Civil Rights Movement

Verse n°1: Emma Gonzales (Gun Control)

The access to guns in the US is easier, so a lot of people die of gun violence.

Verse n°2: Abortion, Roe v Wade revoked. It was a federal law, every state had to legalize abortion, but in 2023 it was revoked. Each state can now make their own decision.

• Global warming leads to ice caps melting, which in return leads to sea levels rising. The song references Greta Thunberg’s fight.
• Fake News is a widely spread scare about conspiracy theories (for example: Area 51)

This is a political song which shows that the artist is engaged in activism. Several issues are raised by the lyrics. Firstly, the song mentions gun violence, with the example of Emma Gonzales, an activist who fights against gun violence. Moreover, the very first line mentions a school shooting. Secondly, they mention the effects of Global Warming and the lack of action from older generations which is instead taken up by youth activism. Lastly, they denounce male politicians making decisions to control women’s bodies, which is a reference to Roe v Wade being revoked. As a result, abortion is no longer a federal law in the United States.

Vocabulary

To march =/= to walk

→ Protest, strike (= grève), revolution, to contest, demonstration (= une manifestation), denounce

gun range = stand de tir

youth = jeunes gens

print = imprimer

weapon = arme

abortion = avortement

Protest, demonstration, march

gun range = stand de tir

Federal state

Fake News

b) Some of the people that the Chicks oppose are right-wing politicians (Republicans), polluting industries, climate sceptics, conspiracy theorists/conspirationists.

c) They share values with the Democrats, ecologists, climate activists.

d) Explain in your own words why teenagers are

more prominent in activism than before

According to Prelli, teenagers are more prominent in activism than before, for example/as we can see/as illustrated by/as exemplified by the fights against gun violence and climate change which are said to be “led ‘front and center’ by teenagers” (on line 2-3). In effect, social media have made it possible to get organized more easily and to amplify every single voice. The progress in technology has allowed all to possess an international reach in place of traditional media like TV and newspapers (line 19-20). Moreover/Plus/Furthermore, new generations are visibly more seriously worried about their prospects while older generations tend to be more skeptical in general.

- With smartphones and social media rising, teenagers are more politicized than their predecessors. In fact/Indeed, politics have become more accessible, which makes teenagers more worried about pressing issues. In addition to this/Moreover/Also/Furthermore, this new technology makes the spread of information faster than traditional media such as/like newspapers and TV. Also, if you speak up on the internet, you are more likely to be read by many as this technology is now more widespread.

e) The 4 issues the Chicks are talking about are: global warming, abortion, gun violence and racial discrimination, as well as Fake News.

Vocabulary

Issue = problem

Prominent = proéminent,  present, visible

According to = d’après

However = but

Prospects = future

Reach = portée

/! mots de liaison + tempérer le propos + citer les lignes

This video is about several important issues and protests in America, like Black Lives Matter, global warming, LGBTQ+, Vietnam War, racism, freedom, women’s right to vote. We see extracts of violence as people are unhappy with the authorities. People are carrying signs, t-shirts that show their fights. We can see Greta Thunberg, and Emma Gonzales.

All the names at the end of the video are the names of people who died because of discrimination.

“Use your voice. Use your vote” is the end message because voting allows everyone to have power in the laws that are voted.

Transatlantic Trade

• Trade route between Europe, Africa and America to exchange goods for slaves (16th -18th century)
• Hence the concept of “African Americans”

W.E.B Du Bois (1868)

• Sociologist, historian, writer The Souls of Black Folks
• Civil Rights activist
• Concept of “double consciousness”: a consciousness as a black person of who I am and how I am perceived as a black person
• Black people suffered of social, economic and political injustice, violence and discrimination
• Access to education, employment and housing was very limited
• His work helped understand reality of Black people’s lives
• Co-founder of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) which became an influential organization

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

• Segregation ongoing (1865-1964)
• Refused to give up her seat to a white man: 1955
• So she was arrested and imprisoned
• This lead to a boycott of the bus company for more than a year, and ended when the Supreme Court outlawed bus segregation
• At the same time as MLK

Barack Obama (1961)

• 44th president of the USA from 2009 until 2017 and the 1st African American = a symbol
• When he was born, JFK was elected president of the USA
• 2017: George Floyd killed by 3 police officers
• 1991: senator for Illinois
• Slogan “Yes, we can” = hope
• 2009: Nobel Peace Prize for regressing nuclear weaponry
• Economic crisis of 2008

JFK (1917-1963)

• Youngest president of the USA
• Part of the navy: fought during WWII, then senator then president in 1960
• Cold War (= USSR & communist scare) & racial segregation
• Managed the crisis of Cuba
• Supported MLK and fought for civil rights, against racial segregation, his role model was Abraham Lincoln
• Assassinated
• Proposed the Civil Rights Act but died before: it was voted by his successor

Martin Luther King (1925-1968)

• Baptist pastor
• Nonviolent activist
• Black people suffered of social inequalities

Toni Morrison (1931)

• Author
• Harvard University
• Nobel Prize for Literature (1933), first African American to win it
• The Bluest Eye (1970), first novel
• Sula, Song of Solomon, Beloved
• Racial tensions: she gave a voice to Black people, her books explain the experience of being Black in the US, African American tradition and culture

Ruby Bridges

• 6 years old African American girl, the first to attend an all-white school in the South: New Orleans
• 1954: Supreme Court declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional  but still school system segregated in New Orleans
• She became a symbol, she helped stop segregation by showing necessity of racial integration, she inspired others

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)

• Born a slave and escaped at 20 to become a leading abolitionist
• Autobiography: “The Life of Frederick Douglass” = powerful for the anti-slavery movement
• Advocated for civil rights
• The most photographed African American man
• Father of Black Cause

Muhammad Ali (1872)

• Born as Cassius Marcellus Clay Junior and reverted to Islam, took the name Muhammad Ali
• Segregation was ongoing which caused him problems once famous

Audre Lorde (1934)

• Celebrated poet, essayist and activist advocating for Black empowerment
• Columbia University
• Legacy of racism and segregation
• Intersectional activism: at the crossroad of racism and sexism = empowering Black women with self-love
• Inspiration for marginalized communities, and discussions on race, gender to fight for equality

Malcolm X (1925-1965)

• Lost his father aged 6 years old, insurance refused to give them money (racism)
• Wanted to be a lawyer but told by his teachers he couldn’t because of his skin color => he started to steal because his hopes were crushed
• Sentenced to 10 years in jail
• He reverted to Islam because of the preaching of the Nation of Islam, he then changed his name to Malcolm X, the X represents what was tattooed on slaves
• Major voice in African American nationalism, on TV a lot
• Left the organization in 1964 after his pilgrimage to Mecca who inspired him to turn his life around: he started to advocate for cooperation among all to fight against injustice
• When tried to help someone being assaulted he was caught in the crossfire and was assassinated

Territory & memory

1) Define each word

territory =

memory =

2) Present the chapter

1 sentence, quick overview

3) Introduce the documents

nature, author, date, a quote ; an image

4) Question

Which of the two documents illustrate the notion the best

5) Arguments (develoment)

6) Conclusion (1min)

Summary, answer the question, opening statement

Private & Public Space

1) Define each word

ex: on the one hand, a private space can only be accessed by a limited amount of authorized people, for instance you will need an authorization or a payment ; meanwhile/on the contrary/on the other hand public spaces can be accessed/entered by all.

2) Present our chapter

ex: We discovered the workings of private and public schools in the UK and compared them to the US school system.

3) Introduce the documents

ex: nature, date, author, US/UK, a quote, an image/a painting/a photograph

4) Question

Which of the two documents illustrate the notion the best

5) Development

All your arguments that defend your personal choice

6) Conclusion

Summary, answer the question, final open arguments