Do the Right Thing

There are many similarites between the movie, Do the Right Thing, and the essay, How Bigger was Born, by Richard Wright. One major one was the segragation of blacks and whites. In the essay, Wright talks about how blacks got the raw end of the deal and how the circumstances they lived in directly effect their actions. In Do the Right Thing, the racial segragation provides major conflict between the two sides and ultimatley leading up to the burning of Sal's. There is also a connection between one of the Biggers and Radio Raheem. Bigger number 4 in Wrights words, "The Jim Crow laws of the South were not for him." This really connects to Radio Raheem. Raheem would go around every blasting Fight the Power by Public Enemy and didn't care what anyone said, not even Da Mayor. He went into Sal's and wouldn't turn down the music even after Sal asked him repeatatly. Both Raheem and Bigger number 4 did what ever they wanted to and were not afraid of the racial segragation.      
                I really liked the moive and thought it sent the message in a clear, but not over bearing way. I like the directorial style of Spike Lee which is different then anything I have ever seen. For the first part of the movie it was almost like there was not any plot, it was just a bunch of seperate scenes put together with the only thing in common being the setting. But after the end of the movie and how everything led up to the ending, it all made sense and came together beautifly. I think Mookie did the right thing and the end by being civil and kind with Sal. Both of them could have gone at each other, but they decided to keep the past in the past and get along with each other. The police though, there another story. The killed Radio Raheem when he did not need to be killed. Yes, he was out of control, but that does not warrent a ploice officer to kill him. I feel terrible for Radio Raheem because he died fighting for a cause. I think the most important action in the movie was Mookie throwing the trashcan in the window. It symobolized all the hatred going on in the movie from both side and it also started the riot.

The Election of Carl Stokes

The first document I read was titled "How to get Elected by White People" by Carl Stokes. Stokes was the first black mayor of a predominately white city, Cleveland. This just a year after huge racial riots in the city of Hough right before the 1966 municipal elections. The document's main focus is exactly what the title talks about, Stokes' strategy in getting elected by white people. Stokes started his political work long before the election. he knew he needed to get involved in the community first to get this name out there. So he helped out with the Boy Scouts, charity drives, the NAACP, the Urban League, and most importantly the churches. Stokes believed helping in the church was the best way to get the vote of people. H says, "having a hundred black preachers out there rallying them up for you is invaluable unbeatable...I did anything I was asked to do in the community." Stokes' election strategy was to talk to blacks about black pride, injustice, black culture, anything to get their loyalty. But, when talking to anyone else, he would talk about, "democracy, about how government is for all people, about the need for new coalitions for the common good." His speeches were different depending on who he talked to and that worked out well for him.


In what ways did Stokes' election represent a milestone for black power? What do you think his election meant for black citizens?


I think this was a huge step forward for black power. Never before had a black person been this high in the government. A black person was finally the mayor of a white majority city. I think for citizens it was a huge spark in the fight for civil rights. Black people finally had someone of their kind representing the black ideas and culture in a government of whites. It may have only been a mayoral election, but it was a big accomplishment in black politics.


The second document I read was titled, "A Government Balance", again written by Carl Stokes. Normally if you were black, Martin Luther King, Jr. coming to your town would be a good thing, but in 1967, that was not the case for Carl Stokes. His mayoral race was coming up and he knew he had the black vote, but he did not want to do anything to make the white people upset. Martin Luther King, Jr., might get the whites mad enough where Stokes would lose their vote. Stokes had tremendous respect for King so it was very hard to ask him to leave. Stokes thought King would create new problems that would lose the white vote. Dr. King decided to stay but promised, "there will be nothing inflammatory." Dr. King limited his visits and restrained himself. He did not create anymore problems and Stokes ended up winning the election.




What was Stokes' concern about King's presence in Cleveland? As a candidate? As a black person who cared aobut vil rights? As an American?


Answered in response.