To Sir With Love

     To Sir With Love is film made in 1967 that reflects racial tensions as well as social issues within a school in the slums of London.  African American engineer, Mark Thackery, starts a job at a high school in London. This job turns out to be way more than he expected. The students were rude and had very little manners. After attempting many teaching styles, Thackery decides he must teach the students how to be proper adults and in turn, gains their respect. 

    The film begins by addressing the social status of the children by showing them dancing in a very vulgar manner. They had no respect for any of their teachers. The girls were very provocatively dressed for the time period and the boys did not treat them with respect. After Thackery began teaching them how to be well mannered adults, the students began to dress better and use appropriate language. 

    Another issue that was addressed in the film, was racism. After one of the students lost their mom, none of the kids wanted to drop off flowers because they were worried about what people would think if they had gone to a colored person's home. After seeing and hearing about the racial issues with Thackery, they see that their actions were wrong and offensive. They all ended up attending the funeral. 

      

Trial Reax

Civil rights act : prohibited discrimination based on race, gender, or nationality. These rights were not fully enforced after the civil war. The I have a Dream speech had a major turn around for the civil rights movement. It inspired many to peacefully protest and fight for their civil rights.

Voting Act: Prohibited voting discrimination caused by poll taxes and literacy tests. 

Fair Housing Act: Ensured equal housing opportunities for all Americans. It was set in pace not long after the Martin Luther King Assassination. People were denied their right to buy houses based on the color of their skin. Red lining made it hard for African Americans to receive housing loans to pay for down payments. This act allowed people of all colors to have fair and equal access to housing.

Thurgood Marshall- First African American to serve on the supreme court. He participated in many civil rights cases. He spoke in the debate of Brown v. The Board of Education on behalf of African American citizens. 

Affirmative Action: A policy aimed at increasing workplace and educational opportunities for people who are underrepresented in various areas of society.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission- Prevented workplace discrimination. It covered workplace unions as well as gender and racial discrimination. The EEOC investigates allegations of discrimination in the workplace or among employers. 

Trials:

Board of Regents:

Ariel:  Historical overview of case 

Negative twist to it

EEOC

Discussed school segregation

Different African American advancements and disadvantages

Lynx

Went over constitutional right

Does not guarantee we will always live fair life

Wealthy white parents

White students more likely to be successful

Kasen:

Should have diverse campus

Mixed group allows for interaction

Wide range of different people

No groups are underrepresented 

Counteracts discrimination 

Lindsay 

Vital to social justice 

Helps Equal opportunity

  Equal access to quality education

Break cycle of poverty

Greater business opportunities for African Americans

Abby

Equal protection clause

Separate but equal clause has people not taking 14th amendment seriously

Strict representation of equal protection is necessary

Bakke:

Hudson

Historical overview

Positive turn

Discussed African American Advancements

Discussed MLK Assassination

Talk about systemic racism and racial injustice African Americans experience

Julia

Affirmative actions had good intentions 

Became racist 

Preferential treatment based on race

College and employment based solely on race 

Chosen to fill racial quotas 

Content of character not color of skin

Sam

Affirmative actions had good intentions but negatively impact African Americans

Should fix education in unprivileged societies rather than having racial quotas 

This would promote better education by providing African Americans with equal opportunities

Black colleges provide opportunities 

Clara

Affirmative action causes significant problems 

 Different form of bias

Reverse discrimination 

Stereotype threat

Harms workplace performance 

Hinders success 

Tokenism 

EOTO

One of the most devastating events that negatively impacted African Americans in the late 60s was the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. He was a reverend and one of the most prominent leaders of the civil rights movement. He provided a powerful voice of reason that inspired so many people, of all colors, to join in on the fight for equality. He is commonly compared to Gandi because he was not only a voice of reason, but a voice of peace. He gave many well known speeches and always encouraged his supporters to take the high road and protest peacefully. He was adored by so many and made a huge impact on the civil rights movement, and on the lives of African Americans. 

On Thursday, April 4, 1968 at 6:05 P.M. he was shot dead at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was standing on the balcony outside his room when James Earl Ray, an escaped fugitive, shot him in cold blood. News of his death resulted in several outbreaks of racially motivated acts of violence. These malicious acts resulted in over 40 deaths. After the manhunt led FBI investigators right to his doorstep, Ray confessed to his crime and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. The death penalty was taken off the table due to Ray’s plea. He later recanted after receiving the 99 year sentence stating that he was framed by a gun smuggler. His attorney fought to reopen the case and King's family was in support of these attempts. Ray's attorney hosted a televised mock trial in which Ray was found not guilty by the jury. This was to try to influence and change the minds of those who found him guilty. The case was never reopened and Ray died in prison. 

King's death devastated millions of people all over the country. He was a true advocate for equal rights not only for African Americans, but for people from all walks of life. He is still remembered and heavily talked about today. The United States honors him every 16th of January on the national holiday, Martin Luther King Day. King touched so many lives, even those of people who had never met him. On the day of his assassination, millions of strangers sobbed for the man who evoked so much change. He will always be known as the face of the civil rights movement.