Black Rights

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Recommended: Civil rights movement in the 1950's

Mary Catherine was a white child that grew up in the 1950’s. Back then it was normal for white folk to have black maids cleaning the house and take care of the children. Mary had two black female maids, one was named Odessa Cotter. Odessa was a hard working woman that had a husband: Herbert Cotter, and three children: Theodore, Franklin, and Selma. Odessa worked five days a week, she even worked on Christmas day. “The Long Walk Home” is a movie on Odessa and her family as they take a stand for what they believed in: equal rights. At the beginning of the movie Odessa is dropped off at a park with Mary and some of her white friends by Miriam, the employer of Odessa. After Miriam leaves Odessa is setting up a picnic for the children and getting ready for them to eat. While she was setting up the plates a white police office comes by and insults her to leave. Later that day Miriam calls the police department to come out and apologize to them. Right away I could see Miriam has a little respect for Odessa. Later that day Odessa’s children come home with a letter saying the blacks are g...

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