Coming of Age in Mississippi (The Story of Anne Moody)

Coming of Age in Mississippi (The Story of Anne Moody) Free Online Research Papers Coming of Age in Mississippi was an excellent autobiography about the unforgettable personnel story of a remarkable young woman named Anne Moody. In this story, Anne details the sights, smells and suffering growing up in a racist society and the daily risks she encountered to challenge it. This was an extremely accurate portrait of black family life in the rural south and inspirational account of a young girl becoming a woman right in front of the reader’s eyes. This book explains how it was to grow up black in Mississippi in the forties and fifties and to have survived with pride and courage intact. Throughout the book Anne discusses the challenges that African Americans in the south had to deal with on a daily basis. The challenges which faced the black community affected them in terms of economic prosperity, affordable housing and the lack of nutrition. Economically it was hard for African Americans in Centerville and all of Mississippi for that matter to get ahead and live comfortable lives. Anne throughout the book had numerous jobs as a domestic house cleaner, a waitress, an assembly worker at a chicken factory, a field hand, a civil rights activist and a few more to add as well. Her employment status was like a revolving door changing multiple times throughout the book. Anne was not the only African American affected by this pattern; she followed in her mother’s footsteps when it came to multiple jobs. Her mothers 2nd husband Raymond was employed through the government, since he was enlisted in one of the branches of the military throughout the book. Some of the more successful Negros in the book owned their own cafes and were supported by the black community. Just as employment was ever so changing for Anne so was the housing situation. As you read the book it seems as if Anne and her family are outlaws running away from authorities with the given amount of places they lived. Anne lived with a countless number of relatives, Anne stayed in multiple houses, but none of them felt like home for her. Anne and her family stayed with wealthy white folk as well, this transpired because Anne and her mother were usually doing domestic work for the given home owner. The nicest house form a physical standpoint Anne stayed in was the one Raymond built but that house was not a home due to the fact that Raymond was a sick and frustrated individual. The smallest thing can make a house a home like a nice meal with great conversation with family and the warmth you receive form that experience. Throughout the book Anne describes the lack of malnutrition she encountered throughout her struggle to become influential. Usually Anne’s daily meal consisted of beans and bread, the only time she encountered meat was when the wealthy white people she was working for offered her leftovers. The topic of food later in the book was a stepping stone to what was to be of Anne Moody when she boycotted the food in the college cafeteria because the grits supposedly had maggots in them. These challenges which were presented to African Americans on top of discrimination from whites accumulated into psychological effects which still exist today. One of the pieces in the book which best describes the result of mental battering is the excerpt which involves Wilbert, Emma’s sister Janie’s husband who has a loaded shotgun ready to be used for destruction. Wilbert was in a fight with Janie and Emma got involved and was accidentally shot in the foot. Emma did not feel hate toward s Wilbert but blamed the white man, stating that none of this would have happened if a black man can keep a job in this town then he wouldn’t be fighting with his wife about money. Another example of discrimination affecting the psychology of African Americans in the south was the separate but equal school systems which weren’t necessarily equal. Anne always excelled in school she always had black students and teachers around her. When Anne went to college she was intimidated by the white teachers and she ended up not going to LSU because of this, she was afraid of â€Å"white teachers† who she thought had to prove a point of being a â€Å"white teacher†. The last psychological effect I’m going to note is that of all African Americans with the right to vote. Anne mentioned in the book that the African American voters who were much older were brainwashed form years and years of neglect and were now content with what they had. Anne understood this so she targeted the youth of the African American community the ones whose minds weren’t polluted and who were willing to be open to new things such as sit-ins and picketing. Legal examples of racism and discrimination within the bindings of this book are vast and extremely ignorant. To make blacks stay away from voting polls, states put tests at the voting station which were biased and did not favor African Americans one bit. This is why it was extremely hard for Anne to motivate fellow blacks to vote because it was pretty disheartening going to vote and being shutdown because you misspelled or misprounced something from the state constitution. Plessey vs. Ferguson states separate but equal, but that was not the case when it came to school conditions; from grade school to college conditions were harsh, this law was also evident at the movie theaters where blacks sat in the balcony and whites on the lower level. Black farmers were also mistreated, cotton was the main crop in Mississippi but for most black farmers they never had a study income. While blacks were struggling as basically sharecroppers white farmers were making a profit the state which would have usually given them grants. The last legal means of discrimination on African Americans in the south was used through the media. A big part why the movement was so difficult to attain was the unification of black civil rights groups was not there, the reason for this was the white media would make up false headlines which other African Americans would read then they would become discouraged and bail out of the movement for equal rights. Along with the legal tactics intended to keep blacks in the dark white southerners used terror to keep African Americans submissive. In keeping the African Americans hopes downs white southerners used tactics such as intimidation, murder, arsine and blacklisting. During one of the nights at the freedom house Anne and a couple of civil rights activists were trying to sleep but the flashlights and dogs from the police officers were keeping her up all night this was one of many intimidation tactics. Murder, was the case of a man who was shot with a double barrel shotgun because he was supposedly involved with the NAACP. Arsine occurred in Centerville when the Taplin’s house was burned to the ground because word around town was that a black male (Mr. Banks) was having relations with a white woman. Anne who had made quite a name for herself in the movement was always afraid of her family members being blacklisted back in Centerville. When sending letters back home Anne was extremely hesitant to reveal a detailed analysis of her plans for the movement. On the topic of lists Anne was on a list which sent a chill up her spine, the Klan’s Hit List. While reading Coming of Age in Mississippi Anne notes many significant historical events which transpired in her quest of civil liberties for African American people. Anne who was an active member of C.O.R.E during her college years was involved in some groundbreaking protests for African Americans. Anne’s most famous act for justice was the Woolworth sit-in where Anne and a few other black protesters wanted to get served equally at a dining hall. This event was a huge success the NAACP days after started protests and issued a list of demands which included hiring of black policemen, removal of segregation signs and integration of public facilities. History as we know is not always pretty there were many ugly and tragic historical events stated in this book. Some of the whores of the racist society which existed in the rural south were evident in the Birmingham church bombings were four young black children were killed, on the topic of brutal murders on black children Emit Til ls murder was also a low point in United States history. The last historic event I’m going to highlight which occurred in the text was the assassination of JFK a young and dynamic president who was dedicated to the civil rights movement. The reason why people like Anne and JFK were so motivated to make America a better place was because they witnessed complacency among all American citizens when it came to inequalities among blacks and whites. The reason Anne was so motivated to achieve something better for her when those around her weren’t was that things could really not get any worse for her she did not see a future for herself or the youth of blacks. Anne was an extremely independent individual residing all over the south and she did not rely on others to determine her destiny that’s what made her such a unique individual for her time she was a trendsetter, a revolutionist. During my completion of reading this book I found two passages which were extremely moving. The first passage which I’m going to chronicle is from Anne’s time when she was involved in the movement. Anne was organizing a voter registration drive and if eligible African Americans voters registered they would receive a supply of clothes. The response was great and lot of voters showed and picked up clothes but know one registered, which frustrated Anne as well as myself. The thing which was lacking in my eyes during the movement was the lack of accountability among African Americans on other African Americans. The second passage I’m to comment on is also from the movement it has to do with the imitative of the given civil rights groups. During the time of the protests numerous black students were thrown in jail for rioting and bailed out of jail by given negro organizations. My question is why a student like Anne Moody who is a bright minded scholar is struggling to pay for tuition but has no problem getting money to be bailed out of jail? I don’t know all the circumstance which occurred but, I feel like education is the ultimate investment and that did not seem apparent in this given situation. If I had read this book in 1968 I would have gotten involved in the Civil Rights Movement. One of the men I admire most in this world is Jim Brown the former Browns running back who is an icon in both the white and black community. One of Jim Brown’s selling points to the black community is his outspokenness about historical knowledge on civil rights. Brown explains to the black community that no movement in this country towards black equal rights was not possible without a white person putting their neck on the line. One of the examples Mr. Brown often brings up is Branch Rickey initiating the arrival of Jackie Robinson as the first African American major league baseball player. I believe if more white people like Branch Rickey put their neck on the line racial parody would become a reality. Research Papers on Coming of Age in Mississippi (The Story of Anne Moody)19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayTrailblazing by Eric AndersonThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHip-Hop is ArtEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenCapital PunishmentMind TravelThe Hockey Game

USS Colorado (BB-45) in World War II

USS Colorado (BB-45) in World War II The fifth and final class  of Standard-type battleship  (Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Tennessee) designed for the US Navy, the Colorado-class was an evolution of its predecessors.   Devised prior to the building of the Nevada-class, the Standard-type concept called for vessels that had similar operational and tactical traits. This would allow all battleship units in the fleet to operate together without concern for issues of speed and turning radius. As the Standard-type ships were intended to be the backbone of the fleet, earlier dreadnought classes ranging from the South Carolina- to the New York-classes were increasingly moved to secondary duties.   Among the characteristics found in the Standard-type battleships were the use of oil-fired boilers instead of coal and the employment of an  Ã¢â‚¬Å"all or nothing† armor arrangement.   This protection scheme called for important areas of the battleship, such as magazines and engineering, to be heavily protected while less critical spaces were left unarmored. It also saw the armored deck in each ship raised a level so that its edge was in line with the main armor belt. In terms of performance, Standard-type battleships were to possess a tactical turn radius of 700 yards or less and a minimum top speed of 21 knots.    Design Though largely identical to the preceding Tennessee-class, the Colorado-class instead carried eight 16 guns in four twin turrets as opposed to the earlier ships which mounted twelve 14 guns in four triple turrets. The US Navy had been discussing the use of 16 guns for several years and following successful tests of the weapon, debate ensued regarding their use on the earlier Standard-type designs. This did not occur due to the cost involved in altering these designs and increasing their tonnage to accommodate the new guns.   In 1917, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels finally authorized the use of 16 guns on the condition that the new class not incorporate any other major design changes. The Colorado-class also mounted a secondary battery of twelve to fourteen 5 guns and an anti-aircraft armament of four 3 guns.    As with the Tennessee-class, the Colorado-class utilized eight oil-fired Babcock Wilcox water-tube boilers supported by a turbo-electric transmission for propulsion. This type of transmission was preferred as it allowed the vessels turbines to operate at optimum speed regardless of how fast the ships four propellers were turning. This led to an increase in fuel efficiency and improved the ships overall range. It also permitted a greater subdivision of the vessels machinery which enhanced its ability to withstand torpedo strikes. Construction The lead ship of the class, USS Colorado (BB-45) commenced construction at New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, NJ on May 29, 1919. Work progressed on the hull and on March 22, 1921, it slid down the ways with Ruth Melville, daughter of Colorado Senator Samuel D. Nicholson, serving as sponsor. Following another two years of work, Colorado reached completion and entered commission on August 30, 1923, with Captain Reginald R. Belknap in command. Finishing its initial shakedown, the new battleship conducted a European cruise which saw it visit Portsmouth, Cherbourg, Villefranche, Naples, and Gibraltar before returning to New York on February 15, 1924. Overview: Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard:  New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, NJLaid Down:  May  29, 1919Launched:  March  22, 1921Commissioned:  August 20, 1923Fate:  Sold for scrap Specifications (as built) Displacement:  32,600  tonsLength:  624  ft., 3 in.Beam:  97  ft., 6 in.Draft:  38  ft.Propulsion:  Turbo-electric transmission  turning 4 propellersSpeed:  21  knotsComplement:  1,080  men Armament (as built) 8 Ãâ€" 16  in. gun (4  Ãƒâ€" 2)12  Ãƒâ€" 5 in. guns8 Ãâ€" 3 in. guns2 Ãâ€" 21 in. torpedo tubes Interwar Years Undergoing routine repairs,  Colorado  received orders to sail for the West Coast on July 11.   Reaching San Francisco in mid-September, the battleship joined the Battle Fleet. Operating with this force for the next several years,  Colorado  engaged in a goodwill cruise to Australia and New Zealand in 1925. Two years later, the battleship ran aground on Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras. Held in place for a day, it was eventually refloated with minimal damage. A year later, it entered the yard for enhancements to its anti-aircraft armament. This saw the removal of the original 3 guns and the installation of eight 5 guns. Resuming peacetime activities in the Pacific,  Colorado  periodically shifted to the Caribbean for exercises and aided the victims of an earthquake in Long Beach, CA in 1933. Four years later, embarked a contingent of NROTC students from the University of Washington and the University of California-Berkeley for a summer training cruise. While operating off Hawaii, the cruise was interrupted when Colorado was ordered assist in search efforts following the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Arriving in the Phoenix Islands, the battleship launched scout planes but could not locate the famed pilot. Arriving in Hawaiian waters for Fleet Exercise XXI in April 1940,  Colorado  remained in the area until June 25, 1941 when it departed for Puget Sound Navy Yard. Entering the yard for a major overhaul, it was there when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7. World War II Returning to active operations on March 31, 1942,  Colorado  steamed south and later joined USS  Maryland  (BB-46) to aid in the defense of the West Coast. Training through the summer, the battleship shifted to Fiji and the New Hebrides in November. Operating in this vicinity until September 1943,  Colorado  then returned to Pearl Harbor  to prepare for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. Sailing in November, it made its combat debut by providing fire support for the landings on  Tarawa. After aiding troops ashore,  Colorado  traveled to the West Coast for a brief overhaul. Arriving back in Hawaii in January 1944, it sailed for the Marshall Islands on the 22nd.   Reaching Kwajalein,  Colorado  pounded Japanese positions ashore and aided in the invasion of the island  before fulfilling a similar role off Eniwetok. Overhauled at Puget Sound that spring, Colorado departed on May 5 and joined Allied forces in preparing for the Marianas Campaign. Beginning on June 14, the battleship commenced striking targets on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. Supporting the landings on Tinian on July 24, Colorado sustained 22 hits from Japanese shore batteries which killed 44 of the ships crew.   Despite this damage, the battleship continued to operate against the enemy until August 3. Departing, it underwent repairs on the West Coast before rejoining the fleet for operations against Leyte. Arriving in the Philippines on November 20, Colorado provided naval gunfire support for Allied troops ashore. On November 27, the battleship took two kamikaze hits which killed 19 and wounded 72. Though damaged, Colorado struck targets on Mindoro in early December before withdrawing to Manus for repairs. With the completion of this work, Colorado steamed north to cover the landings in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon on January 1, 1945.   Nine days later, friendly fire struck the battleships superstructure killing 18 and injuring 51. Retiring to Ulithi, Colorado next saw action in late March as it hit targets on Okinawa prior to the Allied invasion. Holding a position offshore, it continued to attack Japanese targets on the island until May 22 when it departed for Leyte Gulf. Returning to Okinawa on August 6, Colorado moved north later in the month following the end of hostilities. After covering the landing of occupation forces at Atsugi Airfield near Tokyo, it sailed for San Francisco. Following a brief visit, Colorado moved north to participate in Navy Day festivities at Seattle.   Final Actions Ordered to take part in Operation Magic Carpet, Colorado made three voyages to Pearl Harbor to transport American servicemen home. In the course of these trips, 6,357 men returned to the United States aboard the battleship. Moving to Puget Sound, Colorado left commission on January 7, 1947.   Retained in reserve for twelve years, it was sold for scrap on July 23, 1959.