- Sep 2020
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All of this is on account we want to register, to become first-class citizens, and if the freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America, is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave where we have to sleep with our telephones off of the hooks because our lives be threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings, in America?
Ms. Hamer’s testimony was very personal and first-hand experience of depriving black community from voting, racial discrimination, and violence against Black American. Registration for voting criteria and eligibility especially challenging for black Americans. Opportunity for education was limited for Blacks, even if they did have an opportunity poverty and poor financial situation forced children to work on farm to support family. The whole system from bottom to top was structured to prevent Black Americans to register for vote and involve themselves in politics and higher education. Ms. Hamer’s life story and testimony at 1964 DNC is an important piece of Black Freedom Struggle. Her testimony brings out the injustice and unfairness. She also laid out all the huddles she faced while trying to register for vote. Even if the law permitted them to but the heinous discrimination and resistance persist and much harsher.
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“Share our Wealth”
These two speeches by Huey Long has a striking message surrounding the problem of faulty economic foundation of our country. His remarks highlight the distribution of wealth where top rich people are holding majority of wealth and rest of the population is suffering from not being having enough. The distribution of wealth has been unfair, and it is still an ongoing issue. People are lining paycheck to paycheck, paying higher taxes whatever they earn, not able to afford to meet necessities of daily lives. People are homeless and living in poverty while the top wealthy people who have enough to pout their wealth into society to help eradicate poverty and improve over all foundation of this country. In his speech, Long is saying that his goal is not to share wealth equal but put limit on how a person can have and share an certain amount dollar with non-wealthy or poor to limit poverty in this country. His plan of share our wealth involved financial help to struggling families, putting limit on wealth and taxing wealthy, pension for older people, pay veterans, and education for children. He also purposed limiting number of working hours so people can use this time for entertainment, education, and enjoy luxuries of life. The revenue to be expected from taxing the top wealthy. All these issue and still ongoing debate. We are still faced with children not getting proper education, poverty, people not able to afford housing, higher taxes etc. while the top one percent are getting richer and richer every day.
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In answer to this, it has been claimed that the Negro can survive only through submission. Mr. Washington distinctly asks that black people give up, at least for the present, three things, — First, political power, Second, insistence on civil rights, Third, higher education of Negro youth,– and concentrate all of their energies on industrial education, the accumulation of wealth, and the conciliation of the South. This policy has been courageously and insistently advocated for over fifteen years, and has been triumphant for perhaps ten years. As a result of this tender of the palm-beach, what has been the return? In these years there have occurred:
W.E.B. DuBois remarks are in argument against Broker T. Washington comments and his proposal. He had different view from Washington regarding black’s economic and social growth. DuBois wanted changes in the policy arguing that Washington’s program is solely based on economic growth excluding the deeply engraved social and moral issues that pertains to higher goals and aims of life. Overall, he is not disagreeing with economic growth, but he is giving more importance to political, civil and educational rights for black.
Mandeep Chahal
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To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits of the prosperity of the South, were I permitted I would repeat what I say to my own race: “Cast down your bucket where you are.” Cast it down among the eight millions of Negroes whose habits you know, whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of your firesides. Cast down your bucket among these people who have, without strikes and labour wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, builded [sic] your railroads and cities, and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South.
The remarks by Broker T. Washington urges black people to not to underestimate the power unity and working together. These remarks are not only for white people, but also for his race and community people. The power of friendship and unity is a personal growth and ultimately serve good for everyone no matter what race they belong to. In his remarks he is seeing the great potential in millions of black slaves that are not use just because of race and the overall circumstances surrounding slavery at that time. His idea is very revolution and demanding a transformation in which people see and think about black community. He is also proudly mentioning how blacks had been loyal, hardworking, humble, and kind workers. And assuring that if they will get a chance at freedom and opportunity that the society will thrive. Although the speech was very encouraging, but Washington’s was telling black people for self- help and promoting themselves by hard work and gaining respect from white people.
Mandeep Chahal
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