AF AMER M5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Ella Baker, Black Church, Job Corps
15 May 2018
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Department
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Professor
1. Brain Lotion: Ella’s Song by Sweet Honey in the Rock (Ella is Ella Baker)
a. What does freedom mean?
Freedom is to have rights as a person, to have security that your life has value
Freedom is being able to say no just as much as being able to say yes
b. Who is the “we” the dong describes? What can “we” do?
“We” is the people who “believe in freedom”, people who think freedom exists and
everyone deserves freedom
We “cannot rest” so we need to keep fighting and speaking out, and actively doing
something about it
“We” is not just black people, it includes all people who feel their freedom is in some way
compromised- where are you black
2. Brain Lotion 2: Roots (the new one)
a. What does freedom mean?
Something that you’re willing to die for
b. What does the clip illustrate to you?
The violence, they really came together knowing they would most likely die for the tiny
chance of freedom
Shows the rebellion, the side of slavery that isn’t often showed in history, slaves were
not passive
c. What does the clip illustrate about Black Music?
Black music is revolutionary, a seemingly innocuous way to communicate with other
black people, they can’t understand unless they are part of the culture, a smoke screen
so the oppressor can’t stop the communication (can’t speak, but can sing)
It’s a way to unite the different cultures/languages, stay in communication
Use music to disarm the opposition and arm themselves
3. Policy and Politics Backdrop
a. Lyndon B Johnson Administration (1963-1969)
i. War on Poverty - 1964
1. Economic opportunity act of 1964/social security act of 1965
a. Eg. head start, job corps, social security
ii. Great Society - 1965
1. Medicare/Medicaid
iii. Model cities - 1966
1. Created HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
2. Increased federal funds available for urban (re)development
b. Moynihan Report (1965), The Negro Family: The Case for National Action
i. Led/written by sociologist and asst. Secretary of labor, Daniel Patrick
Moynihan
ii. Largely argue single mother headed black households were not due to a
lack of jobs, rather they were due to a culture/cycle of poverty
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Freedom is to have rights as a person, to have security that your life has value. We is the people who believe in freedom , people who think freedom exists and everyone deserves freedom. We cannot rest so we need to keep fighting and speaking out, and actively doing something about it. The violence, they really came together knowing they would most likely die for the tiny chance of freedom. Black music is revolutionary, a seemingly innocuous way to communicate with other black people, they can"t understand unless they are part of the culture, a smoke screen so the oppressor can"t stop the communication (can"t speak, but can sing) It"s a way to unite the different cultures/languages, stay in communication. Largely argue single mother headed black households were not due to a lack of jobs, rather they were due to a culture/cycle of poverty.
