U.S. Constitution

QUESTIONS

1. Historical connection in historical document and discussed issues; Two things document says about life in the United States at the time it was produced. The historical document, is Martin Luther King Jr’s famous speech, I Had A Dream. In 1862 and 1863, the United States President, Abraham Lincoln issued two direct orders to free Black people from slavery. This was called Emancipation Proclamation. Until Martin Luther King Jr. found a way to reinforce the orders of the Emancipation Proclamation, the document were nothing more than written words in U.S. filing cabinets. Today, his children are carrying out MLK’s dream. “His words and his dreams still define the search for social injustice and around America” (Interview with Martin Luther King 111, 2003). Two things the document says about life in the United States the time the documents were produced are; America was stalled at a progressive standstill because of segregation and America granting their most prized rights did not concern over half of its population. “The negro in New York believes he has nothing of which to vote for” says that the choices Blacks were going to make in life were already assumed for them at birth. The decisions Blacks were going to end up in jail, the girls were going to have unwed pregnancies and live on government assistance were determined when they were born. These analyzations are not always said so bluntly, but that is exactly how the American system was at that time. It may still be like that today. Because of people like MLK Jr., American government is forced to change its perception of civil rights for humans.
2. Why do you think this document was produced? What evidence in the document helps you to know why it was produced? Martin Luther King created the document to educate Americans how to live up to America’s ideal standards. America wanted to be known for the greatest nation in the world, granting civil rights to everyone. “In his short 39 years of life, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. offered words that addressed almost any issue relating to justice, peace and the dismantling of racism” (Brown, 2007). MLK concluded separate but equal was unconstitutional. Everyone knows Blacks did not have equal standards of living as Whites did. At this time, only African American educators, who received limited education were teaching Black children. Limited education, including many other services, resulted from segregation.
3. Describe your search process and how you chose this Website. Martin Luther King played major roles in developing civil rights in America. American developments currently existing today for people of all races were made possible by MLK Jr.  Martin Luther King Jr.’s sources are readily available on all search engines. MLK Jr. serves as a role model for everyone.  I typed keywords in the search engine. Some keywords used are; I Have A Dream, American Justice, African Americans. Martin Luther King is found on every major search engine, because of his strong influences on America’s way of life.
4. Evaluate this website based on its academic reliability, ease of navigation, and quantity of information. What type of domain is the site? What are the author’s credentials on the subject? Is this webpage as good as or better than what you could find in journal articles or other published materials? Explain why or why not. Regarding the site, http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html, it is a copy of King Jr’s speech, and contains a link to the Declaration of Independence. It accurately translates the United States Constitution in an easy to understand format. Steve Mount is a researcher for USConstitution.net. He holds a Bachelors in Political Science, graduated from the University of Vermont in 1989. Information on this site are more condensed than what journal articles contain. The site can be misleading. This is a personal website, not a U.S government website. The wording, US constitution, are catch phrases giving the image of an official government site. Government sites generally do not have authors names or specific dates. They also contain many more links.
5. Evaluate the cultural sensitivity and inclusivity of this website. Does this website address the history of diverse populations within the United States? Explain. Are there viewpoints presented on this site? Are there examples of bias? The site addresses Whites and Blacks. In 1963, America was not as integrated as it is today. The site addresses the development of the Civil Rights Movement regarding African Americans. The site mentions historical facts defining  how much America  progressed since this time by pointing out indications of rapid changes going on in America at this time. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for his speech, I Have A Dream. The very next year, he was honored for that speech. These very contrasting incidences, including dates are mentioned in the site. Examples within the site shows America agreed to be the top country, equal civilization must be available to everyone.
6. Summarize the effectiveness of the site in increasing your understanding of this historical period. Based on your knowledge of the topic, analyze how effectively this site addressed your needs. The site copied the words of MLK Jr.’s speech verbatimly. Future possibilities concerning diverse races and cultures were taken into consideration. The site mentions civil rights for all nationalities. In 1963, diverse nationalities in America were not common. Coming into America is easier today than 30 years ago. Knowing  America’s past diversity, applying it to current news, the site indicates growing concern of civil rights for future diverse populations. King Jr.’s speech can be applied to all people. “The general direction Dr. Martin Luther King’s life took is still making major impacts on people’s lives, enabling his influence to extend far into the distant future” (Cole-Peralta, 2007). Eliminating segregation not only contributed to America living up to its promises, developments occurred in all areas, such as the arts, music and dance. The site used was intended to spread information already available in a broken down easy to read article.      

Notes;

Brown, S., It’s Easier to Shut the Door than to Reach Out; STL Today.com Date published November 11, 2007; retrieved November 14, 2007

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/sylvesterbrownjr/story/8CAF2B311D6D50118625738F0021CE48?OpenDocument

Cole-Peralta, The Rev, Dr Martin Luther King Jr., American Chronicle; Published Nov 6, 2007; Retrieved November 14, 2007

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=42285

Editorial, no author; Interview with Martin Luther King III, Live From the Headlines. CNN.com Date published, August 22, 2003; Retrieved November 14, 2007.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0308/22/se.18.html

Mount, S. I Have A Dream; The U.S. Constitution Online; US Constitution.net; Published Nov 30, 2001; Retrieved November 14, 2007

http://www.usconstitution.net/cite.html