1st peer post 1.) The practice of using a nonviolent approach.docx

1st peer post :
1.) The practice of using a nonviolent approach for resistance
and protest during the civil rights movement was key. The
reason this was vital, is mainly because it sent a powerful
message to the world, in that the violence was being
administered by the oppressors and not the oppressed. If the
oppressed had exhibited violence it would have taken the focus
away from the issues they were fighting for (Drawing attention
to the injustices during the Jim Crow era) and instead focused
on violence. Although it took many years, the nonviolent
movement proved to be successful.
2.) A few obvious civil rights issues are that of Police Brutality
and Systematic Racism, consisting of a number of issues
directly related to racism and oppression in the black
community. The issue of unarmed black men and women being
three times more likely to be killed by a police officer is one
that has quickly gained more attention, mostly because people
are able to record these incidents on their smart phones and post
them to the internet for not only the US, but for the world to
see. This issue has plagued the black community for far too
long. Racism in the black community has created issues such as
food desserts, lack of proper health care, and redlining. Lastly,
human trafficking is also an issue that does not get enough
attention. While there are tactics from the civil rights movement
that can be used today, such as peaceful nonviolent marches,
and organized social movements, I think that some things have
changed in terms of what we are fighting for, and being that it
is a different time, I’m not sure most of those strategies could
be used to solve our modern day problems.
2nd peer post:
1. I think the values of using theses tactics was them showing
the higher up people that had the ability to change that its

effecting lots of people and showing them that people can come
together as one to fight for what they believe in. Sit ins and
court cases helped them be able to present themselves and show
there knowledge and give their opinions and help bring
attention to things and people that were being mistreated. I
think it was a good approach to use to show people its another
way, sometimes I think when something is going bad or
someone is doing negative things you have to be the bigger
person and show them the other side maybe it can open them up
to something that they were missing.
2. Its some much discrimination going on in todays society that
I don't know what to point out of where to start honestly. The
Botham Jean's case is a big case I think that was a
discrimination case just the story sounds fishy and a bold face
lie. A innocent man was killed in his own home and she only
got 10 years serving in the state and she will not even serve
even half the time . I am a right for wrong type of person and
she was totally wrong and out of place. I think that a lot of
people with color and people who are experiencing
discrimination are educating themselves more about civil rights
and I think we all should learn and educate ourselves because
its really important because things that happened back in the
days are slowly coming back .

Nike: The Most Powerful Shoe Company
Elizabeth Curtis
March 14, 2009
BIS 101 W (7 pm)
Central Michigan University
“The most powerful force in sports in not a football or baseball
team.
It is a shoe company”
-Donald Katz

Just Do it
ii
Executive Summary
Nike has grown to be the world’s largest marketer of athletic
footwear and
apparel. It has accumulated billon of dollars ever since it started
business in 1964. It was
originally named Blue Ribbon Sports. The popular shoe
company started in the trunk of
Phil Knight’s car and quickly became known for its “swoosh”
logo. Nike is also well
known for its slogan “just do it”. The name ‘Nike’ was named
after the winged Greek
goddess of victory. Nike also markets products under Nike Golf,
Nike Pro, Air Jordan,
and Nike Skateboarding. Hurley and Converse are two of Nike’s
subsidiaries and they
design, market, and distribute athletic footwear too. The
company sells products
internationally and sponsors many professional athletes. Nike
is heavily advertised and

one of the best brand names known in the world. Nike shoes are
not just the latest fashion
trend; they are also light and comfortable to wear. When you
buy Nike products you are
guaranteed to get great value for your money and of course
satisfaction (Greenburg,
1994).
Nike has many products to offer for various sports. They started
only making
running shoes and now progressed to making clothing and
sporting equipment. Their
sporting equipment is made for sports such as track and field,
baseball, hockey, tennis,
football, golf, lacrosse, basketball, cricket, and soccer. Nike
does not just manufacture
sports apparel and running shoes. The company also operates
many retail stores and
outlet stores. Nike shoes are sold for $40-200 a pair at many
stores across the United
States. Pricing depends on the style and the popularity of the
shoe. Nike’s headquarters is

iii
located on 74 acres in the heart of Oregon. There are 16
beautiful buildings paying tribute
to some of the most talented athletes ever to live (Katz, 1994).
Nike provides more than just sporting equipment and shoes.
They provide great
jobs and benefits for people all over the world. To became a
Nike team member you do
not have to be an athlete. You simply have to think like an
athlete and put forth effort to
better the company. Nike provides great retirement plans, free
gym memberships,
medical insurance, and many other benefits. They offer many
job positions and ways you
can participate in the sports industry (Geisel, 1994).
All companies are facing tough times during the economic
crisis. Nike’s sales
have been declining 10% because citizens cannot afford brand
name merchandise. Nike
plans to still provide quality products to the world. You can
always count on the most
powerful shoe company in the world.

iv
1
History
Nike, Inc was a company that was not created overnight; it took
determination
and risk to create a new running shoe. A passionate athlete

named Philip Knight founded
Nike in 1964. It was originally named Blue Ribbon Sports and
changed to Nike in 1978.
Bill Bowerman was Philip’s track coach and inspired him to
invent a lighter, more
durable running shoe. He had an extraordinary track career at
the University of Oregon
and attended the Stanford Business School in 1962. At business
school, he had to
complete a semester-long project. The project consisted of
devising a small business and
creating a marketing plan. Knight decided to fulfill his coaches’
dream and he created a
higher quality running shoe. His business professor found his
project to be different but
nothing special (Greenburg, 1994).
In 1963, Philip Knight made a business trip to Japan. He
presented himself to the
president of Tiger Shoes as an American athletic equipment
distributor. Philip wanted to
sell Tiger shoes in the United States. He was not an athletic
equipment distributor but lied
to the president of Tiger Shoes. Philip Knight received exactly
what he wanted and

started to sell running shoes under the name of Blue Ribbon
Sports (Katz, 1994).
Philip Knight sold $8,000 worth of Tiger Shoes and placed an
order for more in
1964. He spent long hours selling shoes from the back of his car
at sporting events. After
becoming unsatisfied with selling shoes, Philip decided to start
making his own shoes. At
the time, he was an accounting teacher at Portland State
University and asked a student to
design a logo for a new shoe company. In 1971, Caroline
Davidson created the Swoosh
logo. It represented the wing of the Greek Goddess, Nike. The
Greek Goddess
2
symbolized victory. Philip handed her $35.00 for the new Nike
logo and was very
pleased (Greenberg, 2009).
Philip quickly found he could not run a company alone;
therefore, he asked his
former Oregon track coach for help. Bowerman and Knight

decided to hire a full-time
salesman for more help. Jeff Johnson was hired and played an
important role in selling
shoes. Jeff created the products first brochures, print ads,
marketing materials, and shot
the first photograph for the company’s catalogues (Katz, 1994).
Knight and Bowerman
considered Nike successful when they received $1 million in
sales in 1971. Philip knew
he had to stay ahead of competitors and wanted his brand to
stand out, so he decided to
add traction to the bottom of the shoes. Bowerman drew the new
shoe from his wife’s
waffle iron. The shoe had an outsole that had waffle-type nubs
for traction but were
lighter than traditional training shoes (Greenberg, 2009).
Nike shoes became the most unique shoe in the 1970s. In 1979,
the first line of
clothing was launched and the Nike Air shoe-cushioning device
debuted. Soon after in
1981, Nike products started to be sold internationally. Nike
started to really become
popular when they started to sponsor the best athletes in the
world. In 1988, Nike signed

basketball superstar Michael Jordan. According to Katz (1994),
“not everyone can be a
Nike Guy. For Example: Michael Jordan refusing to wear
Reebok at the 1992 Olympics”.
In the early 90s, revenue reached $3 billion allowing Nike to
crush its competitors.
Another star athlete also signed a 20-year contract. Tiger
Woods agreed to sign a $40
million endorsement in 1995. In 2000, the Nike Shox’s were
invented. They provided a
new footwear cushioning system and this started a new trend
across the world. Today,
3
Nike is constantly thinking of new ideas to improve their shoes
and sports equipment
(Katz, 1994).
Products and Services Offered
Nike lives by the important saying, “If you have a body you,
you are an athlete.”
They develop products that help athletes of every level of
ability reach their potential.

They provide three main product engines that include footwear,
apparel, and equipment.
Nike started only making running shoes but over the years they
have continued to come
up with new products. Now jerseys, shorts, watches, pants, and
baselayers are made for a
variety of sports. They make products for track and field,
baseball, hockey, tennis,
football, golf, lacrosse, basketball, cricket, and soccer. They do
not just produce sporting
apparel and equipment. Nike also produces urban style clothing
because of their
association with the hip-hop culture. They have even created
skateboarding shoes called
the Nike SB. Other products include the Air Zoom Yorker; a
newly designed cricket shoe
that is 30% lighter than other competitors. Most of Nike's
newest shoes contain flywire
and lunarlite foam. These are materials used to reduce the
weight of many types of shoes.
Recently, they have teamed up with Apple Inc and produced the
Nike+. The Nike+
uniquely monitors a runner’s performance and links it to an
iPod Nano. Nike products are

made for men, women, and children of all ages (Hollister,
2008).
Nike distributes all of their products across the globe. The Nike
headquarters is
located near Beaverton, Oregon and is called the Nike World
Campus. It consists of 16
buildings and each building pays tribute to some of the most
legendary athletes in the
world. Mia Hamm, Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Jerry
Rice, and John McEnroe are
4
some of the athletes that have been honored. Nike also provides
Nike Stores, NikeFactory
Stores, and NikeWomen stores. Nike has 20,000 retail accounts
throughout the U.S. and
contracts with 110 other countries. To produce these products
there are 700 contract
factories in 52 countries. There are close to 800,000 workers
involved in making Nike’s
popular sporting products.
Organizational Culture and Working Environment

Nike does more than just provide outfits for the world’s best
athletes. They are a
place to explore potential, eliminate boundaries, and the chance
to follow your career
dreams. Nike employers look for people who can grow, think,
dream and create. The
Nike staff thrives in a culture that embraces diversity and
rewards imagination. They
always seek achievers, leaders and visionaries. Every employee
brings inspiration and
innovation to the sporting business. Nike has been named
Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best
Companies To Work For. They are the world’s largest sports
and Fitness Company that
works with communities and cultures around the world. To
become part of the Nike staff
you do not need to be an athlete, you simply need to think like
one (Hollister, 2009).
Diversity is considered to be an important part of the sport
company’s business.
All of Nike differences allow the brand to be creative and to
reach people globally.
Diversity helps a Nike employer recruit the most creative
minds. The more the staff

works together, the more Nike can offer consumers. Nike
believes in equality and
fairness in the workplace by recruiting from employment
sources. Some of these
organizations include the European PWN (Professional
Women’s Network), the National
5
Black MBA Association Career Fair, Portland Latino Career
Fair, the Diversity, Inc./NY
Times Career Fair, and the National Society of Hispanic MBAs
(Geisel, 1994).
Nike provides wonderful employee benefit packages. Medical
insurance and
disability plans are all above the 80th percentile of competitor
companies. Nike time-off
plans are ranked #1 when compared to competitor companies.
They have kept their
discounted stock purchase plan with a full 15 percent discount
and look-back period. The
benefit program also provides workers with the chance to stay
fit by providing free gym

memberships. Every region provides variable medical coverage,
a performance sharing
plan, fitness center memberships, time off, retirement, and more
(Geisel, 1994)
Nike also provides a number of other employee benefits for US
employees
including direct deposit of paycheck, scholarships for children
of employees, and tuition
assistance. They will match not only your contributions to the
nonprofit organizations of
your choice, but will also contribute $10 for every hour of
volunteer work you offer.
There is a casual dress code at Nike stores worldwide. You can
show up to work in jeans
and sneakers. As an employee you get up to 50 percent off all
Nike footwear, apparel,
and equipment, plus discounts for family members (Geisel,
1994).
Nike offers a great retirement plan but retirement plans vary by
geographic
region. Nike's Board of Directors determines the contribution
amount based on annual
financial performance every year. It is fully funded and invested
by Nike. Employees are

eligible after completing 1,000 or more hours of service during
one fiscal year of
employment. Nike's fiscal year is from June 1 to May 31
(Geisel, 1994).
Nike has so many stores across the globe and this provides
many different job
6
positions. Jobs include administrative support, brand and
consumer marketing, human
resources, manufacturing and engineering, design, logistics,
sales, and finance. There are
many important job positions waiting to be filled by people that
are determined to
represent Nike to the best of their ability (Geisel, 1994).
Anticipated Future & Financial Outlook
Nike is the world’s largest sportswear company but could see
some trouble in the
future. They have recorded a drop in sales for the third quarter
and things could get
tougher as orders for apparel and shoes is declining by 10%.
Nike sells its products ahead

of time and this gives insight on the health of the sports
equipment and the footwear
market (Casey, 2009).
Future orders for Nike products are scheduled to be delivered in
the spring and
early summer. Nike’s future order is $6.5 billion and this is
down from $7.2 billion in an
earlier quarter. Their revenue declined 2.3% to $4.44 billion at
the end of the February
28th quarter. The U.S makes up one third of Nike’s sales and
sales increased from 3% to
$1.6 billion. The sports company had a drop in sales because of
sales declining in other
countries. Europe, the Middle East and Africa all had sale
decreases of 14% to $1.2
billion. Nike’s subsidiaries did not have a sales decrease.
Brands such as Converse and
Hurley increased 1% to $587.4 million. Competitors do not
consider Nike’s sales loss to
be bad for the company. Other sports companies have lost a
huge amount of money
during the economic crisis. Nike has a history of increasing
revenue; therefore, when
sales started to decline Nike employees were scared (Casey,

2009).
Nike agreed to obtain Umbro in 2007 for $580 billion. Umbro is
a British based
7
soccer brand. Nike took a $240.7 million goodwill charge and
this led to a 4.7% decline
in their net income and they reported 50 cents per share. Nike
posted a net income of
$463.8 million and 92 cents per share in the same time period.
Nike has had some
positive occurrences during these tough economic times. They
are currently stealing
market share from other competitors. Nike’s share of the sports
market rose three
percentage points to 48% of shoes being sold. Adidas lost a
percentage point and this
caused them to fall in the market by 5%. Puma and Reebok lost
shares at the same time
Nike did (Casey, 2009).
Summary of Findings
Nike has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up playing

sports; therefore, I
have bought numerous Nike products. My soccer cleats, t-shirts,
shorts, and pants all
contained the “swoosh.” Today, I cannot even count how many
pairs of Nike tennis shoes
that lay at the bottom of my closet. I became a fan of Nike when
they started sponsoring
Mia Hamm. I was a young soccer player that admired her, so of
course I admired her
clothing too. Wearing Nike tennis shoes and apparel made me
feel special, and I felt like
a professional athlete.
I never thought about working at Nike; however, after
completing the research
project I am very interested. During my junior year, I plan to
apply for their marketing
internship. Having an athletic background and studying
marketing prepares me for a
position at Nike. Being a marketing executive for a 500k
company that would allow me
to be creative and involved with sports would be amazing. I
strongly believe Nike
produces quality products and would recommend anyone to buy
their products or even

8
work for them. They provide great benefits and treat their
employees with respect. Health
and fitness has always been important to me, so I found it very
surprising that Nike
provides free gym memberships. I also believe that Nike does
not have worry about their
sales during this economic crisis. They have so many great
employees and products to
offer. All Nike needs to do is stay ahead of their competition by
coming up with new
product ideas. People around the world are familiar with the
Nike logo; therefore, they
will not forget about the company.
Gaining more knowledge on a valuable 500k company will be
very beneficial.
Learning about Nike was both interesting and fun. I will be able
to present this project to
employers at job and internship interviews. I think employers
will be blown away by the
effort and time I put into this project. It could also give me a

better chance of receiving
the Nike internship. This project has started me on the right
path towards a business
career.
Bibliography
1. Beckland, L. (1991). Swoosh. San Diego: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich.
2. Casey, N. (2009, March 19). Corporate News: Nike Signals
Tougher
Outlook. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), p. B.4.
Retrieved March
17, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global database.
3. Geisel, J. (1994, November). With wit and flair, Nike Inc.
just does it. Business
Insurance, 28(45), 27. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from
ABI/INFORM
Global database.
4. Greenberg, K. (1994). Bill Bowerman& Phil Knight: Building
the Nike Empire.
Woodbridge: Blackbirch Press.

5. Hollister, G. (2008). Out of Nowhere. Indianapolis: Meyer &
Meyer Sport.
6. Katz, D. (1994). Just Do It. New York: Random House.
Evaluating Source Material
Welcome to the Information AgeMultiple Sources on similar
topics
Validity
Accuracy
Objectivity
Replicability
Where do you look
Examples
9/11http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/reich.html
http://watch.pair.com/reich.htmlhttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/I
ndex.htmlhttp://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196
/index.htmhttp://www.forward.com/articles/2437/http://www.sp
ectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/2550646/the-sacrifice-of-truth-to-
power.thtmlhttp://www.motherjones.com/bush_war_timeline/htt
p://noosphere.princeton.edu/terror.htmlhttp://www.adl.org/911/c
elebration.asphttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/july-
dec01/video.htmlwackyiraqi.com/hate/anotherday.stm

http://media.www.chicagoflame.com/media/storage/paper519/ne
ws/2005/02/15/Opinions/U.Of-
Colorado.Professor.Feels.U.s.Deserved.911-
863171.shtmlhttp://www.myiwc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=
2580http://0-
web.ebscohost.com.catalog.lib.cmich.edu/ehost/detail?vid=7&hi
d=105&sid=4d4c9946-1a7c-4e5d-b7ea-
1232449d2cf9%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qt
bGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mth&AN=7367060
What kind of information do you want?FactsOpinionsNews
ReportResearch StudiesAnalysisPersonal ReflectionHistory
Where will you look?LibraryInternetAcademic
JournalNewspaperGovernment RecordCompany WebsiteBooks
How do you
evaluate?AuthorInstitutionTimelinessPublisherAudience
What about the author?Reputation of the AuthorEducational
Background, and relevance to fieldIs the person an expertWho
has previously referenced this authorWho is the author
associated with
The institutionWhat are the goals of the organizationDoes it
monitor publicationIs there bias, are they trying to convince

you?
TimelinessHow recent is the source?
Hitler was Time Magazines man of the year in 1938.Does it
matter?Are there versions or revisions available
PublisherAre they reputableIs the group recognized in the
fieldIs it appropriate for this type of informationIs there a
review process
AudienceWho is the intended audienceWhat is the point of
viewToo scholarly or specificToo popular and general
Checking the materialDo they reference other expertsIs their
evidence for opinions and factsObjective or emotional
languageDoes it reference primary source materialIs it
accurateToo one sided
Internet SourcesAnyone can post anythingNo fact checking
existsIf an author is listed use the authorship testHas it been
copied from another sourceIs there monitoring and reviewIs it
objectiveAccuracy of informationHow did you link into the site

Examples
9/11http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/reich.html
http://watch.pair.com/reich.htmlhttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/I
ndex.htmlhttp://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196
/index.htmhttp://www.forward.com/articles/2437/http://www.sp
ectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/2550646/the-sacrifice-of-truth-to-
power.thtmlhttp://www.motherjones.com/bush_war_timeline/htt
p://noosphere.princeton.edu/terror.htmlhttp://www.adl.org/911/c
elebration.asphttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/july-
dec01/video.htmlwackyiraqi.com/hate/anotherday.stm
http://media.www.chicagoflame.com/media/storage/paper519/ne
ws/2005/02/15/Opinions/U.Of-
Colorado.Professor.Feels.U.s.Deserved.911-
863171.shtmlhttp://www.myiwc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=
2580http://0-
web.ebscohost.com.catalog.lib.cmich.edu/ehost/detail?vid=7&hi
d=105&sid=4d4c9946-1a7c-4e5d-b7ea-
1232449d2cf9%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qt
bGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mth&AN=7367060
You are responsibleOnly you can answer the above
questionsYou are responsible for the data you useWatch for
skewness and kurtosisEspecially watch for bad
sourcesRemember to always document your source material
Unit III - Business Reports

Key PointsTwo report typesReport formatInformational
AnalyticalWriting a progress report
Two Report TypesInformational – provide information only No
analysis or interpretations
Analytical – analyzes data presentedIncludes conclusions and
recommendationsBased on writer’s interpretation of data
Report FormatsMemo format is common for informal reports
More formal reports will use standard report format
including:Cover/title pageExecutive summaryMemo of
transmittal
Creating a Progress ReportPrepared periodicallyProvides status
of projectUse memo format Typically one page with
headingsSent to supervisor and anyone else involved

Progress Report continuedSections
Introduction
Work completed
Work yet to complete
Conclusion (or anticipated problems)
Progress Report for Unit III Capstone
Refer to text exampleUse memo, block format Include four
sections with appropriate headingsReport must be error-free
Formal Report StandardsBlank PageCover PageFrontis
PieceExecutive SummaryBreak
PageContentFormattingBibliography
Cover Page1” top and bottom margins1.25” side
marginsCentered TitleTitleYour NameDateCourseUniversity
informationNo Page Number, but is countedStapled upper left
cornerDouble Spaced, Times New Roman 16 pt., BOLD

Frontis PieceCan be blankA drawingA storyA quoteIs not
counted or numbered
Executive SummaryA brief overview of the paper generallyNo
more than 2 pagesMargins 1.25” from top and bottom, 1” from
right, 1.5” from leftExecutive Summary should be titled the
same as the paper with the addition of Executive Summary
printed above it.Page numbered with small roman numerals,
centered, in the footerThese pages do not count toward the 6-9
pages of the paper
Break PageBlank Page between executive summary and body of
the text. It is counted and numbered with a small roman
numeral
ContentBody of the paper should include:Include a brief history
of the organization, cite with at least one source (1-2
pages)Discussion of types of products and services offered (1
page)Discussion of organizational culture and work
environment (1-2 pages)Anticipated future of the company &
financial outlook, cite with at least one source. (1-2
pages)Summary of the findings and your determination. Would
you work for them? Why or why not. (1 page)
Content ContinuedContent will include at least 5 sources of
which no more than 2 will be onlineContent will include at least

one quotation properly annotated and cited using APA
guidelines
FormatDouble SpacedTop and Bottom Margin 1.25”Right
Margin 1”Left Margin 1.5”Page numbers centered in footer and
start with Arabic numeral 1Citations must follow correct APA
style guidelines (Author, year).
Format ContinuedHeadings for each section must be
includedHeadings should be bold and centered within the
margins, not to the pageExecutive Summary and text body
should be in Times New Roman, 12 pt.
BibliographyAlphabetizedInclude no more than 2 online
sourcesDoes not require academic journalsCan include articles
from typical business journalsNumber SourcesBibliography
should be titled as Bibliography Centered and Underlined 14
point typeNot page numberedArial 12 point
SummaryTwo report typesReport
formatInformationalAnalyticalProgress report
What are Civil Rights?
As we discussed a few weeks ago, there is a difference
between civil rights and civil liberties.
Civil rights are essentially things the government is supposed to

do for its people and ways the government is supposed to
protect their people. A major idea is that the government
should protect people from discrimination.
More specifically, the government is supposed to protect us
from discrimination based on our inherent characteristics (keep
in mind I am saying "supposed to" a lot because I am NOT
saying our government actually does these things).
Inherent characteristics refer to the basic things that make you
who you are; such as your gender, race, ethnicity, and religion.
The idea being that these are fundamental aspects of all of us
that we either cannot change or should not be expected to
change.
It should be noted that there has been considerable debate
about whether sexual orientation is an inherent characteristic.
While many would say that discrimination based on sexual
orientation is just as bad as discrimination based on race, there
are those who disagree with that. Particularly, they might
disagree because they see sexual orientation as a "choice" or
because sexual orientation might conflict with their religious
beliefs or because they just simply think discrimination based
on race is worse than discrimination based on sexual
orientation. The Trump administration has at times seemed to
imply that discrimination based on sexual orientation is in a
different class of discrimination and that there might not be as
many protections for victims of sexual orientation-based
discrimination. Here are a few links (Links to an external
site.) to articles that discusses this situation (Links to an
external site.).
Important Civil Rights Amendments: 13th, 14th, and 15th
US Civil War
From 1861-1865 the United States was embroiled in a civil

war. The war pitted the northern states against the southern
states. The war was fought for different reasons (economics
and the slavery in the south were two main reasons). This war
led to the southern states seceding from the United States and
forming their own government (here is a link (Links to an
external site.) about this that is not required reading, but it is
interesting) We will not be examining this period of time,
History classes are much better for that, but we will be
discussing the political and Constitutional consequences of the
war.
The Civil War ended in 1865 and this led to several important
events:
· The southern states, which had seceded from the union, were
brought back into the United States
· The practice of slavery was technically abolished
· And the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed within
5 years of the war ending
_____________________________________________________
______________
13th Amendment (passed in 1865)
Here is the exact wording of the 13th Amendment:
Section 1.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a
punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place
subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
This is an important amendment and it, for the most part,
outlaws slavery and declares it to be illegal. As mentioned in a
previous module, the Founding Fathers did not really address
the issue of slavery in the original Constitution, although, the
Three-Fifths Compromise does essentially say that slavery was
legal. The 13th Amendment is commonly thought of as ending
the practice of slavery.

However, there are some problems with the 13th Amendment.
Most importantly, it says that slavery should not
exist EXCEPT as punishment for crime. Some have argued that
this exception means that slavery was not truly abolished and
that our current-day prison system is a modern form of slavery
which is not illegal or unconstitutional. We will examine this
debate in more detail next week.
_____________________________________________________
_______________
The 14th Amendment is one of the most important amendments
and it is also a rather lengthy amendment (see here (Links to an
external site.) for the exact wording of the 14th).
There was considerable debate about this amendment back in
the 1860s when it was being discussed. Many in the South
especially did not like this amendment. There are MANY
important parts of the amendment and most of them are found in
section 1 of the amendment.
In the first section we can find:
· Citizenship Clause: this is the definition of what it means to
be an American citizen. This definition is very broad, but it
importantly gives citizenship to people who had been slaves and
whose ancestors had been African. The Supreme Court
case Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) denied citizenship to people
who were of African descent. Essentially, anyone who was
black, could not be seen as a citizen, even if they were born in
the United States. The citizenship clause of the 14th
amendment essentially says that if you are born in the United
States, you are a citizen.
· Due Process Clause: this part of the 14th amendment means
that the government cannot take life, liberty, or property away
from anyone without a judicial process having taken place.
· Equal Protection Clause: this might be the part of the 14th
amendment, or the entire Constitution, that has been used the
most to expand people's rights or to argue against
discrimination. This clause means that the government has to

protect everyone equally and that the law applies to everyone
equally. The Equal Protection Clause has been used over the
years to fight against segregation, to defend people from
discrimination based on sexual orientation, and discrimination
based on physical disability.
Essentially, if there is a group of people, who clearly are being
treated differently by our government, or who do not seem to
have the same protections as other people, then that might
violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
_____________________________________________________
______________
Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on
account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.
This amendment deals with voting and it extends voting rights
to men who had previously been slaves. It is important to note
that even though the amendment does not specifically say only
men have the right to vote, that is how the amendment was
interpreted. Women, regardless of color, did not have the right
to vote when this amendment was passed. It will not be for
another many decades that women will get the right to vote.
The 15th Amendment led to considerable backlash in the South.
This backlash will be examined in the next page.
US Civil War

war.
events:
_____________________________________________________
______________
Section 1.Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a
Section 2.Congress shall have power to enforce this article by

_____________________________________________________
_______________

_____________________________________________________
______________
Section 1.The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall
not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state
on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2.The Congress shall have power to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.
US Civil War

war.
events:
_____________________________________________________
______________
Section 1.Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a
Section 2.Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
_____________________________________________________
_______________

_____________________________________________________

______________
Section 1.The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall
not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state
on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2.The Congress shall have power to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.
The Jim Crow Era (1877-1965)
The 15th Amendment was passed in 1870. This amendment
seemingly gave all black men, and all former slaves who were
men, the right to vote. However, there were many people who
disliked this change, particularly in the South, where slavery
had been practiced widely. There was also a sense of fear; with
black men now having the right to vote, coupled with the fact
that the slave population had been large in the South, there was
a concern that the balance of power would shift towards the
black population.
To combat this, a series of laws were passed, primarily in the
Southern states, that became known as Jim Crow laws.
Jim Crow was not an actual person, but rather was a fictional
character; it was a racist and stereotypical depiction of a black
man (see the image above).
The Jim Crow laws were aimed at separating racial groups, or
segregation. This meant that schools, public accommodations,

transportation, and even cities/towns were segregated by law.
Typically this meant that people of color were not allowed in
the same areas as white individuals.
Although segregation was the main goal, the Jim Crow era also
involved other forms of discrimination that particularly were
aimed at limiting the impact of the 15th amendment and the
right to vote. Keep in mind, because of our system of
government, individual states are able to make some of their
own laws and decide, to a certain extent, how things will work
within their own state. This led to the development of Jim
Crow laws, and things known as Black Codes, which aimed at
limiting the political power of people of color and their ability
to participate in the political system. Some of these things
were:
· Literacy Tests: In order to be able to vote, some states
required people to take a test first. This test was supposedly to
make sure people were literate and could read and write. In
reality, they were a tool to make it harder for black individuals
to vote. Here is a literacy test from the state of Louisiana.
Look through this test and ask yourself: 1.) would you have
been able to pass the test, and 2.) is this really testing literacy?
Keep in mind that the only way to pass is to get 100% correct.
· Poll taxes: In order to be able to vote or even register to vote,
some states required people to pay a tax. States do have the
right to impose taxes, and that was used as justification for this
tax, but it clearly disproportionately impacted lower-income
people who tended to be people of color. We can now see this
tax as being a way to make it harder for people of color to
vote.
· Grandfather clauses: Built-in to many of these state laws were
things called "grandfather clauses," which basically meant that
if your grandfather was able to vote previously without paying a
tax, then you did not have to pay a tax either. This only applied
to white men, since the grandfathers of newly free black men
were not able to vote.
Now if you are wondering how these things did not violate the

15th amendment, well...they did violate the 15th but states were
able to explain that they were not saying that people of color
could not vote, but rather that before they voted they needed to
pay a tax or take a test.
_____________________________________________________
____________
AND THE AWARD FOR MAYBE THE WORST SUPREME
COURT DECISION OF ALL TIME GOES TO....
(Drumroll)
PLESSY V. FERGUSON (1896)! This is a notorious case for
how badly the Supreme Court ruled. In this case, the Supreme
Court upheld the constitutionality of segregation. They ruled
that as long as the segregated facilities or resources were equal
in quality, then there was nothing wrong is forcing segregation
of races. A famous result of this case was the saying, "separate
but equal,"meaning that you could force people to live
separately as long as there was equality in their separation. For
example, it was fine to have white-only schools and black-only
schools because while they were separate, both races had
schools and access to education. Also, it was ok for force black
individuals to ride in a separate bus than whites because black
individuals still had access to transportation. This case also
essentially reinforced and supported the constitutionality of Jim
Crow laws.
We of course know that there was no equality in this
segregation, but the Plessy decision will stand until the 1950s.
Here is a cartoon from that time that accurately represents this
inequality:
It should also be mentioned, that while we saw a lot of these
things happen in Southern states, and Jim Crow does generally
refer to the South, these things were ALSO happening in other
parts of the country. Segregation existed in parts in Northern
states as well. Additionally, poll taxes were widely used
throughout the country, including in California (here is
an interesting article (Links to an external site.) on this subject

which is not required reading). I think it is important to note
that this type of discrimination was not only in the South nor
was it only targeting black individuals.
Next week, we will take a look at whether we see current-day
examples of things that resemble Jim Crow laws.
Civil Rights Movement
Despite the end of the Civil War and the supposed end of
slavery, the US entered into another dark period known as the
Jim Crow era, which we just covered. Even though the 15th
amendment was passed, people of color (and black men more
specifically) saw their voting rights limited and their ability to
vote suppressed. The Plessy v. Ferguson case made things
considerably more difficult, since the Supreme Court essentially
upheld these forms of discrimination.
HOWEVER, people fought for their rights and fought to end the
discrimination. Despite being oppressed and being victims of
violence, people banded together to change the government, the
laws, and the decisions of the Supreme Court. It was during the
Jim Crow era that we saw the beginnings of the Civil Rights
Movement, which sought to change these laws. In particular,
they aimed at ending literacy tests, poll taxes, and the system of
segregation.
The height of the Civil Rights Movement was during the 1950s
and 1960s. This is also the period of time when the greatest
advancements in civil rights were made (more on this on the
next page). There is certainly too much that went on during the
Civil Rights movement to cover in one page, but this is an
excellent example of a Social Movement.
Social movements are grouping of people which focus on
addressing social or political issues. They are often made up of
everyday people, typically from various backgrounds, who
advocate for change. Many times these movements use peaceful
means, although sometimes violent means are used as well.
Social movements also utilize different tactics to accomplish
their goals:

· Protests
· Marches/rallies
· Sit-ins/demonstrations
· Court-cases
One of the most significant aspects of the Civil Rights
Movement was the usage of nonviolent resistance. Nonviolent
resistancefocused on using techniques, like the ones listed
above, and avoiding using anything resembling violence to
achieve their goals. This idea was inspired by the nonviolent
resistance utilized by Mahatma Gandhi. Nonviolent resistance
also strategically used civil disobedience, which means
purposefully ignoring or refusing to comply with laws, as a way
to highlight the law. Civil disobedience is also a form of
protest.
Examples of this from the Civil Rights movement were:
· Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a bus for a white
man. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott in which Martin
Luther King Jr., and others, organized a boycott of the bus
system until the busses became desegregated.
· The Selma-to-Montgomery March, which was a march to draw
attention to the lack of equal voting rights. The march was
stopped by police and the police used tear gas, whips, and clubs
against the protesters, despite the fact that this was a peaceful
march. The images of police beating peaceful protesters had a
significant social impact.
· The Woolworth Lunch Counter sit-in: where protesters refused
to leave a lunch counter until they were served. This was done
to highlight the inequalities of segregation and was largely
organized by students of color.
· Freedom Riders: these were individuals who rode buses in the
segregated South. Even though court rulings had stated that
segregation of buses was unconstitutional, many Southern states
refused to comply with those decisions and continued to have
segregated buses. These protesters did this to highlight the fact
that Southern states were not complying with federal law (and

states are supposed to comply with federal law)
· Voter registration drives: due to the many laws that existed
that made it harder for black individuals to register to vote,
there were many blacks in the South that were not registered.
However, members of the Civil Rights Movement organized
voter registration drives where they would go to areas with low
registration and helped people register to vote. The "Freedom
Summer of 1964" (Links to an external site.) in Mississippi is
an example of this (the Freedom Summer article is not required
reading). Civil Rights Advancements
One incredibly important turning point was the Supreme Court
case Brown v. Board of Education (1954). This case ruled that
the idea of "separate but equal" was unconstitutional. This case
centered on the education system and focused on the reality that
schools in segregated areas, particularly in areas that were
predominantly people of color, lacked in funding and
resources. This disparity showed that there was no equality in
segregation.
However, despite this case, segregation and discrimination did
not immediately end. Many Southern states dragged their feet
in desegregating and many simply ignored this decision. A
limitation to the Supreme Court is that they have no
enforcement power; meaning, they cannot MAKE a state do
something that they don't want to do. The Court depends on the
other branches of government to support and uphold their
decisions.
As a result, pressure was placed on Congress to do something
about the fact that Southern states were not complying with
the Browndecision.
This brings us to two VERY important laws passed by
Congress:
· Civil Rights Act of 1964: the goal of this law was to end
segregation in public places and accommodations AND to end
employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, and
religion. Here is a good quick overview of the Civil Rights
Act (Links to an external site.) that you should read.

· Voting Rights Act of 1965: the goal of this law was to end the
legal barriers to voting and to really (FINALLY) enforce the
15th Amendment. Specifically, the law banned the usage of
literacy tests and it was aimed at improving voter turnout and
participation among people of color.
These laws were largely the culmination of the work of
the Civil Rights Movement. People involved in this movement
fought, for many, many years, to get government to take action
and to change the minds of those in government on these
issues. This change came slowly, and it happened
incrementally, but it did happen. And it is because of the work
of everyday people, working with each other, that produced
these changes.
A reason these laws were so important is that they were acts of
Congress, and Congress DOES have enforcement power (unlike
the Supreme Court). Meaning, Congress CAN make states do
things they don't want to do. Congress can do this through
decreasing the amount of money a state receives from the
federal government or by using the military or the National
Guard. Basically, Congress can threaten states to change their
laws and Congress has the tools to punish states if they don't
comply.
Lastly, in 1964 the 24th Amendment was passed. This
amendment declared poll taxes to be unconstitutional. This was
a significant advancement in ending a widely used voter
suppression tactic of the Jim Crow era.
The 19th Amendment and Native American Citizenship
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on
account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
During the 1900s, there was also a strong push to expand voting
rights to include women. Keep in mind, the 15th Amendment
DID NOT include women and even after that amendment was

passed, women (of any color) still could not vote. The woman's
suffrage movement coincided to a certain extent with the civil
rights movements, as women were fighting for more rights and
more protection from their government.
The 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, which is shocking
(well maybe shocking) to think about how long it took for
women to have the right to vote.
_____________________________________________________
___________
Another group of people that faced persecution and saw their
voting rights limited were the Native American population.
This group of people were actually not seen as being citizens of
the United States for a very long period of time. It was not
until the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 were Native Americans
seen as being citizens. Up until then, they were not able to vote
in most elections. Even after the Indian Citizenship Act, many
states denied Native Americans the ability to vote.
The 14th Amendment, which says that anyone born in the
United States is a citizen, had been interpreted to NOT include
the indigenous population of the United States.
It was not until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that states were
forced to extend voting rights to Native Americans.

1st peer post 1.) The practice of using a nonviolent approach.docx

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to 1st peer post 1.) The practice of using a nonviolent approach.docx

Similar to 1st peer post 1.) The practice of using a nonviolent approach.docx (11)

More from aulasnilda

More from aulasnilda (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

1st peer post 1.) The practice of using a nonviolent approach.docx