P1+Sarah+M,+Courtney+P,+Sarah+N

Richard Wright By: Sarah McClelland

Richard Wright grandmother was enslaved and was born on a plantation in Mississippi. His father abandoned his family while Wright was a young boy. Wrights mother was a schoolteacher and raised him and his brothers. In 1914 when his mother became sick both Richard and his brother were sent to a Methodist orphanage. A couple years later in 1916 Wrights mother picked both brothers up and the family went to live with Margaret Wilson, their grandmother. Later they went to live in Arkansas with an aunt and Uncle but left shortly after when Wright’s uncle was murdered by a group of white men. After the family had to hide out in fear of the white men. In 1919 Wrights mother had a stroke. Wright when to live with his aunt and uncle but due to their strict rules become very emotionally unstable. Wrights grandmother and aunt were very religious. They tried to push religion on Wright and put many religious restrictions on him such as not working on Saturdays. This later pushed Wright into despising religion. Wright wrote his first story at the age 15 that was published in a black newspaper. In 1923 Wright won Valedictorian but refused to read the speech he was given that would not have offended any of the white administrators. He finally convinced the administration to read a speech he wrote himself. Wright joined the Communist party in 1933. Wright wrote many pieces that were published in newspapers. Many other authors remarked on Wrights writing, "Wright was one of the people who made me conscious of the need to struggle," (Baraka). Wright won many awards for his modernist writing. Wright is most well known for his story //The Native Son.//

"Richard Wright (author) -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 05 Jan. 2010.

Segregation
 By: Sarah McClelland

Segregation has been a problem all across the world. The segregation that we know best is the segregation between whites and blacks. Racial segregation in America was between 1849-1950. Amendments were added to the constitution to make equal right for the newly freed blacks. The 13th amendment abolished slavery, 14th amendment gave citizenship, and the 15th amendment gave them the right to vote. Yet between 1873 and 1883 the Supreme Court passed decision that contradicted the bills and amendments. Blacks continued to be segregated through transportation, public places, recreational facilities, army, schools, and even prisons. Segregation continued to be a problem even though amendments were passed, "In 1896 the Supreme Court sanctioned legal separation of the races by its ruling in //H.A. Plessy v. J.H. Ferguson//, which held that separate but equal facilities did not violate the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment" (Library of Congress). Freeing blacks was not an idea that everyone accepted therefore the people that were on the Supreme Court made the ultimate decision. Schools were even separated, as the Roberts saw their daughter have to walk past several schools that she was unable to attend because she colored. They took the case to court, "a whole race with the stigma of inferiority and degradation" (Sumner). Sumner was a future senator who believed that this was wrong. The Supreme Court did not rule in favor of the Roberts. They said that integrating the schools would just increase the racial segregation. We have seen segregation in America for a long time. "A Century of Racial Segregation - "With an Even Hand": Brown v. Board at Fifty (Library of Congress Exhibition)." //Library of Congress Home. Web. 05 Jan. 2010. // Jim Crow Laws

By: Sarah McClelland The Jim Crow laws were created from 1876 to 1965. These laws were at both state and local levels. These laws separated whites from blacks in all public places. The government insisted that it was separate but equal. This lead to Blacks getting inferior things like poor education and social disadvantages compared to the whites. Jim Crow laws were seen in the segregated school and segregated public areas. Although the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional in the case of Brown V. Board of Education in 1954. This phrase originated from a song dance combination called Jump Jim Crow played in the African American culture that was later preformed by a white man. There were many attempts to end segregation but many failed. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 said that everyone was to have equal treatment in public places. Although that was a good idea it did not have much of an impact. Louisiana passed a law to require the separation of whites and blacks, yet some thought this was wrong and tried to do something about it, "a group of concerned black, colored and white citizens in New Orleans formed an association dedicated to rescinding the law"(Jim crow laws). It was not until the 20th century that the Supreme Court stated to overturn the Jim Crow laws saying they were unconstitutional. There were many groups that fought for desegregation in the years before but it was not until the Supreme Court made their rulings that segregation and the Jim Crow Laws were really ended.

"Jim Crow laws -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 06 Jan. 2010.

Sarah Nadal**
 * Fatalism

Fatalism, as defined by the New Oxford American Dictionary, is the belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable. Those who believe in fatalism will also have a submissive and accepting attitude to those events due to their belief that they will occur no matter what. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy gives an example that provides a better understanding of this attitude. This example comes from the teachings of Aristotle. Either //p// is true or //p// is false, and not //–p// is true or not //–p// is false. This means that //p// is true, or not //–p// is true. So, if somebody living in 1900 were to claim that on January 1, 2100, a sea-battle will take place, and another living in the same year claims that on January 1, 2100, a sea-battle will not take place. Either claim can be true. According to fatalism, it is necessary in the year 1900 that a sea-battle will either take place on January 1, 2100 or that it will not (Rice). This demonstrates that everything happens out of necessity. The example goes on to say “What is at issue here is not logical necessity. It is rather inevitability” (Rice). A fatalist will believe that the event of the sea-battle or the event of not the sea-battle is due to the inevitability of the event as predicted in 1900, and can do nothing to change it.

“Fatalism.” //The New Oxford American Dictionary//. 2007. Apple Dictionary.
 * Works Cited**

Rice, Hugh. “Fatalism.” //Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.// Stanford University, 10 October 2006. Web. 5 January 2010.

Sarah Nadal ** Literary Naturalism is a form of literature that blends together ideas from the Naturalism movement that occurred between 1865 and 1900 (“Naturalism”). Naturalism was a philosophical movement in which philosophers such as John Dewey, Sidney Hook and Roy Wood Sellars attempted to unite philosophy and science (Papineau). The Naturalism movement as used in literature follows the same basic priciple – Naturalism authors try to apply science to the study of human beings. Notable Naturalism authors include Émile Zola, John Steinbeck, and Edith Wharton. These authors almost use a type of scientific method when writing their novels due to the combination of science, philosophy, and literature. They studied human behaviors such as man’s relationship to his surroundings, and the government of man by his instincts and passions (Campbell). Campbell, Donna M. “Naturalism in American Literature.” // Literary Movements. // Washington State University, 14 July 2008. Web. 6 January 2010.
 * Literary Naturalism
 * Works Cited**

“Naturalism (literature).” // Wikipedia. // Wikimedia Foundation, 1 January 2010. Web. 6 January 2010.

Papineau, David. “Naturalism.” // Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. // Stanford University, 22 February 2008. Web. 6 January 2010.

Sarah Nadal ** Marxism, the political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, is often confused with the practice of communism, when in reality communism came as a direct result of their ideas. One of the main ideas of Marxism encourages socialism over capitalism, and divides the social classes based on their need for socialism (“Marxism”). Marx believed the working class was different from the middle class, the peasants and the upper class and had a high need for socialism. Socialism calls for a regulation of the government and produced goods by a community, those who are the means of production. Marx wanted the working class to demand a socialist nation through revolutionary action.
 * Marxism

“Marxism.” // World History //. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 8 January 2010. ** “Marxism.” // The New Oxford American Dictionary. // 2007. Apple Dictionary.
 * Works Cited
 * “Socialism.” // The New Oxford American Dictionary. // 2007. Apple Dictionary. **

Sarah Nadal ** Jean-Paul Sartre was a notable existentialist who emerged from France in the 20th century. He told his existentialist philosophies through many novels and other writings. He was also known for his Marxism beliefs and was active in French politics. Sartre was born into a middle class family but received a quality education from some of the most prestigious French schools. He passed a difficult teaching exam and began teaching philosophy in 1929. Throughout his teaching career, he worked toward the publication of his existentialist beliefs. He emphasized man’s ability to make choices in their existence, and believed that every choice further defined a person. He put a halt on his writing and teaching career with the start of World War II, and his military career began. After the war, he became much better known for his existentialist theories and published more works. Thus began his political career. He was a known advocate for Communism, and began criticizing the political moves of other nations, including those of the United States. His career took a downturn when he lost his sight in 1973, and died in 1980.
 * Jean-Paul Sartre

“Jean-Paul Sartre.” //World History//. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 8 January 2010.
 * Works Cited

** The Scottsboro Trial By: Courtney Price

 The Scottsboro trial took place in 1931. Nine black men were accused of gang raping Victoria Price and Ruby Bates on March 25, 1931. The girls claimed that they were on a train talking to some white guys when the 9 boys came on. According to Victoria one of the boys started waving around a pistol yelling “unload you white son-of-****” (Ransdall). The boys all started fighting with one another and the black boys managed to get the other boys off the train. While all this was happening the girls stayed at the end of the train when they 9 boys approached them both. Victoria said that 6 of the 9 boys raped her and Ruby. This case was taken to the Supreme Court. Eight of the nine men were found guilty and sentenced to death. The Supreme Court lifted later on there sentencing. Instead of being sentenced to death the mean were given prison time for six to nineteen years.

Ransdall, Hollace. //The First Scottsboro Trials.// Web. 10 Jan. 2010//Scottsboro Boys//. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. Harlem during the Great Depression By: Courtney Price The Great Depression: The economic crisis beginning with the stock market crash in 1929 and continuing through the 1930s The Great Depression hit Harlem hard. During this time Harlem suffered harsh economic decline. Most of he residents lost their income and lost their house. Many artist could not work because no one had any money to pay for the paintings. The stock market crashed and everyone lost their jobs not just people in Harlem. Business closed their doors, factories shut down, and the income of farmers dropped 50 percent. “By 1932 approximately one of every four American was unemployed” (Modern American Poetry). When Roosevelt stepped into office and started the New Deal Program the economy started getting back on track. It took many years, but it finally leveled out. Modern American Poetry. //The Great Depression.// Web. 10 Jan. 2010 Greene, Larry. //Harlem in the Great Depression, 1928-1936.// Web 10 Jan. 2010 //Great Depression.// //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web.10 Jan. 2010.

New Deal Programs that benefited whites over blacks By: Courtney Price

The New Deal Program was started by at the time President Roosevelt. This program was started in 1933 and its purpose was to give relief, reform, and recovery during the Great Depression. This program benefited whites instead of blacks and discriminated blacks. Some of the programs that were part of this New Deal was the National Recovery Administration (NRA). During the Great Depression many people lost their jobs. This program gave whites the first available jobs and for blacks they were given separate and lower pay. Others programs were The Federal Housing Authority (FHA). This program would not give blacks mortgages for those who tired to buy houses in white neighborhoods. Although these programs mostly benefited whites, blacks finally got their share. Roosevelt chose Mary McLeod Bethune who was a black educator to the advisory committee of the Nation Youth Administration (YA). Because of her blacks received a fair share of funds. From that point blacks got more things close to the same things as whites. Digital History. //African Americans and the New Deal.// Web. 10 Jan. 2010 //New Deal//. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 10 Jan. 2010.