Civil Rights Movement Research Articles

Attorney General Edward W. Brooke, the Politics of Gradualism and Immediacy, and the Struggle for Civil Rights

Attorney General Edward W. Brooke, the Politics of Gradualism and Immediacy, and the Struggle for Civil Rights

New Mexico's Moses: Reies López Tijerina and the Religious Origins of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement by Ramón Gutiérrez (review)

New Mexico's Moses: Reies López Tijerina and the Religious Origins of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement by Ramón Gutiérrez (review)

Black (?) Homophobia and Gay Rights during the Civil Rights Movement and Beyond: The Case of Bayard Rustin

Black (?) Homophobia and Gay Rights during the Civil Rights Movement and Beyond: The Case of Bayard Rustin

“Students find corporate reforms absurd”: Bryn Mawr Student’s Mobilization for Divestment from Apartheid South Africa

In 1986, Bryn Mawr College’s endowment held $8 million or 8.33% of its $96 million endowment in investments tied to Apartheid in South Africa. In line with other major US institutions who believed they must act moral in the face of violent and exploitative system of racial discrimination, the Board of Trustees, the governing body that oversees college operations and finances, proposed a plan in 1985 to divest from subsidiaries of their stock in South Africa if Apartheid was still in place 24 months later in 1987. This came at the tail end of the international movement to oppose and end Apartheid through economic pressures. Bryn Mawr students would reject this plan, occupying buildings and mobilizing campus to disrupt Board meetings. Students said they would not rest until full divestment. Their movement held a shared commitment to ending Apartheid in South Africa and to ending racism in the United States. This paper narrates how the social and economic movements against Apartheid panned out at Bryn Mawr College in the 1980s. Based on my original primary source research at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges’ special collections, I uncover the tactics and frameworks of the student movement to divest as well as the college’s response. Inevitably, the administration took partial measures to accommodate some of the demands of the student movement for divestment. The nexus between the student movement for divestment and the college administration took new heights in 1986. In this year, the students rejected the college’s newly presented plan for divestment, as they understood it as a mere palliative measure in the face of the violence and racism of Apartheid. To understand the student zeitgeist at the time , I illuminate the historical context of the movement against Apartheid by situating it in relation to the preceding anti-War and Civil Rights movements. The later era of activism precipitated into the New Left movement, which was a radical student movement grounded in ideas of political and economic democracy. I provide readers with a primer on the foundations of ethical investment in South Africa. The college’s plan embodied the corporate responsibility ethos of the 80s, which sought to maintain capitalism and pacify very popular alternatives through modest reforms. These principles undergirded Bryn Mawr College’s eventual divestment strategy, which sought to maintain profit and to make a statement about their opposition to the political system of Apartheid. To make this argument, I draw on archival discussions of corporate responsibility politics and the theory of change they espouse which forwarded reform through pressuring the companies they held stock in. I engage in an analysis of discourses emerging from a school-sponsored trip to South Africa in the winter of 1986, which was dubbed a “Peace Mission Fact Finding Trip.” This analysis is essential to understanding student and faculty perspectives, as there was not a consensus on the subject. In the end, Bryn Mawr adopted a divestment plan that was in the name of corporate responsibility. They wrote letters to the corporations they held stock in who had subsidiaries in South Africa, and asked what they were going to do to end Apartheid. The school sold $651,558 in 1986 of stock from the 5 companies, a mere 0.67% of the total endowment.

Sources, Conceptualizations, and Mechanisms of Racism/Oppression for Academic and Mental Health Outcomes

Interpersonal and systemic racism and discrimination persist in our educational system—from primary and secondary institutions through college, despite the forward strides of desegregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Black Lives Matter movement. This special topic collection identifies and applies empirically and theoretically grounded conceptualizations of racism to improve our understanding of the experience of racism, interventions to mitigate it, and protective factors. The papers in this collection reflect two themes: 1) racial and religious identities in classrooms, schools, and universities, focusing on how educators mitigate and perpetuate systemic racism, including how White teachers understand the impact of race, how inclusive and antiracism curricula are received and rejected by future educators and clinicians, and the impact of exclusionary social networks in the hiring of teachers of color and 2) school belonging and climate, including documenting that students of color feel less safe, are disproportionately exposed to harsh discipline, question their belonging, and question commitments to diversity. The negative sequelae are concurrent and last into adulthood. In addition, there are several advances in theory and measurement, including assessing gendered and racial biases in teachers’ attributions about students’ abilities, frameworks for mitigating colonial and racialized trauma, and domains of antiracist activism to bring racial justice and equity to schools.

THE EXPERIENCE OF “OTHERING” AND POSSIBILITY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE: AN ANALYSIS OF HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), written at the height of Civil Rights Movement in America, occupies an iconic status in the American cultural imaginary. Thematically revolving around the adventures of the nine-year old Scout, Jem, and Dill in their hometown, the racially-segregated Maycomb, and Atticus Finch’s defense of a Black man named Tom Robinson who is falsely accused of raping a White woman, the novel deals with the perennial questions of identity, its intersections with race, class and gender, and its implications on the individuals’ right to freedom and life. While the events of the novel are firmly rooted in the context of specific time and place, this paper argues that it profoundly resonates with the contemporary experience of racial, gender and class-based “othering”. The paper explores the ways in which the process of “othering” and marginalization manifests in the novel by delving into specific instances from the lives of characters like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Amidst these difficult experiences, the novel probes into the possibility of social justice that the power of law can uphold. This paper examines how Atticus Finch, both as a lawyer and a father, upholds law as a means of delivering social justice as well as advocates his belief in each individual’s judicious sensibility that allows him/her to be generous, tolerant and humane towards fellow beings. The proposed paper makes a case for To Kill a Mockingbird as a text of enduring value that exemplifies the futility of legal change if not accompanied by fundamental shift in prejudiced mindsets that sow the seeds of institutionalized “othering” and oppression of those different or opposite to oneselves.

E. Frederic Morrow and the Historical Time of the Civil Rights Movement

E. Frederic Morrow and the Historical Time of the Civil Rights Movement

«По прозвищу Моисей»: литературные интерпретации жизни Харриет Табмен

The article is devoted to the formation of Harriet Tubman's image in the US literature. Two books belonging to the spread of Afrocentrism and the second wave of feminism — A. Petrie's non-fiction novel A Girl Called Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman and M. Heidish's novel A Woman Called Moses — are chosen as the material for analysis. The article analyzes the main qualitative characteristics identified as early as in S. Bradford's book Harriet, Moses of Her People that form the discourse of race and gender in the mentioned narratives about Tubman, and identifies the main transformations of these characteristics. Thus, the work of African-American author A. Petrie reflects to a greater extent the sentiments of all her fellow women in the 1950s-60s Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States: while remaining within the generally accepted gender framework of feminine virtues, at the same time, the black woman was stepping out of her allotted racial limits. Furthermore, she shows that slavery is a cultural trauma that still defines how the African American community sees itself and its place in the society and how slavery is remembered as a means of self-identification within the African American community. Created by the white writer M. Heidish in the mid-1970s, during the rise of the second wave of the feminist movement, the novel reflects the very sentiments that characterized this movement and shows the view of a sympathetic Other on the issue of race. Thus, the article establishes the fact that Harriet Tubman plays a very important role in the African-American and women's discourse in the United States as an image that is given the necessary functions and qualities for its time based on the socio-cultural context contemporary to the interpreter.

JEWISH CONCEPT OF SLAVERY AND THE 21ST CENTURY OF AFRICAN SOJOURNERS IN DIASPORAS: NIGERIAN’ BEST BRAINS IN DIASPORAS

This study explores the Jewish concept of slavery and compares it to the 21st Century African sojourners in Diasporas, with a focus on Nigerian professionals who have migrated to other countries in search of better opportunities. In contemporary affairs, Jews and African-Americans have cooperated in the Civil Rights Movement, motivated partially by the common background of slavery. The three types of slavery Africans have engaged in which are: 1. Colonial or force slavery by the European 2. Leadership slavery and, 3. Self slavery, (Talabi, 2021). Individual migrating in search of greener pastures shall be adequately discussed in this paper with empirical evidences. Drawing on historical and religious texts, the paper analyzes the Jewish understanding of slavery and the ethical considerations that arise from it. It also examines the experiences of Nigerian professionals in diasporas, highlighting their contributions to their host countries and the challenges they face as immigrants. Finally, this qualitative study discusses the implications of these experiences for contemporary discussions on migration and global citizenship, arguing that the Jewish concept of slavery offers a useful framework for re-thinking about the ethical dimensions of immigration policies and practices in the 21st Century due to the failures of African leaders in developing their respective societies and followership inability to lead peaceful protest that will propel rebuilding or happen African Governance.

Historical Distance and the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement: Opening Windows into Mississippi's Civil Rights History

Historical Distance and the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement: Opening Windows into Mississippi's Civil Rights History

"The Most Frightening Thing I Have Ever Seen": Moving Images and the South Carolina Civil Rights Movement

"The Most Frightening Thing I Have Ever Seen": Moving Images and the South Carolina Civil Rights Movement

Have You Got Good Religion? Black Women’s Faith, Courage, and Moral Leadership in the Civil Rights Movement, by AnneMarie Mingo

Have You Got Good Religion? Black Women’s Faith, Courage, and Moral Leadership in the Civil Rights Movement, by AnneMarie Mingo

Kayumanggi Volunteers at Agbayani Village (Multimedia)

Abstract: Agbayani Village, located in the California Central Valley town of Delano, was a housing project of the United Farm Workers (UFW) for retired Filipino farmworkers. Construction began in 1972, and it was dedicated in 1974 to honor the contributions of Filipinos to the farmworker movement. Aiding the anchor crew in the construction was a force of over 1000 volunteers. Many were community groups as well as student contingents from colleges throughout California. In 1974, Kayumanggi, a Filipino student organization from Cal State University (CSU) Sacramento, traveled to Delano to help with the construction. Kayumanggi was an example of many of the student organizations on college campuses throughout the United States that were created in the wake of the Civil Rights movement. There was a growing need to include courses on campuses that tell the history of the diverse student populations on campus. Kayumanggi was no different. They developed several courses related to the Filipino American experience and also became involved in projects in their communities to help further their education. Agbayani Village was one such project. Through interviews, photos, and film, this video discusses the historical background of Agbayani Village and their experiences as volunteers during the construction.

Schooling and Political Activism in the Early Civil Rights Era

Schooling and Political Activism in the Early Civil Rights Era

Finding a “Niche” for Civil Disobedience? Decriminalizing Disobedience in the Post–Civil Rights Era

Between fifteen and twenty-five million Americans took to the streets in the summer of 2020 to march, mourn, occupy highways, clash with police, and be together in grief and rage. Municipal and state police forces responded with a national campaign of excessive force. Demonstrators were clubbed, tear gassed, sprayed with chemical agents, kettled and trampled, illegally detained, and mutilated by “less-than-lethal” munitions. Internal police reviews and municipal leaders blamed the violence on insufficient training but the scale and intensity of repression suggest a more profound democratic crisis surrounding the criminalization of dissent.

Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights by Dylan C. Penningroth (review)

Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights by Dylan C. Penningroth (review)

Internal Barbarism as a Socio-philosophical Problem of Modernity

This work is devoted to the consideration of such a modern problem of the global world order as the growth of internal Barbarism. Based on the concept by N.V.Motroshilova, the authors believe that Barbarism internal to Civilization, in contrast to its external counterpart, is a side result of civilizational development. We can say that each civilization creates its own internal Barbarians, who then contribute to its death. The article also provides a typology of internal Barbarism, which includes such varieties as Midism, destructive countercultural movements, revolutionary movements, social disintegration (understood as aggressive individualism), and digital Barbarism (a decrease in the intellectual and moral level of people under the influence of the transfer of interpersonal communications to the Internet). Some of these types, acting separately, are practically safe for society, but others can lead civilization to political and economic collapse. The older the historical age of a civilized society, the more internal Barbarism grows in it. It can be assumed that in society on the eve of its historical death, all types of internal Barbarism are present, act and complement each other, and the state created on the basis of the political and spiritual principles of such civilization is perceived by all citizens as something external in relation to them. It turns out that fellow citizens are fighting against their own state and against each other, and each of them hopes to get personally some material benefits from general collapse. As an example of manifestation of internal Barbarism in the modern world, the authors consider the drastic African American movement ‘Black Lives Matter’, in the formation and functioning of which all the abovementioned types of internal Barbarism can be traced.

African-American Cultural Expression: The Defiance of Black Aesthetics

This research delves into the transformative realm of Black Aesthetics as a profound and resilient cultural resistance strategy employed by African-Americans. In a historical context marked by the degradation of the genuine image of African-Americans through Western perspectives, Black Aesthetics emerges as a dynamic force challenging stereotypes and reclaiming agency over cultural narratives. The study explores the foundational influences of key socio-political movements, namely the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Power Movement, and the Civil Rights Movement, in shaping and catalyzing the development of Black Aesthetics. During the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance served as a crucible for cultural revitalization amid the multifaceted struggles faced by African-Americans. Fueled by a desire to break free from racial stereotypes, this movement laid the groundwork for the emergence of Black Aesthetics as a tool for empowerment and self-expression. The subsequent impact of the Black Power Movement and the Civil Rights Movement on Black Aesthetics is examined, revealing how these movements contested prevailing Western perspectives and sought to redefine the narrative surrounding African-Americans. The Black Power Movement, emphasizing self-determination and autonomy, stood in stark contrast to the assimilations goals of the Civil Rights Movement, collectively contributing to the nuanced evolution of Black Aesthetics. Through an interdisciplinary lens, this research navigates the intersection of art, ideas, and socio-political dynamics, elucidating how Black Aesthetics serves as a cultural resistance mechanism. It explores the multifaceted dimensions of this resistance, including the creation of alternative narratives, the celebration of cultural identity, and the reclamation of dignity. Ultimately, this research contributes to a comprehensive understanding of Black Aesthetics as a transformative force in cultural resistance, shedding light on its historical roots, its evolution through significant movements, and its enduring impact on reshaping the narrative of African-American identity.

EXPLORATION OF SELF: A FEMINIST STUDY OF ALICE WALKER’S MERIDIAN

The present paper explores the profound themes of self-discovery and identity formation found in Alice Walker’s Meridian through a feminist lens. Walker skillfully blends the political and personal in this narrative, which follows the protagonist on her path to self-awareness and empowerment against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. The paper also emphasizes the heroine’s defiance of cultural and patriarchal norms by carefully examining the ways in which race, gender, and class intersect. This inspection of Meridian’s struggle with social expectations deepens our knowledge of feminist literature by highlighting the pivotal role that reflection plays in the fight for justice and equality. Using a feminist qualitative approach, the paper examines Alice Walker’s Meridian through textual analysis and theme investigation.

Critical Reflections on Soul: A Conversation with Portia K. Maultsby

ABSTRACT In this interview, Portia K. Maultsby offers significant insight into the aesthetics that informs the performances of soul artists featured in Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s film Summer of Soul. Maultsby discusses soul music and vital elements of soul aesthetics while drawing from her extensive knowledge from conducting research on Black music as a pioneering ethnomusicologist, contributing to music as an artist in her own right, and experiencing life in America as a Black woman in the late 1960s. Maultsby therefore offers a rare perspective on soul and explains how music played a pivotal role during the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power movement. A central component of Maultsby’s analysis is that soul music exemplified what she calls an African-derived sound ideal, and that basic elements of the aesthetic framework were developed in churches. Thus, Maultsby highlights connections between Black sacred and secular music.