Racism, Struggle In Ruby Bridges, And Freedom Walkers

Every day you are cursed at and threatened, the people close to you are tortured and worse; killed for their skin color. What if one day they come after you? In Leon’s story, Ruby Bridges, and Freedom Walkers these were the thoughts that ran through the minds of blacks during the civil rights movement. In Leon 's story by Leon Walter Tillage the theme is that the path is not always straight but it leads to the same place, it’s just that the way you got there was not the way you wanted. In the story Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges the theme is when you fight for what you believe in there is great reward. In the story Freedom Walkers by Russell Freedman the theme is one pebble cannot fight against the current but many pebbles can change the course of a river. All three of these novels have a main idea of you can never give up in tough times and that you have strength in numbers. Because of all the poverty, racism, and the legal systems being an African American was difficult until the civil rights movement in the early part of the twentieth century. The civil rights movement brought about equality and justice. Poverty created an imbalance between blacks and whites during the twentieth century. “We didn’t have a bathroom just an outdoor toilet, We didn 't have running water or electric lights” (Tillage, 13-14). This is what most blacks experienced in the early part of the twentieth century. Almost every African American didn’t have enough money to pay for a taxi so the black taxi companies lowered it to 10 cents (Freedman, 41). Most African Americans had to become sharecroppers, when no other jobs where available(Tillage, 6). “We didn’t have running water, or electric lights, and we had to see at night by lantern light. We didn’t have a bathroom, just an outdoor toilet” (Tillage, 13-14). This was a major issue for blacks and created an imbalance in their lives. African Americans may have been able to live in a safer environment if they did not have to put up with one big issue. Poverty created a downside for blacks because with little money and the amount of racism they were already receiving, they had to find ways to ensure that there are brighter times ahead. Racism influenced the lives of so much to the fact that the color of their skin dictated what you could do or who you could become, you were supposed to stick to the script and not step out of line. In the early part of the twentieth century blacks rights were limited due to the amount of racism they received. “They couldn 't work in a bank, they couldn 't work in a store. All because of their color” (Tillage, 10). When many people saw blacks all what they thought of them was as a lifeless soul with no feelings so they treated them like that and let that influence the whites decisions and thoughts about them. In montgomery the color of your skin dictated where you could sit on a public bus (Freedman, 1). African Americans received threats and warning from whites that gave them nightmares forever. “I Will poison you, I’ll find a way” (Bridges, 22). Racism went so far that blacks and whites almost never talked to each other. “Blacks and whites did not attend the same schools , worship in the same churches, eat in the same …show more content…
These were the things that were holding them back. Most African americans lived in poverty with only a few cents in their bank account, this resonated who they could become and what they could do but they began to learn that they had strength in numbers. African Americans received unbearably amounts of racism that wore them down and created an imbalance for them. It was almost impossible to succeed as an African american because when the legal systems were always trying to put you in jail and fine you. Being an African american during the early part of the twentieth century was extremely difficult, but the African americans found hope and found their way through the