Human Rights or Civil Rights?

Objective: Students will examine the development of the NAACP and how the organization raised Human Rights awareness within the Civil Rights Movement.

Post World War II the global community was forever interconnected and the issues of human rights were synonyms with democracy and self-determination. In fact, it was one of the core principles and purpose of the United Nations Organization. However, where people were held accountable for violating human rights all over the globe, here in America many southern black’s basic human rights were being violated. Racial segregation, disenfranchisement, and exploitation of “freemen”, despite the 14th and 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, still existed in America. At the same time, the NAACP’s mission statement seemingly aligned with the UN yet in 1951 the NAACP charged the UN with a genocide ” against the negro people”. American’s were at odds with each other on the grounds of human rights and civil liberties.

Read the following:

• 1947- W.E. B. DuBois, “An Appeal to the World”
• 1948- The United Nations, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights“
• 1951- NAACP, “We Charge Genocide”

1st Post: Examining these three documents listed and other resources made available to you in this module (or outside;), answer the following questions:

How do these documents demonstrate a shift from basic human rights to one of civil rights and liberties?

Questions to consider and/or incorporate into your discussions

• Why does DuBois think the treatment of American Negros is disastrous to white Americans as well?
• Why do you think the Universal Declaration of HR felt it was necessary to compare the functions of the UN with the treatment of “mankind” in general?
• In the introduction to the document, how does Mr. Patterson define Genocide and how does it relate to the Negro citizens of the US?

2nd Post: Post this next discussion under your 1st and answer the question:

Why do you think the integration of “blacks” into a “white man’s” world meet with so much opposition and how could it have been different if they were accepted into society as equal?

This is more an opinion and does not need to include citation material unless your opinion derives from a specific source.

3rd Post: Read thought your fellow students posts and respond to one that views these issues thought a different “lens” than your own. Counter, ask for clarification/supporting evidence, extend, and/or debate but make sure you DO use supporting evidence to qualify your position.