Theme 1: Racism and segregation

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

Literature Reader 5H

Themes and Texts

Preparation for the MO in TW1

Theme 1: Racism and Segregation

The story of one man

Born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta.

As a child he became friends with a boy from the neighborhood he lived in, but when they were 6 years old they were send to separate schools. He had to go to a school for black children and his friend went to a school for white children only. His friends parents would soon after forbid him to play with their son.

The story of one man

He witnessed his father stand up against racism and segregation on multiple occasions. 

The father telling him on one occasion:

"I don't care how long I have to live with this system, I will never accept it."

In 1936, his father led hundreds of African Americans in a civil rights march to the city hall in Atlanta, to protest voting rights discrimination

The story of one man

When he was 13 he became the youngest assistant manager of a newspaper delivery station.

He went to the only high school in the city for African American students and joined the school's debate team. 

The story of one man

On April 13, 1944, in his junior year, he gave his first public speech. In his speech he stated, "black America still wears chains".

He and his teacher were forced to stand up on a long bus drive to make space for white people. He initially refused, but his teacher convinced him by telling him that he would be breaking the law if he didn't.

The story of one man

On one trip to the integrated north of the United States in 1944 he wrote to his father:

"On our way here we saw some things I had never anticipated to see. After we passed Washington there was no discrimination at all. The white people here are very nice. We go to any place we want to and sit anywhere we want to."

The story of one man

He would go to university, and studied to become a preacher. 

He briefly became involved with someone and he planned to marry her, but friends, as well as King's father, advised against it, saying that an interracial marriage would provoke animosity from both blacks and whites, potentially damaging his chances of ever pastoring a church in the South. 

The story of one man

After becoming a pastor he was asked to lead the Montgomery bus boycot after Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her bus seat on a city bus. 

The situation became so tense that his house was bombed and he was arrested for driving 5 miles over the speed limit. 

The story of one man

He would organize and lead marches for blacks' right to vote, desegregation, labor rights, and other basic civil rights.

He believed that organized, non-violent protest against the system of southern segregation known as Jim Crow laws would lead to extensive media coverage of the struggle for black equality. 

He survived several attempts on his life.

The story of one man

In 1963 he would be there for The March on Washington for jobs and freedom.

The march made specific demands: an end to racial segregation in public schools; meaningful civil rights legislation, including a law prohibiting racial discrimination in employment; protection of civil rights workers from police brutality; a $2 minimum wage for all workers (equivalent to $20 in 2023)

The story of one man

More than a quarter of a million people of diverse ethnicities attended, sprawling from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial onto the National Mall. At the time, it was the largest gathering of protesters in Washington, D.C.'s history.

Before that crowd he would deliver a 17 minute speech that would still be remembered decades later.

"I have a dream..."

His name is

Martin Luther King Jr. 

Work on

Answer (and if there is time discuss with a partner) the questions with assignment A on page 4 of your reader. 

Hand in your answers/ a picture of via showbie. 

Class Code: VYZAN

Literature Reader 5H

Themes and Texts

Preparation for the MO in TW1

Introduction

Racism and segregation have had a big impact on African American history and literature. 

From the 1600s, African people were forcibly brought to America as slaves. 

This created a legacy of racial inequality that lasted even after slavery was abolished in 1863.

African American Literature

It tells the story of the struggles after the Civil War and celebrates black culture.

African American Literature

Early writers like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs described the harsh realities of slavery. 

African American Literature

During the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s writers such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston showcased black creativity and culture. 

African American Literature

Modern black literature continues this tradition, addressing contemporary issues like systematic racism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Authors like Ta-Nehisi Coates with his book "Between the World and Me" and Angie Thomas with "The Hate U Give".

Through their stories they not only highlight the fight against oppression but also celebrate strength and contributions of African Americans. Their literature helps us understand the rich and complex history of America and its ongoing challenges.

Strange Fruit

Page 5 of the Literature Reader

Still I Rise

www.poetryfoundation.org

Work on:

Read: I, Too - Langston Hughes

Strange Fruit - Abel Meeropol

Redemption Song - Bob Marley

Do assignments: B1, B2, C. p.5-7