjects.

I’d say that I already had a lot of knowledge in the subject as I like history a lot. One effect of this is that I read about American and global history a little bit in my free time. I’ve found school history to be very unreliable and commonly flat out wrong when discussing topics so my knowledge on history has been independently learnt. Due to this I feel like I know more than most people on the subject.

On civil rights specifically I already have lots of pre-existing knowledge. For example, I’ve read lots on reconstruction as well as how segregation became a thing along with similar things that happened in foreign countries. This made it so that I wasn’t really surprised by bad things that were shown in March. I already knew a lot about the Ku Klux Klan, segregation, and the prevalent culture at the time. I also knew about the political parties and the conditions under segregation. In conclusion, I had a mostly easy time reading March and I had lots of prior knowledge on the subject.

Daniel December 5, 2022

A vicious cycle of inequality

Engl 165-04 Fall '22, Engl 165-16 Fall '22

Tags: blacks, Civil Rights, inequality, Race, social class, whites

The question remains: Is the root of problems in America based on race or class? During the civil rights movement, the huge issue was race. Blacks had little to no rights compared to whites in the 1950s and 1960s. Back then there was such a division between races. The whites despised the blacks because they didn’t look like them and the blacks despised the whites because of the way they treated them. They had separate drinking fountains, separate bathrooms, and even separate restaurants. Social class wasn’t the biggest issue because whites were wealthier than blacks anyways because of how unequal it was. After the civil rights movement and years later, blacks and whites now have the same rights. Blacks now have the right to vote, the right to go and live anywhere they want, the right to have whatever job they want, and even the right to be a President as Barack Obama did.

Nowadays we don’t see as much of a divide in race but rather in social class. Social class is a separation in a society based on economic and social standing. We usually separate people into the upper class, middle class, and lower class meaning the upper class is wealthier and the lower class is poorer. There tends to be unfairness seen in society nowadays based on social class. One example being education. People who are wealthier tend to have higher education than people who are poorer. The New York Time reported “In 1970, the race gap in achievement was more than one and a half times higher than the class gap. Since then, says Stanford University’s Sean Reardon, the class gap has grown by 30 to 40 percent, and become the most potent predictor of school success”. With that being said, today in the 21st century I believe that class has been more of a problem in America than race. We were able to fix the race problem and I sure hope we can fix the class problem.

https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/01/28/racial-reparations-and-the-limits-of-economic-policy/class-is-now-a-stronger-predictor-of-well-being-than-race#:~:text=That’s%20a%20big%20change%20from,potent%20predictor%20of%20school%20success.

Jessica November 13, 2022 6 Comments

The Klu Klux Klan. Where Are They Now?

Engl 165-16 Fall '22

Tags: Civil Rights, end discrimination, equal rights

The better known “KKK”, an activist group created in 1885, mostly led by caucasian men,was a group of horrible people who did horrible things to many people and unfortunately still do. This group assembled as racist, hatred fed individuals who covered their faces and bodies in white outfits that could be betrayed as looking like ghosts to hide their identities. In this group the members would target African Americans and beat them and go as far as killing them as well. During the Civil Rights movement countless African Americans were burned, hung, shot, and beaten by this notorious group. Although after the Civil Rights movement brought change and the incidents involving the Klu Klux Klan faded out, does not mean they stopped their actions. In 2017, there was a boost in the membership of this group, according to news articles, nearly more than half of the members came into existence in the past three years. There is not much information found on the activities they are taking part in as of today. Most information says they hold meetings and will wear their “attire” on occasion, but they are not killing like they used to, thankfully. When stepping back and taking a look on the Klan during the Civil Rights movement compared to modern day there are various changes to be seen. In the time of the movement, the Klan was killing, harming or beating African Americans near to death over the movement. Various activist were murdered by the group or if not murdered they were in near death condition, when found after the group was associated with them. This group was horrendous in their gruesome actions but over the years have luckily calmed down. Many laws and organizations are put up against the group today, preventing their actions from proceeding as they once were. Hopefully in the near future there will no longer be the group known as the “Klu Klux Klan.”

Cited from

Trimble, M. (2017, August 14). KKK groups still active in these states in 2017. U.S. News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2017-08-14/the-kkk-is-still-based-in-22-states-in-the-us-in-2017

April November 6, 2022 2 Comments

3 people, 3 deaths

Engl 165-04 Fall '22, Engl 165-16 Fall '22

Tags: Civil Rights, Freedom, Justice

Michael (Mickey) Schwerner, Andrew (Andy) Goodman, and James Chaney were all civil rights activists who promoted voting registration among African Americans. Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman, two of his closest friends, traveled to Longdale to visit a Methodist Church that was bombed by the Klu Klux Klan because it was going to be used as a Freedom School. They were then arrested but released later on in the evening. After being released they were walking on the side of the road when they were horribly mobbed, killed, and buried in an earthen dam by the Klu Klux Klan. FBI agents then found their bodies a few days later in the dam at Old Jolly Farm.

Michael Schwerner a white Jewish-American civil rights activist was born in 1939 and killed in 1964. He was married to Rita Levant, both field workers and a part of the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE). In the summer of 1964, he organized and led Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) to intend to hold classes and drives to register African Americans to vote in the state, which was called Freedom Summer. Schwerner was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Andrew Goodman was also a white Jewish-American civil rights activist and was born in 1943. He wasn’t married but did have a brother named, David. While he was in college he joined Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and volunteered in the Freedom Summer campaign.

Alike Goodman, James Chaney was born in 1943. When Chaney was 15, him and his friends all wore paper bandages that read “NAACP” (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) showing their support for civil rights organization. In the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) he organized voter education classes, introduced Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) workers to local church leaders, and helped the workers get around the counties.

One thing I noticed was that two out of these three men were white men just standing up for what they believe in. They were mobbed and murdered not because of their color but for supporting people of color. Personally, I wouldn’t do something that I knew would get me killed just because I’m not the type of person to take huge risks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Chaney

Michael Schwerner, Activist born

Jessica October 31, 2022 1 Comment

One Step at a Time

Engl 165-04 Fall '22, Engl 165-16 Fall '22

Tags: Civil Rights, John F Kennedy, John Lewis, March book 3, President Johnson

The Impact
One thing that this book never fails to do, is shock me. Perhaps it’s ignorance, perhaps it’s me forgetting everything I learned in my history classes, but the story that it tells feels so personal. It’s a different and fresh perspective from how we usually learn about these events, and it does an amazing job at putting us up close and personal with these tragedies.

The Horrors
Starting this week’s reading was heartbreaking. The very first few pages were dedicated to the bombing and the four tragic deaths of those innocent girls. Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair had their lives ripped away from them. Knowing that these four girls never got to grow up, really puts things into perspective. The aftermath of the bombing was also a shock. The multiple casualties that all linked back to this event just added a layer of horror. What really bothered me most however, was the fact that all of the deaths were of kids. It showed that even after all this time, things had yet to change. That they are about to enter an era that they know will bring a number of casualties like the ones caused on that day. Reading through these pages felt like a downward spiral from one awful event to the next.

The Assassination
Even if they showed steady progress, it all came crashing to a stop when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. This was a huge turning point, especially since the one in charge now was President Johnson. John Lewis however, wanted to give him a chance. Although President Johnson didn’t have the best track record when it came to helping with passing civil rights legislation. The only thing I wish he’d done differently is that he would’ve asked John Lewis to continue the protests. They would add more pressure to the up coming election, sure, but that wouldn’t be a problem if you had the people you are fighting for, be able to vote for you. That’s why I found it kind of counterproductive, when he was asking civil rights activist groups to halt their work.

Nicolle October 21, 2022 3 Comments

A Sunday to Remember

Engl 165-04 Fall '22, Engl 165-16 Fall '22

Tags: Civil Rights, equality, March book 3

The book starts on a normal Sunday morning and everyone was doing their normal Sunday routine. The day ends in a terrible fright as someone throws a bomb at the poor church. The news spread like wildfire over the radio and everyone knew about it in no time. Imagine waking up that day and planning on doing what you do every Sunday. The church was full of innocent people who just wanted to worship their God that Sunday. What kind of person would bomb a church full of innocent people? Innocent lives were lost that day to the hatred someone had for black people. Many families lost their loved ones and with that, they gained a lifetime of grief. I do not know what I would do if I was ever in a situation like that. To be living my life like I do every day and for something so bad to happen so suddenly would be something I would never recover from. What could I or anyone else have done to make the bombing affect the town any less? How do you make it easier for someone to live every day after that knowing that someone they loved is now gone? Nothing could change the hatred this person had towards black people nor could it bring the victims back. What could anyone have possibly done to stop something like this from happening? People fought long and hard to make a change in the world and this was the response they got. After the bombing happened the violence got so much worse. More innocent lives were lost and the only real reason for it was because the victims were black. If this was not enough to show the world that black people need help, then what will really show them?

Tamya October 21, 2022 1 Comment

Putting Myself in Their Shoes

Engl 165-16 Fall '22

Tags: Civil Rights, March book 3, walk a mile in my shoes

When looking at all the events that took place during the time frame of the Civil Rights movement, many took place. The beatings, murders and various other horrible actions took place on those who were fighting for their rights. The one that took the cake so to speak, was the time bomb that exploded in the basement of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. This time bomb killed four African American girls, and injured twenty-two other children in the act. That morning those children were just attending Sunday school, they were not doing anything wrong, yet some lost their lives as well as some left injured. It was a room full of eighty children, who would ever think to set a bomb off in a room full of children attending Sunday school? It was only one of the wrong things that had been happening to the African Americans of that time. An individual by the name of Fannie Lou Hamer, an African American woman who went to the court house to register to vote. Following her attempt she was fired from her job, arrested and severely beaten. After this incident, she later joined the SNCC, and became one of the most passionate activist under the organization. For many people Fannie became the heart and center for the organization. If I were in Fannie’s shoes, I would’ve done just the same as her. Although she was arrested, fired and beaten, she still continued to do everything she could to make a change to the world she was in, she joined an organization that she knew by joining she could make a difference in. If I were her, I would not have let what happened to me, put me down or make me stop. Just as her, I would have went and found any way I could’ve to continue what I was foreshadowing to do. As in her shoes, I would’ve put up a little bit more of a fight, when the police arrested me, I would have cooperated, but following I would have tried to cause a case. A case being that of suing the police department for arresting an African American woman just for simply trying to vote, because in my eyes perhaps a civil case might have made a significant change in that time. In every other aspect of her, I would not have done anything differently, she was an amazing woman, who went to make many, many important changes in the world of equal and civil rights.

April October 21, 2022 1 Comment

1961 -2022 Civil Rights Comparison

Engl 165-04 Fall '22, Engl 165-16 Fall '22

Tags: Civil Rights, George Floyd, John Lewis, Richmond

The 1961 film, The 10 Commandments, was a key role in the civil right movement. John Lewis, who was a pastor, led his people to the movie theater in Nashville TN to protest and sit in. This protest was just one of many by Lewis and his followers. During the peaceful protest, violent white supremacists in the community caused many terrible acts to play out. Beatings, foul words, and other attacks were bombarded upon the protestors that day. As students, we are currently reading and writing about this specific event. Sadly, as we live every day more of these events still play out. Though many of the goals of the civil rights movement have been reached, there is still negativity surrounding it today. Police brutality still exists in our country. Countless innocent African Americans have been brutally murdered by the police in my lifetime. It is a realization that is very difficult to grasp. I personally do not see much racism in my community, but this does not mean racism doesn’t exist in our country. One current event that I feel strongly relates to this event is the painting of the Robert E Lee monument in Richmond. After the killing of George Floyd, the people of Richmond Virginia protested in downtown Richmond. Thousands of people painted the Robert E Lee monument with “Black Live Matter”. I personally went to this monument in the following weeks after the protests. It was a crazy feeling looking at the monument, I had only seen videos on the news. The same area I was standing was the ground for many violent attacks. I personally know someone who was there as media reporting for the VCU Journalist website. She told me that police tear-gassed her even though she was wearing a very clear media badge. The massive group of people was shot with rubber bullets, tear-gassed, and beaten by the police. As everyone remembers these protests flooded the entire nation. We as Americans have a long ways to go to ensure equal rights for everyone.

Andrew September 23, 2022

Engl 165-04 Fall '22

Tags: artwork, Civil Rights, creativity, Zine

I really liked this zine because I feel that it relates to what we have been talking about in class, the Civil Rights Movement. It consists of pictures and information of colored Americans who lost their lives because of racism that is still in the world today. It was produced digitally and organized with names in alphabetical order. It is a zine full of color and detail. Each page has a drawn picture of the victim with an ombre background. The creator of the zine was able to voice their opinions and emotions through this zine and show that the people in it were good people, with a lot of life still left to live. This piece of artwork is a zine because it is really obvious the passion the creator had for the topic. While some zines are very scattered and collaged, the author of this one wanted to keep each page with the same organizational method, allowing for the information to be clearly understood.

I believe the author made it digitally. I am not sure if the sketches of the people were drawn by the creator or not, but each page has almost a comic book look. It is easy to tell it was created digitally by the font and colors added around the pictures. I really like how all pages are created in the same format and how the author made the names listed in the book in alphabetical order. I find this very artistically unique.

I am going to be making a zine on barrel racing. Barrel racing is something I am very passionate about and know I will be able to educate others on it. Though I have had horses all my life, I began barrel racing almost 3 years ago and have not stopped since. I wish to include information about each of my horses and educate the reader on what barrel racing is, how it works, and the equipment needed.

https://www.sherwoodforestzinelibrary.org/_files/ugd/8c0bf9_85bb8f2375564392bddcf2faa8e2dacf.pdf

Halee April 9, 2022 1 Comment

3 Innocent Lives Taken by the KKK

Engl 165-04 Fall '22

Tags: Activism, Civil Rights, equality, kkk, voting rights

Mickey Schwerner, Andy Goodman, and James Chaney were Civil Rights Workers. They worked in Mississippi, registering black Americans to vote. They were killed by the KKK for their actions of fighting for equality for all. The men were caught in a trap by the KKK on their way back to Meridian. A police officer pulled them over to arrest them. After being released, they were then attacked by members of the Ku Klux Klan, and shot to death.

Mickey Schwerner moved to Mississippi with his wife, Rita, after he was hired to work for the CORE. Prior to this career plan, he attended Michigan State University and Cornell. At Cornell, he was known for working to have a colored student be accepted into a fraternity. Schwerner was originally from the North but felt the need to go down South with hopes of making a change. The casualties of the other 2 men were because the KKK wanted to go after Mickey; however, Goodman and Chaney were with Mickey at the time. He chose to go to Mississippi because he believed he could make the most difference there with the higher number of white-surpemacists.

Andrew Goodman was also born in New York. He was a Jewish-American who became a Civil Rights Activist while studying at Queen’s College. He joined CORE while attending. As part of the Freedom Summer Campaign, Goodman was sent to Meridian along with Schwerner and Chaney. They first met with the families and members of the Mt. Zion Methodist Church in Longdale to see how they were doing after their church had been burnt down by the KKK.

James Chaney was born and raised in Meridian, Mississippi. From an early age, he was taught to have a great amount of racial pride. Him and his friends were suspended in high school for wearing buttons demonstrating their activism. Fighting for his rights was always something that felt very important to him. James had never gotten married. He participated in the Freedom Rides before becoming part of CORE. Chaney worked with colleagues, Goodman and Schwerner to investigate the church bombing. This was a trip that unfortunately, the men never made it home from.

I believe that I would join a cause that had the potential to get me harmed if it was something that was very important to me. I have always been raised to stand up for what I am passionate for and would like to believe that if it was needed, then I would have the courage to take a stand and fight for what I believe in.

Linderd. (2021). Michael Schwerner Biography. Biography of Michael Schwerner. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/price&bowers/Schwerner.htm

Missing Fbi Poster urging for information about the whereabouts of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner. (2019). The Andrew Goodman Foundation. photograph. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://andrewgoodman.org/news-list/living-the-legacy-of-goodman-chaney-and-schwerner-55-years-later/.

The Stonesong Press Inc. and The New York Public Library, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2021, November 28).
Andrew Goodman, activist born. African American Registry. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://aaregistry.org/story/andrew-goodman-activist-who-gave-his-life/

University of North Carolina Press. (2021, November 28). James Chaney, activist born. African American Registry. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://aaregistry.org/story/james-chaney-fought-for-civil-rights/

Halee March 26, 2022 3 Comments

Write-It

My Expierence with Comics and History

The Klu Klux Klan. Where Are They Now?

3 people, 3 deaths

One Step at a Time

A Sunday to Remember

Putting Myself in Their Shoes

1961 -2022 Civil Rights Comparison

3 Innocent Lives Taken by the KKK