Race
- Megan Proctor
- Mar 14, 2023
- 3 min read
What comes to your mind when you think about race? As an American, I think of when I was a young girl living in Alabama playing with several children of different races. Alabama has a thorough history of racial tension and oppression, but as a child, I knew my hometown as a place I could play with whom I wanted and had no care for where someone came from or what they looked like. Not all people in America share the same feeling, some feel negative about the inclusion of other races unlike their own. As a white person, I cannot speak on behalf of other races of people regarding their experiences, but I can tell you my thoughts on race.
Barack Obama, born in 1961, was elected as the first black president of the United States, breaking the prominent role of the president being a white man. As a young man, he joined a small law firm specializing in civil rights, which is the advocacy for everyone’s freedom and equality. In 1992, he married Michelle Robinson, now Michelle Obama, who also had a background in civil rights. The early lives of these two were spent in times of housing and education segregation as black people were still seen as separate from white people who controlled virtually all political positions in office. Looking back at their upbringing being segregated from other humans to being the President and First Lady truly feels hopeful for the future of America. Although we have come a long way, there is still progress that can be made.
In 1948, President Harry Truman passed a law to end segregation in the military after both world wars were fought by every American, no matter the race. However, this did not extend to their lives back home even if they sacrificed their lives for their country.
In 1954, the Supreme Court officially ended segregation in public schools, yet many were still segregated. The next year, a black 14-year-old boy was beaten and murdered because he flirted with a white girl. Right after this event, Rosa Parks would refuse to give up her seat to a white man. This took place in Montgomery, AL, the capital of my home state. Yet, the whole country will remember this moment for decades to come.
In 1960, a 6-year-old, Ruby Bridges, is escorted by four armed federal marshals as she is the first black person to integrate into her elementary school in New Orleans. This inspired the famous painting The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell.
In 1963, Alabama’s Governor Wallace stands in the doorway of the University of Alabama to stop two black students from registering at the school. The standoff only ends when President John F. Kennedy sends the National Guard to their campus. In August of the same year, Martin Luther King Jr. would give his speech “I Have a Dream” in front of the Lincoln Memorial. September would be the month that the 16th St bombing occurred in Birmingham, AL, killing four girls at their Sunday service.
In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. would be assassinated in Memphis, TN. A week later, President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act, providing equal housing opportunities regardless of race, religion, or origin.
In 1969, Fred Rogers from the kids’ show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and Francois Clemmons, playing the role of Officer Clemmons, are filmed sitting outside and placing their feet in a pool to cool off from the heat. At the time, black people and white people could not share experiences like this, and this television show was not afraid to advocate for acceptance and equality. TV shows like these were played to Generation X and millennials, which are now the front-running generations in the world.
Although this country has surpassed many traditions that our ancestors established, it is still a new concept and sometimes is still not accepted. The young generations of people know better than ever before, but we must ensure that we learn from our mistakes in the past to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
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