On to week 2...Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Hello Team!  First off, thanks for a fine class last week.  I enjoyed our time together thoroughly.

I'll mention this in class, but I wanted to let folks know that I went home and tried to investigate a bit more about John Lewis's formal role in SNCC.  As the gentleman in the back of the room noted, John Lewis was, in fact, the chairman of SNCC from 1963-1966.  I misinterpreted the statement as John Lewis being THE founder.  In fact, as the gentleman in the back noted, he was the chairman, at least for a brief time (though as Wikipedia notes, these were some of the most "tumultuous" years). Of course, he made an enormous mark on the movement both before and after, and well into today.  Apologies for the misinformation, and thanks for the correction.

As we prepare for this week's class, consider what you know about the University of Alabama's desegregation story.  I imagine most of you hear the phrase "University of Alabama" and immediately think of Governor George Wallace's Stand in the Schoolhouse Door.  But what came before?  In what ways did the Autherine Lucy story surprise you? In what ways do Kempton and Hughes's reports surprise?  Let's be sure to talk about tone this week.

I'll bring the Buford Boone article for all of us.

Feel free to post your thoughts here!  See you on Thursday!

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to "Black, White, and Read: The Power of the Press in the Civil Rights Era."  Thanks for taking part in the class.  Please feel free to use this space to continue our thoughtful dialogue on the range of topics we've discussed thus far--the murder and trial of Emmett Till, as well as the reportage of Murray Kempton, Dan Wakefield, and William Bradford Huie, among others.  While you can certainly write on a number of related issues, in an effort to direct the conversation, I'll offer a few questions which you can explore as you see fit.

Of the different reporting strategies discussed, which seemed most rhetorically effective to further the cause of Civil Rights?  Do you think these reporters consciously set out with a pro-Civil Rights agenda or did events such as the murder of Emmett Till warrant the coverage it received?

In light of last week's conversation, do you see any ethical dilemmas within the reporting, specifically related to William Bradford Huie's paying the murderers in order to share their story widely?

Finally, If you lived through the Civil Rights era, what were your experiences?  Your background?  How did you take the news reports?

-BJ