How do you keep pushing?

-
I asked Ms. Catherine Burks-Brooks the question I was struggling with yesterday, how do you keeping pushing on and fighting for a cause that has been a problem for hundreds of years? She told me that she fought because she knew that she was being treated wrong and that she wouldn’t stand for it any longer. She also told me a story about her “bumping into white people all her life”.  This story was about her never moving on the sidewalk when a white person was walking towards her. Her answer helped me understand why people continued to fight. Seeing the injustice and experience disrespect is a motivation to fight. I can see how actually experiencing this can push you to fight and may be the reason I can’t imagine how they’ve continued is because personally I haven’t experienced something like Mrs. Brooks. I’ve seen it, but not felt it. Maybe this is the key to fight. 

-Sara 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ignorance, Hatred, Love, & Cartoon Network

-
I was startled into consciousness this morning by the sound of Cartoon Network. Momentarily, I forgot where I was. It didn’t take long, though, to remember that I was on the Civil Rights Trip and soon to be leaving for Sunday morning mass. We arrived just in time, even though many of us were very lethargic. The music commenced and like a footprint in the sand, my tiredness washed away. I was hit, entranced, by the power of the harmonies and rhythms I was hearing. The sounds that seemed to fill every corner of that expansive room rang beautifully. The sermon that followed was just as melodious as the music, both in delivery and sentiment. And this time, the room rang with sentiments of love and welcoming. In particular, I was left wondering — and Andrew Young helped me with this formulation — how can we counteract the sickness of serious ignorance? If only those with hatred in their hearts could enter this holy room, I thought, then their ignorance might be washed away, abruptly an
Read more

The First Time I Cried in 10 Years

-
Today, today, today. Today was the first time I cried  in 10 years   because of the hurt that I felt looking at the statues and monuments in Kelly Ingram Park. The statues show the hurt that the people in our history have been through,  but also how they used there hurt as power to stand up for themselves. There's a lot that still needs to be published and be counted as history. Roscoe Jones taught me something important.  He was apart of the movement, but was not acknowledged and he didn't want money, or fame. He fought for equality not integration, and today we still are not equal. Fight for your rights, stand up for yourself and others. -Coleman
Read more

The Harsh Reality

-
The main takeaway from this trip was that it was a great learning experience. I've learn more about black history and civil rights in this one week than I have in my entire life in school.  This trip helped me realize a lot about our society. Mostly, it helped me realize the problems we've faced in our history are highly significant. I used to go around thinking. "first world problems aren't real problems". When I thought this, I was referring to how the struggles in developed countries like the United States aren't nearly as tough as in other underdeveloped countries. For example I'd mention how an average American complains about not having  WiFi, while children in poverty stricken countries aren't sure when their next meal would be. This thought lead me to not care much about "first world problems". However, this trip helped me realize all of the harsh and gruesome things that our people have gone through and lead me to appreciate our
Read more