3 people, 3 deaths

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

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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

 
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“Bombingham”: The Ruthless Society That Tore Apart a Peaceful Symbol

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

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On September 15th, 1963, a bomb exploded in a stairwell inside of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Four young girls were killed in the bombing, along with more than 20 injured. The event, which was covered in March Book 3, stood out to me as such an important event, almost as if it was the single event that served as the turning point of the Civil Rights movement. Although no one event acts as the turning point, it was this bombing, along with the murder of Virgil Lamar Ware that followed, which opened the eyes of the public to the brutal and grim crimes committed against African Americans.

Robert E. Chambliss, who was originally declared a primary suspect of the bombing, was not originally charged in the 60’s due to the reluctancy of witnesses at the scene. It was discussed that Hoover had withdrawn evidence from the crime scene, possibly altering the initial outcome of the event. In the end, Chambliss received life in prison in 1977 following a case that was reopened.

 

This reminds me of a similar case where someone was murdered in broad daylight. The witnesses, however, refused to serve as a witness, fearing for their safety. They all continued their days, not even attempting to call 911. The murderer was never caught, although the case serves as a reminder of the importance of justice. Placing myself in the parents’ shoes, it enrages me to hear that witness refuse to help bring justice to those who deserve it. It makes me feel as if there’s no hope left in society. Although times have changed, cases like this still happen today.

The initial information of the event, honestly, shocked me. The grim details and motives surrounding the event displayed what harsh crimes society could possibly commit. Information regarding George Wallace, Alabama’s Governor, made me question the confidentiality and legitimacy of the government throughout the Civil Rights movement. After doing research about the event, I couldn’t help but feel for the innocent girls who lost their lives following the event. Following the series of bombings, the public even nicknamed Birmingham “Bombingham.”

 
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