Black Boy Project By Rebecca Solomon Scott Appelman

Black Boy Project By Rebecca Solomon, Scott Appelman, and Sima Shleymovich http: //www. haroldshull. com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/Richard-W

Pre Civil Rights Movement http: //www. inquisitr. com/wp-content/limbaugh-segregation 1. jpg

Richard’s Life • Richard was born in Mississippi. His goal is to move to Chicago which he achieves later. His family life is turbulent after his father leaves the family and his mother later suffers from a series of strokes. Richard lives in orphanages and with family members, most notably his grandmother. He struggles to recognize his “place in society” and questions race relations. This is an unanswered question in his life.

Double Consciousness • W. E. B. Du. Bois theorized in The Souls of Black Folk, that a black man consisted of “two warring ideals in one dark body. ” • In the South, Blacks were forced to abide by social stigmas which conflicted with their goals. • As a result, a black man had to develop a double consciousness, satisfying his own desires but ensuring not to go against southern social standards.

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Richard’s Double Consciousness Quotes: • “Well, I want to be a writer. ” pg 188 • “The woman had assaulted my ego; she had assumed that she knew my place in life, what I felt, what I ought to be, and I resented it with all my heart. ” pg 189 Explanation: • Richard aspires to be a writer in a stifling environment. In the South, blacks were expected to have no goals and a black boy with aspirations would be belittled “for his own good. ” Therefore, blacks were controlled by whites through fear and intimidation. For example, Richard’s uncle owned a successful business and he was lynched for not knowing his place in society as a black man.

Quote: • “When I was just a bit slow in performing some duty, I was called a lazy black son of a bitch. I kept silent, striving to offer no excuse for worsening of relations. ” pg 239 Explanation: • Though Richard realizes that he has aptitude and a future he is forced to act ignorant and unassuming in front of whites who went out their way to complicate his life. In the interest of survival Richard must abandon his desires in front of his white counterparts and only indulge them in secret.

Quote: • “In my dealing with whites I was conscious of the entirety of my relations with them, and they were conscious only of what was happening at a given moment. I had to keep remembering what others took for granted; I had to think out what others felt. ” pg 248 Explanation: • Richard recognizes how race determines his interactions with people. He realizes he can only be himself around blacks and must adopt two identities: the meek, unambitious, and well mannered black boy and the diligent, determined, and rowdy young man. This internal struggle causes Richard to evaluate himself in relation to his surroundings.

All blacks adopted this idea of a double consciousness in order to survive. Much like a possum which plays dead in front of predators Richard is forced to stifle his soul to satisfy his surroundings. Unfortunately, Richard’s is the rule and not the exception in the south.

Life for Blacks In the North: • Blacks were allowed to enter the workforce and unionize • Segregation was prevalent in many public places like restaurants and schools • Blacks could admit their aspirations and viewed the north as an escape from the harsh discrimination of the deep south In the South: • Blacks were not allowed to own industries • Institutions like the KKK limited the social mobility of blacks • Had to greet whites formally and treat them as gentility • Had to have a double conscience in order to survive • Blacks were subjected to poorer educational opportunities

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CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT http: //www. inquisitr. com/wp-content/martin-luther-king. jpg

A Chang is Gonna Come • This song was written by Sam Cooke in 1963. • It was a response to “Blowin’ in the Wind, ” by Bob Dylan. Cooke believed if a white man could write such a powerful Civil Rights song even though he was not affected by the movement, he must also.

Goals of the Civil Rights Movement • Abolish segregation • End discrimination/ racial bias • Equal opportunity of employment/ education

Martin Luther King, Jr. King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was a reverend causing King to have a religious upbringing. He graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in sociology in 1948.

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King’s Influences • Gandhi – Gandhi’ use of successful non- violent activism inspired King to adopt it. – Through numerous boycotts and sit-ins King showed the discontent of African Americans • Howard Thurman – Thurman was King’s mentor and introduced King to the work of Gandhi

Important Milestones

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955) – After the Rosa Parks incident, King responded by leading a 385 day boycott on Montgomery bus services. Ultimately this led to the Browder v. Gayle decision in which public bus transportation was ended.

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March on Washington (1963) • In King’s March on Washington he delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. • This is one of King’s most memorable acts because it clearly expressed what he as well as the other civil right’s activists wanted, equality for blacks in all aspects of society.

“I Have A Dream” Speech http: //blog. reidreport. com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mlk-wash. jpg

Malcolm X http: //www. colostate. edu/Orgs/MSA/gifs/m_x_1. gif

Malcolm X • Malcolm X’s father was killed by white supremacists • He adopted a militant approach to achieving equality. This concept was a contrast to King’s policy of Civil Disobedience and as a result gained many followers who were dissatisfied with King’s inaction. • X believed that blacks should break free of white domination “by any means necessary. ”

How do the two views of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X reflect the idea of double consciousness?

Martin Luther King, Jr. Malcolm X • Civil Disobedience • Passive Approach • Believed in pushing the issue • Retaliated with violence if necessary The two men represented two opposing views of how to retaliate against the white dominated society. Their opposing ideas reflect double consciousness because the race was divided in how they wanted to strike back.

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Which civil rights’ leader does Richard compare to?

• Richard compares to Martin Luther King, Jr. because he practices many cases of civil disobedience. – Wants to escape to the North • “I just want to make enough money to leave” (234). • “This was the terror from which I fled” (324).

– Changes jobs because he does not like the way he was treated by the whites • “As I walked around her house to the street, I knew that I would not go back. The woman had assaulted my ego; she had assumed that she knew my place in life what I felt what I ought to be, and I resented it with all my heart. Perhaps she was right; perhaps I would never be a writer; but I did not want her to say so” (189).

• Richard similarly to Martin Luther King, Jr. stood up for himself, but in a nonviolent manner. Richard would use reading and writing as a form of rebellion because blacks were not supposed to be educated and therefore was able to formulate his own principles. – Forms his own ideals • “My reading had created a vast sense of distance between me and the world in which I lived and tried to make a living, and that sense of distance was increasing each day” (319)

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Accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement

Civil Rights Act (1964) Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson Outlawed discrimination in most public places Prohibited bias in federal programs Banned prejudice in employment based on color, race, gender, national origin, or religion (Textbook) • •

Brown v. Board • Plessy vs. Ferguson asserted that facilities could be separate as long as they were equal. • In 1951, Thurgood Marshall claimed that separate facilities limited blacks from their complete rights as American citizens. • In this case the Supreme Court ruled that the separation of children in public schools based on race denied minority children of equal educational opportunities.

Accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement - Ended segregation - Established that blacks were equals - Made African Americans proud of their race

How does life compare before and after the Civil Rights Movement?

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Before Civil Rights Movement • Richard does not receive the encouragement or education necessary to advance himself. He only becomes a writer because of his diligence, drive, and ambition. – “Had a black boy announced that he aspired to be a writer, he would have been unhesitatingly called crazy by his pals. Or had a boy spoken of yearning to get a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, his friends- in the boy’s own interest- would have reported his odd ambition to the white boss. ” pg 249 • Richard has to take out books in secret because questioning social norms in the south could have resulted in his death. Richard is forced out of jobs by his white counterparts, for example, he is forced out of the optic store and they refuse to teach him the trade. Richard is beaten when he accepts a ride from white men and forgets to address them formally. • • After Civil Rights Movement • Brown v Board awards equal education opportunities, ends segregation in school systems. If Richard were a child then he would have been able to pursue his education openly. • Employment opportunities are widened, blacks (especially in the north) gain better wages and treatment • As opposed to isolating themselves as a survival method, blacks joined together to promote their advancement. Ex: NAACP becomes a renowned organization

How did the Civil Rights Movement change the lives of blacks?

• The Civil Rights Movement changed the lives of blacks for the better. The movement allowed for blacks to overcome discrimination, which in turn, opened up many opportunities for blacks to advance further in society. This period brought to light the corruption of a white dominated society and instigated the reforms necessary to make society what it is today. Blacks have since lost the notion of having a double conscious and therefore can ultimately be themselves.

Bibliography • "Biography. " Malcolm. X. com. Estate of Malcolm X. Web. 09 Feb. 2011. <http: //www. malcolmx. com/about/bio. html>. • Faragher, John M. , Mari J. Buhle, Daniel Czitrom, and Susan H. Armitage. "Civil Rights and the Great Society. " Out of Many. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. Print. • "King Jr. , Martin Luther (Jan 15, 1929 - Apr 4, 1968) - Credo Reference Topic. " Credo Reference Home. Web. 09 Feb. 2011. <http: //www. credoreference. com/topic/king_martin_1929_1968>. • "Martin Luther King, Jr. " Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 09 Feb. 2011. <http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King, _Jr. >. • Wright, Richard. Black Boy. Lodi, NJ: Everbind Anthologies, 2003. Print.