Interview with Malcolm X: Necessary to Protect Ourselves.

-Malcolm X says that because the government has proven its inability to protect Negroes, it should be left in the hands of the Negroes to protect themselves.

Stride Toward Freedom- Martin Luther King, Jr.

-Oppression- acquiescence
-Some slaves would rather be slaves than be free because it is what they are used to and comfortable with/familiar with.
-"Been down so long that down don't bother me."
- By giving up, the oppressed become as evil as the oppressor.
-To accept being treated badly would say to the oppressor that their being treated that way is okay.
-Oppression-violence/violent protests
-Oppression-non-violent protests-not aimed at the "oppressors" but the oppression.

From The Way to Rainy Mountain- N. Scott Momaday.

This story is about his grandmother, Aho. It talks through the life and struggles the Kiowas had. They were forced out of their land and went on to a journey passing Devil's tower. Her life had always been in the shadow of Rainy Mountain, but soldiers from Fort Sill ruined that. Through her journey with other Kiowas they had many rituals. For example, one was the Sun Dance. People also began to take away that right to by trying to stop their ways. The whites came killed all their buffalo and hung a buffalo bull on the medicine tree. This was such a horrible act it meant that they had to leave from it forever.

The Man to Send Rain Clouds- Leslie Marmon Silko.

The indians beliefs for burials were much different than the ones for whites. In this case it was Catholics that did not agree. In this story Leon and Ken find that the grandfather (Teofilo) had died. They were to bury him properly to what they thought was right. When they went back through town they talked to the priest on the way. They did not, however, tell him that he had died. They knew if they had he would have wanted his burial done his way and wouldn't have later given them holy water. They went through the Indian ritual of wrapping him in the red shroud, painting white across forehead, blue along cheek bones, yellow under nose, and green across his chin. Also, they sprinkled cornmeal on him and tied a gray feather in the old man's hair. This was all part of the process that was needed to have rain clouds sent and he would ultimately get to go to heaven. The last thing they needed was holy water so that Teofilo would have water to "drink" making the process complete. The priest was needed for this and that is when they went to inform him of what happened. They had the process done so they knew things would go the way they needed. The priest was very hesitant at first, but in the end compromised with them and gave the holy water for Teofilo. Now it was thought that rain clouds would be sent for sure.

Battle of Birmingham.

This ballad was written by Dudley Randall. It is about a mother who will not allow her son to protest about rights, but instead sends him off to another place so he will be safe. An explosion occurs and she bears the last smile upon her face just before it happened. She went out to discover nothing left, but the shoe of her son.

The Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence has four main parts:
* a preamble, or foreword, that announces the reason for the document
* a declaration of people's natural rights and relationship to government
* a long list of complaints against George III, the British king
* a conclusion that formally states America's independence


Helpful definitions:
unalienable: that may not be taken away

despotism: absolute power or control; tyranny

transient: passing away with time

usurpations: acts of wrongfully taking over a right or power that belongs to someone else

conjured: appealed to

consanguinity: blood relationship

acquiesce in the necessity which denounces: recognize that we must demand

parallelism: the use of similar grammatical forms to express ideas of equal importance

insurrections: an act or instance of rising in revolt, rebellion, or resistance against civil authority or an established government

The list of complaints begins with "He..."
1. Why do they repeat it? It brings emphasis to the problem and makes it personal.
2. Why do they make it personal?
It shows how one person has used their power for wrong doings. This example shows the special importance of how change may be needed depending on the situation. The "He" depicts one person, but overall it also shows how that one person could also depict another person to come. This piece shows that we now have the ability to change and do things we did not before if it is called for due to actions similar to these.

3. How does the D.I. anticipate its audiences resistance to change?
It seems to show that whether they want it or not (seeming as if they do) that it is a necessity and could be a necessity for others in time to come. Therefore, change is to be made that will make the people better off in the end. Hence, they should have little resistance due to its good effect.
4. How does the D.I. use parallelism? How does it impact the effectiveness of the piece?
It shows that we give each example importance equally. In that it brings out the importance of the writing. Also, the importance of the specific things showing how extreme the situation is. It has an essence it gives off showing that things can and will be done. It is almost as if the piece is a sign of hope for the country.

parallelism: when a writer uses similar grammatical forms or sentence patterns to express ideas of equal importance.

5.What to you is the most convincing example stated in the D.I.? Why?
"For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury" is the example that is most convincing to me. It is because it shows how extreme it is and that it has to change to get better in the first place.

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

Malcolm X:

Malcolm X was an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights activist. He stood up for the rights of African-Americans. He was known as a very great and influential man in the history of blacks.

Martin Luther King Jr.:

Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important man in the history of African-Americans. He was a clergyman, activist and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. Then in 1963 he led the March on Washington where he presented his very famous speech called "I Have a Dream".He was later assassinated for standing up for what rights he should have on April 4, 1968.