Trial #2 Reaction

Today, the court was filled with my peers defending the side of the Board of Regents and the side of Bakke in the case of Board of Regents v. Bakke. The case is about the University of California's medical school setting a limit of only admitting ten African American students. In this case, Mr. Bakke was one of the most qualified applicants, however he was not accepted because of his skin color. This is a 14th Amendment case discussing the Equal Protection Clause. 

First, the side of the Board of Regents spoke and made their arguments. They wanted the jury to look at this case as a whole regarding race rather than specifically about Mr. Bakke, noting that race is only one factor in someone getting accepted into a university. Additionally, they argued that their approach to selecting students aligns with the Equal Protection Clause and passes the strict scrutiny test put in place by the Supreme Court. They also discussed how other universities currently have affirmative action policies, such as Clemson. 

Then, Mr. Bakke's side went to the stand. They made various good points, including that Mr. Bakke was an excellent student. He had scored outstandingly high on his medical exams and maintained a 3.5 GPA. Pointing out that race shouldn't be a determining factor in getting into medical school. Instead, they should look at the facts about the student's educational standing. Furthermore, the lawyers for Bakke said that excluding one group does not empower another, since the opposing argument claimed that since there are historically black universities African Americans were not being "left out" of the opportunity to an education. The economic argument was also brought up, stating that allowing black individuals into medical school would increase the number of people in the workforce, ultimately leading to economic growth. 

In the end, the Judge decided to rule in favor of creating a new policy, saying that someone's race would just be one part of being admitted into a university. This decision wasn't a win for either party but instead a compromise between both sides. 

EOTO #2 Reaction

Today, I listened to my peers speak about the negatives and positives of the Reconstruction Era in America. Both sides handled their topics well and were able to teach others the main points of their topic. All the speeches were interesting and engaging, and they taught me new information I had never learned before regarding the Reconstruction Era. 

The first group to speak discussed the negative events that took place during Reconstruction. Firstly, they talked about the Wilmington Massacre of 1898, where white supremacists targeted black-owned businesses and households, intending to destroy them and dismantle the biracial government. Sadly, between sixty and three hundred black citizens died due to this horrific event. Also, this was the only known violent overthrow of an elected government. Additionally, "sundown towns" were discussed. These were towns that banned non-white individuals from entering after dark. This led to many lynchings and cruel acts toward African Americans. Emmit Till, who was brutally killed due to lynchings regarding false accusations, was mentioned. 

Although many negatives were presented, the second group informed us of all of the positives during reconstruction. One was Executive Order 9981 signed by the president during that time, Harry Truman. This order mandated the desegregation of the United States military, helping to move society along in a progressive manner. Prior to this being signed into law blacks were assigned to positions as cooks or laborers. We learned about Porgy and Bess, the first African American opera. Prompting a push for desegregation and for the end of white actors portraying black characters. The opera revolves around a disabled man who helps a woman move on from her toxic relationship. 

These historical events taught in class gave me greater knowledge about the Reconstruction Era, providing both positive and negative events. They highlighted how far we have come as a country since this time.

EOTO Civil Rights Era: Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination

When we think of the Civil Rights Era, Martin Luther King Jr. naturally comes to mind. He played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights movement. King was born on January 15th, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was raised in a middle-class family, where his Father and Grandfather were both Baptist preachers, and both parents were college-educated. This sparked King's interest in the Church and led him to go to Morehouse College and then to Seminary school in Chester, Pennsylvania. 

In December of 1955, following the Montgomery Bus Boycotts involving Rosa Parks refusing to give her seat up to a white passenger, people supporting the movement formed the Montgomery Improvement Association and decided that King would be their leader. This was because he was young and had a good reputation around the town, where people respected him. After that movement was successful, he went on to organize The Southern Christian Leadership Conference. With this group, he traveled around the country, giving powerful speeches on race-related issues and bringing out others to speak as well. King focused a lot on ensuring that nonviolent resistance was how this movement was fighting back against the racism occurring on a daily basis. Throughout the years, MLK gave powerful speeches such as the famous "I Have a Dream speech," and he even went to jail for a period of time while advocating for the lunch counter sit-ins. He felt strongly about his beliefs and helped to move the nation along to a desegregated society. Sadly, this positive momentum didn't last forever.

On April 4th, 1968, at exactly 6:05 pm in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King Jr was shot. He was standing on a balcony outside his room on the second floor at the Lorraine Motel. He was pronounced dead in St. Joesphs Hospital at 7:05 pm. His death caused violent outbreaks to occur across the nation, with more than forty deaths and extensive damage done. James Earl Ray was the man who was found guilty of murdering King and was ultimately sentenced to ninety-nine years in prison. The current president at the time, Lyndon B. Johnson, called for a national day of mourning following the assassination, where public museums, libraries, businesses, and schools were closed. 

A march in Memphis just a few days later was held to honor King and support sanitation workers that he had be scheduled to speak to days earlier. His funeral service was held in Atlanta where many prominent figures attended and over 100,000 mourners followed behind King's coffin. A recording of King was played at his funeral where he said, "I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr, tried to give his life serving others." King was eventually laid to rest at South-View Cemetery and later moved to Ebenezer Church. MLK is if not the most one of the most notable Civil Rights Era figures he dedicated his life to a cause he truly believed in, that unfortunately took his life too soon.