Negro National Anthem Dbq

1. Jim Crow was a set of laws enforcing racial segregation in the southern United States from 1877 to the 1960’s. These barbaric and corrupt laws were set mainly against African Americans, limiting their human rights such as voting. The Whites firmly believed they were the superior race over African Americans because they labeled themselves as being more intelligent and civilized.

William H. Johnson was a successful painter who was born on March 18, 1901 in Florence, South Carolina. Johnson began exploring his level of creativity as a child, and it only amplified from there because he discovered that he wanted to be an artist. After making this discovery he attended the National Academy of Design in New York which is where he met his mentor Charles Webster Hawthorne who had a strong influential impact on Johnson. Once Johnson graduated he moved to Paris where he was exposed to different artists, various artistic abilities, and evolutionary creations. Throughout Johnson’s time in Paris he grew as an artist, and adapted a “folk” style where he used lively colors and flat figures. Johnson used the “folk” style to express the experience of most African-Americans during the years of the 1930s and 1940s.

The marchers gathered at the Washington Monument before dawn as planned on August 28, 1963. At 11:30, 100,000 to 200,000 of them began marching towards the Lincoln Memorial singing “We Shall Overcome” (“The March on Washington” 12). At the memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered multiple speeches along with other African Americans about segregation and discrimination issues. During one of his speeches, King Jr. declared that “we will not hate you, but we cannot obey your unjust laws. Do to us what you will and we will still love you…But we will soon wear you down by our capacity to suffer. And in winning our freedom, we will so appeal to your heart and conscience, that we will win you in the process” (“Negro Protest Movement” 507). This statement by King Jr. describes his plans of further nonviolent protesting against “unjust laws” to convince others of the civil rights movement’s cause. He furthers this statement and elaborates his ideas in his infamous speech, “I Have a Dream.”

Lewis and so many other great people and leaders. They were able to partake in and experience so much history at one time. The march was put together, because it was intended to fight for the rights of African-Americans for jobs and freedom. It was also organized by religious groups and civil groups; the march was intended to shed light on the challenges that black citizens were facing 100 years after the emancipation proclamation from President Lincoln. During the march, which was led by the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ended at the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr. King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” Speech. Mr. Lewis was experiencing history, something no one could ever take away from him no matter how many times he was beaten or take to

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most famous civil rights activists in the history of the United States. He gave several important speeches and promoted non-violent protests. His most famous speech was “I Have A Dream”, around a quarter of a million patrons, black and white, attended this empowering speech at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. The reason his speech was vastly successful in the movement against segregation and injustice was because of its repetitiveness.

Martin Luther King Jr. changed the Civil Rights movement with the sound of his voice. Martin Luther King was the most powerful activist for equal rights because of his peaceful marches, and speeches. The March on Washington and the I Have a Dream speech were the most important events he participated in. The “I Have a Dream” speech took place in August, 1963, in Washington D.C. The speech was monumental for the Civil Rights Movement, as it was broadcasted nationwide. The speech consisted of how African Americans have been discriminated against as time progress since the Gettysburg Address one hundred years before. Dr. King then went on to explain some of the problems African Americans still face today. As the speech went on he gradually raised

James Weldon Johnson impacted the Harlem Renaissance through his literary works. One of these works is known today as “The Black National Anthem.” (Johnson), created in the 1900’s. The Black National Anthem was written in celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, and it became originally titled as the “Negro National Anthem” as stated by the National Association for the Advancements of Colored People(NAACP). Since then it changed to “The Black National Anthem.” The words in the anthem symbolised the racism African Americans encountered. The anthem was a way of showing patriotism and hope for the future, sung today in churches, assemblies, and black events throughout the nation. One empowering part in the anthem is “We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, Out from the gloomy past, Till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.” In reality, Johnson states that throughout history, African Americans have been slaughtered, beaten, and tortured. African American’s are a

The movement also had a lot of black and white support, “It was at this protest that King delivered his ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech. Between 200,000 and 500,000 people of all races marched through the streets of Washington” (“Civil Rights Movement”).

Many people turned to violence during this time, but Martin Luther King, Jr., a legendary front-runner of this movement, advocated for peace. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, one that is still quoted by American citizens today, he voiced his wish that “one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will he able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers” (King). Rather than using his position of power to communicate rage to the masses of people gathered before him, King relayed messages of optimism. As a result, the Civil Rights movement was one built on the notion that peaceful resistance was the key to equality. The Montgomery bus boycott, marches in Selma, Birmingham, and Washington, D.C. were all intentionally nonviolent. Protesters, calm in the face of brutal police retaliation in order to defend their rights, eventually achieved equality under the law (Simkins). Footage from the “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, displaying passive African-American protesters being beaten down by police, was rapidly spread through the media, eventually reaching President Lyndon B. Johnson and motivating him to take action against racism, passing measures such as the 1965 Voting Rights Act (History.com) Though radical protesters did resort to violence during the movement, we remember it and teach it for its emphasis on

Between 1860 and 1877, America was in the midst of the Civil War and reconstruction following the war. America had many good ideas; however, very few of their revolutionary ideas ever effectuated exactly as planned. During this time period, there were many good ideas that were applied to the constitution or were said to be good, however many of these ideas were never truly implemented. Critics could state that America had undergone a revolution, however there was not much truly revolutionary about these events. It was not just constitutional changes, there were also social changes that were supposed to take place, but inevitably failed to actually be executed into Americans lifestyle.

Dr. King was a brave man. Even when he was thrown into jail. As long as he could change the way blacks were being treated he didn’t care about the consequences. He was never afraid to say what he was feeling. He was brave enough to stand in front of a lot of people to say his speech. It’s hard to pinpoint just one of Martin Luther King Jr’s acts of bravery. Dr. King put his as well as his family’s wellbeing at risk for his purpose. Dr. King walked into the racist and narcissistic jaws of the segregated south and urged for change. Not only did he take a physical beating, they also tried to defeat him mentally.

On August 28th, 1963, over 250,000 people joined Dr. King march at the Lincoln Memorial to hear his speech, “I Have a Dream” Powerful words being heard and documented as a historical event for civil rights. He introduces his speech as the greatest demonstration for freedom in all the United States of America. Dr. King opens with, “The negro still is not free, one-hundred years later the life of the negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimation.” Dr. King followed the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Believing that non-violent protesting was the ultimate weapon against racism.

Martin Luther King Jr. marched the streets into Birmingham leading Fifty three fellow African Americans on Good Friday in 1963. King and his fellow African American’s were protesting about the already existing segregation laws: they were all arrested by clergymen and thrown into the Birmingham Jail. The clergymen of Birmingham wrote a letter, based on King’s and the other African American’s beliefs and protesting, asking the black community to stop the protesting of segregation laws. The letter king wrote in response to the clergymen is known as A Letter from a Birmingham Jail. This letter was a turning point for the Civil Rights Movement and provided inspiration to the racial equality ("Martin Luther King"). King’s letter strives to justify

James Weldon Johnson was a large creative aspect to African Americans. His work as a poet, songwriter, author, and civil rights activist made a great impact on African American culture from the early 20th century till today. James Weldon Johnson was born on June 17, 1871. His education first began at home by his mother who was a musician and a public school teacher. She then shared with him the love for English Literature and European music. In 1901, he moved to New York City to work with his brother in Musical Theatre, where he wrote his most successful poem: Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing. Although the Johnson’s song was never actively promoted by his publisher, it was the children that kept the song alive, and made it to what

Dr. King gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in front of more than 200,000 people. He spoke of his hopes for future generations, inspiring many people. Through describing the difficulties that he and other African Americans had to face, he even changed some people's perspectives, leading to a renewed interest in the movement for equality. Another literary piece of Martin’s was titled “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. His letter was a famous argument and a response to “A Call for Unity”, which had criticised the actions of protesters and African Americans at the time. While this was a letter written only a few months before his speech, they had many similarities and differences.