Chicago State University

A Call for Unity

Jacqueline Arthur
Criminal Justice 1200
Marian Perkins
3-19-2012

Over the years we have seen and experienced many laws that have been created here in the United States and abroad. These laws imparted people in many ways positive and negatively. Many laws were just in the fact that they were created with no particular group or race of people in mind. The unjust laws were obvious in who and what people they were mean’t to target. One such law was on the books in Birmingham Alabama. This law was obvious who it was created against. At the time there was a lot of unrest going on in the Jim Crow south. Martin Luther King was in the process of having marches to protest for equal rights, to end segregation as well as other issues facing black America at the time. The law would not permit demonstrations without a permit. Martin Luther King of course would have been denied a permit if one would have been requested. Hence, Martin Luther King marched anyway in Birmingham in 1963. He was arrested and jailed even though the demonstration was peaceful. While in Birmingham jail Martin Luther King read a newspaper article. The article was written by eight white clergyman who felt that the presence of the protestors was “ unwise and untimely” (Letter from Birmingham Jail 1). It was quite ironic that he was jailed for fighting against segregation and unity, but when jailed he was placed in solitary confinement away from everyone. During the time when this transpired the laws known as Jim Crow were in effect. These laws which were unjust were passed in most of the southern states and were known as anti African American legislation. This was why Martin Luther King fought so hard to abolish such laws. It was about attendance in schools, restaurants, theaters, hotels, railway etc. Even mixed marriages were banned under this law. His fight against Jim Crow laws had a profound impact in this country. Martin Luther King felt with non violent protest and media coverage. Would bring mass attention to the issue and some changes would be made. There was other laws that were on the books, such as the 1949 Pennsylvania law that forced public schools to have the children each day to read 10 bible versus in the morning. No particular bible was chosen, but local school officials brought in the protestant King James version. Teachers made students read the versus in unison. The schools in Arlington, which was part of the lawsuit, the students in the broadcasting class read the versus over the public address system. Teachers lived with the threat of losing their jobs if they themselves refused to cooperate. Some times students were segregated if they did not participate. If you were atheist you still had to participate. The only way you could be excused was if your parents made a written request. The lower courts felt that the law was in violation of the establishment and free exercise clause of the first amendment states “ Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof’ or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the rights of the people peacefully to assemble and to petition the government for the redress of grieveness” (Answers.com). The Schempp family felt their rights were being violated. They were followers of the Unitarian faith. People who follow the Unitarian faith do not consider themselves Christians. However they do believe in a loving God. “The father in question testified that he believed that excusing his children “ from attendance at the exercises” would adversely affect his children's relationship with their teachers and classmates” ( School District of Abington Township v. Schempp). Not only did the Schempp's refuse to request an excuse for his children to be excused they refused to participate in the exercise. This is merely due to the fact that he did not