Why We Cant Wait
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SOWK 2100
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Philosophy
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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Why We Can’t Wait
by Martin Luther King, Jr.
1. What happened to Martin Luther King, Jr. in the late 1950s and how did he use it as a metaphor for the situation in this country in the summer of 1963? (3 points)
In the late1950’s Martin Luther King Jr. was stabbed in the aorta with a letter opener, and he used it metaphorically to describe that the violence was getting to peo
2. What were the two causes of disillusionment among black people in 1963? (3 points)
One cause of the disillusionment is the slow pace of school desegregation. The second cause is because the political parties didn’t fulfill the promise to wipe out discrimination. 3. MLK: When he
(the black man) seeks opportunity, he is told, in effect, to lift himself by his own bootstraps, advice which does not take into account the fact that he is barefoot.
What does this statement mean? (3 points)
This statement means that the black man needs to improve his situation on his own without anyone else’s help.
4. The year 1963 was the 100
th
anniversary of what? (2 points)
a. The Emancipation Proclamation
b. The end of the civil war
c. Lincoln’s assassination
d. All of the above
5. MLK called nonviolent direct action the sword that heals.
In what way was this true? (2
points)
It is true because despite the other consequences of being a negro besides being attacked, nonviolent direct action has helped people to reveal themselves to themselves. It gave many black people a badge of honor to see that they are somebody and give them a sense of purpose in terms of fighting for freedom. 6. What irony did MLK see in the following statement: The justification for risking the annihilation of the human race (with nuclear weapons)
was always expressed in
terms of America’s willingness to go to any lengths to preserve freedom.
(3 points)
MLK felt that their civil rights activists and volunteers have acted nonviolently to grant them rights to be equal with everyone else but whites used force and violence to try to stop them from protesting.
7. When a governor has ten appointed positions to fill and he seeks to fill one of them with a member of a minority group in order to pacify that group so that they won’t ask for more, this is an example of ___________________. (3 points)
8. After World War I there was a movement which advocated for the return of black people to Africa. Why did it fail? (3 points)
The movement failed because there was only a fractional amount of support from the negro community.
9. What were the two reasons why most black people were against using violence in the fight for equal rights? (3 points)
Most black people knew that if violence was used they wouldn’t have the slightest chance in victory causing them to be killed. The second reason is because of how strong their spiritual beliefs are knowing that violence is against the morals of their religion.
10. Which of the following is a novel about an unarmed southern lawyer who disperses a mob wishing to lynch a black defendant with the force of his moral courage? (2 points)
a. Crime and Punishment
b. To Kill a Mockingbird
c. Gone With the Wind
d. Mississippi Burning
11. What two roles did television play in the success of the Civil Rights movement? (4 points)
Television showed the civil rights movement to majority of the whites in America including how they dressed, their thoughtful words, and their organization. This helped eliminate the
stereotypes that whites had about negros prior to watching the protest on television. Additionally, the television helped inspire people about the future of the human race.
12. Why do you think it was important for the black man to look back at a white man, eye to eye
? (3 points)
I think it was important for the black man to look back at the white man because the purpose of the movement was so that segregation could create equality for people. Additionally, the nonviolent protest was a way to gain victory and shine a light into how blacks were mistreated in
the south. Being black looking back at a white man eye to eye symbolizes the strength in the belief that blacks had about the cruelty that they experienced.
13. T
F
Hundreds of black people were killed in civil rights demonstrations in 1963. (2 points)
14. According to MLK, what was the ultimate tragedy of Birmingham? (3 points)
The ultimate tragedy of Birmingham was the silence of the good people.
15. What did Birmingham public officials do when they were court-ordered to open the city’s public recreation facilities? (2 points)
a. They defied the court order and put police officers in place to keep black people out. b. They gave up and opened the facilities to all.
c. They closed the facilities down.
d. They appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
16. What were some of the preparatory activities undertaken by civil rights leaders before the demonstrations in Birmingham in 1963? (2 points)
One of the preparatory activities was a three day retreat called by Martin Luther King to discuss the possible events that could happen due to the demonstrations. Additionally, during this retreat they analyzed their actions in past campaigns especially the one in Albany, Georgia because they
were all in agreement that they scattered their efforts too widely. Another preparatory activity was workshops based on non-violence and direct-action techniques to teach the recruits how to successfully manage a non-violent protest.
17. Who said, You have to be prepared to die before you can begin to live
? (2 points)
a. Martin Luther King, Jr.
b. Harry Belafonte
c. Fred Shuttlesworth
d. Nelson Rockefeller
18. What did MLK say about the importance of the freedom songs? (2 points)
He said that the freedom songs are the soul of the movement because the lyrics by themselves with no beat are powerful on its own. Additionally, the songs help build the determination of the recruits during their campaigns to help get rid of segregation.
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19. T
F Only those who were deemed able to respond nonviolently to extreme provocation were allowed to participate in the actual demonstrations in Birmingham. (2 points)
20. Which of the following is a reason why there was black opposition to the demonstrations in Birmingham in 1963? (2 points)
a. Many black people had been made to feel inferior for so long that they didn’t know how to resist the influences that conditioned them to go along with the white man’s views.
b. Black businessmen worried that white retaliation would hurt their businesses.
c. Some black people were worried that they would be fired from their jobs as a result of the demonstrations.
d. Some felt that the city government which had just been elected should be given time to make changes.
e. a & d
21. When the civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham continued after a court injunction against demonstration was issued, this was an example of: (2 points)
a. civil disobedience.
b. injunction violation.
c. justified law breaking.
d. anarchy.
22. What did MLK say about a person’s legal and moral responsibility regarding the law
? (3 pts.) MLK supports obeying just laws and feels that it’s a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Therefore, when a law is unjust people have a moral responsibility to disobey those laws when it is causing controversy.
23. When teens were recruited to join the demonstrations in Birmingham, the national media criticized black leaders for using
black children in this fashion? Why was this ironic? (3 points)
This was ironic because the national media didn’t expect that the civil rights activists would get children involved knowing of all the harsh consequences that they were already facing before.
24. Which of the following statements is true? (2 points)
a. During the period of civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, most white residents remained neutral.
b. The demonstrations ended when business leaders and civil rights leaders reached an accord.
c. In May, 1963 segregationists bombed the Birmingham home of MLK’s brother and MLK’s motel room. d. all of the above
25. According to MLK, how were the civil rights movement in Birmingham and the Battle of Bunker Hill alike? (3 points)
The civil rights movement and the Battle of Bunker Hill were alike because both used non-
violence as that approach to win victory for themselves.
26. T
F
The management of U.S. Steel, Birmingham’s most important business, supported the civil rights movement. (2 points)
27. T
F
By the end of the summer of 1963, the majority of northern whites and close to a majority of southern whites, were in favor
of laws guaranteeing equal rights to black people. (2 points)
28. According to MLK, what did man have to recognize in order to emerge from barbarity? (3 points)
Man has to realize that violence toward another human being must become detestable as eating another humans flesh. 29. Which country practiced affirmative action before the United States? (2 points)
a. France
b. India
c. Canada
d. Greece
30. T
F
MLK was in favor of legislation that would help poor white people as well as poor black people. (2 points)
As you read MLK’s book, look for short passages that show something about MLK’s character. Choose five
passages and tell what character trait you think is shown and how it
is shown. Examples of character traits are: reliability, perseverance, caring, honesty, fairness, patience, and respect. There are many more character traits (both positive and negative) that you can choose from. Each of the passages with explanation will be worth five points.
Use the following format:
1. Meticulous
(marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details)
In preparation for our campaign, I called a three-day retreat and planning session with
S.C.L.C. staff and board members at our training center near Savannah, Georgia. Here we sought to perfect a timetable and discuss every possible eventuality
. (p. 40)
MLK knew that it would take careful planning to make the demonstrations in Birmingham have the desired effect, and he made sure that staff knew what to do in all kinds of situations. He was very meticulous about this. 1.
Melodramatic (overly emotional; exhibiting overblown responses to situations)
It’s important to understand, first of all, that the revolution is not indicative of a
sudden loss of patience within the Negro. The negro had never really been patient in the pure sense of the word. The posture of silent waiting was forced upon him psychologically because he was shackled physically.
2.
Self-awareness (conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires)
The average Negro is born into want and deprivation. His struggle to escape his
circumstances is hindered by color discrimination. He is deprived of normal education and normal social and economic opportunities. 3.
Pessimistic (emphasizing the bad part of a situation)
While the negro is not so selfish as to stand isolated in concern for his own dilemma, ignoring the ebb and flow of events around the world, there is a certain bitter irony in the picture of his country championing freedom in foreign lands and failing to
ensure that freedom to twenty million if its own.
4.
Perceptive (having or showing sensitive insight)
In a sense the freedom songs are the soul of the movement. They are more than just incantations of clever phrases designed to invigorate a campaign; they are as old as the history of the Negro in America. They are adaptations of the songs the slaves sang-the sorrow songs, the shouts for joy, the battle hymns and the anthems of our movement.
5.
Withdrawn (detached from others, having retreated inside oneself)
I sat in the midst of the deepest quiet I have ever felt, with two dozen there in the room. There comes a time in the atmosphere of leadership when a man surrounded
by loyal friends and Allie’s realizes he has come face to face with himself. I was alone in that crowded room.
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