Exploration 7: Morgan DeWitt

What I learned from "Ain't Scared of Your Jails" is social change and the transformation of culture over time can be beautiful. The process of getting over the hump of segregation, racism, and prejudice wasn't so pretty but what came after is something that can still be admired today. It wasn't right away that blacks and whites could sit together and enjoy a meal without conflict but gradually people began to see each other for who they really are instead of the color of their skin. It reminded me of the quote from Remember the Titans, "The world learned to trust a mans soul, not the look of him."

I had a few favorite quotes from the documentary. When one of the very important freedom riders, John Lewis, talked about his last meal before one of the most important rides of history in 1961 I could not help but laugh at his humor. He explained, "It was my first time having Chinese food and it was like the last supper." It was also crazy to think that this was the freedom riders first time being somewhere they could have Chinese food.

Another scene I really enjoyed was when Alice Walker's son was put into jail for disorderly conduct after one of the protests. Alice Walker said she remembered talking to her son from jail and all he had to say was, "Be cool, Mom." I absolutely loved this scene because it showed how dedicated the protesters were to there cause and they really could handle anything.

The tactic I admired the most was the forming of organization. I thought this was the most powerful because they had a organized group of people with a goal in front of them. I thought SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) rung true to their name and reached their goal in a powerful way. After the protests had reached 69 cities and 2,000 had been arrested organization was needed to take things to the next level. SNCC stayed around for a long time after the freedom rides had came to halt also.