civils rights :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The humanities course here at Roanoke College have provided me with an in depth look at the evolution of humans, more specifically humanism. The evolution I am talking about is not how we have evolved physically or in the Darwin type sense. What I am talking about is how we have evolved as a race of people. We need to survive and as we learn we use that knowledge to make life easier and survival possible. We not only create ways to entertain and pleasure ourselves but we protect ourselves. In the second half of this humanities course I have learned that surviving isn’t everything, that making things better and right can be just as important. It might be bold of me to say that surviving is easy, but I have faith that I can say challenging the known ways of survival isn’t.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This course begins with Martin Luther, a man who challenged the church, who proposed that what they were doing was wrong and that he intended to change it. This I’m sure was not a very easy thing for him to do. In fact it is known that others before him had spoken out against the church but with no or modest success. He was able to capitalize on one thing however, the printing press. This newly developed device had enabled him to do what others could not. He used new technology to fight the norm. He wasn’t simply going to let someone tell him, how or when to worship. This could have easily leaded to his death, but others agreed. Martin Luther wasn’t just another guy looking to get rich, he was looking out for the good of humanity. That’s something that I have seen flow through both courses. It takes a strong person to stand up and challenge the established, but we can see throughout time that we have progressed as humans and in society by fighting against what is wrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’ll be the first to admit that it’s easy to not pay attention in class, or that what we are learning would have a little effect on myself. I never expected to be so moved in this class. We read countless literature about people sticking their neck out to say what they felt was right and to protect the rights of others. But I was most affected in this course when we got to the civil rights movement.