Topic 1

In case you were wondering, the topic for the week of January 24-30 was "Historical Events That Gave the South an Identity." Sorry for the confusion. Enjoy our blog!

Thanks,
Rajeev Atluri

The Freedom Summer and the Changing South

Image of young black woman preparing to use her right to vote as a citizen for the first time. Image retrieved from the University of Illinois

Nearly everything that is taught in American Schools today about the South deals with slavery and the racism of the Southern people. School children first learn about the great plantations set up in Virginia and the Carolinas and the subsequent switch of labor from white indentured servants to black slaves. Students learn of the "triangle trade routes" as well as the cruel conditions which the slaves suffered at the hands of their masters. History courses then spend a great deal of time emphasizing the role of the Civil War in freeing the slaves from the injustice and servitude, however few teachers make is clear how much worse the lives of African Americans living in the South was after the Civil War. It is my belief that the freedom of Southern African Americans did not begin with the end of slavery, but rather at the moment when they embraced their right to vote.

Once the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued and enforced in the South, freed slaves found themselves now working the same plots of land under the same conditions as before the war; the only differnece is they were now called sharecroppers. For the next hundred years African Americans living in the South continued to suffer under Jim Crow laws and were prevented from living as equals among the Southern whites and even from asserting their rights as Citizens. This all began to change however in the mid 1950's with the American Civil Rights Movement (click here for a time-line).

One of the pinnacles of the Civil Rights Movement occurred in the summer of 1964 with a movement called "The Freedom Summer." During June and July of this year thousands of civil rights workers and supporters went to Mississippi under the direction of the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to motive and help African Americans to vote. Mississippi had been a state known for its strict enforcement of the Jim Crow laws and a very small percentage of African American's had traditionally voted in elections. Without political representation, the African Americans had no control over their governments and therefore the improvement of their own lives.

Due to the efforts of the Civil Rights organizations and volunteers, African Americans in the South were able to take control of one of the greatest blessing they had as citizens of this country, their vote. In Mississippi, the voting percentages of African Americans before 1964 were only about 5%, however, as soon as 1967 they were well over 50% and estimated even as high as 67%. Since the time of the Freedom Summer and the other events of the Civil Rights movement, African American's have established themselves as a powerful voting block in the South and have been able to elect their own leaders into office and begin to improve their conditions in the South. To me, the Freedom Summer seems like a monumental moment in Southern History as it was the definitive event which began to empower Southern African Americans to embrace their right to vote.

--Parker






Image retrieved from the University of Illinois


Information about the Freedom Summer obtained from
1) http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/courses/ci407ss/freedomsummer.html
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Summer

The Civil War

The Civil War was definitely a historical event that effected the South and contributed to the identity it has today. The South seceded from the rest of the United States after Abraham Lincoln was elected and formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy was fighting to protect slavery where as the Union (the North) was fighting to abolish slavery. In the end, the South surrendered therefore losing the war. This war as well as the reasons behind the war contributed to the identity of the region which we call the South today. The secession is obviously still remembered and people still take pride in the Southern states. This is evident because there are still people with Confederate flags as well as Confederate bumper stickers. The abolition of slavery was also extremely important to the South. Although slavery was not a proud moment in United States history, it contributed to the reason the South is such a melting pot today. Mainly African Americans, but also numerous other races were enslaved in the South. When they were freed, this offered more diversity in the Southern region and contributed to the variety of cultures that thrive today.


-DaNae

picture from philebrity.com

The Game that Changed the South

When someone talks about the South, they rarely ever forget to talk about FOOTBALL. SEC (South Eastern Conference) Saturdays are a vital part of a Southerner's life in the fall, year in and year out. (Watch the video above to find out what the SEC is all about). The SEC has produced some of the best players that play in the National Football League because of the tough competition that SEC teams provide. Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Champ Bailey, and Hines Ward are just a few former SEC players to mention. Even though football has been such a huge part of the Southern identity, it was not always that way.

After the Civil War, the South was "devoid of regional pride," but one event gave the South something to be proud of for several years to come. In the early 1900's, Southern football was considered inferior to football in other regions. Personally, I cannot imagine Brown or Yale being better football schools than Alabama. Because of this assumed inferiority, Southern teams were not even taken into consideration to play in the Rose Bowl. "In the 1920s, many Ivy League as well as other colleges felt that football had become too popular and might interfere with academics. Some schools decided that the regular season games were enough and they would no longer accept Rose Bowl invitations (Jarvis)." In 1925, the Washington Huskies had an undefeated season but they denied an invitation to the Rose Bowl because of their coach's "grudge" with Southern California. Another college also had an undefeated season; the University of Alabama. So, reluctantly, the Rose Bowl committee decided to consider the University of Alabama (Jarvis). After hearing this, the Huskies reversed their earlier decision and decided to play Alabama in the 1926 Rose Bowl.

Alabama was a huge underdog in this match-up. The game is considered one of the greatest Rose Bowls of all time, for two reasons. The final score was Washington 19 and Alabama 20. That's right! Alabama beat the mighty Huskies. I would say that the crowd got its money's worth. This game marked the beginning of Southern dominance in college football and has been dubbed as "The Football Game That Changed the South."

*Georgia Tech was part of the SEC until 1963.

Sources:
1) "Reconstruction and the Rose Bowl" by Gail Jarvis
2) "The Football Game That Changed the South" (Press Release)

The Civil Rights Movement

Taking place half a century ago, the Civil Rights Movement was advocated by several key figures including the renowned Martin Luther King, Jr. who delivered his speech called, "I Have a Dream", W.E.B. DuBois, and Malcom X. While racial segregation continued to permeate in the south, the Civil Rights Movement marked one of the most momentous historical events. The idea of equality for colored people emerged and surely gave the South a new identity, a place of freedom and integration. However, the speech not only influenced the South in aspiring ways of hope but also brought new ways of terror. While protests were meant to be nonviolent, utter chaos erupted mainly between the whites and blacks when blacks participated in the movement. Nevertheless, the movement instilled a sense of change in the Southern region, a region that once held strong beliefs in the ideals of slavery. Discrimination was widespread in the South; Rosa Parks faced arrest after refusing to move seats. From segregation to integration, this idea resembles the other Southern identity from its transformation of the Old South to the New South. While the Old South to the New South symbolizes the South with the emergence of industrialization, the transition of segregation into integration of the Civil Rights Movement marks a historical representation of the South. The picture represents protests of people during the movement.

-Please see map.
Source of picture: http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/pnwlabor/civil_rights_march_cut.jpg

--

Agnes

Montogomery Bus Boycott

On December 1, 1955, an exhausted African American woman, Rosa Parks, boarded a Montgomery bus. When the bus filled up, she was asked to give up her seat to a white gentleman. When she refused she was taken into custody and withheld in the Montgomery jail. This outraged the African American population and the NAACP organized a citywide bus boycott. Over 42,00 African Americans boycotted the Montgomery bus system for a total 381 days. Because African Americans made up 60% of the bus customers, the transportation department suffered greatly. Finally, on December 20, 1956, the Supreme Court deemed segregation on public buses illegal not only in Montgomery but also all over the nation.

The significance of this event is not limited to the desegregation of public transportation alone. It became known as the event that propelled the Civil Rights Movement. It denote one of the first moment in time that African Americans were able to bond together as one and truly overturn segregation laws.

~Thuy

This is a Rebel Flag

This is the flag of the Confederate States of America (aka. The Rebel Flag, The Battle Flag of the Confederacy). The Confederacy was made up of states in the southern region of the United States, which includes Georgia, the Carolinas, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, etc. The Civil War was fought between the Confederacy and the Union, which was most of the northern states.

The flag is still displayed all over the South to this day. People have it on their pick-up trucks, cars, homes, and some of the government buildings hoist them as well. The meaning of the flag comes from the effects the Civil War. Some people think this flag promotes racism, just because the South was in favor of slavery. There are reasons other than slavery for the Civil War. The South was dependent on agriculture and they needed people to work the fields. It was terribly wrong for them to use Black people to do it, but they only had one way to make money. The North on the other hand, had an industry. The issue of state's right versus federal rights is another reason why the South seceded.

The South was very bitter after its loss in the war. Confederate money was as good as toilet paper because none of it had much value due to inflation. The fact that Southerners still choose to display this flag on their stuff show that they respect their history. Even though the South was torn apart, it has made a major come back over the past century. The Battle Flag and the South are like rice and curry.

Posted by: Rajeev

Stupid is as stupid does.

Forrest Gump is one of the most memorable movies of the 20th century. It tells the story of a half-witted young man growing up in alabama during the 50's. The video is the trailer for the movie for it's release in 1994. Although the movie is not based around the southern identity, it does depict many different images of the south during the time.

Forrest Gump use southern stereotypes to add humor to the movie. The dialect plays a very important role because it really adds to the character's personalities and plays on the southern characteristics. the main character, Forrest, lives on a 40 acre lot in a plantation house. Forrest's summer evenings were occupied by sitting in an old oak covered in spanish moss. which portrays the south as secluded and slower than the northern industrial cites. There is also a period of the movie where Forrest opens a "shrimpping" business off the coast of Mobile in memory of his war buddy, Bubba. this was a typical industry for mobile and plays continues to portray common images of the south. The movie portrays the south as having a really simple lifestyle but also a place that is not always willing to accept people who are not of the norm.

For the time period I feel as if the film exaggerates the southern identity. It pushes the stereotypes to the extreme for humor purposes, but I still thinks it does a good job or portraying these aspects.

~ thuy

Southern Pride

When you are traveling through the southern United States and pull into a town, whether it has only one stoplight or is the size of Atlanta, you can be sure to find two things: a street named after Martin Luther King, Jr., and a statue of Robert E. Lee. These two people, despite their differnet walks of life, have forever been imortalized in Southern culture and become a representation of one of the main pillars of Southern Culture...pride.

Southerners are proud of their cities, they are proud of their tea, they are proud of their manners, but most importantly they are proud of their heritage and history. The statues of Robert E. Lee which permeate the South are a prime example of this. From their very youth, Southern children are taught to revere this man for his honor in fighting for his country and what he believed in. It is the South's pride that has made this man a national hero even when his country lost the war and was abolished. It is Southerner's pride in their forefathers willingness to risk and loose everything for what they believed in that defines the region. It is this same pride, the pride of a nation who fought for its independence and lost it, that still perseveres in the South today and provides it with an air of chivalry, freedom, and grander.

This statute of Robert E. Lee is positioned in downtown Richmond, VA, the capitol of the Confederacy. It stands in Richmond almost as a gateway to the south, representing the transition from the North to the South. Similar statues exist throughout the South of other Civil War hero's and significant figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr. The picture was obtained from www.sandstead.com which shows the work of an artist who photographs these famous statues. See our blogs map to see a link to the Robert E. Lee Statue in Richmond.

-Parker

The King Center

Above is an image of the graves of Martin Luther King Jr and his wife, Coretta Scott King. They are located at The King Center in Atlanta, GA. The memorial is not simply limited to their graves, but there is also a building that contains memorabilia of Dr. King and his contributions that he made throughout his lifetime. The King Center was established by Coretta Scott King with the intention of keeping her husband's legacy alive.

This memorial represents the South very well in my opinion. Martin Luther King Jr. is an iconic figure that fought so hard for civil rights in the South. Atlanta was his birthplace and the majority of his civil rights movement took place in the South. His contributions had a significant impact on the culture and society that thrives today throughout the Southern region. This memorial is a realistic reminder of the man who spent his life trying to make this region a better place for people of all races. The King Center is a popular tourist location. It allows people to see that he was a real man and not just an icon that is talked about in history books. This memorial represents a major historical component of the South.


Check out the official website for The King Center: www.thekingcenter.org

-DaNae

Coca-Cola of the South

This image of the Coca-Cola bottle is an iconic representation of the South. Coca-Cola drinks are predominantly found in the southeastern region since its establishment of its headquarters started right here in Atlanta, Georgia. On the contrary, the most popular soda drink in the North is likely to be Pepsi or something other than Coke. Here, most people call any type of carbonated drink, Coke, even it if is Pepsi. Elsewhere, they may it call it pop or simply soda. Furthermore, the ways people reference these beverages also create a distinction that portrays the South. I believe the name Coke is influenced by the Coca-Cola Company and thus, Coke represents the South in a unique way. With the founding of Coca-Cola, the South is illustrated by the growth of business and prosperity. I think this is somewhat an accurate representation of the South because while most people think cities are situated in the North, Coca-Cola represents not only the landmark of Atlanta, but also the city itself, one of the most fastest developing cities in the South.
-Please see map.

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Agnes

Source of picture: http://popsop.ru/wp-content/uploads/coca_cola_bottle_retired.jpg