Fall Reading Recap

Considering the fact that on May 28th I am recapping a FALL reading is quite symbolic of my experience. To go into more detail, I chose Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut to read. I chose this book because in the past I have really enjoyed reading Vonnegut's works and was sure this would be another great choice. It did not come as a surprise that once again I was reading a book which I enjoyed, it also came as no surprise that I had absolutely no time to read this book. I rarely get to read for fun and when I do I prefer to just read the New York Times or something like that. The amount of work I have to do every night mixed with my busy lacrosse and work schedule left me stranded in the middle of the third chapter. That being said, I feel it would be inappropriate for me to recommend this book, however, I do recommend Vonnegut as an author and I am sure if I had found the time to finish this book I would have enjoyed it. Overall this was a difficult assignment to complete with our busy schedule, yet it did remind me of my interest for Vonnegut's works and will likely drive me to finish reading Slaughter House Five this summer.

Economic Strength during The Civil Rights Movement

During the Civil Rights Movement, between the 1950’s and 1960’s, Blacks used economic tactics to fight for equality. Protests like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the boycott of downtown Birmingham used peaceful protests to hit business owners’ pockets as well as to alter long standing government practices. During the 1950’s, 75% of the people using buses were black. Consequently, the majority of the income to the bus system and to the city came from black citizens. The realization of the vast economic impact blacks had, led to protests that hit the economy hard and left the desire for equality greater than ever before. In downtown Birmingham, blacks spent 4,000,000 dollars each week. The boycott of downtown Birmingham led by students from Miles College, Daniel Payne College, and Booker T. Washington Business College had a major impact on the economy of Birmingham. This protest was not meant to effect the government and lawmakers, but to effect business owners and those who elected officials who made change. By targeting these local owners, they were able to hit the people where it hurt and force them to compel their officials to make change. Economic tactics like these were vital to the Civil Rights Movement as a way of impacting those who could make the change and forcing them to assist in the fight for equality. As a result of non-violent actions like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the boycott of downtown Birmingham, new civil rights legislation was enacted, and black Americans were given the equality they deserved.