Monday, February 24, 2014

PERIOD 4: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH

You recently watched the documentary, The Children's March. Please post any thoughts you have about the film and what did you learn that you did not know before watching the documentary.

22 comments:

Daniel Feigelman said...

After watching "The Children's March", I felt inspired by the actions of the kids. I find it amazing how strong the blacks were, especially the children, in Birmingham; it takes strength to fight back against the whites, but to stay peaceful and take beating after beating in order to stand up for a cause is on a totally different level. One thing that I took away from the movie is how important it is to stand up for what you believe in regardless of what others are doing. It took a few very strong-minded individuals to be the first to stand up and volunteer to get arrested in order to encourage the group mentality and get hundreds more to volunteer. Overall, the movie clarified the importance of being strong enough to stand up for what you believe.

Rudy Alnaal said...

I thought that the documentary was very interesting and inspirational. To see kids my age protesting (peacefully even when being treated with violence) for what they believe in and fighting for what they believe in no matter what "superpower" they will have to go against is truly riveting. That serves as a purpose for me and all others around me to not just stand on the sidelines and keep our mouths shut, but we should fight.

Michelle Aronson said...

"The Children's March" provided quite a bit of insight on not only what history textbooks tell us of the event, but the feelings and emotions of those involved. There was an unimaginable amount of courage and strength put forth by the children that participated in the march. I found it powerful when one of the women was interviewed and she specifically recalled not wanting to be washed by her mother, even after experiencing the truly vile conditions in jail. because of the fear and pain brought on by the water hoses used on blacks in the streets during the march. Overall, I thought that this documentary was very powerful and inspirational; it really showed me that no matter your age, you should stick to your morals and fight for what is right.

Matt Mihaiu said...

After watching "The Children's March" it really showed me the power of children. They all protested and they helped the movement in a big way by getting the mayor of Birmingham to leave. There was a 4 year old in jail which showed how the whites would arrest anyone who was protesting. I thought it was crazy how the police used water hoses to spray down the kids. After watching this though, I was wondering if kids now a days would do what the black kids did then. After watching this is showed me how everyone was involved in this movement and how even kids have power to make a difference.

Corina Morais said...

I was absent on this day.

Julia Zawadzki said...

I think after watching this documentary it was very inspirational and interesting. I thought that it was remarkable that young children were involved in this important march. The one thing that I didn't know is that the children knew that they would get put in jail and yet the still did it. Some thing that I already knew was how strong the African Americans were.

Emily Reilly said...

naThe documentary, “The Children’s March” was inspiring. To see the motivation of the children to help a cause and change the world is proof that anyone really can make a difference. The documentary mentioned a four year old who had gone to jail. He couldn’t even pronounce the word freedom, but he knew why he was there. I was also amazed at how peacefully the children handled the protest and just let themselves be taken to jail. The children were successful enough to draw national attention and break the rule of Bull Conner and move JFK to integrate the nation. To me it really hit home on how you can do anything you set your mind to, and how important it is to stand up for what you believe in, no matter how young you are.

Delia Curtis said...

I really enjoyed watching this film and learning more about this era in history. I do have a level of knowledge and education of the Civil Rights Movement for having had it be a topic in many of history classes from early on. This film was very engaging and I thought it was amazing to hear first hand accounts of this story and how the people that were involved in this part of the movement looked back and reflected on the event. I thought it was very interesting that they not only had accounts from the victims, but also the firefighters and police offices that used violence to terrorize the protests and marches. I have seen many iconic pictures from this event and it interesting to see them as they actually happened, even as pictures do speak volumes. When I watch films like these I kind of picture them as if they are happening at the very moment I watch them, so when it becomes visual and you can actually see what’s going on, I think it really opens people’s eyes to the real situation and make them want to take action and make a difference in the lives of others. The one thing mentioned in the video that I was not aware of was when the children volunteered to go to jail. I knew that kids had been going to jail during the movement, but I did not realize that half the time it was voluntary to make a statement. This documentary makes me wish I had the courage that they had to stand up for things that I don't feel are right. It makes me want to express my views and opinions more freely than I do now.

Elizabeth Whalen said...

The documentary definitely provided a viewpoint I had never seen before. In the past, I had heard lots about MLK's March on Washington, but I had never heard about the Children's March. I thought it was amazing how a bunch of kids stood up when their parents wouldn't and marched for what they believed in. It was incredible how teenagers voluntarily went to jail for their civil rights. I thought it was incredible how many students showed up for the march and how, even when they were shot with fire hoses, they stayed mostly nonviolent. It amazed me that after a couple days, kids started bringing bathing suits in preparation for being blasted by fire hoses. I learned a lot from this documentary about the civil rights movement and the children's march.

Mari Mespelli said...

Before watching this documentary, I had previously studied the civil rights act in various history classes. This provided such an interesting and new perspective to the topic. It allowed the viewer to watch first-hand what was actually happening during those times which was something I hadn't previously been exposed to. I think what the children did was so brave and inspirational. To see kids that were close to our age going that far to stand up for what they believed in was really moving. The fact that they didn't care that they were going to jail showed that they were all sincere in what they were doing and had a true passion for making the world a better place.

Lara Makhlouf said...

While watching "The Children's March" I felt a whole spectrum of emotions. First off, I was just disgusted by the way the whites treated the African Americans. They treated them horridly and unjustly and it made me really angry and disappointed. I felt as though I was being let down. These were human beings that they were treating like trash and they felt nothing towards them. It’s really sad that such a horrible incident is part of our country’s past. As for the African Americans, I felt proud. They never gave up. The children were just amazing and so brave. They realized that they were the key to ending segregation and they did it in the most non violent, peaceful way they could. I felt as though I wanted to join them and help them fight. They got hurt, which is an understatement to the situation, but they kept on going. When the firefighters started to hose them done with the hoses, they were badly injured; but when they arrived the next day wearing bathing suits and dancing in the water, it was beautiful. They were able to find beauty and hope in the ugliest of situations. They were able to persevere until they got what they demanded. There were children who went to jail that were as young as four years old, they stopped going to school to march, and they did it together and got word out to the rest of the country to show them all the violent and unfair actions that were taking place in Birmingham and they succeeded in the end. I truly felt inspired by the African American children of Birmingham.

Jacob Aguillard said...

Watching the video made me sick and, cold. To see violence of any kind usually repulses me but this is worse. That these children would do such actions is somewhat inspiring, but to see humans hurting each other was hard to overcome. and, Truthfully, I felt ashamed of what my brothers had done. Being from L.A. breeds a rivalry were I don't care for Alabama but again I'll be grouped into being 'the same.' Throughout the film I felt all of the pride for my homeland and melt away and the years of being hated and cast out of New England society for being a racist, bigoted, etc... came rushing back. Since then I've harbored a hatred for this society. Sometimes I'll meet people who'll treat as if I was the person committing these crimes. I could goon for pages of how I fell but these were the prevalent thought and emotions I had throughout the film.

Mohamad Alnaal said...

The documentary, "The Children's March" was very interesting. Before watching it, I never knew anything about the children's revolution in the United States and how much of an impact it had on the Civil Rights Movement. This documentary provides insight on how children are really the secret weapon in any war and they can help achieve anything. I really enjoyed watching this documentary in class.

Ciara Bowser said...


Before watching the documentary, I had no knowledge about The Children’s March and this made me enjoy it so much more because I learned sooooooo much. The Children who participated and risked their life for freedom are true heroes. I am amazed at how brave they were and risked their life at the age of nine. When you compare nine year olds now to black nine year olds then it is kinda sad and disappointing. When I was nine I never had to worry about human rights and it is just truly astounding how passionate and strong the children of the march were. When the documentary talked about the dogs and the water hoses and all the awful violence that the children endured it shocked me. I honestly can’t believe how amazing and persistent the blacks were and although the white people were so awful and cruel it makes me proud to be an American. The blacks showed everyone what you can do when you come together and how to peacefully bring change. I also loved the music aspect of the documentary and found it very cool how the blacks found strength through song. Im surprised that that I didn’t learn about this in any history classes but overall I absolutely loved it.

Chris Abislaiman said...

I enjoyed the documentary on the Children's March in Birmingham because it was well-made, it covered historical information I hadn't heard of, but most importantly, it put faces and personalities to the names and numbers commonly associated with history for me. Personally I enjoyed seeing the middle-adged adults who marched as children in 1963 because it made their personalities and identities more real for me. Though 6 million deaths is a particularly appalling number even the first time one sees it, it is difficult for me to comprehend that staggering amount. However visually seeing a picture of twenty young men lying dead in a ditch, or watching hundreds of children being sprayed with firehoses, while sometimes difficult to watch, is easier for me to comprehend and relate to than an obscure number in a textbook. The documentary personalized the history of the event well, making it feel less like a lesson and more like an engaging story.

Zach Chason said...

Until I watched The Children's March, I never knew about the impact that the children of Birmingham had in the civil rights movement. I was amazed and inspired by the courage of these kids. What I found to be most impressive was how they took power away from Bull Connor and the Birmingham police by refusing to fear any physical and legal repercussions of their movement. I found it to be amazing that these kids had the foresight to want to go to jail because they knew the impact they could make. This was an amazing feat that shows that everyone, no matter what age, can do their part in making a difference. This is a part of the Civil Rights Movement that I had never previously known about, but now find it to be fascinating and inspirational.

Abby Chuma said...

I was a little skeptical when mr Gallagher had said that the documentary was going to be very interesting and will "move you." After watching the film, I was surprised about how much it really touched me. I've never seen a documentary that was as good as the Children's March. It really got me thinking of how kids in my generation and after me are going to change the world in some way because that's what the children in the documentary did. It was amazing that all of the children that participated were willing, even excited, about fighting a movement and going to jail because of it!

Josh Lee said...

I actually did not know that it was the children who took the initiative to start the protests in Birmingham. It's truly inspirational that they were able to overcome such fear and inhibition that the city had for so long hammered into the minds of its non-white citizens. Seeing the children stand when asked if there were any volunteers willing to go to jail gave me goosebumps. These kids were able to keep peaceful protest even through acts of violence perpetrated by the city. In a time and age where the majority of this generation is content to leave things be, this protest is a testament to the potential influence that the younger generation has.

Patrick Dasilva said...

The video we watched in class today was extremely inspirational and gives you a good view on the thought process of African American teens in America during the civil rights movement.the fact that so many teens took the risk of taking to the streets and risking getting hurt is very brave and going to jail for a civil rights movement is a bold and heroic move. I am a person who doesn't really like rules that much and if there is something I don like will kick and shout and just act nasty so to see children like this doing what they did made me happy that people felt the same way about something and stood up for what they thought was right. Today in the news I read about how in Arizona the citizens want to veto a bill passed, the bill states that business have the right to serve gays if they want to or not. After I heard this I thought directly to the civil rights movement and how stupid and blind some people still are even today and shows how little progress we have made in that larger scale of discrimination.

Dan Casey said...

After watching the children’s march it made it a lot clearer to see how united the southern African Americans were in their fight for freedom. Their march together was one of strength, courage, and resilience. Watching the video of the students jumping out of the school and staying together through the fireman hosing’s really change my view on what I thought happened during the march. Also the violence of the march with the dogs, the hosing’s and the beatings of the African Americans was a true eye opening experience. It really showed how poorly the blacks were treated in the south and especially in Birmingham Alabama. Overall I think that this documentary was very interesting in the face that it showed the facts the children’s march and the importance it had throughout the country.

Unknown said...

After watching the children’s march I was inspired by how the children united from all over to help gain freedom for African Americans in the south. These children were extremely brave and more than willing to get arrested and spend time in jail in order to help stop segregation. When watching the way that the police officers reacted to the children and other protesters I was shocked. The amount of effort that they put into stopping the protests was absurd and it was all because they felt that they were better than the black people of Birmingham. After watching the film it shined a new light on the situation that I had not previously seen and I would hope that if I was placed in the same situation as the police I would act differently. And if I was placed in the same situation as the African American children in Birmingham I would hope that I would be able to show as much courage and strength as they did.

Paola Avila said...

After watching the children's march i noticed that all wanted freedom and equal rights. The children fought until what they wanted no matter what the consequences were. They went to jail and when they got out they wanted to go back. The children were a huge part to stop segregation. I thought this documentary was very interesting and the children helped a lot.