The Reverse Underground

The document under study is a trailer for a movie entitled “12 Years a Slave” released in 2013. It deals with the real life story of Solomon Northup. He was a free black man who was born in 1841 in the state of New York, a free state. He was a married man with children. Moreover, he was a praised professional musician, a violinist. Unfortunately, he was betrayed/deceived by two white men who drugged him in order to kidnap him and sale him into slavery.  On top of that, he was wrongly accused of being a Georgian runaway and was sold to a plantation. We can see him standing against his slave master because he knew the situation was too unfair. Nevertheless, he receives words of advice from the other slaves who advise him to obey and submit to the master so that he will not get into trouble and save his life. Unlike the other characters, he never seems to accept the identity of a slave – for 12 years.

Reflecting on Today’s Challenges

The document under study is an extract of a speech pronounced by King Charles III in 2024 during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, Oceania. In his speech, Kings Charles is reflecting on the “painful past” the countries of the Commonwealth had to go through. He is alluding to colonization, slavery, injustices, inequalities (in education and health…), division… In order to create a better future for everyone, he says that it is important to learn lessons from the past in order not to make the same mistakes again. He encourages everyone to speak with respect and not division and create equal opportunities for all people. Moreover, he describes the Commonwealth as a family that can be a community of peace and hope where people respect one another.

(We will continue the study of the video next time. Be ready!)

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

As a consequence, they were humiliated by an angry mob composed of white people who threw food and everything that was on the counter at the young activists. In addition, they were beaten up. Eventually, they were put in jail. This event went viral all over the world as it was the most photographed sit-in in the sit-in movement. Therefore, it had a very important impact in the world that rallied many people to this cause.

To conclude, the Civil Rights movement should not be reduced to MLK and Rosa Parks because it was not an exclusive fight as everyone was concerned and welcome to take part in no matter their skin color.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Enjoy Your Vacation! 😉

The Fight for Social Justice

The document under study is a video of the testimonies of former Civil Rights activists / veterans of the Civil Rights. We can hear 3 people who took part in the movement, one of which was a reporter who took pictures of the event at the time and a teacher who teaches in the University these students used to go. At the time, these activists were all students.

The organized a sit-in in a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson, Mississippi, 1963. They wanted to put an end to racial segregation in restaurants. It is interesting to note that there were also white people who took part in the fight for social justice.

Their strategy was to go to a five and dime lunch counter, sit at the counter reserved for white customers and ask to be served politely and peacefully. The goal of this strategy was to highlight the absurdity of segregation and make people aware that everyone should be treated equally despite their skin color.

(We will continue the study of the video next time. Be ready!)

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 The Fight for Social Justice

The document under study is a video of former Civil Rights activists / veterans of the Civil Rights sharing their testimonies during a famous sit-in in the 1960s. They used to be students at the time of the event. There were white and black activists working together for the same cause.

They organized a sit-in in a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson, Mississippi in 1963. The goal was to put an end to segregation in restaurants and denounce the inequality of this system.

They chose to go to a five and dime lunch counter and sat at the counter reserved for white people. Their objectives were to make people aware of the absurdity of the situation, to highlight  the belief that all citizens should be treated equally despite their skin color.

(We will continue the study of the video tomorrow. Be ready!)

Homework: Learn the lesson.

The Battle Over South Africa

The document under study is an extract from the TV show “The Crown”. In this scene, we can see Queen Elisabeth II discussing with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Indeed, they are discussing about the place of Africa in the Commonwealth because of the Apartheid regime. Queen Elisabeth wants South Africa to be sanctioned because of the unfair regime that goes against the values of the Commonwealth. However, Thatcher is against sanctioning them for economic reasons that could be a disadvantage for both countries. Moreover, Thatcher thinks that the Commonwealth serves as the remaining of the British Empire, therefore the British monarch should not have a say on the governments in place the different countries of this organization. Nevertheless, the Queen would like thatcher to sign a petition signed already by 48 countries of the Commonwealth willing to denounce and sanction South Africa.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

The Battle over South Africa

The document under study is an extract from the TV Series “The Crown”. We can see the Prime Minister at the time, Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elisabeth II. They are discussing about the fate of South Africa and the possibility to sanction the country because of Apartheid. Indeed, Apartheid does not correspond to the values of the Commonwealth. Therefore, according to the Queen South Africa should be sanctioned for the way the country treated its black citizens. As a result, she asked Thatcher to sign the petition that denounced their wrong actions. However, Thatcher does not agree, and explains that England should not try to sanction South Africa because they need South Africa for the good of their economy.

Homework: Learn the lesson.