Howard Zinn's 1963: March On Washington

Protests help people make a change in our world by taking a stand on current issues. In All American Boys written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely it talks about a protest and it represents the issue of police brutality. In the last chapter “Friday” Rashad is; finally, home from the hospital and Quinn has finally taken a stand. They are both marching at the protest for Rashad. Rashad and Quinn both made it to the protest, and Rashad, his friends, Spoony, Berry, and Rashad’s mother were the leaders of the protest. In All American Boys the book supports the statement protests are an effective way to bring change.

As a result. King became a target to the, supremacists, who bombed his family and other

One hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation was written, African Americans were still fighting for equal rights in every day life. The first real success of this movement did not come until the Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954 which was followed by many boycotts and protests. The largest of these protests, the March on Washington, was held on August 28, 1963 “for jobs and freedom” (March on Washington 11). An incredible amount of preparation went into the event to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people attending from around the nation and to deal with any potential incidents.

The Clergymen that were contacting him had no first-hand account of the events taking place at the protest, but Dr. King had been arrested there, giving him an edge in credibility to the topic. The fact that he placed this ethos at both the beginning and end reminds the readers of his authority on the subject.

King defends the protestors’ decision for direct action over negotiation by saying “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has consistently refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks

Protests are a way that many citizens have historically exercised their right to freedom of speech and as to voice their opinions on current matters in the U.S. as well as other nations. Protests help the uninformed get informed on specific issues, and try to persuade fellow citizens. What were some of the effective aspects of the protests that were portrayed in “The Matrix”, “Battle in Seattle” as well as those in “The Letter from Birmingham Jail”? What were the downfalls? An effective protest is one where an advocated idea gets across to the intended audience. Peaceful protests tend to have a better outcome than those that lead to violence.

African Americans have undergone unimaginable hardships in this land and were powerless to effect change in the system with their vote. I find this to be great injustice. Another example of injustice in this reading is King’s arrest. He writes, “I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance, which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and deny citizens their First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.” As King explains how a just law can become unjust through capricious or malicious application, I find myself confused by the situation. African American citizens are struggling for the equality America was founded on, and these people are being arrested for improper parading. After exhausting many other approaches, African Americans moved to peaceful protest and even that was stifled. I find myself asking where else were they to turn, how else could they effect change, and where is their justice? Would anyone have blamed Dr. King for being angry with his situation? I doubt it. King made a wise choice to remain optimistic, to address those who questioned his motives with reverence. In fact, he defines how he will respond to his critics in the opening paragraph of his letter: “I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.” This statement demonstrates King’s commitment to

President Kennedy was initially concerned about the march. Multiple incidents in America prior to this protest, have contributed to his concern that the protest would become violent and that the support for his civil rights bill would be weakened. Some incidents include the events that had occurred in Birmingham, Alabama and the 1896 court case involving Homer Plessy and Judge John H. Ferguson. These occurrences utilize violence and industrialize racism and discrimination. ____In 1963, thousands of African-Americans had participated in nonviolent protests, boycotts, and voter-registration drives in Birmingham, Alabama. Although the protesters had exhibited nonviolent resistance, authorities had reacted to their actions with violence. On page

The brutality from this event can be summarized by one marcher who was reported saying, “My God, we’re being killed.” This malevolent act sent the entire nation in an uproar, sparking riots in major US cites and even in Toronto. The protests and riots gained so much popular support as to gain the attention of President Lyndon B. Johnson, who declared that he “deplored the brutality.” King was also determined to march from Selma to Montgomery in order to present the governor with the proposal for voting rights and to continue fighting the oppression (“Central Point” 24).

King demonstrates how his peaceful, non-violent protests do not advocate violence, which is exactly what the clergymen feared from Malcolm. Kings intensity and magnitude of his statements show that he believes both paths he mentions are wrong, as he states, “I have tried to stand between these two forces.” King attempts to stay between the extremes and remind people that he is the middle ground. King emphasizes that he is not an extremist, rather, he is a moderate attempting to find the most favorable solution to both his and the clergymen’s problems. In conclusion, King juxtaposes these two extremist views in order to demonstrate how his practical and non-violent protests should be encouraged.

Thesis-Driven Argument Paper The March on Washington was at full force as the African American community pushed for equality. On the late summer days of August an alliance was formed of 200,000-300,000 citizens fighting for civil rights. The March was a significant factor in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which ended racial segregation and unfair voting rights. The most significant and influential activist in this successful push to freedom was

The author’s core points revolve around Martin Luther King, Jr. defense to his rights as well as the moral reasons for leading the nonviolent protests. The letter explains that the main aim of the protests was to champion for the Africa-Americans civil rights. In the letter, the author, Dr. King shielded the demonstrations and protests citing legitimacy in breaking the laws during the protests. The letter indicated

In looking at more contemporary issues, Zinn utilizes interview records and other hard documentation to show us the real stories. For example, the government moved slowly to end segregation, fearful of a change of the face of American power. We see how two of America’s favorite presidents, Eisenhower and Kennedy, did little to change the system during their administrations. Lyndon Johnson pushed for passage of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964. This was viewed

Now exploration of the matter is complete without King's input. The activist's Daily Kos letter (essay) follows, I agree with other writers and opinion speakers in positing; King should never have been forced to deal with such a topic. It is yet another shame on American that emanates from the

It was a speech of hope and strength, and it exemplified the idea the protesters declared of racial unity and a belief that blacks and whites could possibly exist mutually in peace (Hansan, n.d.). As stated by, Kensworthy (1963), the crowd at the demonstration, acknowledging that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was concluding his speech, hollered once again and waved their signs and banners. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. conclude saying, "We will not wait for the President, the Justice Department, nor the Congress, but we will take matters into our own hands and create a source of power, outside of any national structure, that could and would assure us a victory” (Kensworthy, 1963, p.16).