Part 1
In the book titled Eyes on the Prize, the author has talked about the issue of segregation in school which was a major problem in the 1990s. The case of Charlie Houston who took a step further to attend an all white school is not only inspiring but also encouraging (Williams, 2013). He managed to prove that despite the segregation, black people were also academically gifted as the whites. Later, he was the first black person to be elected in the editorial board at Harvard Law Review. The contents in the documentary titled the Awakening shows the reality of change after Emmett Till was murdered (Vimeo, n.d). It encouraged the black community to stand up and fight against the oppressive system that prevented them from socializing. From the video, I felt bad for the black community especially the ways in which they were mistreated by the segregation laws. However, their determination to stand up against the police and the unfair laws is encouraging. I learnt that in life, it is good to stand up for your rights to be able to achieve true liberty. I saw Rosa Parks being courageous enough to stand against the whites. On the other hand, I heard about Jim Crow laws which were meant to help the blacks acquire their freedom. The information in the documentary tells more about the Black Freedom Movement. I learnt that the movement was accompanied by various challenges that involved some people losing their lives while others like Parks spending days behind bars.
Part 2
In episode two of the Awakening, the main issue that arises is regarding “separate but equal education” which shows the existence of segregation in schools accepted by the law (Williams, 2013). After viewing the video, it was evident that there was a new spirit that the blacks had developed and nothing could prevent them from acquiring their dreams. Meredith had the desire to join Mississippi University and he would not allow the laws to stand against it. One thing I learnt from the video that freedom can be achieved as long as a person has determination. I felt a sense of hope after watching Meredith fighting against the segregation laws in schools. My knowledge about Black Freedom Movement has intensified. In this case, the court season revealed more about the desire of the blacks to achieve a new life. Despite the courts unwillingness to yield to the rule that Meredith join the university, they were persisted to see change. The black children might have paid the price of not going to school but that did not deter them from fighting against the courts.
References
Vimeo (n.d). Eyes on the prize. The Awakenings 1954-1956. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/11875218
Williams, J. (2013). Eyes on the prize: America’s civil rights years, 1954-1965. New York: Penguin Random House.