"Do the Right Thing" Response

What similarities / differences do you see between Do The Right Thing and "How Bigger Was Born"?  What are the specific ideas and examples used by each text to make their points?  What conclusions can be made as a result of this comparison / contrast? 

Some similarities and differences between "How Bigger was Born" and "Do the Right Thing" are that in "How Bigger was Born" Richard Wright talked about the way society can impact an individual and their actions. In "Do the Right Thing" Sal, Vito, and Pino made a huge affect on society and society had a huge affect on them as well. In one of the scenes Sal and Pino were talking in the restaurant and Pino was talking about wanting to leave this town and moving on to something else. Sal said he didnt want to move because he grew to love the place and the people in it and it was his home. Throughout the movie, many black people came into the restaurant that Sal had built and they provided them with food and they generally liked to hang out there. Some of them became friends with this Italian Family and they had a huge affect on the town.

What are your personal (emotional, critical) responses? What are your feelings, at the movie's end, for Mookie, for Sal, for the police, for the community, for Radio Raheem? Who does--and who does not do--"the right thing"? Whose actions seem meaningful, purposeful, humane? What has been earned, learned, or lost?

In the movie, "Do the Right Thing" I saw a lot of anger put out from blacks towards the Italian Family. There was a black man named, Buggin' Out who got very upset at Sal when he saw on the Wall in the restaurant that there were no black people on it, there were only Italians. He told everyone in the town about it and he protested against the restaurant. I believe that Buggin' Out was just looking for an excuse to get angry at Sal and his family and when he found something to get angry about he overeacted and caused a riot. I believe it was the fact that this Italian family was white and he wanted to make them out as bad people. At one time during this movie everyone did the right thing. whether it was Sal and his family building a restaurant in this restaurant and serving these black people or when Mookie threw the garbage can at the window to keep from Sal, Vito, and Pino being hurt by the people in the town. When I first saw the scene, I thought Mookie had thrown the garbage can out of anger but when we discussed it in class and someone brought up this point, I really believe that was the reason. I believe that Mookie did see them as family and he wanted to keep them from getting hurt so when he threw the garbage can the other blacks took out their anger on the restaurant rather than Sal, Vito, and Pino. Every character in this movie learned a great lesson from this family and they did have a huge impact on the town.

Document 3-Demands

In this document, two black organizations called the Chicago Freedom Movement and the Coordinating Council of Community Organizations got together and protested the segregationist policies of Chicago school superintendant, Benjamin Willis. They wanted economic oppurtunities for blacks. On July 10, 1965, King led a march from Soldier Field to City Hall with a list of 17 demands for Mayor Daley to keep everything equal and nonviolent. They made a stand instead of sitting back and not dealing with the conflicts or inequality and violence.

two societies-Document 1: King in Watts

Martin Luther king always tried to make compromises with white people to try and give black people a better life. "King promised to do "all in my power" to persuade the police chief and mayor to talk with residents." In this document white policemen stopped and harrassed two black brothers and a crowd of black people reacted in an extreme way and started a riot that lasted for 6 days. King felt compelled to go to Los Angeles and encourage peace. He convinced the crowd that a riot was not the way to make a point. In the end he brought peace between the whites and the blacks.

What is a riot? Why do some incidents become riots?

A riot is a group of people who feel the need to start a protest and bring destruction to make their point. A riot starts because when people try and make a point and they dont get to the point of peace, it can become physical and it can bring destruction.