Home Archive by category "African American" (Page 3)

Category: African American

Selma; Notes From the Field – Chapter 1; Prison Camps

In the immediate days and months before the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965 (Bloody Sunday), an extensive and concentrated voting rights effort was implemented in Dallas County (Selma) and the surrounding counties in Alabama. Local law enforcement and the Alabama State Troopers responded with unprecedented retaliation. Representatives of primarily from SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), high school students and other volunteers, were arrested at an alarming rate. More than 3,000 men, woman, and children were …

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The Mulford Act

California Republican state assemblyman Don Mulford wrote a bill that was signed into law and enacted in 1967. The Mulford Act was the repeal of the “open carry” firearms law in California. Mulford championed the limits of open-carried weapons. Open carried rifles increased due to the perceived hostile treatment of blacks in the black community. The political and civic environment was more than some whites could bear. The state legislator with the support of the …

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First Nations

The struggle for civil rights and economic opportunity is a frequent subject in political debates. However, being recognized as a legitimate member of society or even a citizen of the country that governs you and the land you live on, is still a current fight for many native peoples. First Nations is a term used in Canada to refer to the indigenous Aboriginal people. Recognizing the many native peoples, their governments, traditions and full participation …

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Clayton Bigsby

We owe so much to Dave Chappelle’s sketch comedies. Those seemingly outrageous parodies in many situations illuminated and parroted real life situations. For those that don’t remember the character, Clayton Bigsby, a blind spokesperson noted for his enthusiastic right wing, minority hating followers. Occasionally leading the chant “white power” for the faithful. The “catch” was that Clayton Bigsby was black. In South Carolina for all to see is the manifestation of the popular Clayton Bigsby …

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The Edmund Pettus Bridge

The Edmund Pettus Bridge, the scene of Bloody Sunday. If your driving from Atlanta toward Selma, Alabama, you probably will take highway 80 (US-80) when you head west from Montgomery. It’s a pretty long drive. As I remember, its nearly 50 miles. If you’re doing a civil rights trail pilgrimage, you will think about the marchers that made the trip in the opposite direction, east from Selma to Montgomery, the state capital. On my first …

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