Civil Rights Movement (Week 1)

The above photo shows a Civil Rights March which was done in action for the rights of African-Americans.

The first Civil Right March/Movement was from Selma to Montgomery, 1865. These were three separate protests which transpired to demonstrate the desire that African-American citizens had the right to vote which was in defiance of the segregational repression that was happening at the time. This helped contribute to the passage that year of the Voting Rights Act.

When studying the photo carefully, we could argue what the 'American Dream' was for some people. We can see that depending on your race/skin color, the 'American Dream' is not always what it seems.

The American Dream presents different views for both Cullen and Adam. Cullen shows that there is no single view, which could allow some people to view the 'American Dream' as an act of religious freedom. This would be the idea that God gave the land and we must respect his wishes and give back. This also could lead on to racial equality and so on. This may not be seen as a single dream for just one individual but something that is taken in by everyone as a collective dream. In addition to this, Adam states that it is a dream much wider than something that is materialistic. Those who believe it is the 'Have a big house with a white picket fence with 2 kids (one boy and one girl) with a dog', is everything that Adam is saying it could not be. It's more than wealth but instead a social order for every man and woman who is able to achieve the best they can.

Now, going back to the picture above and the first thing that was mentioned by Cullen, the religious factor, how is it that African-Americans were treated so badly?

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord. - Hebrews 12:14

If this is what God says in the bible, could we say that the American Dream was not actually something people strived for but instead, a misconception due to the fact that civilization was build upon land they were not familiar with?

Cullen and Adam both happen to make very valid points in regards to what they think the American Dream is, but it is argued that the American Dream is nothing but a dream in which one is able to believe which allows them to create a reality suited to their views and ideologies.

Going back on topic of Civil Rights, in 2009, the U.S. Congress authorized a national initiative by passing the Civil Rights History Project Act of 2009. This can be seen as an American Dream (in this case for African-Americans) as they, at first did not have a right and now it is mentioned as a very heavy point within history.


Sources:
https://www.loc.gov/collections/civil-rights-history-project/about-this-collection/
http://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1851-1900/The-Civil-Rights-Bill-of-1866/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selma_to_Montgomery_marches (I know I used Wikki, please don't kill me)
http://www.biblestudytools.com/hebrews/12-14.html