Volume 1, Issue 1
Newsletter Date
The 1920’s D
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December 15, 1929
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And God created the world… Or did he?
Originally, the ACLU’s plan was just to oppose the Butler Act on the grounds that it violated individual’s rights, and academic freedom, and was therefore unconstitutional. Clarence Darrow on the other hand, had a different idea. He insisted on bringing religion into the trial justifying this by saying that there was actually no conflict between evolution and the creation account in the Bible. The judge John T. Raulston, was accused of being biased towards the prosecution and frequently had arguments with Darrow. Things By: Lauren Moore One of the most significant events in the legal field in quickly got out of hand. By the later stage of the trial, Darrow had abandoned the ACLU’s original strategy the past decade was the controversial Scopes Trial; sometimes known as The Monkey Trial. It was a trial and attacked the literal interpretation of the Bible as well as Bryan's limited knowledge of other religions that was originally about deciding whether or not 24 and science. During the interrogation, Darrow quesyear old biology teacher John Scopes was guilty for tioned Bryan about the validity of the miracles in the teaching evolution in the classroom, but it soon bebible, and eventually trapped Bryan into contradicting came clear that the trial had morphed into a debate himself. After eight days of trial, it took the jury only over science and religion. nine minutes to deliberate. Scopes was found guilty on July 21, and ordered to pay a 100 dollar fine. What the On July 1925, the ACLU approached John Scopes, media and public focused on however was Clarence who was continuing to teach evolution in his classroom even though the law forbid it in the state of Ten- Darrow making a fool of William Jennings Bryan. Whereas the majority of the public agreed with nessee, and asked him if he would be willing to be a representative to challenge the constitutionality of the Bryan’s belief of religion over science, they were reButler Act prohibiting the teaching of evolution in the gardless disappointed with Bryan’s sputtering. state of Tennessee. Scopes agreed, and was subsequently arrested on the charge of violating the Butler The Scopes Trial served to bring to the public’s attention the inherent conflict between science and religion. Act; Scopes was going to court. William Jennings The trial revealed a growing chasm in American Bryan, a Fundamentalist Christian was the primary Christianity and two ways of finding truth, one bibliwitness for the prosecution, while the famed lawyer cal, and one scientific. Liberals saw a division beClarence Darrow took up the defense for Scopes. tween educated, tolerant Christians and narrowminded, obscurantist Christians. The publicity surrounding the trial also helped pave the way for the inclusion of evolutionary science into the curriculum in the United States. Today, regardless of what people believe we are starting to see the evolution theory that was previously banned from teaching appear in biology textbooks. In addition, many states also considered incorporating anti-evolution laws that were similar to the Butler Act as a result of the Scopes Trial. The significant battle between science and religion is
a conflict which still exists four years later in 1929, and is likely to continue for decades to come. Darrow (left) and Bryan (right) go face to face at the Scopes Trial
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Babe
Ruth (The man of Baseball) By: Reid Baker Babe Ruth everyone knows his name. Children everywhere play baseball with dreams of being as good as him, to be able to hit the ball like and just to be him. He has changed the face of baseball forever. His name is known in every house‐ hold across America. His home run feats are known around the country. He was beloved by Red Sox fans but was sold to the New York Yankees in 1920 the team he still plays for today. He has caused fans from everywhere to come to his games in hopes of witnessing one of his famous homeruns. He has earned sev‐ eral nick names from his New York fans like the Bambino (Italian for babe) and the sultan of swat for his home run skills. In his first season as a Yankee, he bat‐ ted 376 and hit 54 home runs and in 1927 he hit 60 home runs in 154 games. He is truly one of the greatest players baseball has ever seen and he continues to show us his skills in the game of baseball. Americans will know of his baseball ca‐ reer long after it is over and his name will live on in history as the greatest base‐ ball player the game has ever seen.
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The Fight for Working Rights By: Alex Petit
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nies used their resources against these relentless pro‐ testors the government was called in. Once the United States government was called in to help com‐ panies, the situation got out of control. The govern‐ ment began sending military troopers to fight the strikes and protestors. This strategy really worked well for the companies. In the 1920’s labor union membership declined from close to 5 million to about 3.4 million. Many workers became discouraged and stopped protesting, they gave in and took the lower paying jobs and dealt with the bad working conditions and mistreatment. On the side of the companies it just looked like the people were asking for too much. These companies were unwilling to budge. The companies saw the un‐ ions as annoying and thought badly about the workers strategy to simply stop production in order to get what they want. Though the unions were a big issue and something to talk about when recapping the 1920s they were not entirely successful. Though they did bring production to a halt for a short period of time, most of the time they were bullied and beaten back into work by companies and the government.
In the last decade we saw many political problems and scandals turn in to great battles between the peo‐ ple and the government. But not many have been near as big of a problem or cause near as much unrest in the government as the start up of labor unions pro‐ testing against low wages, overworking, and other work place problems. Not only was overworking a problem but the fear of communism taking a role in the unions was apparent. The United States govern‐ ment almost scared people out of labor unions in the last decade. At the start of the decade over four million workers held over 3,600 strikes all over America in the big cit‐ ies. These people were protesting low wages, wage cuts, overtime work with no overtime pay, bad treat‐ ment, different treatment among individuals, as well as bad overall working conditions. Workers were fed up with what companies were offering in terms of conditions. The plan of the protestors was to stop pro‐ duction in order to turn their ideas of how an organi‐ zation should treat their workers into a reality. If pro‐ duction was halted, the company would stop making products and eventually lose business. The more busi‐ ness the companies lost the more likely the labor un‐ ions were to get what they wanted. In my opinion the forming of the labor unions was a great idea for the public who wanted better work treatment. They wanted to show the company just what they were capable of. Unions were exercising power in numbers in the hope that their conditions will be improved and their pay raised. But this was not the case, the government had a harsh plan just wait‐ ing to be used against workers and protestors. The government would not come in until the companies (This sketch shows the abuse given to workers by had done their best to end the strikes. company owners.)
Companies were not too fond about these unions. Soon enough they began fighting fire with fire and physically attacking the protestors. Once the compa‐
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cans play, and even adopted the music to make their own and sell.
A Cultural Explosion; The Harlem Renaissance By: Lauren Moore The Harlem Renaissance is a time period beginning in 1919, and still continuing today, that is a defining mark in African American culture, and is also affecting the world. It is an era that fosters writers, poets, Jazz musicians, actors, and playwrights, but most significantly, it harbors Black pride. It is centered in New York’s Harlem district, where African Americans celebrate the role of the “New Negro” as being proud of their African heritage, and letting their pride be shown through numerous influential works. Through the Great Migration, millions of African Americans migrated from the south to the north in order to escape crippling Jim Crow Laws and racial prejudice, and a good amount settled in Harlem. An event that helped start the cultural movement was Claude Mckay’s sonnet “If We Must Die.”; A poem that sparked pride within the African American community. Even though his poem never spoke of race, the African American readers believed that it was something that sounded a note of defiance in the face of racism and the nationwide race riots and lynching’s that were taking place. Jazz was a colossal part factoring into the Harlem Renaissance. Jazz originated in New Orleans, as a mixture of rhythmic African drum beats and European instruments, making it uniquely American. It moved with the great migration first to Chicago, then to New York, and then began to spread around the world. It was an immediate hit; especially with the younger generation. Famed musicians like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Jelly Roll Morton ensured that clubs were always packed full with people to hear them play sweet music; one of the most popular clubs being the Apollo Theater. White people flocked to hear African Ameri-
(The popular Apollo Theater hosting Duke Ellington) In addition to jazz, the Harlem Renaissance also contained literary works created by some of the most influential writers of the time. Authors like Langston Hughes, and artists like Laura Wheeler Waring, Edward A. Harleston, and Aaron Douglas are all examples of artists that projected black pride through their work. They also used art to prove their humanity and demand for equality. The Harlem Renaissance led to more opportunities for African Americans to be published by mainstream houses. In fact, without the patronage of white Americans like Carl Van Vechten and Charlotte Osgood Mason, African American works might not have been spread outside the black community. Many authors began to publish novels, magazines, and newspapers during this time. Some authors who became very popular in addition to Langston Hughes are Jean Toomer, Jessie Fauset, Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, Alain Locke, and Eric D. Walrond. As a result, Harlem is popular and lively, and because of the pride and self respect that was formed, Harlem started a new age of African Americans that made white people look at them a little differently.
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A Trial Unjust. Saaco and Vanzetti. By: Alex Petit
stemmed from their radical activities, and dispute the prosecution’s insistence that only hard evidence, non political evidence had implicated the two men in common crimes. Moore was trying to reveal the prosecution’s hidden intent to help the federal and military authorities to suppress the Italian anarchist movement to which Saaco and Vanzetti were in‐ volved in. Moore’s defense of the two men soon became so political that it quickly transcended to its roots. Moore took initiative and organized public meetings, solicited support of labor unions, issued out thou‐ sands of pamphlets throughout the world; Moore even got the Italian government involved. Moore’s actions turned this small local case into a known case around the world. Then after a long and hard fought six weeks the jury found Saaco and Vanzetti guilty of murder and robbery on July 14, 1921. The verdict of this case marked the beginning of a legal struggle lasting six years to save these men. During these six years Moore’s efforts came in to question when he offered a reward to anyone who could find the real criminals. As a result Moore was replaced by another lawyer by the name of Thomp‐ son. For the last three years of the case Thompson’s goal was to defend the reputation of Massachusetts and the two men. Thompson decided to no longer emphasize the politi‐ cal aspects of the case but the injustice of the legal process. Through this he gained a lot of support from many people around the world who disagree with what Saaco and Vanzetti did but felt that the bias and the legal process behind the trial was completely un‐ just. This though could not change the outcome of the case, on April 9th, 1927 both Saaco and Vanzetti were sentenced to death. The men were executed on August 23rd 1927.
SOUTH BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS – At approxi‐ mately 3:00 p.m a paymaster and his guard were car‐ rying the factory payroll of $15,766. Two men stand‐ ing near a fence suddenly pulled out guns and fired upon them. The gunners proceeded to grab the cash boxed and ran for a getaway car. The bandit’s were able to evade their pursuers. It is believed that the gang of robbers consisted of about four or five peo‐ ple. For a couple of weeks the police had no idea who was responsible for the robbery and murder of the two men. The police came up with the idea of setting a trap; through this they apprehended Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Both the men were originally not under suspicion but when they were questioned about the guns that both men were carrying, they lied. As a result both men were held and eventually indicted for the South Braintree crimes. Vanzetti has also been charged with a previous hold up attempt on December 24th, 1919. Vanzetti was first tried for the older of the two crimes. Despite have a strong alibi, which was sup‐ ported by multiple witnesses, Vanzetti was found guilty. Many of his witnesses were Italian immigrants and could not speak English very well. Due to the fact that they could not speak English well, their testi‐ mony was presented mostly through a translator and failed to convince the entirely American Jury. Vanzetti did not help his case when he did not take the stand for his own defense due to his fear of revealing his radical activities. For the failed robbery attempt Van‐ zetti was given a sentence much harsher than the usual, ten to fifteen years, in a case where no one had been killed or hurt. This extensive punishment signaled to Saaco and Vanzetti the bias by the au‐ thorities. Both Saaco and Vanzetti decided to employ a new lawyer Mr. Moore. Moore decided that it was impos‐ sible to defend Saaco and Vanzetti in the case of the murder and robbery thanks to the bias of the jury and prosecutors. Instead Moore’s strategy was for Saaco This picture is of both Saaco and Vanzetti, two men and Vanzetti to acknowledge their anarchism in the who were tried for murder and robbery but given unfair trial due to the bias of the jury. court, establish that their arrest and prosecution
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Dear Editor, Your lack of knowledge about the issue behind the Red Scare and what the American government and public are truly scared about alarms me. Your most recent article about the Red Scare angered me to read due to the fact that most of your infor‐ mation was in fact incorrect and misleading to the public reading your editorial. Your writing about communism and how it will soon be affecting America was idiotic to say the least. Your views about the red scare are clouded by the fact that you have not taken part in labor unions and seen the type of people who are fighting for better wages and a better work environment. In your editorial regarding the Red Scare, you pro‐ ceeded to repeatedly bash labor Unions for being directly associated to spreading communism throughout the United States. Please allow to ex‐ plain why it is important for me to tell you why you are completely wrong on this point. It is of im‐ portance for me to point out your lack of knowl‐ edge because I am standing up for all members of labor unions when I say that we have nothing to do with communism and we never plan on betray‐ ing America and replacing the capitalism in place here. In your editorial you also spoke about the recent Palmer raids and how they benefitted the United States. In the Palmer raids 4000 – 10,000 immi‐ grants were arrested and deported back to which‐ ever country they were from. This was not only unjust due to the fact that many of those people were not proven to be radicals but it was also un‐ just to simply assume that just because they are foreign and from a communist country they would like to convert America to communism. People were convinced that the raids would restore peace but they have only angered the foreigners who feel it is unjust for people who have done nothing wrong to be wrongly arrested and in some cases deported. The labor union fears during the Red Scare that
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you touched on in your editorial were entirely false and wrongly depicted the average worker on strike. You noted that most protestors of the labor unions were communists inspired by Russian lead‐ ers pledging to inspire worldwide revolution among the working class. These foreigners in‐ volved in American labor unions were not inspired by Russian leaders but more of the fact that they came to America in the hope of finding a decent job and being free. With the current working con‐ ditions I can understand why foreigners are un‐ happy, considering they came to America thinking that the pay was good and the working conditions were bearable.
This political cartoon represents American fears of communism. Bolshevism is inscribed on the blade. The Red Scare situation was not caused my com‐ munists involved in labor unions trying to convert American capitalism to communism. The Red Scare was caused by American paranoia and the rumors spread by American people about commu‐ nists involved in labor unions and the fear that radicals were here to change America. The direct cause of the Red Scare was not labor unions, but it was Attorney General Albert Palmer’s decision to organize thousands of federal, state, and local offi‐ cials to arrest and deport “Reds”.
Sincerely, Alex Petit
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Our Visit with Edward Dorsey; The savior of the working class By: Lauren Moore, Life Magazine reporter Me: Right now I am sitting here with the famed rights activist Edward Dorsey. Edward fights for the rights of African American workers, and is an inspiration for all African Americans who want their voice to be heard. Edward thank you for taking the time to visit with me today. Edward: It is my pleasure. Me: You grew up in Georgia. What led you to move to New York? Edward: Well, when I was 24 years old, I decided to move Harlem because I wanted to escape the violence, prejudice, and Jim Crow laws in the South. I left my brothers, sisters, and parents back in Georgia because I wanted to make a living, and it was extremely hard to find a job. Me: You have dedicated your life to fighting for African American rights. You were a witness for the Chicago Race Riot in 1919. Did that in any way persuade you to become an activist for African American rights? Edward: Definitely. You can’t just witness a battle like that and not be affected. In fact, one of the reasons I became a rights activist is because my brother was attacked by white workers when he went on an interview for a factory job in 1923. He was beaten while they circled him shouting degrading words, and when they had finally killed him, they put his body on my mother’s porch. I was so angry but I realized that responding with more violence would not solve anything. I decided that I would work to improve the lives of African Americans without using violence. Me: What are some specific ways you help workers? Edward: I help organize African American workers and educate them on how to assert their rights.
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For example, if a factory is made up of 50% white workers, and 50% black workers, and a black man is beaten up by a white man, there are a number of things the African American half of the workers can do to make sure that this violence does not happen again. They can all go on strike so that the company will eventually have to monitor that no African American worker’s rights are violated, or they can get a petition signed to force the company to control the workers. Unfortunately, racial prejudice is still very prevalent in the north, and even more so in the south. The KKK has gotten stronger by recruiting more members, and if a black man even looks at a white woman, then he is in risk of being beaten up or worse. African Americans are beaten, flogged, dumped at garbage sites, and even white men who support equality are tarred and feathered. Lynching’s are popular, and are projected like they are sporting events. If there is word spread that there will be a lynching, then huge crowds will gather as the black men are beaten up, and sometimes are performed surgery on, until finally, they are lynched. Me: I can’t even imagine going through those horrifying events. Do you have any plans for the future to improve the quality of working conditions for African Americans? Edward: I do. I am currently working to organize African American workers into unions based on the different trades they work in. It is easy for employers to abuse and unfairly treat a single worker. However, it is much harder for employers to mistreat their minority workers if the workers respond as a group instead of as individuals. Acting as a group to disrupt work schedules can severely impact a business whereas one worker would not cause a disruption. We can really accomplish some great things if we unite and act as a group. Me: That sounds fantastic. Keep up the good work, and thank you for talking to us here at Life Magazine. Edward: It was no problem at all, and my pleasure.