Civil Rights Movement

Nearly 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans in Southern states still inhabited a starkly unequal world of disenfranchisement, segregation and various forms of oppression, including race-inspired violence. “Jim Crow” laws at the local and state levels barred them from classrooms and bathrooms, from theaters and train cars, from juries and legislatures. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the “separate but equal” doctrine that formed the basis for state-sanctioned discrimination, drawing national and international attention to African Americans’ plight. In the turbulent decade and a half that followed, civil rights activists used nonviolent protest and civil disobedience to bring about change, and the federal government made legislative headway with initiatives such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Many leaders from within the African American community and beyond rose to prominence during the Civil Rights era, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Andrew Goodman and others. They risked—and sometimes lost—their lives in the name of freedom and equality.

Explore the articles, speeches and videos from the following link.  http://www.history.com/topics/civil-rights-movement  Be sure to pay attention to the explore more at the bottom of the page for specific events and people.

Post a comment with a top list of the most significant events and /or people of the civil rights movement.  These can be positive or negative events that brought attention or advanced the civil rights movement.  Be sure to explain your rationale for choosing each one.

Inside Hitler's Head

One of the interesting things about Hitler is how open he was about his prejudices, his plans to take power and his goals once in power. However, despite openly writing about the superiority of the Aryan race, the inability of the masses to think for themselves, the need for Germany to annex its neighbors and the dehumanization of Jews people continued to misjudge and underestimate Hitler.

SO the question becomes if Hitler was open about his intentions, aggressive in his language and rascist in his beliefs why did people follow him?


Task:
Imagine you are an employer and Adolf Hitler has applied to work for your company. During your reference check process you have discovered the following websites http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERmein.htm and http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Adolf_Hiter_Mein_Kampf.htm

Explore these sites and construct a fictional letter to Mr. Hitler regarding his application citing some of the reasons he may or may not be suitable for a position within your organization. Post your letter as a comment on this blog (be sure to put your intials at the end).

Life Under Mussolini

Mussolini believe that the people were there to serve the state and therefore himself. Through a systematic plan of restricting civil liberties, intimidation, violence, political manipulation and brainwashing he was able to gain control over Italy and exert complete control over the nation for nearly twenty years.

While Mussolini's control may have appeared absolute we know that not everyone was a believer in his methods life did not get bad enough for most people to rebel against him until World War II. The question then becomes what was life like under Mussolini.

Task: Explore the following website on what Italian life was like under Fascist rule. Then leave a comment on this site from the point of view of an Italian citizen in the 1930's discussing how Mussolini's rule has affected your life. (Imagine writing a letter to the editor or to a relative) Be sure to leave your initials on your post so I can give you credit for it.

http://specialcollections.library.wisc.edu/exhibits/Fascism/Intro.html
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/life_in_fascist_italy.htm