Justice Harlans Descending Opinion in Plessy v Ferguson

 During what turned out to be one of the most influential and important court cases of all time where the court approved the principle of separate but equal, the vote came to 7-1 with one justice not participating. Justice John Marshall Harlan or "the lone dissenter" once said, "The white race deems itself to be the dominant race in this country, and so it is, in prestige, and achievements, in education and wealth and in power. So I doubt not it will continue to be for all time if it remains true to its great heritage and holds fast to the principles of constitutional liberty. But in the view of the Constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior dominant ruling class of citizens. Our constitution is colorblind and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful. The law regards man as man and takes no account of his color when his civil rights are guaranteed by the supreme law of the land."

 As a former slave owner and someone who was born in a slave state (Kentucky) he disagreed with president Lincoln on emancipation and actually opposed his reelection so some may ask: how does he go from that to becoming this champion of equal rights for freed slaves? Harlan's family was a prominent slaveholding family Harlan loved to preach about how our constitution is "colorblind." 

Judge Harlan did not believe in the "separate but equal" principle. He believed that every person in this country is equal. In respect to the law, Judge Harlan knew the amendments and constitution very well as well as the meaning behind them. He would not only look at the words of the amendments, but he would find deeper meaning between the lines and interpret them correctly. One thing that really stood out to me after reading his dissent and overviews of it was how he harshly insists that everyone is equal under the law. This sticks out to me because he was once a slave owner. To be speaking in the tone that he did in his dissent toward African Americans means that he has come a long way from the person he used to be and he has educated himself more reasonably.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a sensitive, nuanced romance film that is still relevant today. 50 years later, its perspectives on race relations in America are still applicable. When Joanna Katharine Houghton returns home early from a vacation in Hawaii, her parents are shocked to learn that her new fiancé named Dr. John Prentiss Sidney Poitier is a man of color, yet is madly in love with their daughter. This movie highlights the differences that can be manifested between ideals and actions. Joanna’s upper-class parents' approval is extremely important to John and something he must gain. 

They are proud liberals, but their daughter intends to marry a black man which is completely new to them. Their attitudes and concerns are tested by John’s relationship with their daughter, as they are approached by a part of society that they had previously only really commented on and had little association with. They aren't sure how to feel about the couple but want to continue to love and support their daughter. The father is hesitant to give his blessing for the marriage because of the extreme prejudice he fears he/they will face. Before this film was released, interracial marriage was still illegal in 17 US states. This made the film a complex subject matter. The father supports the marriage between a white woman and a black man, but fears of the difficulties that the couple will endure in society. The film tries to communicate that the fathers of John and Joanna are blind to the fact that their kids love each other dearly, and they are overcomplicating the love. The film also addresses the fast pace of their relationship, considering they had only known each other and had been dating for 12 days before they were engaged. It also addresses how racism can happen to both sides of the party. Tilly's suspicion, John's less-than-thrilled parents coming to visit, and Matt's priest friend, Mike, all know how to keep tensions high in this movie. 

This movie is absolutely still relevant today because our society faces issues with interracial marriage, same-sex marriage, and other types of relationships. The movie's message that being in a biracial relationship doesn’t invalidate you as a member of a given culture is powerful. I personally loved this movie and enjoyed the storyline and message. I think it's a great watch and related heavily to our class. 

Linked below is a relevant news story about the societal issues this movie addresses:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb0acs3qoZI

Final Discussion Reflection

Our in-class final discussion was incredibly impactful and one that I will take with me in the future. Our discussion started with conversations about current cases and how they relate to older cases. We talked about modern 1st Amendment cases and why they are important in today's polarized society. Our discussion then transitioned into a conversation about race and how it relates to social media. It is important to talk about race because it is a significant aspect of identity that shapes people's experiences and perspectives in society. By acknowledging and discussing race, we can better understand the challenges and discrimination that many people face, as well as the systemic inequalities that exist in our institutions and culture. Engaging in open and honest dialogue about race can also help to build bridges and foster a sense of empathy and solidarity among people of different backgrounds. By addressing the issue of race, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society, and we did just that. 

Our discussion was also a debate about how social media severely affects politics today. This was the largest thing I took away from our discussion. We talked about how people hide behind their screens to make it seem like they want to help societal issues but in reality, people just post what is trending to seem like they are involved in an issue that they don’t care about whatsoever. The infographic trend has taken over social media and people think they can save the world’s issues by resharing some edit.

 

However, social media has also introduced new challenges, such as the spread of misinformation and the amplification of extremist views. Overall, social media has greatly changed the landscape of politics and will continue to do so in the future.

I’m actually incredibly thankful for the in-class discussion because I was able to hear the opinions of my peers and even if I didn’t agree with them completely, I listened and considered ever point they made. I also got to know some of me peers a little better and it was inspiring to hear them stand up for what they believe and issues they think are prominent in today’s society. 

Klansville, U.S.A

Klansville U.S.A.: the name given to a town in South Carolina that was once riddled with anti-black KKK members during the 1960s. Making their much-awaited return after their fallout in the 1920s, the Klan came back larger and more powerful than ever.

If you were born into a family of Klu Klux Klan members, you’re bound to be one during this time. This is what happened to Bob Jones, a member of the military who was known to be a racist. He was dropped from the military after refusing to salute a black officer. After being discharged, Bob Jones worked for a well-off life while making a sufficient amount of money. Bob then decided to organize a rally. He did not believe that many would show up but to his surprise, about 2,000 people came. This North Carolina rally was what helped Jones come to the realization that he had a “future” in that realm. He realized that the same people who showed up to his first rally would continue to support his efforts. These realizations are what led Jones to take his initiatives to the next level. Because of his efforts, the Klan grew to about 10,000 members despite North Carolina’s lack of progression with civil rights. Jones set up rallies across the state and built new chapters as well. 

The Klan became so large and popular that its growth was the cause of its downfall. The FBI started to catch on to its popularity and began to investigate the secrets of the Klan. The FBI used George Dorsett as a way to go against Bob Jones and unveil the secrets of the Klan. This led to the arrest of Jones and the loss of faith in Jones from his followers. 

The Klan is still present in the United States today. It was last reported that there were 42 active groups across 22 states. Upon further research, I found that there are 12 small, but active groups in Maryland (my home state). The first amendment protects the right to be a member of the Klu Klux Klan but it is a dying group because of how hard of a time they are having trying to show reasons that people should join and gain new followers. 

Who was Hazel Scott?

Hazel Scott was one of the most excellent jazz musicians of her time. To my surprise, I was unaware of who she was until she was brought up in my class by Professor Smith. Her enthusiasm and passion for music are evident in all of her work and especially through the videos we have watched as a class. It’s unfortunate that more people aren’t able to identify important Black figures in history who have shaped things like music, today. 

Known for her jazz and boogie-style music, Hazel was always an incredible pianist. Hazel was born in the Port of Spain in the Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago. Four years later, her family moved to the United States and settled in Harlem. Hazel then auditioned for the Julliard School of Music at the age of 8, even though they typically only enrolled students ages 16 and above. Hazel was given private lessons by a professor at the school and then began to perform regularly for radio programs, as well as the Roslin Dance Hall. It was her 1939 performances at Café Society in Greenwich Village that pushed Scott’s career to the next level. Café Society was New York’s first fully integrated nightclub and the city’s hot spot for jazz. Throughout her career, Hazel declined any opportunity that involved any form of racism, all to stand in support of the Black community. Scott credited her courage to her mother who encouraged her to become the powerful and independent woman she was. Later on, Hazel married Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and together, they became a powerful activist couple. Hazel was the first person in the United States to have her own TV show. The Hazel Scott Show aired for 15 minutes, three times a week, first in New York City and then nationally. 

Scott played the mix of classics, jazz, and boogie-woogie blues for which she was known and the show earned good ratings. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after a few months because of her involvement in political activism. Scott then divorced her husband and moved to Paris where she remarried and continued performing as well as being an activist. When she eventually came back to America, the height of her fame was behind her. She continued to perform in small clubs for her fans and continued to take small jobs. Scott then got cancer and sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer in 1981. 

Hazel Scott left a lasting impression on the world of jazz and pathed the way for Black musicians to come after her. Her passion for activism inspired many and she is now recognized as a forgotten pioneer of music. Her resilience and courage to stand up for what she believed was an incredible statement and one that heavily impacted the fight for equality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySQ8cA4a-f8

Redlining (EOTO/Trial)

Redlining is when lenders refuse financial services including denying mortgages, insurance, and loans based on a resident’s race or ethnicity. Redlining began in 1933 with FDR’s “the new deal”. When the federal housing administration subsidized builders to produce suburbs at a massive scale under the condition that these new suburbs were for whites only and could not be sold to African Americans which forced them into urban housing projects in poor inner-city neighborhoods. FHA then took it a step further by refusing to insure mortgages or give loans in or near African American neighborhoods. defending themselves by saying if African Americans bought homes in the suburbs the property of these homes would go down. The homeowner’s loan corporation came up with residential security maps which are maps sectioning off areas of the city into four categories based on the risk of defaulting on loans. The different colors on the maps indicated different levels in society: African Americans being “red.” The red area was designated for individuals who were “detrimental to society” and were foreign-born, aka negros.

Residential security maps were adopted by cities all over the country. Even though there was no evidence at the time to support that African Americans were more likely to default on their loans. Redlining was officially made illegal in 1968 with the Fair Housing Act, after over 30 years of extreme housing discrimination. In fact, after those 30 years, white households received 98% of all FHA loans, leaving only 2% for all minority groups combined. However, just because redlining was made illegal, doesn’t mean that all damage was done. The effects are still present today. Today the average African American accounts for just 60% of the income in white households. While redlining doesn’t account for all of that economic inequality, it definitely plays a role. It’s no secret that home ownership is a major way Americans mask wealth. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, even African Americans that could afford to live in the suburbs were denied, meaning they didn’t get the benefit of the shared household appreciation. During the 60s those houses sold for twice the national average so by the time redlining was made illegal, those same African Americans could no longer afford to live in those suburban houses. Today, those same houses sell for an average of 6-8x the national average.

A 2020 study at the University of Wisconsin found that redlining not only reduced minority wealth but it also impacted their health and longevity resulting in a legacy of chronic illness and relative death. The average life expectancy was 3.6 years lower for those living in redlined areas, given that redlined areas were way more likely to be near industrial plants and without healthy drinking water. It also played a role in education. Schools are often funded by communities’ property tax so if you live in an area with lower property values, there’s less money going into the public school system in your area and without money, school quality declines drastically. Redlining was a dark spot in American history and significantly impacted the way of life for African Americans and its effects are still being felt today.

Brown v. Board of Education Historical Overview

    The 1950s were a decade marked by the post-World War II boom, the dawn of the Cold War, and the civil rights movement in the United States. During the 1950s, however, the struggle against racism and segregation entered the mainstream of American life. While racism was still very present, the integration movement had made some progress in the trial of World War II. 

    America had just witnessed black and white soldiers fight together for the same cause for the first time. In the Holocaust, they also saw what horrific forms state-sanctioned racial superiority could take. The problems of the Great Depression affected nearly every group of Americans, yet no group was harder hit than African Americans.

 

The Great Depression of the 1930s worsened the already pathetic economic situation of African Americans. They were the first to be laid off from their jobs, and they suffered from an unemployment rate that was two to three times that of whites. In early public assistance programs, African Americans often received substantially less aid than whites, and some charitable organizations even excluded Blacks from their soup kitchens. By 1932, approximately half of African Americans were out of work. In some Northern cities, whites called for African Americans to be fired from any jobs as long as there were whites out of work. Racial violence again became more common, especially in the South. Lynchings, which had declined to eight in 1932, surged to 28 in 1933. 

    Although most African Americans traditionally voted Republican, the election of President Franklin Roosevelt began to change voting patterns. Roosevelt entertained African American visitors at the White House and was known to have several black advisors. According to historian John Hope Franklin, many African Americans were excited by the energy with which Roosevelt began tackling the problems of the Depression and gained "a sense of belonging they had never experienced before" from his fireside chats. 

(President Franklin D. Roosevelt)

The complex racial norms of the 1940s in America both sustained the color barrier and supported its challenges. Around 1.5 million African Americans left the South during the 1940s, mainly for the industrial cities of the North. Once again, serious housing shortages and job competition led to increased tension between Blacks and whites. Race riots broke out and the worst of them occurred in Detroit in June of 1943 where forty deaths and seven hundred injuries took place. 

(Image from the Detroit race riot in 1943)

    Moving into the 1950s, life was fantastic for white males. While the 1950s were something of a golden age for blue and white-collar workers, it was barely a time of expanding opportunities for African Americans. Rigid segregation was the rule throughout the country, especially with housing, jobs, and employment. In the South, public accommodations were segregated by law, while in the north it was usually happening by custom or de facto segregation. The new suburban neighborhoods that sprang up in the 1950s were almost completely white and this remained true for decades. According to Eric Foner, “As late as the 1990s, nearly 90% of suburban whites lived in communities with non-white populations less than 1%.” It wasn’t just housing that was hurting the black community. In the 1950s, half of black families lived in poverty. When they were able to get union jobs, black workers had less seniority than their white counterparts so their employment was less stable, and sub-standard segregated schools severely limited their educational opportunities. This is where it all begins with the case of Brown vs. Board of Education.