Ku Klux Klan - Verging Out of Control - Essay Example

Essay 1 Verging Out of Control Ku Klux Klan is an underground organization first formed in the 1920’s by people who are angered by the ethnic variations that have been existent not only in the government offices but also in the workplace. They express extreme prejudices about ethnicity and their perception of them ruining the country. In the 1920’s, millions of people have joined the said organization in order to be with people who shared their views as well as be assured of protection that KKK has to offer. The whites who have joined this organization wanted to regain the superiority they used to have as white people before the blacks were freed from slavery. Also, many politicians have joined this organization because of the influence that the organization was reputed to have in various places that will enable to win as much votes as they could. The organization is set out to throw all ethnic groups out of their country as well as Catholic and other various people belonging to some other race. The group was popularized by films and other forms of media later on that psyched the people of how good it will be for them. The group has gained a major foothold in influencing people as they have acquired people that were “someone” and even local officials and police officers that can help them get away with crime. They have done several deeds of misconduct and grave crimes that are still happening up to this day. The influence they have been able to acquire is simply unbelievable. One of their recurring rituals is their burning down of churches and their brutalizing of people. The brute force they used back then was scary and to this date, still is. But nowadays, they will fall more into the category of terrorists. Why did so many white people join them in the first place in the early 1920’s? One of the major reasons except for those I have cited above is the very person himself. During that time, the whites were at the point of psychologically adjusting to the fact that they are no longer superior to blacks that has been their slaves for so long and even before people of those times were born. To them, it was not necessarily a case of superiority syndrome or of evil and selfish thoughts. Rather, it is a tradition that was suddenly falling apart. Slavery was part of their culture and history. To them, when slavery was still on, blacks were properties. It used to be a fact that was not questioned, as many people do not even question their faith in their religions. When slavery was removed and equality among them was established, they were certainly baffled as though their very foundation was falling apart. Like if someone has believed that his dog is not just a dog and one day waking up, and realizing that his dog is legally meant to eat with him on his table and could in fact talk, though please excuse the analogy, it was like that for them. They found themselves in a situation were they can not really accept something as unbecoming but have to. What they did was go to people who will voice their very same astonishment and share their opinions to be able to do something about it. What they have not realized was that the campaign to regain the “norm” they used to have in the past is demolishing the new existentialism of the people they consider crap. Nor did they foresee the violence it indicates, though some have actually wanted it, and that it will remain up to this day as a threat to maintaining a peaceful existence. Initially, it was just because they wanted what they were used to. It is an understandable aspect of people’s nature to want to keep something they know and refuse change. Essay 2 Woman Radical Ida B. Wells started her campaigns and her radical works when she encountered a bad experience on a train. She was man-handled on the train as the coach of the train wanted her to give up her seat to a white man. She refused as was her right to do so. But she was physically dragged and so she sued the train company afterwards. She won the case on the lower courts but when the company appealed to the supreme courts, she lost. She followed up a career in journalism and has written about many injustices that whites have done to blacks, even though a law regarding racial equality has been put down by then. One of her works is about her three friends who were killed by the lynch-mob. They were getting a foothold in business, running a store, against white men who are in the same business. The white men decided to run them out of competition by attacking their store. The three black men fought them in defense and killed one of the attackers in the process. This got them in trouble with the law and in the custody of the law they were killed by the said lynch-mob. Wells wrote about this and have expressed grave emotions on this incident. She took on an investigative pursuit to know more about her friends’ deaths case as well as many other cases of similar nature. But in one of her many pursuits, she got her newspaper in trouble. In one of her articles regarding her three store-owner friends, she expressed her views about white men easily being able to kill black as ammunitions are easy for them to have. But for a black man, he will not. Also, she advised her fellow black people that it will be better for them to save as much as they could and just leave the town. That they should move to a town were being black will not give you undue injustices simply because you have done a white man bad. What really intrigued me about her works are her own basic personality and her radical views. She expresses violent emotions as well as rightful outrage to the injustice dealt them. Ida B. Wells as a woman has a lot of character. Her words have impact that really gets right to the point that also invites activism. Being an activist and a journalist basically boils down to the same thing to her, and not as separate parts of her life. She writes what she could about the things wrong done to black. She delves and tries to uncover the anomalies done to them as a race, and how they are experiencing minor and mundane inequality. Her life story and experiences has given light to many women of her time, especially African-American women. She adopted and developed strategies of resisting racism that were greatly different from those of other women who were fighting gender biases as well. In her case, she run for Congress and was able to get a position regardless of her being black and of her being a female. She was faced by several oppositions because of the views expressed in her writings. Once, she has also written about white women’s voluntary relationships with black men that triggered a lot of varied reactions. Her battle was not only against racism but also against sexism. Her works inspired black women to move forth and cultivate themselves. Perhaps, aside from the fact that she was an activist and a journalist is not the only thing remarkable about her. It is her very personality in itself that refuses to back down even when odds are too high. It is also her wise words not meant for wisdom but of facts that sets out to create changes in those who hear and read about them. Her biases were a little to headstrong and too radical at some point though. Her opinionated character refuses to be open to opposite ideas as well in some instances that could not have been very good. Essay 3 Leaders of Change One of the major differences between the works of Washington and Du Bois is the differences in their stand. Washington believes that the best way to move forth as a black is to make the most of what they could in what the government is giving them. He believes that they should improve their own being to be able to make themselves indispensable to the society. He believes that by doing this, they do not need to force changes from the government or the society as a race and that they should prove themselves as an individual without the biases of color. Du Bois on the other hand believes that black people are not a cause but rather a symptom that change is needed. He demands for change and in his various movements and researches, he has risen antagonism rather than the camaraderie Washington inspires in the people. Washington like Du Bois believe that they should be recognized as a race as well as many other same pursuits. The main difference is their approach in bringing forth the same ideas. But also, Washington believes that their place in society is in labor and man force in agriculture, commerce, industry and such. Du Bois though believes in intellect as a measure of gaining their rightful place. Washington expresses the sentiments of his race in a manner that encourages the government to be sympathetic, while Du Bois expresses his views in a way that invites antagonism. “There is no escape through law of man or God from the inevitable:— The laws of changeless justice bind Oppressor with oppressed; And close as sin and suffering joined We march to fate abreast.” -Washington Washington believes that colored people should, for the time being, forego "political power, insistence on civil rights, and higher education of Negro youth. They should concentrate all their energies on industrial education." Du Bois on the other hand believes that education is an integral ingredient that will lead them to real development and independence that could lead them into “higher civilization”. One of the major differences in their approaches is the way they believe they can achieve change. Du Bois believe in demanding change from the government as a right while Washington thinks it is their duty to better themselves and create change along the way. Many have viewed Washington as black leader who is not a leader in the eyes of many historians as they have perceived his views as condoning the maltreatment of the whites. He has said nothing against the whites and has claimed views in blacks inviting the kind of treatment that they receive. He said that they should remove their wrong attitudes such as their laziness, the irresponsible acts of sexuality and even their tendencies of violence to commit crime. He also stated that: “The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing.” Booker T. Washington Du Bois on the other hand is more liberal and refuses to accept the idea of their lack of growth as their fault. And states that: “We claim for ourselves every single right that belongs to a free American, political, civil and social, and until we get these rights we will never cease to protest and assail the ears of America.” -- W.E.B. Du Bois Unlike Washington, he believes that an upfront attack against White racism through blatant political activism in the course or every institutional structure available is more effective and necessary, even if the said activism be in the means of lawsuits in courtrooms to demonstrations and protests in the streets. Though Washington agrees with Du Bois in his views about white racism as a major obstacle in Black achievements, he believes that the movements Du Bois and others of the same league are merely demonstrating “black civilizational backwardness” as he had referred to in his book. He states that actions like these are what make the degradation of their race even more so in the eyes of the whites. He also states that it is a poor display of their ignorance. Du Bois views were easier to follow unlike the idealistic impression that Washington’s does, but in the end, many of Du Bois followers have looked back on their movements and expressed regrets. It was 50 years of their being on the street and fighting for equality when they could have allotted that time to personal growth as Washington have said. The main differences in the two men roots down to their birth. Du Bois was not born a slave as his birth place did not suffer from the tradition. But Washington was born a slave and have shown great qualities of being able to forgive and forget, to be able to move forward. Du Bois, as someone of such high intellect and lacking of the same experience of being enslaved lacked the in-depth wisdom of what it is really like. People like this tend to express radical views as they have not the insight, therefore, the inability to really understand. Another important figure of the time was Anna Julia Cooper who was an American teacher and write in 1858 up till 1964. She is a remarkable woman whose contribution in the African-American literature is huge but delivered in her mellow ways. She says that those who try to intimidate other people, in views of whites and blacks, are cowards deep inside and are only blessed with the instinct of knowing who is prey to their power. She admits to being a very ambitious girl and to give her due, she is probably one of the most successful and outstanding women of her time. She states, like Washington, that there is a time to put personal interests aside to be able to know what can be brought about for the ultimate good in the end. Her views are mostly on what can be good for the women and not really on the entire race. Her views that were more general tends to take on the same angle and stand as Washington’s rather than that of Du Boir. She believes that the freedom is not a racial thing nor of belonging to any particular groups but rather a birthright. She states that girls must understand that there are certain needs that only they could alleviate, encouraging them to take part on the society and become professionals, as well as making the most of themselves. All three writers are important and have encouraged their race in their differing but also similar pursuit of giving more to their people. They all want what is best for their race, though their views differ. They all wanted to be heard and get the best result. Washington realized that it will be best to start within which is basically the same as Cooper. Of the three, it will be justly said that Du Bois was the activist who has merely encouraged a pursuit that proved to be a waste of time. Read More