Introduction
A Sword Among Lions
The reading describes how the historical figure in the race equality movement, Ida Wells, defended the victims of lynching. She brought the commonly silenced evidence of lynching to the public eye (Giddings, 2009). Wells was remarkably successful because she prioritized her mission to protect the race over her husband, who was in a governmental position and risked his career for the common good of African-Americans.
I See the Promised Land
The speech that Martin Luther King pronounced before his assassination summarizes his views on racial equality in a realistic, yet harsh light. One of his arguments was that in a modern world, a solution to the issue of race is not peace or war, and not a decision of violence or nonviolence (King, 1986). Instead, he stressed that the dilemma is in choosing nonviolence or nonexistence, and such an approach of acknowledging peaceful means of ending the conflict is extremely influential.
Dr. King’s Slaying Finally Draws a Jury Verdict, but to Little Effect
The article examines the murder investigation of Martin Luther King. Sack and Yellin (1999) follow the police and court progress and find that although numerous suspects have been sentenced, there is still no clarity in regards to the identity of the actual killer. This uncertainty makes me think that it has been a government conspiracy. As a result of the damage to the African-American community, this act of lynching has proved that racism still prevails in a culturally unequal society.
1964-1965: Fighting on Three Fronts
The reading narrates the ideological fight of Malcolm X based on his identity, religion, and race. Malcolm was commonly known for establishing the Nation and proclaiming that violence is the key to solving the issue of racial equality, opposing Martin Luther King (Strickland, 1994). This example shows that even among marginalized groups of people, different approaches to the common problem dictate the societal boundaries that Black people have to face and overcome.
Groundings with My Brothers
This chapter addresses the relation of Black Power to the West Indies and states the importance of the movement worldwide. Rodney (2019) notes that Black power indicates freedom, while supremacy relies on denying some people their freedom to achieve dominance, which does not apply to the African-American liberation movement. I find that addressing this difference is essential because many people today fail to recognize that Black people want equality, not dominance over the Whites.
References
Giddings, P. (2009). Ida, a sword among lions: Ida B. Wells and the campaign against lynching. Amistad.
Martin Luther King, M. L. (1986). I see the promised land. In J. M. Washington (Ed.), A testament of hope: The writings and speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr (pp. 15-20). HarperOne.
Rodney, W. (2019). Groundings with My Brothers. Verso Books.
Sack, K., & Yellin, E. (1999). Dr. King’s slaying finally draws a jury verdict, but to little effect. New York Times, 1-3.
Strickland, W. (1994). Malcolm X: Make It Plain. Penguin.