Exploration Four by Naomi Hillman

What did I learn from “Ain’t Scared of Your Jail”? I learned about the experience of what African Americans had to deal with throughout the 1960’s. It was kind of sad to me that they wanst allowed to go to a diner counter eat. Half the time the owner of the diners would take the money of African Americans and not even serve them. It felt weird to me to see how these people were treated during those times and compare them to how I’m treated in today’s society. I feel grateful that I am able to go to a restaurant/diner and be treated like a human being. Witnessing how these African Americans was being assaulted as the police was just sitting there and not even trying to help out these poor people was a little bit hard to watch. The job of a policeman is to protect and serve, all I seen in the film was pure hatred. All they were trying to do was sit down, enjoy the meal, and feel equal like everybody else and they were denied that based on the color of their skin. The buses were I am from are full of diversity, seeing how transportation was back in the 1960”s was just awful. People of color was denied access of the means of transportation or they had to sit in the back of the bus. When a white man or woman came on the bus, and if an African American was sitting in the front, they had to get up and give up their seat. If they didn’t, police actions was brought into the situation. When they wanted to get off the bus they had to leave out the back door. I’m just glad I never had to deal with that situation on the buses in the present time. I’m very lucky to not have to deal with the harsh times African Americans during the 1960’s. One quote from the documentary that stood out to me was Ben West, I respect the fact that he wanted to have peace quiet and good order around Nashville. He said, “Peace, quiet and good order will be maintained in our city to the best of our ability. Riots, melees and disturbances of the peace are against the interest of all our people and therefore cannot be permitted.”

I looked up a women who was apart of the sit-ins name Diane Nash. Today Diane Nash is an American Civil Rights activist, and the leader & strategist of the Civil Rights Movement. Nash was born May 15^th, 1938 in Chicago Illinois growing up as a Roman Catholic while attending parochial and public school. In 1956 she graduated from Hyde Park High School in Illinios and began her college career at Howard University in D.C before transfering to Fisk University in Nashville Tennessee. As a student in Nashville Nash witnessed southern racial segregation for the very first time. In 1959 Nash attended a nonviolent protest workshops. Later that year Nash protested exclusionary racial politics by participating in impromptu sit ins at downtown Nashville. Now today remains committed to the principles of nonviolence that have guided her throughout her life.

Part Two:  “Enemies,” the lack of an attempt by Jensen and Strunk to resolve conflict using peaceful dialogue demonstrates that social contracts have begun to break down. While Jensen assumes Strunk will inflict eye-for-an-eye revenge on him for breaking his nose, Strunk assumes Jensen was somewhat justified in his rash action and in the end Strunk feels that he’s gotten what he deserved, since he did steal Jensen’s jackknife. Strunk’s acceptance of the matter and the relief Jensen takes in his exaggerated gesture of settling the score show that both men are willing to take responsibility for their actions. However, with the breakdown of the social code, each is taking responsibility out of guilt rather than integrity. The real question is did Jensen feel like he deserved what he got?