This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Monday, February 24, 2014
PERIOD 6: 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.
28 comments:
Sarah Foley
said...
I honestly didn't know about the Children's March before this film. I knew about civil rights marches in general and the trouble in Birmingham, but I didn't realize so many Young children got involved in the march. I was incredibly surprised but also incredibly impressed. When one of the men in the film recalled seeing a boy of about four in the prisons who knew he was fighting for freedom but could barely pronounce the word, I was taken aback. I would have assumed that parents of any race would have sheltered their children, disallowing them to witness the horrendous violence that was taking place in Birmingham at the time. Instead, children became and part of it, and it soon became on honor to go to prison for this cause. I greatly admire the kids willingly involved in the march and commend them on their valor.
I didn't know how the black citizens of Birmingham, Alabama felt about the situation they were until I watched this film. I thought the event would only bring back feelings of sadness and hatred for them because they lived through committed acts of violence against them during the era of segregation. I learned that the black citizens of Birmingham, Alabama were not angry at the firefighters that hosed them or the policemen that used trained attack dogs against them. Instead, they were happy that they had enough courage to fight for desegregation in the city they were living in at the time. I learned that as a result of the black citizen's courage, most notably the childrens courage, of standing up against the policemen and firefighters, they were the reason the President of the United States (John F Kennedy) said that "segregation is now illegal" in his State of The Union Adress. This statement said by John F Kennedy made segregation illegal and desegregated the communities that were split up from each other due to segregation.
As children, we are slowly introduced to information from learning, such as Christopher Columbus being not only was the first European to land on america rather than to found it, but that he and his people took advantage of the native people's. Tragic. This story starts with the name Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a name nearly all Americans know. Then it specified to Birmingham, then that's where the film actually started. Thus lead to the specifics of the children and filling up the jail. I would hope the average person, let alone student, could put two and two together and know how the story ends. I knew of the police hosing the blacks and letting their dogs have free reign, but for the children to be the ones to step up and fill the jails; these were two new tactics I had not heard about from these events.
I think that the contribution that the students had in the movement is really understated in recorded history. The documentary really gave the kids the credit they deserve for being so active and brave. I had no idea that this event had such a big contribution in desegregating the south. It obviously took a lot of courage to join the movement in the beginning and even more to keep going back to jail after all the violence. I commend them for their commitment and I also respect their families who must have been torn between the cause and keeping their children safe. I admire the students’ enthusiasm that they had throughout the marches, while being attacked with hoses, and even in jail. I think the children’s march is really representative of the dedication and enthusiasm that people had fighting for equality.
What surprised me the most was how all of the black children were so eager to get arrested and weren’t afraid of going to jail. It just goes to show how badly everyone wanted their freedom that they went to jail on purpose to prove that they weren’t afraid, displaying that even the children are brave and willing to fight for their freedom. Also that with even the fire department using high pressure water to spray all the kids they still didn't back down, and some even made a mockery of it by wearing their bathing suits.
After watching this film, I was extremely impressed. I did not realize what an immense impact children had on the black rights movement and the battle against segregation. I remained inspired by their resilience and ability to make a change. Additionally, I was disgusted with how the whites sprayed them hoses and set dogs loose to bite them. It also made me wonder if I were a white police officer or firefighter at the time if I would have hosed those children just because I was told to. It is hard to judge since I did not grow up during this period but I would like to think I would've stood up for those children. It reminds me of that experiment with the blue eyes and brown eyes and how people can be practically brainwashed into believing a stereotype is fact.
The Children's March really changed my thoughts about Martin Luther King's mission. I feel as though Dr. King knew that the way to get the message across was not by adults to revolt, he knew that the figured that the most powerful and meaningful thing to do was to get the children to show the whites how much freedom really meant to them, even if that meant getting sent to jail. It is disgusting to me to think that firemen and police officers thought that it was okay to pressure hose children... because they are black it doesn't matter as much to them because they aren't white. Although they were thrown around and disrespected, the black children kept their spirits high and kept on pushing the message.
This film was very eye opening and moving. It shows the importance and power resistance can have if they try. I knew the Civil Right’s movement used marches as a strategy for boycotting, but I never knew of the Children’s March. I also never knew that hundreds of children marched with the intention of being arrested. It was amazing to watch how willing they were to put themselves in danger, and that they grasped the importance of what they were doing. I think it was interesting how all their parents advised them against going, but their strength in numbers was essential to their success. It was also inspirational to see how persistent the children were, going back to jail after being released, and marching again after being violently attacked. It was rewarding and important to see at the end of the film that their marches resulted in success.
I didn't know about the Children's March until after watching this film. The film really showed me how terrible Birmingham was for African Americans, and how brave they were to start such a huge movement. It really surprised me that children were brave enough to be sent to jail for the cause. It was disturbing seeing how poorly the whites of Birmingham treated the children in jail, and how they treated all the African American citizens marching. It was so inspiring to see children of such a young age standing up for themselves and future generations. The Childrens March led to bigger and better things for the civil rights movement, and it was all because of brave children.
When I first started to watch the film about the children's march I wasn't expecting the children to be so willing to go to jail and stay there until they were released. The children weren't only willing to go to jail, but also excited to go to jail. Even when they were released from jail they would go right back just so the point could be proven. The idea of the kids going to fill the jails is what I found to be the most interesting part of the film. The bravery of the children throughout the film was amazing because of the intimidation of the officers with the dogs. Along with the officers were the firefighters with the hoses. The children showed extreme bravery when it was needed the most.
After watching the movie, I was amazed by the bravery of the African American children. I didn't know about the Children’s March before this movie. Due to the fact this march was a major factor in African Americans receiving their civil rights; I find it interesting that I hadn't heard of this event prior to seeing the film. I felt sympathy towards the children that faced potentially dangerous situations at such a young age in order to stand up for what they believe in. The children faced dogs attacking them and pressurized water being aimed at their heads, yet they remained peaceful. The children mentioned how they wanted their parents and how some of them were as young as four years old, but they didn't give up hope and chose to return to jail when they were released. I was surprised that the children participated in the march and even returned to jail especially when their parents wanted them to stay home where they would be safe. It was inspirational to see how the children volunteered to participate in the march when no one else had the courage to.
The actions made by the Birmingham fire department were shocking to me. The fact that that was their main way to gain control of blacks is sad. The funny part about this was how the blacks later on played in the water from the fire hoses to cool themselves off from the heat. That shows hoe strong they were in their beliefs in their civil rights. Another way they stood up for themselves was thousands of kids wanting to go to jail to show the whites that they were strong, and they wanted the society to be equal amongst themselves which was very inspiring to me. All of the actions that the whites did to the blacks comes to show you how arrogant the whites can be, and we need to do a better job of thoughts before actions. That should not of happened where they sprayed blacks with the fire hoses.
This short film really showed the horrors and triumphs caused by the will and strength of a generation. In a world where you are treated as second class citizens because of a trait you cannot control, thousands of strong willed children stood up in the face of adversity and did what was needed in order to save the lives and grant the freedoms to the generations that followed. The fact that students went against their parents' and the polices' demands shows their determination and devotion to the cause. This isn't a cause like "Don't chop down everyone's favorite tree at the park!" kind of cause. These children's actions finally opened the eyes of Americans and the world and gave African Americans the equal rights they deserve. That's why these protests and sacrifices are so powerful and important.
I remember we briefly touched upon the Children's March when we covered civil rights in US History, but before watching the film I wasn't privy to the specifics and the immense impact it did have. I certainly didn't know how large a role it played in motivating Kennedy to take a stronger stance on segregation and outlaw it. I did know that children had been arrested in large numbers, but the amount of arrests and the length the protests lasted left an impression on me. It underscores the determination involved on both sides, the black children involved had to possess an admirable amount of perseverance and optimism to keep going, and Bull Connor and those in power had to have extremely strong racist sentiments to dedicate all that man power and accommodate thousands of children in prisons, interrogating them all. The Children's March also highlights the innocence of children, and consequently their importance. Nowadays we usually see children as somewhat helpless and in constant need of adults to shelter them, but I think we forget how brave children can be. By the end children in the march were having fun with the fire hoses and excited to go to jail, and while most understood the gravity of their actions and how important standing up for their own rights was, at the same time children have a sort of innocence to them they allows them to be more brash. I think on average, they're less self-conscious then grown men, less trained to fit in with the general public and do what they're told. When you factor in Jane Elliott's experiment, the two studies combine to prove how important the environment is during adolescence in shaping someone's ideology. Everyone, including those like Bull Connor who in our eyes seem like monsters, was at point a child, so it makes you wonder what happened in the interim to result in such skewed ideology.
Birmingham, or at the time "Bombingham", is a step in the right direction for the civil rights movement. Before watching this documentary I was aware of the historical event but only the surface facts. When an image and faces were introduced to this event it became that much more real. I wasn't aware of the extent of jailings and violence. As a 17 year old, I can't imagine I would ever have the bravery to do what those children did. Thousands willingly go to jail which seems near to impossible to me. My father has been in and out of jail for the past 5 years and it's a scary place. The part of the film that has had the strongest impact on me was the fact that a bad thing was turned around and converted into not so bad. The first day the hoses were fired at the public the last 10 standing all has smiles on their faces and they were still holding hands. Those 10 people gave a new shimmer of hope to the rest of the children. The next day when they came back the demonstrators were wearing bathing suits and asking to be sprayed with the hoses, this violent act was turned around as a "fuck you" to the whites. Nothing could stop their motivation and I find their dedication inspiring.
In Birmingham, the Children’s March revolutionized the protest for Civil Rights, allowing a great impact on the country and the powers of opposing sides. I was very surprised to see the enthusiasm of the children in making a change for the country and standing up for an issue which had affected them. The impact of the children sacrificing their immediate freedom and going to jail has an extremely different impact than seeing adults protest for an issue. It was shocking for many to see the impact that oppression determined by race had on these innocent children and the risk many took to stand up for the cause. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a lot to risk by going to Birmingham as now his stance on the need for equality lead young children to risk what was left of their freedom. The impact that this march had on the country was immense; the children finally making an impact on an issue much bigger than themselves. This showed the degree of the need for change—finally inspiring change from the government and leading towards a more free future.
Throughout my entire education we have learned countless times about the Civil Rights Movement but never before did I ever learn about the Children's March, or at least not like this. Watching this movie was an eye opener because I acquired a perspective that I never had before about the Civil Rights Movement. Those brave children believed that they could make a difference and against all odds decided to partake in the march. It is because of those brave children that President Kennedy decided that such actions could no longer take part in this country and decided to do something about it. This movie was very inspiring and it made me happy knowing that children our age had such a strong impact in our history.
No matter how many times I watch documentaries about the civil rights movement, I am still surprised when I see the horrid treatment the black citizens had to face. I am filled with anger and disbelief when I hear white people from the time period speak about the many "differences" between whites and blacks and the simple ignorance with which they talk frustrates me. But, on the other hand, we shall not be to quick to judge. Those ignorant white people, or the people responsible for the holocaust, are no different than the white people of today.
The whole situation was a very hectic and crazy experience. The kids of Birmingham didn't even care about being arrested, which is a major fear for anyone. I also thought it was surprising that the kids wanted to get arrested so easily and they really didn't understand what jail was like. After a few days the kids seemed to be homesick and wanted to leave immediately but they didn't know this was how jail felt when they were so easily being carried into jail. I also thought it was extremely important at the end of the film when everyone in the church got together and stated the pledge of allegiance. I think this really impacted me, because it made me think that these people should have been free for so long and they are just the same as us.
This documentary really opened my eyes to how racist it was in Birmingham. Even though it was kids the white men still discriminated against them just like they would against black adults. I had no clue that there was a place in America that was actually this racist. Seeing how they treat children shocked me because they were spraying water at them and treating them like trash. I finally got relief when Kennedy stepped in and put an end to all of this madness. The Children's March in Birmingham was the beginning of Martin Luther King Jr.’s march to give blacks freedom.
Before this documentary, I had never learned a lot about the Childrens March and how it played such a vital role in the Civil Rights movement. I was absoluteley astonished by the courageousness of the children and how they were willing to risk their lives in order to change the way African Americans were treated. I was a little bit shocked at the brutality from the law enforcment and how they were so relentless with children that were so small. This film just goes to show how far America has come as country and how segregation was such a dark period of time.
My watching the film "The Children's March" I learned just how the Civil Rights in the town of Birmingham were won. By having the children of the town march the streets in protest to segregation, they were able to over whelm the police and the jail. The main fear was that there would be violence and that the kids would be injured. But by coming together as one unit, they were able to overcome and show the world that the issues they faced could be solved peacfully. I thought that the film gave amazing insight to the issue becuase I was able to hear stories from the "children" that were arrested. I found some parts to be heartbreaking and difficult to watch. Hearing about the conditions of the jails and the use of vicious dogs to controle the crowd is one thing, but to see real footage of these attacks really hits me hard. To know that there were thousands of kids who were willing to put their own well being at risk to help better their future and the future for generations to come.
What I learned from the documentary is that peaceful protest can be very successful. The protest in my opinion was a huge success and it helped pave the way for the rest of the civil rights movement. This march is living proof through the video of the march that the African American people wanted change to come as quick as possible. Something that really struck me about the documentary was the use of the firehoses on the protestors. I yhough that this was a horrible site and it was a horrible way to treat the peaceful protestors who would not harm a fly in many cases. This march showed the resolve of the black people and how they were so calm, and did not resort to violence.
28 comments:
I honestly didn't know about the Children's March before this film. I knew about civil rights marches in general and the trouble in Birmingham, but I didn't realize so many Young children got involved in the march. I was incredibly surprised but also incredibly impressed. When one of the men in the film recalled seeing a boy of about four in the prisons who knew he was fighting for freedom but could barely pronounce the word, I was taken aback. I would have assumed that parents of any race would have sheltered their children, disallowing them to witness the horrendous violence that was taking place in Birmingham at the time. Instead, children became and part of it, and it soon became on honor to go to prison for this cause. I greatly admire the kids willingly involved in the march and commend them on their valor.
I didn't know how the black citizens of Birmingham, Alabama felt about the situation they were until I watched this film. I thought the event would only bring back feelings of sadness and hatred for them because they lived through committed acts of violence against them during the era of segregation. I learned that the black citizens of Birmingham, Alabama were not angry at the firefighters that hosed them or the policemen that used trained attack dogs against them. Instead, they were happy that they had enough courage to fight for desegregation in the city they were living in at the time. I learned that as a result of the black citizen's courage, most notably the childrens courage, of standing up against the policemen and firefighters, they were the reason the President of the United States (John F Kennedy) said that "segregation is now illegal" in his State of The Union Adress. This statement said by John F Kennedy made segregation illegal and desegregated the communities that were split up from each other due to segregation.
As children, we are slowly introduced to information from learning, such as Christopher Columbus being not only was the first European to land on america rather than to found it, but that he and his people took advantage of the native people's. Tragic. This story starts with the name Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a name nearly all Americans know. Then it specified to Birmingham, then that's where the film actually started. Thus lead to the specifics of the children and filling up the jail. I would hope the average person, let alone student, could put two and two together and know how the story ends. I knew of the police hosing the blacks and letting their dogs have free reign, but for the children to be the ones to step up and fill the jails; these were two new tactics I had not heard about from these events.
I think that the contribution that the students had in the movement is really understated in recorded history. The documentary really gave the kids the credit they deserve for being so active and brave. I had no idea that this event had such a big contribution in desegregating the south. It obviously took a lot of courage to join the movement in the beginning and even more to keep going back to jail after all the violence. I commend them for their commitment and I also respect their families who must have been torn between the cause and keeping their children safe. I admire the students’ enthusiasm that they had throughout the marches, while being attacked with hoses, and even in jail. I think the children’s march is really representative of the dedication and enthusiasm that people had fighting for equality.
I was absent this day.
What surprised me the most was how all of the black children were so eager to get arrested and weren’t afraid of going to jail. It just goes to show how badly everyone wanted their freedom that they went to jail on purpose to prove that they weren’t afraid, displaying that even the children are brave and willing to fight for their freedom. Also that with even the fire department using high pressure water to spray all the kids they still didn't back down, and some even made a mockery of it by wearing their bathing suits.
After watching this film, I was extremely impressed. I did not realize what an immense impact children had on the black rights movement and the battle against segregation. I remained inspired by their resilience and ability to make a change. Additionally, I was disgusted with how the whites sprayed them hoses and set dogs loose to bite them. It also made me wonder if I were a white police officer or firefighter at the time if I would have hosed those children just because I was told to. It is hard to judge since I did not grow up during this period but I would like to think I would've stood up for those children. It reminds me of that experiment with the blue eyes and brown eyes and how people can be practically brainwashed into believing a stereotype is fact.
The Children's March really changed my thoughts about Martin Luther King's mission. I feel as though Dr. King knew that the way to get the message across was not by adults to revolt, he knew that the figured that the most powerful and meaningful thing to do was to get the children to show the whites how much freedom really meant to them, even if that meant getting sent to jail. It is disgusting to me to think that firemen and police officers thought that it was okay to pressure hose children... because they are black it doesn't matter as much to them because they aren't white. Although they were thrown around and disrespected, the black children kept their spirits high and kept on pushing the message.
This film was very eye opening and moving. It shows the importance and power resistance can have if they try. I knew the Civil Right’s movement used marches as a strategy for boycotting, but I never knew of the Children’s March. I also never knew that hundreds of children marched with the intention of being arrested. It was amazing to watch how willing they were to put themselves in danger, and that they grasped the importance of what they were doing. I think it was interesting how all their parents advised them against going, but their strength in numbers was essential to their success. It was also inspirational to see how persistent the children were, going back to jail after being released, and marching again after being violently attacked. It was rewarding and important to see at the end of the film that their marches resulted in success.
I didn't know about the Children's March until after watching this film. The film really showed me how terrible Birmingham was for African Americans, and how brave they were to start such a huge movement. It really surprised me that children were brave enough to be sent to jail for the cause. It was disturbing seeing how poorly the whites of Birmingham treated the children in jail, and how they treated all the African American citizens marching. It was so inspiring to see children of such a young age standing up for themselves and future generations. The Childrens March led to bigger and better things for the civil rights movement, and it was all because of brave children.
When I first started to watch the film about the children's march I wasn't expecting the children to be so willing to go to jail and stay there until they were released. The children weren't only willing to go to jail, but also excited to go to jail. Even when they were released from jail they would go right back just so the point could be proven. The idea of the kids going to fill the jails is what I found to be the most interesting part of the film. The bravery of the children throughout the film was amazing because of the intimidation of the officers with the dogs. Along with the officers were the firefighters with the hoses. The children showed extreme bravery when it was needed the most.
After watching the movie, I was amazed by the bravery of the African American children. I didn't know about the Children’s March before this movie. Due to the fact this march was a major factor in African Americans receiving their civil rights; I find it interesting that I hadn't heard of this event prior to seeing the film. I felt sympathy towards the children that faced potentially dangerous situations at such a young age in order to stand up for what they believe in. The children faced dogs attacking them and pressurized water being aimed at their heads, yet they remained peaceful. The children mentioned how they wanted their parents and how some of them were as young as four years old, but they didn't give up hope and chose to return to jail when they were released. I was surprised that the children participated in the march and even returned to jail especially when their parents wanted them to stay home where they would be safe. It was inspirational to see how the children volunteered to participate in the march when no one else had the courage to.
The actions made by the Birmingham fire department were shocking to me. The fact that that was their main way to gain control of blacks is sad. The funny part about this was how the blacks later on played in the water from the fire hoses to cool themselves off from the heat. That shows hoe strong they were in their beliefs in their civil rights. Another way they stood up for themselves was thousands of kids wanting to go to jail to show the whites that they were strong, and they wanted the society to be equal amongst themselves which was very inspiring to me. All of the actions that the whites did to the blacks comes to show you how arrogant the whites can be, and we need to do a better job of thoughts before actions. That should not of happened where they sprayed blacks with the fire hoses.
This short film really showed the horrors and triumphs caused by the will and strength of a generation. In a world where you are treated as second class citizens because of a trait you cannot control, thousands of strong willed children stood up in the face of adversity and did what was needed in order to save the lives and grant the freedoms to the generations that followed. The fact that students went against their parents' and the polices' demands shows their determination and devotion to the cause. This isn't a cause like "Don't chop down everyone's favorite tree at the park!" kind of cause. These children's actions finally opened the eyes of Americans and the world and gave African Americans the equal rights they deserve. That's why these protests and sacrifices are so powerful and important.
I remember we briefly touched upon the Children's March when we covered civil rights in US History, but before watching the film I wasn't privy to the specifics and the immense impact it did have. I certainly didn't know how large a role it played in motivating Kennedy to take a stronger stance on segregation and outlaw it. I did know that children had been arrested in large numbers, but the amount of arrests and the length the protests lasted left an impression on me. It underscores the determination involved on both sides, the black children involved had to possess an admirable amount of perseverance and optimism to keep going, and Bull Connor and those in power had to have extremely strong racist sentiments to dedicate all that man power and accommodate thousands of children in prisons, interrogating them all. The Children's March also highlights the innocence of children, and consequently their importance. Nowadays we usually see children as somewhat helpless and in constant need of adults to shelter them, but I think we forget how brave children can be. By the end children in the march were having fun with the fire hoses and excited to go to jail, and while most understood the gravity of their actions and how important standing up for their own rights was, at the same time children have a sort of innocence to them they allows them to be more brash. I think on average, they're less self-conscious then grown men, less trained to fit in with the general public and do what they're told. When you factor in Jane Elliott's experiment, the two studies combine to prove how important the environment is during adolescence in shaping someone's ideology. Everyone, including those like Bull Connor who in our eyes seem like monsters, was at point a child, so it makes you wonder what happened in the interim to result in such skewed ideology.
Birmingham, or at the time "Bombingham", is a step in the right direction for the civil rights movement. Before watching this documentary I was aware of the historical event but only the surface facts. When an image and faces were introduced to this event it became that much more real. I wasn't aware of the extent of jailings and violence. As a 17 year old, I can't imagine I would ever have the bravery to do what those children did. Thousands willingly go to jail which seems near to impossible to me. My father has been in and out of jail for the past 5 years and it's a scary place. The part of the film that has had the strongest impact on me was the fact that a bad thing was turned around and converted into not so bad. The first day the hoses were fired at the public the last 10 standing all has smiles on their faces and they were still holding hands. Those 10 people gave a new shimmer of hope to the rest of the children. The next day when they came back the demonstrators were wearing bathing suits and asking to be sprayed with the hoses, this violent act was turned around as a "fuck you" to the whites. Nothing could stop their motivation and I find their dedication inspiring.
In Birmingham, the Children’s March revolutionized the protest for Civil Rights, allowing a great impact on the country and the powers of opposing sides. I was very surprised to see the enthusiasm of the children in making a change for the country and standing up for an issue which had affected them. The impact of the children sacrificing their immediate freedom and going to jail has an extremely different impact than seeing adults protest for an issue. It was shocking for many to see the impact that oppression determined by race had on these innocent children and the risk many took to stand up for the cause. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a lot to risk by going to Birmingham as now his stance on the need for equality lead young children to risk what was left of their freedom. The impact that this march had on the country was immense; the children finally making an impact on an issue much bigger than themselves. This showed the degree of the need for change—finally inspiring change from the government and leading towards a more free future.
Throughout my entire education we have learned countless times about the Civil Rights Movement but never before did I ever learn about the Children's March, or at least not like this. Watching this movie was an eye opener because I acquired a perspective that I never had before about the Civil Rights Movement. Those brave children believed that they could make a difference and against all odds decided to partake in the march. It is because of those brave children that President Kennedy decided that such actions could no longer take part in this country and decided to do something about it. This movie was very inspiring and it made me happy knowing that children our age had such a strong impact in our history.
I was absent.
No matter how many times I watch documentaries about the civil rights movement, I am still surprised when I see the horrid treatment the black citizens had to face. I am filled with anger and disbelief when I hear white people from the time period speak about the many "differences" between whites and blacks and the simple ignorance with which they talk frustrates me. But, on the other hand, we shall not be to quick to judge. Those ignorant white people, or the people responsible for the holocaust, are no different than the white people of today.
I was absent for this assignment.
I was absent.
The whole situation was a very hectic and crazy experience. The kids of Birmingham didn't even care about being arrested, which is a major fear for anyone. I also thought it was surprising that the kids wanted to get arrested so easily and they really didn't understand what jail was like. After a few days the kids seemed to be homesick and wanted to leave immediately but they didn't know this was how jail felt when they were so easily being carried into jail. I also thought it was extremely important at the end of the film when everyone in the church got together and stated the pledge of allegiance. I think this really impacted me, because it made me think that these people should have been free for so long and they are just the same as us.
This documentary really opened my eyes to how racist it was in Birmingham. Even though it was kids the white men still discriminated against them just like they would against black adults. I had no clue that there was a place in America that was actually this racist. Seeing how they treat children shocked me because they were spraying water at them and treating them like trash. I finally got relief when Kennedy stepped in and put an end to all of this madness. The Children's March in Birmingham was the beginning of Martin Luther King Jr.’s march to give blacks freedom.
Before this documentary, I had never learned a lot about the Childrens March and how it played such a vital role in the Civil Rights movement. I was absoluteley astonished by the courageousness of the children and how they were willing to risk their lives in order to change the way African Americans were treated. I was a little bit shocked at the brutality from the law enforcment and how they were so relentless with children that were so small. This film just goes to show how far America has come as country and how segregation was such a dark period of time.
I was absent from class
My watching the film "The Children's March" I learned just how the Civil Rights in the town of Birmingham were won. By having the children of the town march the streets in protest to segregation, they were able to over whelm the police and the jail. The main fear was that there would be violence and that the kids would be injured. But by coming together as one unit, they were able to overcome and show the world that the issues they faced could be solved peacfully. I thought that the film gave amazing insight to the issue becuase I was able to hear stories from the "children" that were arrested. I found some parts to be heartbreaking and difficult to watch. Hearing about the conditions of the jails and the use of vicious dogs to controle the crowd is one thing, but to see real footage of these attacks really hits me hard. To know that there were thousands of kids who were willing to put their own well being at risk to help better their future and the future for generations to come.
What I learned from the documentary is that peaceful protest can be very successful. The protest in my opinion was a huge success and it helped pave the way for the rest of the civil rights movement. This march is living proof through the video of the march that the African American people wanted change to come as quick as possible. Something that really struck me about the documentary was the use of the firehoses on the protestors. I yhough that this was a horrible site and it was a horrible way to treat the peaceful protestors who would not harm a fly in many cases. This march showed the resolve of the black people and how they were so calm, and did not resort to violence.
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