“Incident” by Countee Cullen, “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall, and the film, The Help, demonstrate the dangers of prejudice and the struggle for acceptance by African Americans during the civil rights movement. The background, overall plot, and most importantly, the interactions of the characters play an important role in the demonstration of this theme. This theme connects to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday celebrating the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr. during the fight for civil rights. While prejudice still exists in America today, it occurs to a much lesser extent partly due to the legacy of King and his passion for equality. Prejudice, an unwarranted and opposing viewpoint towards a person stemming from that individual’s
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Day relates to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most powerful leaders of the bus Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement in general. Along with Malcolm X, Andrew Goodman, and Rosa Parks, King was among the pioneers of the civil rights movement. He was unafraid to put himself in danger for the cause and was known to be a successful speaker. King knew the true importance of the bus boycott and utilized Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent protest method in the execution of the it. Even though some white Americans were not happy about the 1963 Civil Rights protests, Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches on “black militancy and idealism” helped the 1964 Civil Rights Act get passed. This act prohibited segregation and racial prejudice in regards to education and employment. In his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, he stated “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed–we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ("Civil Rights Movement - Black History."). Equality, the main goal of the civil rights movement, Through his passion and oratory skills, King successfully led the civil rights movement, and his legacy lives on through Martin Luther King Jr. …show more content…
The poem starts off with a young daughter asking “Mother dear, may I go downtown / Instead of out to play, / And march the streets of Birmingham/In a Freedom March today?” (Randall 1-4). This quote shows an adolescent girl’s desire to march for the freedom and acceptance of African Americans. It also foreshadows the event portrayed in the poem - the Birmingham bombing that killed 4 young children. Randall then writes “No, baby, no, you may not go / For I fear those guns will fire” (5-6). A a mother’s worry for her daughter who wants to march in a Freedom March is displayed in this line. Since she knows the marches are not always peaceful, she does not want her young daughter marching in fear her mother will be injured or even worse, killed. Then, the daughter
Day relates to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most powerful leaders of the bus Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement in general. Along with Malcolm X, Andrew Goodman, and Rosa Parks, King was among the pioneers of the civil rights movement. He was unafraid to put himself in danger for the cause and was known to be a successful speaker. King knew the true importance of the bus boycott and utilized Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent protest method in the execution of the it. Even though some white Americans were not happy about the 1963 Civil Rights protests, Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches on “black militancy and idealism” helped the 1964 Civil Rights Act get passed. This act prohibited segregation and racial prejudice in regards to education and employment. In his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, he stated “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed–we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ("Civil Rights Movement - Black History."). Equality, the main goal of the civil rights movement, Through his passion and oratory skills, King successfully led the civil rights movement, and his legacy lives on through Martin Luther King Jr. …show more content…
The poem starts off with a young daughter asking “Mother dear, may I go downtown / Instead of out to play, / And march the streets of Birmingham/In a Freedom March today?” (Randall 1-4). This quote shows an adolescent girl’s desire to march for the freedom and acceptance of African Americans. It also foreshadows the event portrayed in the poem - the Birmingham bombing that killed 4 young children. Randall then writes “No, baby, no, you may not go / For I fear those guns will fire” (5-6). A a mother’s worry for her daughter who wants to march in a Freedom March is displayed in this line. Since she knows the marches are not always peaceful, she does not want her young daughter marching in fear her mother will be injured or even worse, killed. Then, the daughter