Some background on EOTO is that throughout the whole semester of the fys class EOTOs have been present. Each group is assigned either event for anti-slavery or pro-slavery around a certain time period. The class was able to listen and learn more about Brown v. The Board of Education regarding segregation and having a turning point for African Americans and that time period was the 1950s.
A topic that was discussed was the Montgomery Bus Boycott and was related to the civil rights protest in which African Americans refused to take the bus. It took place in Montgomery, Alabama from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956. It took place four days before the boycott began, and Rosa Parks was arrested and fined for refusing to give her seat up. On December 4th the media decided began to be involved and the boycotting news started to spread. After the news began to be involved approximately 40,000 African American bus riders boycotted the next day. On December 5th, some activists form the Montgomery Improvement Association or the MIA. The next topic that was discussed was the Freedom Riders. This was a significant event that took place after the trial of Plessy v Ferguson. The group consisted of African American and white citizens who came together to help protest against segregation regarding bus terminals. It took place in Washington DC, the group drive their buses to the segregated south to help challenge the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court regarding their decision on segregated buses, which did not go along with the 14th amendment. May 4,1961 the group decided to move to New Orleans, LA. As they were protesting the members started to get arrested in significant numbers in Virginia. However, when they reached South Carolina some more of the members were beaten and arrested. Throughout the whole journeying through the south, it was hard, and were told constantly that they would never make it and should turn around. But, with great perseverance, the group decide to keep pushing through and reached Alabama on May 14th. When the member arrived there was utter chaos and one of the buses that the Freedom Riders were on was set on fire causing people to panic. The police officers did not stop anyone for a good amount of time. There were about 13 original riders who included 7 African Americans and 6 white people, but hundreds of people throughout those months decided to volunteer and join.
The last topic that will be discussed is the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing. This was a tragedy that took place on September 15,1963 in Birmingham, Alabama (which took place 58 years ago). There were 4 members of the Ku Klux Klan who were involved with the bombing. These members were Thomas Blanton, Robert Chambliss, Bobby Cherry, and Herman Cash. All were convicted except for Herman Cahs who was only alleged due to dying in 1994. All of the four victims were girls: Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair. Around 14 to 22 other people were injured because of this traumatic event. The 4 KKK members planted 19 sticks of dynamite with a timing device beneath the steps of the east side of the church. Martin Luther King Jr described this event as "one of the most vicious and tragic crimes perpetrated against humanity." There were no prosecutions that were conducted until 1977 and no imprisonments until 2001 and 2002.
Overall, the events and topics shared with the class were all about either proslavery or anti-slavery motives. Each event played out an important role in our history, whether it was positive or negative. It still made the United States of America who it is now today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-rides
https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/baptist-street-church-bombing
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