Driving Miss Daisy

    "Driving Miss Daisy", a 1989 film directed by Bruce Beresford, explores the relationship between an elderly Jewish woman named Daisy Werthan and her African American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn, in the South from the 1940s to the 1970s. The film won four Academy Awards and is a favorite to many. It is even one of my moms favorites!

    As an avid movie viewer, the the evolving friendship between Daisy and Hoke is something that immediately comes to mind. The gradual change in racial and societal standards stands out given the time period. The film tackles issues of race, class, and aging. Which are all topics we can understand greatly today, but back then it was much less understood. 

  
Some specific things touched on that I think the movie did well are as follows.  

    Race Relations is arguably the most obvious choice.  The film shows the difficult challenges and complexities of race relations during a time of segregation and the Civil Rights Movement. Although societal norms have evolved since then (like I said earlier), racial tensions continue in various forms today. The film can cause reflection on the progress made by us as a society and the work that remains to be made. 

    Inequality would be the next thing to come to mind. The film touches on issues of social class. Hoke occupies a different status than Daisy. They touch on economic inequality and the impact of class on individuals opportunities and experiences remain relevant in society.

    Friendship across differences might be my favorite idea explored in this film. The central theme of friendship between Daisy and Hoke breaks racial and societal norms. In today's diverse world, the film can serve as a reminder of the importance of building connections and understanding among people from different backgrounds.

    While "Driving Miss Daisy" is an older film, its themes and messages offer a lens through which viewers can reflect on social issues and the ongoing journey toward a more inclusive society. However, it's crucial to approach these reflections with an awareness of the film's limitations and the need to engage with current social discourse.

Malcolm X Assassination

    Malcolm X, born on May 19, 1925, was an African American civil rights leader and an instrumental figure in the Nation of Islam.  When he was six, his father passed away in what was officially ruled a streetcar accident.  Despite this Malcolm's mother, Louise, believed his father had been murdered by the Black Legion. Rumors that White racists were responsible for his father's death were widely circulated and were very disturbing to Malcolm as a child. As a young man, he committed various crimes. He was sentenced to 8 to 10 years in prison in 1946 for larceny and burglary. In prison, he was invited to join the Nation of Islam. That is where he adopted the name Malcolm X.  He was the public face of the organization for 12 years. He constantly advocated for Black empowerment and separation of Black and White Americans, and criticized Martin Luther King Jr. and the mainstream civil rights movement for its emphasis on nonviolence and racial integration.  In the 1960s, Malcolm X began to grow apart from the Nation of Islam, as well as with its leader, Elijah Muhammad. He eventually embraced Sunni Islam and the civil rights movement. Throughout 1964, his conflict with the Nation of Islam grew and grew, and he was repeatedly sent death threats. He was eventually assassinated on February 21, 1965.

    Malcolm X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York City, during a speaking engagement. As he began to address the audience, several gunmen rushed the stage and shot him multiple times. This event was shocking to the crowd and the rest of America. Malcolm X was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. 

    The exact identity and motivations of his murders have been the subject of speculation and debate. Three members of the Nation of Islam, Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler, and Thomas 15X Johnson, were arrested and convicted in connection with the assassination. Hayer confessed to his involvement and testified that Butler and Johnson were innocent. The case has remained controversial, with ongoing discussions about whether other individuals or groups were involved.

    Malcolm X's assassination marked a significant and tragic event in the civil rights movement. This changed the civil rights movement and ultimately affected millions around the United States. His legacy, however, continues to influence discussions on racial equality, activism, and human rights. 

Brown v Board of Education Trial: Emotional Argument

May 17th, 1954, The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional by the 14th amendment and changed schools for the rest of history.  This meant that Brown had won the case and that the term commonly known as "separate but equal" was no longer in effect. There are many arguments to be made in either direction for and against the ruling of Brown v. Board of Ed. My specific argument is the emotional section. Here are the emotional arguments in favor of Brown v. Board of Ed.

    The first big argument is the psychological harm that can be caused by the “separate but equal” policy. There is a multitude of evidence that segregation had a serious psychological impact on children, this led to feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem. This is clearly an issue and something that isn’t fair to the youth considering they are just kids.

    Another argument is that “separate but equal” isn’t really equal. That phrase was challenged in Brown v. Board of Education and was eventually understood to be not the proper policy. It was rightfully argued that segregated schools were not truly equal being that the  facilities, resources, and opportunities provided to black students were often worse than those offered to white students. This just showed the inequality in the segregated system.

    A personally underrated argument would be the effect on the dreams and aspirations of the students living under “separate but equal”.  One thing that rings a bell when you think of the emotional narrative in Brown v. Board of Education is the dreams and aspirations of black children. Segregation limited their opportunities by providing an education that was not nearly as good as others. But in addition to that, it prepares their brain that they will not be able to succeed because of the color of their skin. Every child no matter the race should have the right to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential without racial barriers.

    One thing I didn’t know about until my research would be the causation of family separation. Racial segregation often came with families being divided.  This meant siblings attending different schools solely because of their race. Try to imagine the pain and disruption caused by separating families based on race and the desire for families to be able to share the same educational experiences.  This is not something many people had and have to deal with, but when you think about it, this can have a huge effect on ones emotions.

    And finally, an aspect of human emotions that is always prevalent is the sense of belonging. The emotional toll that segregation had on the sense of belonging within a community. African American students were often isolated from their white peers, creating a sense of alienation and loneliness. Imagine seeing other children your age, but you cannot meet them and play with them because you have different color skin.  This can even have an effect on the white students who just can't comprehend why they can't make friends with the black students.  

    These emotional arguments played a huge role in shaping public opinion and pushing support for the legal challenge to segregation. They showed the major struggle for civil rights and equality.

Reconstruction Video

     The naked eye may believe that once slavery was abolished, things became perfect and easy for African Americans.  This is simply not true.  A specific time that can
highlight more adversity and struggle for African Americans is the Reconstruction Era.  

    In class we watched the PBS documentary, "Reconstruction: America After The Civil War", and I think this video changed the views and filled in the parts of this era those are unfamiliar with.  The film starts off with a very blank it statement stating that racism is still prevalent today. It elaborates on the events of the 2015 Charleston church shooting.  This was an attack on African American people and shook people all around the country because of its message and effect.  

    The Reconstruction Era promised a very exciting future for African Americans in the United States.  African Americans were now allowed to fix their broken families and could build homes or start businesses which gave them a more prevalent role in society.  

    While you may be thinking... "This is great, it is a phenomenal step in the right direction".  Unfortunately this didn't last very long.  On April 15, 1865, President Lincoln was assassinated. Gone with the loss of our 16th president, was also the loss of progress in black equality.  The Vice President at the time was Andrew Johnson who was not very interested in helping out the black community, in-fact he was quite against it.  

    The Reconstruction Era was a major positive in black culture in the United States.  This documentary did a phenomenal job of portraying its importance and its impact that it has had.  At this point in our culture, racism and hatred is no longer welcome and has become a clear thing of the past.  This can tip its cap to the reconstruction era and can give a large thanks for where we are today.  

EOTO React

     The EOTO presentations were another huge success!  Each team went up to present their topics and their power points. Each team did a great job and successfully educated the class on their topics and had great presenting skills to gather their points and relay them to the class.  

    This topic was the Missouri Compromise. In 1817 Missouri applied for statehood.  While this was going on, the Talmadge Amendment was passed.  This caused problems with the Missouri Compromise and it wasn't quite resolved until roughly 1820.  

    At this point in time there were 11 free states and 11 slave states.  This stayed like this for a good amount of time because Congress did not want to take sides and change the ratio to 10:12 in either favor.  

    The North and South continued to struggle with their differences.  Slavery was a constant issue and was brought up often, but would go nowhere due to the North and South both not wanting to take action with the addition these new states/territories.  They avoided taking a clear stance on slavery for a very long time and this didn't help the movement of putting an end to slavery.  When the issue at hand seems to be ignored or going nowhere than many would feel discouraged and some would even quit without seeing results. 

    For the section of EOTO that was titled "Events that advanced slavery" I noticed how interesting this topic was itself.  Firstly The Underground Railroad is such a fascinating concept.  The fact that process was so successful and changed lives of many is so interesting.  I also never knew that there was an American Anti-Slavery society.  This concept is unfamiliar to me but is so interesting.  Their job was essentially to travel around the United States and simply ruin or disrupt pro slavery movements and events. 

    In conclusion, this EOTO presentation was very beneficial and informational for my peers and I.