Although unsuccessful, her moving testimony was broadcast on national television and drew further attention to the plight of African Americans in the South.
It is actually pretty amazing that this even appeared on television despite the Presidents attempt in a round about way to "cover it up" by televising his press conference. This really got the message out to the nation about the treatment of African Americans in the south.
I tried to register for myself.” I had to leave that same night.
Mrs. Hamer was clearly a strong woman. She was willing to take a stand for what she wanted and deserved. She wanted to exercise her rights as an American Citizen and was willing to pay the cost.
All of this is on account we want to register, to become first-class citizens, and if the freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America, is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave where we have to sleep with our telephones off of the hooks because our lives be threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings, in America?
Reading her accounts of her treatment literally brought tears to my eyes. I cannot understand how one human being can treat another this way. All I can say is what a very courageous woman! Sadly, she learned living in the Jim Crow south how to be tough. She came in a time when African Americans were standing up against discrimination with large numbers.
take the literacy test
Here Mrs. Hamer is demonstrating the Jim Crow laws that were still affecting African Americans rights and how the white man and law enforcement can for lack of better words.... make it up as they go without concern for being accountable.
Civil rights activists struggled against the repressive violence of Mississippi’s racial regime. State NAACP head Medger Evers was murdered in 1963. Freedom Summer activists tried to register black voters in 1964. Three disappeared and were found murdered. The Mississippi Democratic Party continued to disfranchise the state’s African American voters.
This introduction to the speech sets the background for the reader. Although it is 1963, it is clear that African Americans are still fighting for their rights to vote. Although the 15th Amendment granted that right in 1870. For African Americans in the south, nothing has really changed.
To limit or regulate the hours of work to such an extent as to prevent overproduction; the most modern and efficient machinery would be encouraged, so that as much would be produced as possible so as to satisfy all demands of the people, but to also allow the maximum time to the workers for recreation, convenience, education, and luxuries of life.
This is a time when the workers rights and safey did need the government to step in and create protections.
by the Government
So, does this mean the government is going to take any money above the "cap" for the wealthy to provide to the poor? This would encourage the wealthy not to make more than they could keep. If that happened, how would that help the poor?
The whole line of my political thought has always been that America must face the time when the whole country would shoulder the obligation which it owes to every child born on earth—that is, a fair chance to life, liberty, and happiness.
This is what some of the monies collected from taxes cover such as programs for the needy but hat doesn't mean would should cap the limit that the wealthy have.
We have to limit fortunes.
This idea seems so foreign to me when you think about the United States. We are a nation that supports captialism. This concept seems a socialist concept. One that might work in theory but in practice would be difficult to operationalize. How demoralizing to work hard to be successful and be told there is a limit. How unmotivating to those in need not to be able to proudly earn your own way. I fear this idea would make the wealthy not want to earn just to give away to the needy and the needy not to work because I will get it for free.
“We hold the view that all men are created equal.”
Long seemed to have a liberal view of "all men created equal." If we are created equal then based on Long's theory, why would we need to even out wealth? I believe that the Declaration was not specifically speaking to wealth but created equal to pursue life, liberty and happiness. Long does a good job here using these powerful and emotional words from the Declaration to draw in supporters. The Declaration of Independence is about abuses of government and the right of one group of people to fight these abuses. Not at all how Long is interpreting these words.
Critics denounced Long, who served as both governor and a senator from Louisiana, as a corrupt demagogue, but “the Kingfish” appealed to impoverished Louisianans and Americans wracked by joblessness and resentful of American economic inequality.
I can see why their would be critics and supporters. It would only make sense that the wealthy would be critics while the poor would be supporters. Consider men like Andrew Carnegie who was an immigrant that earned his wealth. Why should he or others like him be limited in their ability to earn money and be successful? I understand that not all people have the same opportunities but I don't think the answer is having a limit on their annual earnings. Of course he would have supporters from the poor as they had little options at this time. There were no government programs to help them and they were looked down on as inferior and as desiring their lot in life. Not true. I can imagine that his concept did create some controversy.
DuBois is clearly not in favor of Washington's approach of Work and Money and more in favor of higher advancement of the Negro race. Both men seem to have the same idea of advancement but from differing approaches. This is likely largely due to their different upbringings. Washington being born a slave would most definitely have a different view than DuBois being born in the North and having the privelage of higher education. Neither is not necessarily wroing but just different approaches to the same idea. I think a combination of the two would be complimentary of each other.
It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. Nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.
I believe Washington is appealing to African-Americans to start where their are right now in trying to make their voices and talents be evident to those in their communities. He is telling them that they have the power with their current knowledge and abilities to begin to make small changes that would benefit them and the south.
Our
Again, Washington is calling his people to draw on their current strengths instead of immediately trying to seek out higher ideals and ways to make their virtues know among the white people.