Plessy Vs Ferguson Counterculture

Music is often considered “the universal language.” Throughout, history it has symbolized love, brought people together, and has been the cornerstone of many lives. In the 1950s, a new form of music entered American mass culture that drastically changed the culture of the United States (U.S.): rock music. In the U.S., it began as Rock ‘n’ Roll, a originally “black” music genre that was then taken and promulgated by white Americans. Post WWII, many Americans—especially teenagers—struggled with the newfound societal conformity and normalcy, and rock provided them a form of retaliation. From its beginning, Rock united the younger generation of Americans, stirring up a sense of community amongst teenagers and troubling many adults by their actions—heightening

Rock and roll music emerged as a part of American teen culture during the notably conservative time period in the country’s history which shortly followed the traumatic events of World War II. Being that the genre’s target audience was white teenagers, many Americans- already overwhelmed and on-edge due to the anti-communist movement inspired by the Cold War- were apprehensive about the influence that this up-and-coming style of music might have on their country’s future. America’s youth openly accepted rock and roll’s racially integrated culture of performers and embraced the relatively lewd nature of many songs and performances associated with the genre, much to the dismay of their elders.

Rock and roll helped break many people out of the pre-war mindset and into a new, fresh one. Although many adults detested rock, the younger generation felt that it symbolized a break from the war and the “age of anxiety” that the previous World War had caused. In addition, it promoted a promiscuous lifestyle that celebrated sex and drugs. Rock and roll seemed to be associated with this because many of the “rock stars” endorsed in a loose and laidback standard of living. Because many of the performers practiced recreational drug use, followers felt compelled to do so as well, feeling that that way of life was acceptable. Rock and roll was thought to be outlandish, primarily because of the performers’ gyrating and grinding of their hips, their suggestive lyrics, and rebellious undertones that provoked erotic senses in teenagers and upset parents. Rock and roll was said to establish a sense of identity and power in teenagers, mostly because of the new energy that came from the new style of music. Rock music was seen as satanic by the older generation because it seemed to lead to the

The U.S is known for its liberty and equality. However, the Supreme Court once had to decide on the rights for African Americans. Since the abolishment of slavery, one court case before the Supreme Court sided against the African American plaintiff fighting for equal rights. In this case the plaintiff, Homer Plessy was arguing his right to ride in a "white only" train car. Unfortunately, he lost his case in Plessy vs Ferguson. Decades later, another plaintiff, Oliver Brown, also took a case before the Supreme Court. Conversely, in this case, the Supreme Court sided with the plaintiff in Brown vs Board of Education. This decision began the integration of schools. Despite the fact that these two cases took place almost 60 years apart, they both dealt with a similar issue.

Prompt- How did the Compromise of 1877 along with Jim Crow and Plessy v. Ferguson affect our nation from 1877 till the 1960s?

The trial of Plessy and Ferguson saw Jim Crow Laws take control of Blacks and slaves of the The Reconstruction Era, the newly freed slaves of the Reconstruction Era was segregated and abolished from society. Firstly, it introduced Jim Crow Laws which segregated blacks and targeted them. They could enforce the Jim Crow laws and if broken they could impose legal actions because of one legal action and placid thoughts of blacks. One such example of a Jim Crow law in North Carolina implies, “Books shall not be interchangeable between the white and colored schools, but shall continue to be used by the race first using them.” It was segregated by race. Secondly, To define who set in the decision, we all want to forget how Plessy set the laws about

Popular music is often one of the best lenses we have through which to view our own cultural orientation. Many of the artistic and experimental shifts in popular music have mirrored changes in our own society. For instance, the emergence of Elvis Presley as a public figure would signal the start of a sexual revolution and the growth in visibility of a rebellious youth culture. Similarly, the folk and psychedelic music of the 1960s was closely entangled with the Civil Rights, anti-war and social protest movements. In this regard, we can view popular music as an artifact through which to better understand the time and place in which it is produced. In light of this, the state of popular music today may suggest troubling things about our society.

“The rise of rock ‘n’ roll and the reception of it, in fact, can tell us a lot about the culture and values of the United States in the 1950s. According to historians James Gilbert, there was a struggle throughout the decade ‘over the uses of popular culture to determine who would speak to what audience, and for what purpose”. At the center of that struggle, rock ‘n’ roll unsettled a nation had been “living in an ‘age of anxiety’” since 1945” (p.15). Altschuler talks about how music and race interlock with one another. Rock had become a “highly visible and contested arena for struggles over racial identity and cultural and economic empowerment in the United States” (p.35). Other chapters within the book state the battles involving sexuality, generational conflicts, as well as other social issues. The author states ideas that are somewhat problematic. For example, he states that there is a myth that rock ‘n’ roll went into a “lull” following the payola hearings (the practice of record promoters paying DJs or radio programmers to play their labels ' songs) of 1959 and did not come about again until the arrival of the Beatles in 1964.

For the longest time there were a lot of different views on African Americans and their place in the world. They were looked down upon and failed to be treated as citizens, but treated as animals. Three different court cases largely effected the civil rights movement by bringing together our schools, slowly desegregating our lives and improving equality of everyone: Plessy vs. Ferguson, Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, and University of California vs. Bakke.

Before 1954, Americans lived “separate, but equal.” This practice was legally established in the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, yet it was overturned as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court almost 60 years later. In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, Plessy v. Ferguson was overruled. The Court argued that because the separate facilities (in this case, schools) were not equal, then it was unconstitutional to separate people by race. “…Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, … Any language in Plessy v. Ferguson contrary to this finding is rejected…” they ruled.

Rock and roll has developed a long way throughout the years from a dance craze in the 1950’s to a political and cultural landscape that is recognized worldwide. Rock and roll has come to define the roots of teenage rebellion, people who don’t follow the norms, and have disrespect for authority. The style of rock and roll itself is a melting pot of music, a combination of sounds that include jazz, country, blues, ragtime, gospel, swing, classical, and ethnic music. It can be a simple variation of three chords to a complex chromatic scale combination. It can convey emotions such as love, hate, fear, lust, sadness, joy, disillusion, or a strong sense of reality. Many things can be said about rock but the fact is that it is the most widely

The emergence of Rock and Roll was one of the most pivotal moments of our nation’s history. The impact that this genre of music made is still evident in our culture. However, before this genre was able to gain momentum, it faced many cultural conflicts. The book, All Shook Up: How Rock ‘N’ Roll Changed America by Glenn C. Altschuler analyzes the impact that rock and roll music has made on American culture. It explores how the Rock and Roll culture was able to roughly integrate and later conflict with preceding cultural values. This is especially apparent in chapters regarding race and sexuality. Overall, Rock and Roll was extremely controversial amongst parents and educators. This new music genre was condemned by the previous generation as

In the 50s teens were constantly pressured to conform to society’s extremely conservative views. Parents thought rock n roll would influence their children to become juvenile delinquents.

Many people are aware that counterculture is a lifestyle and set of beliefs that resist the normalities of society. One of the most controversial topics of counterculture that began hundreds of years ago is the treatment of black individuals in America. Dating back to the seventeenth century, Africans were taken from their homes and arrived in the United States as slaves. Although some colored people were in the land of the free, there were still segregation laws that restricted them of living life as a free American. In America, people are meant to have equal rights, but segregation did the opposite of that. Even after slavery was banned and there were no longer discriminatory laws, racism still exists in America. Somehow, throughout years of combatting racial discrimination, black Americans are still not treated as equal to white Americans. However, there have been many steps taken over the past century that are getting America closer to true equality for people of all skin colors. A powerful countercultural technique is using music to spread awareness about issues that need attention. Public Enemy was a band formed in the late eighties that challenged the typical beliefs of society. Many of their songs, such as “Fight the Power,” spoke out against racial inequality in America, highlighting the issues with the government. Bands like Public Enemy set a foundation for future

Each year, new books declare rock and roll to be an active force in the moral collapse of American culture. To many, rock and roll has come to be seen as a social menace (Pattison 175-77).