In the Heat of the Night Analysis

     In the Heat of the Night explores themes of racial tension, as well as societal change during the 1960s. The audience can see this change through the evolving relationship between Detective Virgil Tibbs and Police Chief Bill Gillespie. In the Heat is set in a very racially divided town of Sparta, Mississippi. Throughout the movie, we see these two relationships start with hostility and prejudice. As time moves on, their relationships transforms into a mutual respect for each other, which some could say is a mirror into the societal shifts of the Civil Rights era.

    In the beginning, we see that Gillespie's attitude towards Tibbs reflects negative racial biases of the South during this time. Virgil Tibbs, a detective from Philadelphia, is met with bitterness and antagonism when a police officer, Sam Woods, wrangles accuses and arrests Tibbs. Gillespie embodies the rooted racism of the surrounding community as he assumes that Tibbs is a ruthless murderer and criminal rather than someone with a professional standing. Only when Tibbs reveals his profession is Gillespie's negative assumptions of Tibbs' challenged.

    As the investigation continues, Gillespie's perception of Tibbs begin to change from a racial stereotype to someone who is a proficient, determined detective. Their progressive relationship reflects the changes made through scout during the late 20th century.

    Tibbs symbolizes the push for equality and justice, while Gillespie represents the side of society that has acknowledged this newly integrated reality; Although there is still a major setting of violence, some communities are trying to slowly adjust to this new world. This film illustrates that while change is difficult, it is possible to achieve a mutual respect for someone, no matter their race or background.

 

 

The Reconstruction Era

    The Reconstruction Era was a reframing period in American history when America sought to rebuild and redefine itself after the Civil War. This era marked a significant transition towards civil rights and equality for African American citizens.

    During the reconstruction, there was significant political progress made by African American me. Black men were elected into public office, including seats in the U.S Senate. The Civil War itself had paved the way for this, with 180,000 formerly enslaved men going the Union army. It was because of African American men that there was a secured chance in obtaining the Union's victory as well as abolishing slavery.

    President Abraham Lincoln sought out a future for Black men to have fundamental rights. Unfortunately, his assassination by John Wilkes Booth abruptly ended his efforts. Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's successor, was less supportive of racial equality. Under his administration, Black Codes were eventually implemented throughout the U.S. Black Codes began to restrict the freedoms and rights of African Americans, especially in the South.

    Despite further legal advancement throughout time, resistance in the South remained. Many white Southerners actively opposed Reconstruction efforts. Violence against Black Americans escalated,  particularly during critical moments like the 1968 presidential election; During this time, African American voters were attacked and some were even killed for their participation in voting. In spit e of that, half a million Black men continued to cast their votes for Ulysses S. Grant, who won the election due to the votes of the Black community.

    The Reconstruction Era contained both progress and struggle. While there was intense backlash from white communities who were unwilling to accept a racially integrated society, there were still significant changes during this period like the opportunities for political representation that opened for African American citizens.
 

 

 

 

 

Brown v. Board of Education Reaction Post

    The Brown v. The Board of Education was a case where four states including Kansas contained state wise laws in which schools must be "Separate but Equal." Brown challenges the concept of "Separate but Equal," claiming that it is unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

    The arguments made by Brown's side emphasized the transformative power of integration. Evidence is presented that integration allows students to feel accepted in an environment, continues to improve academic outcomes, and leads to better future opportunities for all students. Alyson Sojak claims, " African Americans should not receive any less of an education because of the facilities they are forced to be in." Not only this, but there has been apparent evidence that integration has reduced dropout rates among African American students, leading to more students finishing their degrees and becoming valued in society. Kaitlyn Parker announces, "Children in integrated schools have higher incomes as adults, better health outcomes and lower incarceration rates."

    However the Board of Education offers a nuanced perspective, focusing on the logistical and societal challenges that come with a forced integration. They argued that most funding for schools come around surrounded white communities who continue to pay taxes in order to keep their schools up to code. Justin Surratt goes on to say, " In order for Blacks to have 'Equal facilities,' they need to pull their weight and pay their fair share of tax money in order to build their schools up just as their white counterparts have." The reliance on Black Wall Street is used as an example of African American communities thriving without integration, and also serves as an illustration of economic growth throughout Black homes.

    The Board also highlights valid concerns about the potential backlash and violence that would most likely come with a forced integration. Camerin Williams brings up an important piece of information,  stating that "The idea that negro students would be prepared to thrive in the white education system is simply unrealistic." Integration could create a hostile environment that Black students may not be ready to adapt to. Before we can think about educational reform, we need to focus on more broader societal change beforehand. 

    Brown v. The Board of Education was not only a legal battle, but a moral one.  While the challenges of integration was ver apparent, there was still hope and a vision for the future where every child, regardless of the color of their skin, could have equal opportunities. 
 

 

 

EOTO #2: Lynchings of 19th and 20th century

    Lynchings during the 19th and 20th century represented one of the darkest chapters f racial violence in American history. During this horrific era, lynchings had become a tool to maintain white supremacy by instilling terror through black communities. 

    A lynching was a public killing of an individual who had not undergone due process. Executions were usually carried out by lawless mobs; while police observed these tragedies take place, they would not intervene. The lack of law enforcement allowed these brutal acts to go unchecked. According to the NAACP, there were an estimate of 4,743 lynchings that occurred in the U.s from 1882 to 1968, 72% of the lynchings being targeted towards Africans Americans. Others who were lynched included immigrants from Mexico, China, and other countries, as well as the white people who did not participate in lynching, or tried to help African Americans from being lynched. Common claims and accusations used against Black people were murder, arson, robbery; Black men were typically accused of sexually assaulting white women. 

    Lynchings gained momentum during and after the Reconstruction era as African Americans began to register to vote, were establishing business and began running for public office. "Many whites - landowners and poor whites - felt threatened by this risk in black prominence. Foremost on their minds was the fear of sex between races." Mob kills would carry out extreme brutality towards African Americans such as mutilation, torture, desecration - all of which were advertised in the newspapers and became public spectacles where large crowds of white families would gather and celebrate. 

    As the lynchings continued on, body parts - including genitalia - were sometimes distributed to spectators or put on public display.

Two infamous lynchings - the murder of Emmett Till and William Brown - both illustrate the horrendous lengths lynchers would go through to maintain their racial order.

    First, we begin with the trick case of Emmett Till, a 14 year old African American teenage boy from Chicago. IN 1955, Till would be accused of whistling at a white female store clerk while visiting relatives Money, Mississippi. Days later, the clerk's husband as well as his relative kidnaps Till in the middle of the night, brutally murdering him and throwing his body into the Tallahatchie River with a heavy cotton gin face tied around his neck. "Till's death symbolized for many African Americans the inherent racism and disparity of justice they continued to face in the aftermath of World War II.

    The lynching of William Brown, otherwise known as the Omaha Courthouse Lynching, remains a demonstrations of the Red Summer violence. Brown, a 40 year old African American man was accused of raping a 19 year old white woman. When police arrived at his residence to detain him, a mob of 250 white men and women arrived trying to apprehend him themselves, but failed in the process. While Omaha's mayor tried to deter the white community from rioting, the mob ultimately stormed the courthouse. Soon after, the mob proceeded to rip off Brown's clothing, hang him to a lamppost, and began to brutally shoot his dead body multiple times. Brown's lifeless body was then tied to the back of a police car dragged to a downtown intersection, and sadly burned in front of a crowd. 

    After all of this, rioters and the white community continued to take photos with Brown's body in celebration of his lynching. Souvenirs, including pieces of the rope used to hang him, were later sold to the public. The Omaha Courthouse lynching counties to be a part of history that represents the wave of racial and labor violence that swept the U.S during the Red Summer of 1919.