The Chicago Project

Marathon Night #2

1/12/08

Page 1

The class starts off with Mr. Wilson asking the students what the thought was the cause of Racism in America. The students said the following; lynching, Race Riots, fighting’s in courts just to be equals, Emmett Till, Segregation, slavery, stereotypes. He had the students draw a picture to describe how racism came about.

Brian Talty presented his picture that showed the river and basketball court with blacks playing.

Trenton: showed drawings of lynching to show the lynching part of the past.

Victoria: showed the riots.

Charmise: Showed the homes burning and the courts burning fighting for equal rights and Emmett Till.

Kiri: Drew a picture of the US with a rope to describe the lynching.

Paul: showed the lynching and the river to show the guy drowning.

Mr. Wilson talked about the “Sit-in movement” which started in Nashville TN by kids that are about the same age as our students. The students watched a short movie “Eyes on the prize” over the Sit-ins. The sit-ins is where college students from the North would go to white lunches and sit in and refuse to leave.

Mr. Wilson asked about having historically white and historically black college.

“It’s not fair” Brian

“When it was separated it was ok but now we are integrated. I think they are living in the past.” Kiri

“Any college that is not presented as a historically black college is a historically white college” Trenton

Mr. Wilson asked why is it now that Ohio State doesn’t say that they are a historically white college.

“Because they don’t want to live in the past and cause controversy” Kiri

“White people get offended because there is a Black History month but there isn’t a white history month” Trenton

“We (whites) want to be treated the same” Mary

Mr. Wilson asked about Stereotypes…

“Everyone has their own point of view” Kiri

The following are statements of the students after watching the movie;

“The sit-ins were a success” Trenton

“How do we legally take some one’s money?” Mr. Wilson

“They boycott” Trenton

Mr. Wilson Talked about SNCC (student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee)

“They wanted to be nonviolent but the wanted violent to erupt with the whites” Kiri

Mr. Wilson talked about how the buses would segregate when they were crossing the state lines from the north to the south till the law passed saying that if the buses from the north didn’t have to integrate when they passed the line but if it was a bus from the south in the towns the had to segregate.

Mr. Wilson explained the strategy of Martin Luther King Jr. on filling the jails and so the government officials would have to give in eventually.

Mr. Wilson talked about the song and how they were church song that the blacks changed the lyrics to show their emotions and to get their voices heard.