Eyes on the Prize - Frances Hubbard

Montgomery Bus Boycott by Frances Hubbard

Every scene and every story in the movie Eyes on the Prize was interesting, touching, and moving. As I watched the movie, I found that the section that focused on the Montgomery Bus Boycott moved me the most. The boycott lasted from December of 1955 to December of 1956. The African American citizens of Montgomery, Alabama banded together and refused to ride the public buses until seating was integrated. The boycott was effective -- the segregation of public buses was ruled unconstitutional in the 1956 Supreme Court case Browder v. Gayle - and it showed the power of the black community when they banded together. This boycott was thoroughly explained and shown in Eyes on the Prize. The movie used interviews, video from the time, and personal stories to illustrate the situation in a poignant way. I saw the immense importance of the boycott and how it was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement.

The boycott itself was very important because it showed how when the African American community bonded together, they had power, a strong voice, and national attention towards racial inequality. Many people around the United States took note of the boycott and injustice, and many African Americans began to take action against segregation. The way the movie showed the bus boycott was also important because it showed different sides of the boycott and gave a wealth of information. Video clips from supporters of segregation were used, as were those of white people who condemned segregation. Videos of the Klu Klux Klan were followed by stories of resilience and bravery from black people in Montgomery. Additionally, the use of news video of Montgomery during the boycott gave the segment gravity and gave viewers a view of what those who participated went through.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was incredibly important to the Civil Rights Movement, and it continues to be an important part of American history today. The movie Eyes on the Prize gives a moving overview of the boycott that shows not only its importance, but the bravery of those who took a stand against a unjust and unequal rule. The legacy of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the following Civil Rights Movement must not be forgotten, especially under the new Presidential administration. The brave citizens of Montgomery, Alabama who chose to walk every day for a whole year instead of subjecting to racist laws  paved the way for new movements for social justice, and those new movements must take action to protect the rights of every American, even when the President-elect has been openly racist and xenophobic.

Eyes on the Prize- Tess Kihm

What really moved me from the film, was Emmett Till's murder and the court case that came from it. It was horrific to see what the two men did to Emmett, and how they so easily got away with it. The evidence and state of Till's body so clearly showed that he was murdered and mutilated, but somehow the men were found not guilty. I don't think that the case was fair and just whatsoever. The jury consisted of all white people, creating a huge bias against Till.
Today, you see similar patterns in the judicial system. Black people get accused and sentenced more often for the same crimes than white people. The majority of people incarcerated are black males, and the mass incarceration of them has only continued prior to the civil rights movement.
Even though both men were found not guilty, Till's murder opened the eyes of Americans across the country to the realities of racism and violence. He was a martyr for the civil rights movement, and inspired people to take action. The open casket funeral and the presence of the media, really helped to expose the horrors of racism so prevalent in our society.

Eyes on the Prize - Ben Sollinger

The thing that I found the most moving about Eyes on the Prize was how both de jure and de facto racism, sexism, and overall discrimination were so commonplace. This brings up the idea of “nature vs nurture”, and who really is to blame for the South’s racism. Is it the first generation, are are the people making the conscious decision to be discriminatory on their own, void of the fact of whether or not they were raised that way. I completely understand that they are accountable and accept the consequences for their actions, but who really is to blame for the thoughts behind their actions? The majority of the South, no matter what race, ethnicity, or gender, was born into this system. Whether they benefited from the system, or they were the targets, every single person born in the South became a cog in much larger machine. Now, continuing on with this cog metaphor, cogs can either do two things: do the work the machine has assigned, or do not do the work the machine has assigned. The system is either benefited or disrupted. Edmund Burke once said “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. These cogs are either aiding in the maintenance of the system, or destroying it. Even those who do not believe they have done anything to propel the racism, they are still doing nothing to combat it. In this case, all bystanders are inherently evil. And throughout most of the South, a very substantial portion of the population are merely doing the jobs given to them. Each and every southerner was given the chance to either enhance the discrimination, do nothing, or disrupt the system set in place. The sad part is is that all those who are disrupting are crushed by the system in the end. Even MLK, arguably the biggest cog of them all, was eventually pulverized by the pressure of the system. Sadly, not enough cogs in the right places have been able to stop the machine completely. The short term goal is not to stop it, but to either slow it down or delay it so that others can get in a place that will aid their cause. It is our job, today, as politically-minded beings, to assist in the decrease of this deadly machine, so that maybe one day, with enough cogs, this machine will finally meet its long-awaited end.

Eyes on the Prize - Michael Schroeder

In Eyes on the Prize, Emmett Till’s murderers, J. W. Milam, and Roy Bryant, lack of a conviction in court really moved me. We all know that America’s past isn’t all glamorous, and in pre-civil rights America, there was no racial equality between white and black people. Emmett Till was murdered for allegedly saying “bye, baby” to a white woman. Till wasn’t just murdered, he was beaten extremely badly and inhumanely in a way that no human should ever get close to doing to another human. Milam and Bryant, his murderers, were determined to be innocent in court. There were no consequences or repercussions against them. The inequality and mistreatment of African-Americans in the South was incomprehensible. A black child gets killed for saying two flirtatious words to a white woman. Two white men can kill black people, including children, and be seen innocent in the eyes of the law.

This is an extremely important topic because history repeats itself. Things exactly like this have happened many times in the past, with an oppressive group considering an oppressed group sub-human, and then treating them in completely inhumane ways. This is definitely not the first time this had happened, all of us could name many past examples of this, and it for sure wasn’t the last time. As of today conditions like this will likely rise again throughout the world, if they are not already currently going on. It is our responsibility as humans who have the capability to help to do what we can to create a change in their conditions, and to support human rights and equality for all.

Eyes On The Prize- Xavier Rivera

One element from the video Eyes on the Prize that moved me was when the mother decided to have an open casket funeral so that way the world could see what she did to her boy. This moved me because I just found it to be so terrible that someone could do that to a boy for allegations of talking "sweet" to a white women. Also the fact that they basically got away with such a harsh hate crime makes me sick because it just showed how bad it was back then and what this country was founded on.

Also this spoke to me because of the courage and bravery she displayed in order to show her son to the world like that and to continue to fight even though her pride and joy was killed. Personally I could not have done this, so for that I admire her for having this much strength and courage because this lead to more social equality for today's generation.

Eyes on the Prize - Ben Ellman

An element that really struck me in the video was Emmett Till's mother's decision to have an open casket at Till's funeral. I thought it was a very bold and necessary move that showed the true brutality of Till's murder. Till's mother's bravery is amazing, and it is clear that she is unafraid of backlash from this decision. It must have made the funeral so much harder for her, to see her son's distorted features, but this was why it was so important. The world needed to see it. Everyone needed to see it, otherwise the murder would not have had as near of an impact. When people see something horrible, instead of just hearing about it, it really hits home. The open casket brought the murder into the forefront of people's minds, and even wider national attention.

Besides the historical significance, I thought that the decision was a very brave choice by a suffering mother. Not only had her son's life been taken, but the memory of him will be forever distorted because of the physical damage to his body. Yet, she went through with an open casket. She knew that, despite the immediate emotional toll on her, that the open casket would do something for the greater good. It was a mother's last testament to make the legacy of her son live on, a truly touching sentiment.

Eyes on the Prize Michael Barrera

Something that really opened my eyes from the film "Eyes on the Prize" was the killing of Emmett Till. Everything about his death is terrible and the racism that went along with it. During this time the North was racist based off Bias and Conditions and the south was racist because of straight up law(Jim Crow). Emmett Till did not know better as a young rambunctious boy he was being promiscuous to the lady and the fact he suffered a terrible death shows how cruel and terrible racism was towards blacks at this time. When both men were said to be non guilty I think thats when it hit me. Learning about equal/civil rights is important and interesting. And the fact that these men were not punished or prosecuted for their actions shows the true meaning of equal rights for blacks at this time. When Emmett Tills body was posted on a magazine it caused an uproar, led to support change for blacks in the North and South. It sucks, that a picture of a dead boy would be the thing that started and motivated people to support equal rights for everyone. It should have started when minorities were still being discriminated against since the emancipation proclamation in which slaves were freed thus "Free people". PEOPLE, not property. I understand why this chapter and Movie is crucial to learning about equality. Many people Shirley Chisholm, Cesar Chavez, they had to work 10 times harder than most people to leave an impact like they wanted to. "Eyes on the prize" was a movie that made me realize more things need to be done. And as Americans we still have a long way to go when it comes to equal rights for all.