Monday, March 10, 2008
The Road to Mississippi ends
Today in the first class we reviewed components of the first section of the book and then shared our free write responses to the question: What is Letters to Mississippi about? Look at pages i-39. Respond in an essay (several paragraphs), use examples from the text to support your claims, then swap with a neighbor and respond to their essay in minimally five sentences. Take their comments to another level by introducing something they did not.
Post your freewrite responses here. Then respond to a classmate's essay in a five sentence response on the blog that takes the discussion in a related, but different, direction
Students shared their response in both classes. TJ responded to Erick's and vice versa. Seonhea responded to Chad and vice versa. Kay shared her own, which was an interesting take on the letters themselves. Carmen and Chung shared. Matthew was quite thorough in his comments which we applauded. Raymond Wong and Stephanie's comments were also on-point. Eva responded to Alex and vice versa. Both were good. Eva's comments led the discussion into the question of whether the goals and the objectives of the CRM were still felt today.
In the afternoon class, Sophia and Chesi kicked off the discussion, with remarks that captured the mood and tone and intent of the letters. Alberto's response was also on point, as was Johnea's. Yun Yi's was great as well. Lewis had a great start too. I'm looking forward to reading the posts to see what the work looks like now, and to hear from students who left early or didn't complete the assignment.
In the later class we got a bit more done. After sharing responses we reviewed letters where I pointed out sections I'd annotated. Then we read aloud the first few pages of the next section: At Home in a Black World. If was a fruitful discussion, one where students were able to see how prepared the volunteers for the fight ahead and the CBS crew wasn't. We talked about the structure of the section and why the opening letter was chosen by the editor to lead off this second part of the book. The introduction answered Raymond Cade's question about where the volunteers we were reading about worked. Students were asked to read up to page 49 (I think). You can certainly read ahead.
We spoke in the afternoon class about using these freewrites in response to the end of each section as the basis for an essay on the book once we have completed it in a few more weeks.
We'll have an in-class essay next Wednesday. The topic will be taken from Letters from Mississippi or Children of the Movement. I haven't decided.
Some students expressed difficulty pulling out the arguments and the supporting evidence when they are away from class. You can always come by my office and we can work on the assignments together. I also encourage you to look at students posts. Many of you are doing a great job. Post all the responses in the same place.Continue to pull out the arguments. We will post three arguments from three letters and a summary each week until we have completed the book. Next week we will be in the That Long Walk to the Courthouse and School for Freedom.
We'll work in the Writing Center Wednesday. We'll meet in class first.
If you are a slow reader, read ahead. If you have any questions about the reading you can post them where the posts are. You can also post questions here.
Homework continued
Another homework assignment is to read the Maisha Moses (37) essay in Children of the Movement. You will respond to the essay in a freewrite Wednesday. Annotate it as you read. Students who have the book, read the introduction to the section on page 1-2. Other essays we're going to read this week are: Mary Brown (25) and Penny L. Herrington (195). Read the introductions to these sections also, then read the essay.
Post your freewrite responses here. Then respond to a classmate's essay in a five sentence response on the blog that takes the discussion in a related, but different, direction
Students shared their response in both classes. TJ responded to Erick's and vice versa. Seonhea responded to Chad and vice versa. Kay shared her own, which was an interesting take on the letters themselves. Carmen and Chung shared. Matthew was quite thorough in his comments which we applauded. Raymond Wong and Stephanie's comments were also on-point. Eva responded to Alex and vice versa. Both were good. Eva's comments led the discussion into the question of whether the goals and the objectives of the CRM were still felt today.
In the afternoon class, Sophia and Chesi kicked off the discussion, with remarks that captured the mood and tone and intent of the letters. Alberto's response was also on point, as was Johnea's. Yun Yi's was great as well. Lewis had a great start too. I'm looking forward to reading the posts to see what the work looks like now, and to hear from students who left early or didn't complete the assignment.
In the later class we got a bit more done. After sharing responses we reviewed letters where I pointed out sections I'd annotated. Then we read aloud the first few pages of the next section: At Home in a Black World. If was a fruitful discussion, one where students were able to see how prepared the volunteers for the fight ahead and the CBS crew wasn't. We talked about the structure of the section and why the opening letter was chosen by the editor to lead off this second part of the book. The introduction answered Raymond Cade's question about where the volunteers we were reading about worked. Students were asked to read up to page 49 (I think). You can certainly read ahead.
We spoke in the afternoon class about using these freewrites in response to the end of each section as the basis for an essay on the book once we have completed it in a few more weeks.
We'll have an in-class essay next Wednesday. The topic will be taken from Letters from Mississippi or Children of the Movement. I haven't decided.
Some students expressed difficulty pulling out the arguments and the supporting evidence when they are away from class. You can always come by my office and we can work on the assignments together. I also encourage you to look at students posts. Many of you are doing a great job. Post all the responses in the same place.Continue to pull out the arguments. We will post three arguments from three letters and a summary each week until we have completed the book. Next week we will be in the That Long Walk to the Courthouse and School for Freedom.
We'll work in the Writing Center Wednesday. We'll meet in class first.
If you are a slow reader, read ahead. If you have any questions about the reading you can post them where the posts are. You can also post questions here.
Homework continued
Another homework assignment is to read the Maisha Moses (37) essay in Children of the Movement. You will respond to the essay in a freewrite Wednesday. Annotate it as you read. Students who have the book, read the introduction to the section on page 1-2. Other essays we're going to read this week are: Mary Brown (25) and Penny L. Herrington (195). Read the introductions to these sections also, then read the essay.
Comments:
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Sophia Andrews
Letters from Mississippi, In my oppinion is a of letters written from many of the volutnteers in boot camp/ training for the freedom summer that was hosted in the North preparing for Mississippi. These letters express the feelings of the volunteers, meaning mixed feelings involving the expectations of the volunteers going into the situation and the reality coming out of it.
The volunteers for the freedom summer project down in Mississippi where white ofcousre, and they were going into the position with the reason to get a much stronger understanding of Negroes compared to what they already had. These volunteers wanted to be accepted by the negroes, for more then just the people that treated them cruelly.
“ we wanted acceptance because this is part of our reason for going down south” (pg 9)
These volunteers wanted to be accepted from the negroes at face value, once they realized that this wasn’t something that was going to happen, it brought forth feeling of being nervous, scared, and uncomfortness. However; as much as they desire to go back home to the safe north, they couldn’t. some of them had already risked relationships with family
“ I am ofcourse living hand to mouth now. I expect that you are so digusted with this whole business that you will tey to starve me out” (pg.26)
Letters Of Mississippi refelects the feelings that those Northerners that were choosing to volunteer down in Mississippi. They were being trained, but actually got there and realized that a training wasn’t enough.
Letters from Mississippi, In my oppinion is a of letters written from many of the volutnteers in boot camp/ training for the freedom summer that was hosted in the North preparing for Mississippi. These letters express the feelings of the volunteers, meaning mixed feelings involving the expectations of the volunteers going into the situation and the reality coming out of it.
The volunteers for the freedom summer project down in Mississippi where white ofcousre, and they were going into the position with the reason to get a much stronger understanding of Negroes compared to what they already had. These volunteers wanted to be accepted by the negroes, for more then just the people that treated them cruelly.
“ we wanted acceptance because this is part of our reason for going down south” (pg 9)
These volunteers wanted to be accepted from the negroes at face value, once they realized that this wasn’t something that was going to happen, it brought forth feeling of being nervous, scared, and uncomfortness. However; as much as they desire to go back home to the safe north, they couldn’t. some of them had already risked relationships with family
“ I am ofcourse living hand to mouth now. I expect that you are so digusted with this whole business that you will tey to starve me out” (pg.26)
Letters Of Mississippi refelects the feelings that those Northerners that were choosing to volunteer down in Mississippi. They were being trained, but actually got there and realized that a training wasn’t enough.
# posted by 
: 8:17 PM
: 8:17 PM
Chesi Brown
English 201B
Instructor Ms.Sabir
March 12, 2008
Freewrite: Letter of Mississppi
The Letters of Mississppi is about a group of volunteers, who went to Mississippi to help blacks register to vote. The volunteer in Mississippi really wanted to be accepted at face value from the blacks. ….” Emotionally we wanted to be ‘accepted at face value”.(Pg 5)Unfortunately as the summer went on and these volunteers began to experience time with the negros, they realize this was something that wasn’t going to happen over night. This I believe reflects the book consisting the as a whole. This letter is about all of the mixed feeling, and experienced that the volunteers had. In addition to wanting to be accepted they wanted to help.
English 201B
Instructor Ms.Sabir
March 12, 2008
Freewrite: Letter of Mississppi
The Letters of Mississppi is about a group of volunteers, who went to Mississippi to help blacks register to vote. The volunteer in Mississippi really wanted to be accepted at face value from the blacks. ….” Emotionally we wanted to be ‘accepted at face value”.(Pg 5)Unfortunately as the summer went on and these volunteers began to experience time with the negros, they realize this was something that wasn’t going to happen over night. This I believe reflects the book consisting the as a whole. This letter is about all of the mixed feeling, and experienced that the volunteers had. In addition to wanting to be accepted they wanted to help.
# posted by : 7:41 AM
: 7:41 AM
Dylan: Letters from Mississippi
Bob Moses always receives questions about his past. How can a man go from a Civil Rights Activist to an Algebra teacher, this is the main question that we are focusing on. Being apart of the civil right movement make it impossible to be a full time father. Bob says that it had to do with family.
Maisha Moses is the daughter of Bob Moses. She is a college graduate from Harvard University. She enjoys meditating, yoga, and swimming. It looked like their connected. He was a great leader in 1964 who tried to help black people vote or get registered. People said that what he was doing was a bad thing but he believed it was what his conscience wanted him to do.
When he tried to make a change it almost took his life, as well with others. Bob couldn't take it anymore when people started dieing so he was heartbroken. A friend name Herbert Lee was murdered and this just set Bob off. He went to Tanzania with his wife for seven years just to get away.
Bob started raising Maisha, one of his intelligent kids. He felt that the children in school at the time were being cheated out of higher academic advantages. This happened when Maisha was a little girl, also Bob and his wife noticed a lack of math smarts. Then Maisha and Bob started a program that they loved a lot. This some how reminded them of the movement. When she was asked about her father’s past, she said she was very proud and inspired. She claimed to respect his role in the movement a great bit, and she also explained that she respected her father's decision to leave the movement to become a better father, and it made her and him much more close to each other.
Maisha would not change anything from being the daughter of Bob Moses because it was a privelage and a better understanding of who he was as a person.
Maisha is now just like her father serious, smart, and calm. They still until this day tried to do thing that give back advantage to their community. Their Algebraic project is now requirement in every college. Once again Bob make history. Recently the Algebraic Project went to on the bus to the civil rights movement museum to take about their experiences in Algebraic
Bob Moses always receives questions about his past. How can a man go from a Civil Rights Activist to an Algebra teacher, this is the main question that we are focusing on. Being apart of the civil right movement make it impossible to be a full time father. Bob says that it had to do with family.
Maisha Moses is the daughter of Bob Moses. She is a college graduate from Harvard University. She enjoys meditating, yoga, and swimming. It looked like their connected. He was a great leader in 1964 who tried to help black people vote or get registered. People said that what he was doing was a bad thing but he believed it was what his conscience wanted him to do.
When he tried to make a change it almost took his life, as well with others. Bob couldn't take it anymore when people started dieing so he was heartbroken. A friend name Herbert Lee was murdered and this just set Bob off. He went to Tanzania with his wife for seven years just to get away.
Bob started raising Maisha, one of his intelligent kids. He felt that the children in school at the time were being cheated out of higher academic advantages. This happened when Maisha was a little girl, also Bob and his wife noticed a lack of math smarts. Then Maisha and Bob started a program that they loved a lot. This some how reminded them of the movement. When she was asked about her father’s past, she said she was very proud and inspired. She claimed to respect his role in the movement a great bit, and she also explained that she respected her father's decision to leave the movement to become a better father, and it made her and him much more close to each other.
Maisha would not change anything from being the daughter of Bob Moses because it was a privelage and a better understanding of who he was as a person.
Maisha is now just like her father serious, smart, and calm. They still until this day tried to do thing that give back advantage to their community. Their Algebraic project is now requirement in every college. Once again Bob make history. Recently the Algebraic Project went to on the bus to the civil rights movement museum to take about their experiences in Algebraic
# posted by : 10:58 AM
: 10:58 AM
Erik Del Nero
English 201 B
3/15/08
The letters of Mississippi is about equal rights. It is also about the (SNCC) movement. This huge essay was telling me how black people vied the world. They had a huge amount of pressure on at all times. White viewed black people as not smart and unworthy. Blacks from the north came to the south to help with the movement, but they always had the fear of being killed due to the color of their skin.
English 201 B
3/15/08
The letters of Mississippi is about equal rights. It is also about the (SNCC) movement. This huge essay was telling me how black people vied the world. They had a huge amount of pressure on at all times. White viewed black people as not smart and unworthy. Blacks from the north came to the south to help with the movement, but they always had the fear of being killed due to the color of their skin.
# posted by : 1:27 PM
: 1:27 PM
English 201, 10-12
"The Road to Mississippi"
In the book Letters from Mississippi, Elisabeth Martinez has collected and edited letters of Mississippi Summer Project’s volunteers, which were written during the summer of 1964. Six hundred and fifty volunteers gathered from all around America, mostly northerners, white, and students, to help black southerners to register to vote. The volunteers wrote letters while they were training in Oxford, Ohio, and working in the South, and each letter makes it possible to understand the reality of the Freedom Summer. By learning about their struggles for freedom and threats upon their lives, we can grasp the meaning and value of the Civil Rights Movement.
The letters in the first chapter, “The Road to Mississippi,” showed the process of the volunteers’ realization about the project. When they left places where they lived, even they knew the meaning of the project, they couldn’t realize where they were toward and for what. However, while they were training, they understood the meaning of the project and where they were going.
For example, while they were in one-week training in Oxford, the struggle between volunteers and staff members showed a profile of the Freedom Summer. Even though volunteers gathered to go to the South and to fight against discrimination, they did not recognize the reality and seriousness of the situation. Their misunderstanding created a gap between staff members and volunteers. However, one incident that staffs and volunteers reacted very different way, became a turning point for volunteers to understand the crisis in the South, and they realized problems in the South for all human right not just for blacks’ problem. The letter in pp8-9 elaborated how volunteers and staff members unified around their common goal.
After one-week training and the death of three people, one volunteer who wrote a letter realized that for what they going to fight and stated, “It is for freedom- the freedom to love. It is something that none can have until everybody has it” (38). From their detailed experience and realization, we can understand why the project and the Movement should exist. The letters make the historical movement come alive for today’s reader.
"The Road to Mississippi"
In the book Letters from Mississippi, Elisabeth Martinez has collected and edited letters of Mississippi Summer Project’s volunteers, which were written during the summer of 1964. Six hundred and fifty volunteers gathered from all around America, mostly northerners, white, and students, to help black southerners to register to vote. The volunteers wrote letters while they were training in Oxford, Ohio, and working in the South, and each letter makes it possible to understand the reality of the Freedom Summer. By learning about their struggles for freedom and threats upon their lives, we can grasp the meaning and value of the Civil Rights Movement.
The letters in the first chapter, “The Road to Mississippi,” showed the process of the volunteers’ realization about the project. When they left places where they lived, even they knew the meaning of the project, they couldn’t realize where they were toward and for what. However, while they were training, they understood the meaning of the project and where they were going.
For example, while they were in one-week training in Oxford, the struggle between volunteers and staff members showed a profile of the Freedom Summer. Even though volunteers gathered to go to the South and to fight against discrimination, they did not recognize the reality and seriousness of the situation. Their misunderstanding created a gap between staff members and volunteers. However, one incident that staffs and volunteers reacted very different way, became a turning point for volunteers to understand the crisis in the South, and they realized problems in the South for all human right not just for blacks’ problem. The letter in pp8-9 elaborated how volunteers and staff members unified around their common goal.
After one-week training and the death of three people, one volunteer who wrote a letter realized that for what they going to fight and stated, “It is for freedom- the freedom to love. It is something that none can have until everybody has it” (38). From their detailed experience and realization, we can understand why the project and the Movement should exist. The letters make the historical movement come alive for today’s reader.
# posted by : 12:42 AM
: 12:42 AM
Raymond Lamont Cade
3-14-08
eng. 201b
Letters from Mississippi is about freedom, rights, school, and personal observations. Most of the letters are from the people in the movement. This all started in the summer of 1964 when both whites and blacks eventually came together in the community for rights and integration. Some of these letters were from students who formed a sit-in to protest against white supremacy.
Some blacks and whites wanted to be allowed to interact with one another without being looked at differently. James Forman said in his letter, "Its program is one of developing, building and strengthening indigenous leadership. This was important to a lot of people not just blacks; but to everyone that has a sound understanding of right and wrong. People of all ages put their time and skill into this fight.
Most of the letters were filled up with frustration from the people that came out and protested. It was a powerful moment and movement. The trail was definitely tough.
3-14-08
eng. 201b
Letters from Mississippi is about freedom, rights, school, and personal observations. Most of the letters are from the people in the movement. This all started in the summer of 1964 when both whites and blacks eventually came together in the community for rights and integration. Some of these letters were from students who formed a sit-in to protest against white supremacy.
Some blacks and whites wanted to be allowed to interact with one another without being looked at differently. James Forman said in his letter, "Its program is one of developing, building and strengthening indigenous leadership. This was important to a lot of people not just blacks; but to everyone that has a sound understanding of right and wrong. People of all ages put their time and skill into this fight.
Most of the letters were filled up with frustration from the people that came out and protested. It was a powerful moment and movement. The trail was definitely tough.
# posted by : 3:05 PM
: 3:05 PM
Ammnah BAbikir
3-14-08
Eng.201b
In this letter Jackson, August 14, it is describing the actions that was taken in order to end discrimination against negro applicants and restore their right to vote. Court orders soon followed as and provided hope to potential voters. however, only one was issud in panola county, in Northern Mississippi. Perhaps their could have been a more wide- spread issue of curt orders pettioned by the Voter's League in order to push things along. Maybe if they got some of the people assigned to the be on the association, these locals would be represented properly and their official voice could be heard. Then the state of Mississppi would be counted as a whole and they could began breaking down the barriers preventing the locals from having their voices heard. I think that this would be a more resourceful way.
3-14-08
Eng.201b
In this letter Jackson, August 14, it is describing the actions that was taken in order to end discrimination against negro applicants and restore their right to vote. Court orders soon followed as and provided hope to potential voters. however, only one was issud in panola county, in Northern Mississippi. Perhaps their could have been a more wide- spread issue of curt orders pettioned by the Voter's League in order to push things along. Maybe if they got some of the people assigned to the be on the association, these locals would be represented properly and their official voice could be heard. Then the state of Mississppi would be counted as a whole and they could began breaking down the barriers preventing the locals from having their voices heard. I think that this would be a more resourceful way.
# posted by : 3:20 PM
: 3:20 PM
Raymond Lamont Cade
3-14-08
Eng. 201b
This letter was written by Barb from Mississippi. In This letter, a group of students which are a part of the Mississippi Student Union civil rights organization, were told that they could not ahve a demonstration. I think that because of the power that they stood for and being that they stood for equality and civil rights, their cause was more important then the outcome what could happen if the students said no we won't help. If it weren't for these students their probably wouldn't be any hope for any one in Mississippi.
3-14-08
Eng. 201b
This letter was written by Barb from Mississippi. In This letter, a group of students which are a part of the Mississippi Student Union civil rights organization, were told that they could not ahve a demonstration. I think that because of the power that they stood for and being that they stood for equality and civil rights, their cause was more important then the outcome what could happen if the students said no we won't help. If it weren't for these students their probably wouldn't be any hope for any one in Mississippi.
# posted by : 3:22 PM
: 3:22 PM
Ammnah Babikir
3-10-08
English 201b
In response to whomever else’s letter:
Letters of Mississippi is a journal composed of many different letters created by volunteers of the 1964 nonviolent Civil Rights organization called Freedom Summer. These letters represent logs that served as evidence of the mind-boggling events that African-Americans endured during the time of segregation in Mississippi. Some of these letters spoke of the individuals that fought to start a movement to restore and create equal rights for blacks that the whites already had.
The majority of these volunteers were white. Their purpose for coming into this movement was to gain understanding and experience eye opening reality through different eyes, through the eyes of black people that struggle and are being taunted every day because their skin is darker than the white individuals. One of these volunteers, by the name of James Zwerg, was savagely beaten after stepping foot off of the bus that carried these protesters. He was called a “nigger lover” because of the courageous stance he took for equality, civil rights and his right as a human being for being unbiased to the black heritage. This was in its self a very powerful story out of many in the book. However, this one really spoke volume as to what changes one person could make in the war against ignorance.
3-10-08
English 201b
In response to whomever else’s letter:
Letters of Mississippi is a journal composed of many different letters created by volunteers of the 1964 nonviolent Civil Rights organization called Freedom Summer. These letters represent logs that served as evidence of the mind-boggling events that African-Americans endured during the time of segregation in Mississippi. Some of these letters spoke of the individuals that fought to start a movement to restore and create equal rights for blacks that the whites already had.
The majority of these volunteers were white. Their purpose for coming into this movement was to gain understanding and experience eye opening reality through different eyes, through the eyes of black people that struggle and are being taunted every day because their skin is darker than the white individuals. One of these volunteers, by the name of James Zwerg, was savagely beaten after stepping foot off of the bus that carried these protesters. He was called a “nigger lover” because of the courageous stance he took for equality, civil rights and his right as a human being for being unbiased to the black heritage. This was in its self a very powerful story out of many in the book. However, this one really spoke volume as to what changes one person could make in the war against ignorance.
# posted by : 3:46 PM
: 3:46 PM
Ashley Dorsett
Freewirte: Letters From Mississippi is about teenagers going to Mississippi in 1964 to help stop racisim. This summer program that the teens were involed in was called the SNCC also know as (The Student Nonviolent Coordinating committee). Their goal was to get the other race to see their hardship. Hearing and seeing the “negros” struggle sometimes even got hard for the white people. When they tired to open up to them and help, the white kids said that the black kids would just push them away. So they write letters to their family and tell them how hard it is. Trying to finally bring these two races together.
Freewirte: Letters From Mississippi is about teenagers going to Mississippi in 1964 to help stop racisim. This summer program that the teens were involed in was called the SNCC also know as (The Student Nonviolent Coordinating committee). Their goal was to get the other race to see their hardship. Hearing and seeing the “negros” struggle sometimes even got hard for the white people. When they tired to open up to them and help, the white kids said that the black kids would just push them away. So they write letters to their family and tell them how hard it is. Trying to finally bring these two races together.
# posted by : 4:15 PM
: 4:15 PM
Ewa Dobrzynska
English 201
Prof. Sabir
The “Letters from Mississippi” is about young volunteers who went to Mississippi to help protect the right to vote for black people. The volunteers write in the letters to family members and friends about them feelings and experiences. The letters tell the stories about people who risk lives and dignity to protect the Niger’s rights, people who were disrespected and with hearts broken about all situations. People were scared and some of them wanted come back home-sweet home. I think this is a huge piece in American history. Nowadays black people can live much better. They have everything and can exist in the community as anybody else. The true is that in this world we will always find somebody who is a resist and bad person. But this very sad time of Freedom Summer shows us how inhumanity people can be. Take an example from volunteers and help the world to be better place to live for everyone.
Post a Comment
English 201
Prof. Sabir
The “Letters from Mississippi” is about young volunteers who went to Mississippi to help protect the right to vote for black people. The volunteers write in the letters to family members and friends about them feelings and experiences. The letters tell the stories about people who risk lives and dignity to protect the Niger’s rights, people who were disrespected and with hearts broken about all situations. People were scared and some of them wanted come back home-sweet home. I think this is a huge piece in American history. Nowadays black people can live much better. They have everything and can exist in the community as anybody else. The true is that in this world we will always find somebody who is a resist and bad person. But this very sad time of Freedom Summer shows us how inhumanity people can be. Take an example from volunteers and help the world to be better place to live for everyone.
# posted by : 12:49 PM
: 12:49 PM << Home
