Canvas by Eliezer Cabrera

Black Panther Party

ecabrera5245 — 2024-01-31 21:39:20 UTC

The black panther party (BPP) 1968 - 1970

Originally established in California it soon became a symbol of resistance and protest. Keep in mind this was around the time MLK jr. was assassinated. University Students resonated with the BPP views and set up an office in Eugene, Oregon. Portland panthers opened a breakfast program, health clinic, and dental clinic. While it never exceeded more than 50 members, a third of the members were female. BPP here was relatively peaceful, perhaps because most of the dentists, doctors, and nurses volunteering in their social programs were white. I think the BPP was the most notorious group during it's time.

https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/black_panthers_in_portland/

Flood disaster

ecabrera5245 — 2024-02-01 21:04:16 UTC

On may 30, 1948 a railroad embankment collapsed under the pressure of the Columbia river, killing 15 people. before this disaster, there was a huge in-flock of out of state people coming in to work in shipyards. Estimated 100,000 people, but there wasn't enough housing for them. Edgar Kaiser Jr. worked with the US Maritime Commission and purchased a floodplain outside the city limits and its jurisdiction, to build housing. It became the second largest city in Oregon. With 40,000 thousand people living in it. Nearly a third of 18,500 people left homeless were African Americans. I think this is historically important because after the war many African Americans stayed in Oregon and progressively persuaded Portland's political, economic, and cultural institutions to address racism.

https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/essays/the-vanport-flood/

Malcolm X

ecabrera5245 — 2024-02-06 21:13:06 UTC

Malcolm X was a minister and activist. In favor of the civil rights movement but rejected non violence. He said that black should not see themselves as the minority when globally they're the majority. He said blacks were willing to gain their rights by any means necessary. He wanted to change the title of "struggles of civil rights" to "human rights" so that they could bring the issues to the U.N. He wanted blacks to be separated and self governed. He raised black's self esteem and expressed blacks frustration better than the main stream "civil rights movement."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X

Police brutality

ecabrera5245 — 2024-02-06 21:43:11 UTC

In 1964 Thomas Gilligan shot a 15 year old boy: James Powell. It sparked public outrage and there was civil unrest for 6 days. On day one 300 students arrived at the crime scene and started throwing bottles, cans and pieces of cement at police officers. (Next day) Day two people went to protest in front of the school building calling for an end for police brutality. On the third day there was a face off between police and protesters with the police shouting "Go home, Go home" while the protesters shouted "we are home, baby." Many people were hurt that day and one protester was killed by a .38 caliber round. On the fourth day, Malcolm X instigates the situation by saying blacks in Harlem are more armed than any other place on earth. On day five, More protests more chaos. Day six, Police began to crack down on protests organizers and Black Nationalists.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_riot_of_1964

Album Art

ecabrera5245 — 2024-02-07 20:43:19 UTC

In 1976 Stevie wonder published his album: Songs in the key of life. It was one of his most successful albums. The art is is a spiral of orange and red circles with a picture of Stevie wonder in the middle. The thing that sticks out is the color, I think it had more to do with emotion. An article I read commented: "Songs in the key of life, offers a psychedelic portal into Stevie wonder's world."

Angela Davis

ecabrera5245 — 2024-02-16 23:20:02 UTC

Angela Davis is most known for her arrest and trial during 1970. Why? because guns, registered in her name were used to kill Harold Haley. A week later a warrant was issued for her arrest. The FBI listed her in the top ten most wanted. They arrested her two months later, Nixon congratulated the FBI on the arrest of a "terrorist." The trial proved to be politically motivated because with her charges, she was going to get the death sentence. They also suppressed the footage of the courtroom and Angela Davis was jailed for over a year even though she had nothing to do with it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Davis#

Martin Luther King Jr.

ecabrera5245 — 2024-02-19 21:19:11 UTC

One of the most influential and fundamental leaders of the Civil Right's movement. He was a Baptist Minister and activist. While most of his personal life isn't talked about he was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights movement and gave his legendary: "I have a dream," speech on the floor steps of the Abraham Lincoln memorial. What set him apart was his unyielding non-violent position. Even when his house was bombed in January 30, 1956. While his wife and kids were inside, thankfully no-one was hurt. He was elected president of SCLC and worked with coordinators to plan peaceful protests (his tactic was to provoke mass arrest and attract media attention.) Even he was arrested several times but the most notable one was in Birmingham Alabama. Where the judge sentenced MLK to four months of force labor for a peaceful protest about human rights. In April 4, 1968 he was assassinated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.#Activism_and_organizational_leadership

Desegregation of the Military

ecabrera5245 — 2024-03-01 20:16:15 UTC

In 1948 President Harry S. Truman signed executive order 9981 desegregating blacks and whites soldiers in the military. The response was mixed Ex: The Navy was more or less the same, while the Air force and marines integrated quickly for efficiency. The Army on the other hand out right opposed the change saying that the Army: "was not an instrument for social evolution." later, during the Korean war they didn't complain because they needed the man power.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/executive-order-9981.htm

Murder of Emmett till

ecabrera5245 — 2024-03-01 20:30:13 UTC

On the night of August 28, 1955 a 14 year old boy named: Emmett was dragged out of his relative's house, beaten till disfigurement and shot in the head by Roy and J.W William for flirting with Bryant (Roy's wife.) Emmett's mom decided to have an open casket because she wanted to touch him one last time. Showing the world Emmett's bloated, mutilated body. back in Tennessee an all white Jury found Bryant milam not guilty. Later they admitted to the crime and sold "their story" for $3,000 ($43,000 today.)

https://www.loc.gov/collections/civil-rights-history-project/articles-and-essays/murder-of-emmett-till/

Robert F. Williams

ecabrera5245 — 2024-03-04 22:15:08 UTC

In the summer of 1957 Robert F. Williams (Local member of NAACP) He created the Monroe self defense group called: The black armed guard. He alongside other members were tipped off that the KKK were going to shoot Dr. Albert E Porry's house. They fortified the house with sandbags and shot back at KKK members who did the drive by. After the clash, city officials said that the clan could only meet in an emergency session and could only be allowed in Monroe with a special permit from the police chief.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Williams#:~:text=Black%20Armed%20Guard,-Alarmed%20at%20the&text=They%20were%20determined%20to%20defend,black%20residential%20area%20of%20Monroe.