HIS110_Assignment2
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Dec 6, 2023
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Uploaded by AdmiralWolf1249
Assignment 2: Thinking Critically About Your Historical Topic
HIS110
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Step 1: Knowledge
Research question:
What lessons from African Americans’ struggles for equality in the past can
help inform current and future civil rights issues?
What are some focused questions that will help you find the information you need in your
sources?
What challenges did African Americans face at this time?
What were some of the key moments in the struggle for equality by African Americans?
What were some of the events that occurred during the Jim Crow era?
Did African Americans think that resorting to violence would help them achieve equality?
Step 2: Comprehension
What have you learned from your primary sources about the historical challenges or social
changes that relate to your research question?
Black and white Americans were segregated under Jim Crow laws, which strictly enforced racial
segregation in almost every aspect of public life. Separate bathrooms, water fountains, public
restrooms, and even separate entrances to public buildings were all part of this segregation.
Because of segregation, Black Americans experienced economic difficulties. They were
frequently denied access to better employment possibilities, paid less, and suffered from
economic exploitation. Remembering Jim Crow is a crucial resource that records the different
accounts and experiences of those who lived during this period, illuminating the human cost of
racial discrimination and segregation in the United States.
What have you learned from your primary sources about how these challenges were
addressed by society or how these changes affected society?
I learned that the Jim Crow era created a long-lasting legacy of racial injustice and prejudice that
still influences many facets of contemporary American culture. Even though there has been a lot
of progress, the United States continues to face difficulties in dealing with the lasting effects of
this historical era.
How does the information you learned from your primary sources connect to the current
issues mentioned in your research question?
The information relates to my research issue because African Americans encountered numerous
lessons that they are still learning now. Black Lives Matter and other current groups emphasize
the continued effects of racial injustice while carrying on the battle for racial justice and equality.
Jim Crow's racism and violence still have an impact on people and communities psychologically.
Black Americans' mental health and general wellbeing are significantly impacted by the legacy
of institutional racism.
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What are some pieces of evidence (like facts or examples) from your secondary sources that
support what you’ve learned from your primary sources?
By 1960s, college students were working with organizations such as CORE and SNCC, traveling
to the South to spearhead voter registration drives. Men such as Martin Luther King Jr. were
speaking not only throughout the United State but the world, about the horrors of segregation. By
1964 the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Jim Crow Era was buried for
good.
What evidence (like facts, data, or examples) is missing from your secondary sources—
what else would you still like to learn about your topic that these sources didn’t tell you?
In 1896, a group of African American women established the National Association of Colored
Women to support women’s suffrage and fight against other forms of social injustice. Readers
around the nation were made aware of the atrocities of Jim Crow by the African American press.
Publications like the Chicago Defender gave information about metropolitan environs, including
train timetables and employment prospects, to readers in southern areas.
Step 3: Application
What connections or similarities do you see among your sources? Consider aspects like
their time period, the type of information they contain, and the perspective they offer on
events.
While Malcolm X was a prominent figure in the post-Jim Crow era, his life and activism were
deeply intertwined with the struggles and challenges faced by African Americans during the Jim
Crow period. His message of self-determination, empowerment, and resistance to racial
oppression resonated with the experiences of those who lived through the era of Jim Crow
segregation. Malcolm X's legacy endures as a symbol of resistance and empowerment for many
in the African American community and beyond. Similarly, the Jim Crow era's impact on
American history continues to influence discussions and actions related to civil rights and racial
justice.
What discrepancies or differences do you see among your sources? Think critically. Are
their perspectives different? Do they offer different explanations about how or why
something happened? Do any of your sources disagree with each other?
While Malcolm X's life and activism were influenced by the historical context of the Jim Crow
era, there are notable differences in his approach, ideology, and impact when compared to the
broader era of legalized racial segregation and discrimination. Malcolm X's life and legacy
represent a complex and multifaceted chapter in the history of civil rights and racial justice in the
United States. The Jim Crow era refers to the period of legalized racial segregation and
discrimination in the United States, primarily from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century.
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Malcolm X's life and activism occurred primarily during the mid-20th century, after the peak of
Jim Crow laws. His most active years were in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Step 4: Analysis
In your own words, describe your strongest evidence. Which pieces of information from
your sources are most helpful for answering your research question?
The fight for voting rights was a central component of the civil rights struggle. Lessons from the
past emphasize the importance of voter mobilization, registration, and protection of voting rights
as fundamental to achieving broader civil rights goals. Ongoing efforts to combat voter
suppression and ensure equitable access to the ballot box remain critical.
In your own words, describe your weakest evidence. Which pieces of information from
your sources don’t connect as easily to your research question?
The historical context that is essential to properly comprehend the conditions and reasons
surrounding a particular event or personal experience may be missing from narratives. It might
be difficult to determine relevant lessons for current civil rights challenges without a larger
framework.
What has been difficult about using these sources to answer your research question?
Its difficult talking and reading about these resources because everything is changing everyday
especially the history. Sources may be biased or present a particular perspective, which can
influence the research findings.
Step 5: Synthesis
Summarize your argument.
The history of African Americans' fights for equality in the United States is full with dramatic
lessons that still apply and inform the current civil rights campaigns. These lessons, developed
through the trials and tribulations of the Civil Rights Movement and centuries of racial injustice,
provide priceless insights into the methods, approaches, and ideas that may guide current and
future civil rights initiatives. This article will examine the essential principles that might direct
our continued search for a more equitable society, from the relevance of collective action and
nonviolent resistance to the lasting significance of legal advocacy and voter mobilization. The
lessons learned from the historical struggles of African Americans for equality which included
cohesion, nonviolence, legal tactics, voter mobilization, public awareness, grassroots activism,
education, long-term commitment, and the recognition of intersectionality provide a
comprehensive framework that not only informs but also empowers current and future civil
rights movements in their quest for justice and equality.
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Sources
John Kirk. 2009. The Long Road to Equality for African-Americans.
http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=a9h&AN=36590274&site=eds-live&scope=site
Femi Lewis. No date. The Jim Crow Era. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-jim-crow-
45387
Stephen Smith. 2001. Remembering Jim Crow.
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/remembering/index.html
Malcolm X. April 3, 1964. The Ballot or the Bullet.
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html
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