Awakenings” by Judith Vecchione Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The Eyes on the Prize: Awakenings video dwells upon the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. The video describes the situation in the United States in the 1950-1960s. The Eyes on the Prize depicts the horrors of lynching and injustice of segregation. The video also shows the struggle of black people for their basic rights, for equality. Bright examples of segregation and lynching are also revealed in the video. Whereas the case with Emmet Till had quite a controversial ending, Rosa Parks’ act of civil disobedience resulted at the beginning of a very powerful movement.

Emmet Till was a 14-year-old boy who was found murdered in Mississippi in September 1955. Reportedly, he flirted with a white woman in a candy store. Two local white men were accused of killing the teenager.

It is important to note that the court was highly segregated. The black press and even a black congressman had to sit in a special place at the end of the hall. The major witness who took courage to testify against the defendants was Emmet’s uncle Mose Wright, who said that those two men (defendants) came to his house to talk to Emmet the night before the teenager’s body was found.

The video also contains recollections of Emmet’s cousin Curtis Jones. Jones stated that young boys were simply fooling around, but Emmet (who came from Chicago and was not aware of the situation in the south) broke one of the rules of segregation. Irrespective of all facts, the two white men were found not guilty as all the juries were white men.

Another segregation rule was broken in Montgomery. Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white woman. Although it was not the first act of civil disobedience, Rosa Parks’ act resulted in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Black people understood that white people were not going to give black people more rights. Black people also acknowledged that they should be organized as this could make them stronger. Of course, they were right. No one thought the boycott could last so long.

Bus companies lost lots of money, as black people were determined. They organized demonstrations and discussions. White people were trying to intimidate black people organizing groups of Ku Klux Klan. However, black people were not afraid anymore; they went to court. They claimed that segregation was unconstitutional. The boycott can be regarded as a very successful campaign which made white people listen to black people. The boycott resulted in the great Civil Rights Movement, which led to the end of segregation.

Another case of breaking segregation rules took place in Jackson. A few black people occupied places in a part where white people were served. This led to violence: these black people were first humiliated and then even bitten. Police officers were informed about the act, but they did nothing to protect protestors. Surprisingly, as the protestors were bitten, two white females joined them.

Therefore, it is possible to admit that violence made others (white people) see that all people were equal, and no one had the right to hurt people only because of the color of their skin. The protestors could have been injured, but the president of Tougaloo College Dr. Beittel prevented the crowd from hurting the protestors. He also asked police officers to escort the protestors.

Anne Moody stated that after the incident, she understood that “whites had a sickness, an incurable disease in its final stage.” This civil rights activist meant that those white people did not understand what they were doing as they were blind. Moody understood that she should not hate those people, but she should try to heal them. She understood that she and people like her should make whites open their eyes and open their minds. All people should know that all people of the democratic United States are equal.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, April 27). Awakenings" by Judith Vecchione. https://ivypanda.com/essays/awakenings-by-judith-vecchione/

Work Cited

"Awakenings" by Judith Vecchione." IvyPanda, 27 Apr. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/awakenings-by-judith-vecchione/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Awakenings" by Judith Vecchione'. 27 April.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Awakenings" by Judith Vecchione." April 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/awakenings-by-judith-vecchione/.

1. IvyPanda. "Awakenings" by Judith Vecchione." April 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/awakenings-by-judith-vecchione/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Awakenings" by Judith Vecchione." April 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/awakenings-by-judith-vecchione/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1