Slavery by Another Name
Historical Issues
Slavery by Another Name examines the violent and exploitative history of American slavery in America. The film shows how for 200 years, black Americans were forced to work at the whims of white enslavers, who terrorized and abused them. Unfortunately, many white citizens during this period either participated in this Oppression or refused to recognize it. Though the violence inspired by these oppressive policies ended after World War II, racism continued to thrive across America’s racial divide, creating new forms of injustice against people of color.
Perpetuation of oppression
“Slavery by Another Name” is a documentary that recounts how American slavery persisted as a practice many decades after its supposed abolition. This documentary is a testament to the continued legacy of slavery in America. It documents how it never ended, even after being supposedly abolished by law more than 150 years ago. Those denied entry into the U.S. were often forced to toil through long hours for little pay and treated inhumanely by slave catchers and those at the receiving end of their labor (Plaisted, 2021). In this film, we hear from formerly enslaved people who recount their stories of abuse at the hands of enslavers, including their owner’s children. These accounts are robust and provide a glimpse into how slavery lives today. Throughout this film, viewers will learn what they did not know about this horrific injustice and become aware of the grave problem that continues today.
Moreover, the film documents the little-known history of how slavery was perpetuated in America after the Civil War through the practice of “convict leasing.” This system allowed for the continued exploitation of black labor, often for brutal and inhumane conditions, and led to the appalling legacy of racism in America (Plaisted, 2021). Overall, the film explores how the system of slavery was perpetuated in America. The film focuses on the experiences of a group of black citizens who were taken from their homes and forced into slavery. This film is vital in understanding how the system of slavery was able to continue for so long in America.
Resistance of black citizens to Oppression
The film is essential in understanding the present-day issues of racism in America. The films provide an interesting perspective on the history of Oppression and resistance against this injustice. Moreover, the strength of oppressed people is often seen in the courage and resilience of their resistance. It examines how they paid a heavy price for prejudice while others fought against it. The film shines a light on those who persevered despite adversity by refusing to compromise their rights. The young people in the film “Slavery by Another Name” demonstrate several strengths. They are resilient in the face of adversity, have a strong sense of community, and can maintain a solid moral compass despite challenges.
Strengths Demonstrated by Young People
One of the most impressive aspects of the young people in “Slavery by Another Name” is their resilience. They face many physical and emotional challenges, but they never give up. For example, they do not back down when their captors constantly terrorize them. They stand up to the bullies and show them they are not afraid. The strength of the young people in “Slavery by Another Name” is their sense of community. They can rely on each other for support and work together to overcome obstacles. For example, when they are trying to escape from their captors, they work together to create a plan, and they can also support each other when they are feeling down. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the young people in “Slavery by Another Name” is their moral compass. Despite being forced to live in a chaotic and violent environment, they never lose their sense of morality.
Freedom Summers
Historical Issues
“Freedom Summers” recreates the period before, during, and after the Civil War. The primary focus is on African Americans who fought to maintain their freedom after being enslaved. They worked tirelessly to gather support and organize themselves into a potent force that would defy their white oppressors. All in all, Slavery by Another Name and Freedom Summers shows that while there are many important lessons learned from slavery’s past, our nation still has not experienced its final chapter; racism is still with us today. The historical issues depicted in Freedom Summer were the crisis of civil rights in America. The main focus of these films is the black power movement. Still, it also explores other issues, including the scrutiny of white residents’ involvement in protest efforts, their fear of losing their property, and how this led to physical violence against them.
Perpetuation of Oppression
As a documentary, it focuses on the resistance of black citizens against the system of apartheid in South Africa. This film is essential in understanding the strength of resistance against injustice. “Freedom summers” provide an interesting perspective on how black people in America have continued to resist Oppression. Young people of different racial backgrounds are brought together to work on voter registration in Mississippi. This film highlights the importance of cooperation between people of different backgrounds to achieve social change. These films demonstrate the importance of cooperation between people of different racial backgrounds to achieve social justice. They also show the importance of young people working together to create positive social change. These films are significant because they illustrate young people’s power when they work together. They can make a difference in the world by creating positive social change. This is valuable for society, and young people need to learn this lesson early in their lives.
Resistance of Black Citizens to Oppression
The film focuses on voter registration efforts in Mississippi during the summer of 1964. The film details the events of Freedom Summer, which involved registering over 3000 African Americans to vote during a time in Mississippi with strict poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence against civil rights workers trying to register voters (Richardson, 2021). The film focuses on the effort by young white activists to help fight for the right of black citizens to exercise their right to vote, which was a significant cause during the Civil Rights Movement. ‘Freedom Summer is a powerful film that tells of the historic 1960s movement to register African-American voters in Mississippi and Alabama (Richardson, 2021).
Strengths Demonstrated by Young People
The Freedom Summers of 1964 was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, as young people from across the country came together to register African Americans to vote in Mississippi. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) organized the project, and young participants were inspired by the example of leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahalia Jackson (Richardson, 2021). The Freedom Summers project was a highly successful effort, as over 65,000 African Americans registered to vote during the summer of 1964. This massive voter registration drive helped to transform the course of the Civil Rights Movement, as the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party won the state’s first-ever African American election in November of that year (Richardson, 2021). The Freedom Summers project was also a highly educational experience for the young participants. They learned about the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the importance of voting. They also got to know each other well, forming lasting friendships throughout their lives.
Summary
The two films, “Slavery by Another Name” and “Freedom Summers,” both explore the topics of Oppression and resistance of black citizens in America. “Slavery by Another Name” focuses on the perpetuation of Oppression, while “Freedom Summers” focuses on the strength of resistance of black citizens. Both films are essential in understanding the significance of young people’s involvement and film relation to present-day racism in America. The films Slavery by Another Name and ‘ Freedom Summer these two shows share a similar issue in the stories they tell of people who have been enslaved. Although they have different endings, both look at the consequences of slavery. The major historical issues in these films are race, crime, and capital punishment. The white citizens of the south will not allow African Americans to be free (Joseph-Gabriel, 2014). They do not want them to have any rights or freedoms; they keep them segregated from whites by laws that make it illegal for blacks to own property in some regions of the country. This is called apartheid because it is like having different rules for those who are black and those who are white. The police will stop any black person driving a car and demand their ID card even if they have done nothing wrong.
There is no doubt that films can be powerful tools in inspiring change and social progress, especially when it comes to highlighting the importance of working together to achieve goals. In the films Slavery by Another Name and Freedom Summers, young people of different racial backgrounds are brought together to work on a case and voter registration in Mississippi, respectively (Richardson, 2021). These films provide an interesting perspective on how different races can cooperate effectively and underscore the importance of young people’s engagement with social justice issues.
References
Borg, L. (2021). Freedom Summer of 1964 and Feminism (s) (No. THESIS). The University of Chicago.
Joseph-Gabriel, A. K. (2014). Slavery by Another Name by Sam Pollard, Sheila Curran Bernard, Laurence Fishburne, Jason L. Pollard, Andrew Young, Michael Bacon, and Douglas A. Blackmon. Palimpsest: A Journal on Women, Gender, and the Black International, 3(1), 86-88.
Plaisted, S. (2021). Parchman Farm Penitentiary Exists as Modern-Day Slavery.
Richardson, A. M. (2021). Oppression, Civility, and the Politics of Resistance.
write