How Free Were Free Blacks in the North DBQ Essay

 Freedom really means to determine action without restraint. In the Revolutionary war era, this was not true. Freedom meant to not be enslaved. The few rights that came with it were bonuses. Blacks did not have freedom the north.

Blacks in the North were limited to very few political rights. They were given the right to vote in less than half of the states in the north. Despite one exception, there weren't any blacks on any juries. Despite few political rights they had many economic rights.

Blacks were allowed to own property and businesses. Also they had the right to have a job and become economically strong. These rights were limited by segregation. People would not buy from blacks because they were black. Therefore black businesses were not usually successful.

Socially, blacks held no rights and many restrictions. They could not marry whites, dine with whites, care for whites as a doctor, or talk with whites in the theater, concert room, lecture room, or church.  Blacks were treated the same socially as if they were outcasts and as if they were the most inferior race.

Blacks in the north had few rights. Some say that they were treated the same as blacks in the south. Not true, in the north blacks were not slaves. Northern blacks almost had it worse. They could not be socially accepted in the world that they were considered "free". They worked for a living and learned the hard way that they could not support themselves. Blacks in the north were never truly free until Martin Luther King Jr. gave blacks freedom.  Although blacks were not enslaved in the north, they still were not free.

Response to: "The Big Yellow Taxi"

When you read the lyrics of  "Big Yellow Taxi", you get the feeling that the author is regretting a past decision or arguing that the world does not need more cities. Where as the original song sounds as if they are celebrating that they paved paradise and put up a parking lot. The intent of the song is to influence stopping the growth of cities and to preserve paradise/nature.  However the tone of the song just doesn't fit, it sounds like a preschool sing along should be taking place. This really bothers me; that a sad song sounds so happy. I can just picture unicorns and rainbows everywhere while the music is playing. If a speaker was reading this to a group of people there would be no one jumping around smiling ear to ear, it would be serious. The choice of music in the original "Big Yellow Taxi" is absolutely ridiculous and preposterous.

Gummi Bears

Gummi Bears

The Yellows

taste mellow

The red

taste like lead

Blue

taste bad too

Purple

don't exist

The green

rotting cream

But the clear taste fine

They taste great all the time

The thing that makes them great

is simple and easy to state

for they taste quite plain

A simple fruity sensation

Stairs

Author's note: This is my response to Mother to Son.

In the story, Mother to Son, there are many metaphors. The stairs described in the poem represent life in its fullest. Poverty and sickness parallel the carpet-less stairs.  The tacks and splinters show obstacles in life like job loss and other difficult times. Darkness represents times when you do not know where to go and times in your life that you rather would not look back on. A crystal stair parallels perfection, fame, and richness.

Piscine Patel

Author's Note: This is what I think would happen if Pi Patel would walk into our classroom.

Click click click, the door chimed as Piscine Patel emerged through the door. He  would saunter over to his desk and act like a calm puppy waiting for a treat. Then the teacher would call his name and he would walk up to the board as if he was climbing Mt. Everest or going to die trying. He would hurriedly write:

My name is Piscine Patel

Known to all as

Pi Patel

3.14

 

Like chicken scratch.  The marker would disobey Pi like a bratty toddler and draw everything imperfect. Then Pi would stride back to his desk as if he owned the place.