THE LEGACY OF HAMMER

LOGAN

By: Collin Giuliani

OVERVIEW

Hammer Logan was a civil rights leader that helped fight for equality. However, before his imprisonment, his temper got the better of him. He viewed the world as a cold and cruel place. He had many incidents as we now know, which included a violent march on whites after his wife died in a car accident, leading violent protests which got him in prison & a near attack down in Strawberry, Mississippi, before an unknown source convinced him not to attack, as we found out by interviews through a specific family that asked us not to reveal their identity. However, it was after he went to prison that his actions and protests were recognizable and made a stronger impact on the movement. After his death, the world was in shock, but his legacy lives on today.

WILLEM ROBERTSON

What convinced Hammer Logan to stop his acts of violence? He was changed in prison by a man named Willem Robertson, who convinced him that violence wasn’t the answer. We now know from diary entries that Hammer wrote, “without Willem [Robertson], I never would’ve been the man who I am today.” Willem was an African-American who was in prison while Hammer Logan was. After he encountered Willem Robertson, the civil rights movement would never be the same.

THE NEWCOMERS

After his prison release, Hammer Logan still was determined to fight for civil rights, but did it in a different and more peaceful way. He organized a new protest group that wouldn’t protest with violence both physically and mentally, but instead, this protest group would protest by methods such as petitions, boycotts and strikes.

PEACEFUL PROTESTS & THEIR IMPACT

The peaceful protests had a huge impact on the civil rights movement. While the violent protests were unsuccessful as they not only hurt the movement, but hurt the lives of many, the peaceful protests were deemed successful by many and were a critical factor in gaining equality throughout the country. Hammer Logan had officially become a changed man.

MARCH ON CHICAGO

Hammer Logan organized some notable protests and boycotts, but his most famous one was the March on Chicago. He gathered over 75,000 people to march in Chicago, Illinois for equality by races. The March on Chicago was deemed a success, as Martin Luther King Jr., who before Hammer’s imprisonment, confronted Hammer and told him that violence wasn’t the answer, praised Hammer for his changed methods of fighting for equality.

THE IMPACT BY MARTIN

Martin Luther King Jr. was probably the most influential civil rights leader in the civil rights movement. His protests and marches such as the famous March on Washington, where he led 250,000 people to march and where he revealed his famous, “I Have a Dream,” speech, were influential in the movement. He had previously marched in Chicago, where he encountered Hammer Logan protesting in a violent method with riots. There, he convinced Hammer that violence wasn’t the answer, saying that African-Americans practicing these methods would be, “deplorable.” That confrontation, along with Willem Robertson, convinced Hammer to change his ways. After the March on Chicago, which was a peaceful protest, King gave Hammer praise, saying that, “it’s people like you that will change the ways that we are treated.”

IF IT’S PEACEFUL, EQUALITY WILL

COME…After the March on Chicago, which was Hammer’s most famous protest of his life, national buzz came, not for the reason of his first march. The buzz came in the first march due to violence. Martin wrote him because he said that it wasn’t the way to roll. But the second march, the buzz came by the media for saying that this protest might actually work. Martin Luther King Jr. gave Hammer praise. He became a household name of the civil rights movement. Equal rights were eventually gained, and one of the reasons was probably due to Hammer and his peaceful protests.

ALL MEN ARE NOW CREATED EQUAL

Hammer Logan had the famous March on Chicago and his peaceful protests were critical. John F. Kennedy signed the bill giving equal rights for everybody. Hammer, along with others such as Malcom X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & Rosa Parks, helped give every citizen, regardless of race, equal rights.

THE BEGINNING OF AN ERA…

Hammer did his homework. He marched peacefully, organized successful protests and received national praise. Once that bill was signed, he continued to fight peacefully for equal rights with his protest group. But for the most part, equality was gained. He took some vacations and made a living after the civil rights movement for the most part ended. He pretty much rode off into the sunset for a while.

…BUT THE OLDIES AREN’T BUYING IT

Hammer began his protests as violent riots which, as Martin Luther King Jr. & Willem Robertson had told him, wouldn’t be the answer. But what ever happened to the old protest group? His former followers weren’t convinced. At first, they were in shock. Could Hammer had really switched to the light side? Did Hammer really abandon the dark side.

FOR THE OLDIES, REALITY FINALLY

HITAfter their moment of shock, they realized after the March on Chicago that Hammer had really transformed. It seemed unreal at first, but later, it was true. The old protest group didn’t accept the way things are. They didn’t embrace Hammer for gaining equality, but instead, they hated him for switching. It was a complete change in character.

HAMMER BECOMES “BENEDICT ARNOLD”

The old protest group wasn’t convinced. They instead began to insult Hammer in private. These people began to call Hammer a hypocrite and a traitor. Some even called him a Benedict Arnold, who during the Revolutionary War, switched from the American side to the British side. But they didn’t stop there. Instead, they made a move that changed the lives of the group and Hammer Logan forever.

VACATION @ THE BIG APPLE

In 1980, equal rights were finally gained in every way. They could use the same bathrooms, go to the same restaurants and go to the same schools without being beaten up. Hammer Logan was pleased by this, and in 1980, left Chicago, Illinois for a vacation in New York City. The vacation at first lifted his spirit, knowing that everything was good in the world.

DIVERSITY FOR THE FIRST TIME

Hammer Logan couldn’t believe what he was seeing in New York City. When he registered at the hotel, he wasn’t beaten up. He was treated fairly and properly. When he went out on the streets, nobody beat him up. In fact, some people recognized him and applauded, asking for his autograph at the same time. The world was good, and in Hammer’s mind, nothing could go wrong.

MEANWHILE @ THE CITY…

Hammer’s old protest group knew that he was there. The old protest group, who had used methods of violence to end racism, had been planning this for nearly 15 years, but now was the perfect opportunity to do it. Hammer was in his old age and would probably die within the next 10 to 15 years, so this was the perfect timing in this group. Hammer thought that everything was good in the world. The old protest group didn’t. And later on Hammer’s first night, they would encounter each other for the first time in nearly 20 years.

THE ENCORE PERFORMANCE

That night, Hammer Logan was coming back from a Broadway show. He entered his taxi and went back to his hotel. After he stayed in the room for a few minutes, he went up to the hotel balcony to look at the beautiful view of the city which he only could’ve imagined seeing. It seemed like the perfect ending. But then, people approached him. He was encountered with his old protest group, who wasn’t pleased. And then, the show began.

ACT I

Hammer Logan saw the protest group and just enjoyed the view, ignoring them. The protest group then began to get his attention by verbal insults such as calling him the ‘n word.’ Hammer began to feel furious inside, angered by the actions of the group, still not recognizing that violence wasn’t the answer. However, Hammer didn’t stoop to their level and ignored the insults. He continued to look at the view, but the view of life wouldn’t last very long.

ACT II

After ignoring the insults, the protest group realized that Hammer wouldn’t be threatened by these insults. Hammer then continued to look, but then, Hammer was confronted again by the protest group. “You’ve crossed the line,” said the protest group. “And we’re not going to accept it.” Hammer Logan, at an old age at 83 years old, saw a silver gun, which looked like the one that he saw earlier in the 1930s down in Strawberry, Mississippi. And then, it happened.

THE GRAND FINALE

A bullet was fired. The gun sounded. Hammer was shot once, but somehow managed to stay up. The second shot nearly made Hammer fall down, but he was back up. But at an old age of 83, he could hardly put up a fight. The third shot made Hammer fall to the ground. He could barely keep his eyes open before a fourth shot occurred. After that, he was dead. Hammer Logan, at the age of 83 years old, was announced dead.

PUT IN THE SLAMMER FOR

KILLING HAMMERThe crime, especially due to equality throughout races, was noticed. Three of his former followers who believed that violence wasn’t the answer, pleaded guilty to killing Hammer Logan. Alex Reymond was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Two others, Dean Farnsworth and Larry Brady, were sentenced to life in prison, with Brady having no chance of getting out on parole.

83 YEARS & 1 TRAGEDY

Hammer’s death stunned newscasts for days. It stunned those that remembered him in the civil rights movement for months. It stunned those that new Hammer deeply for years. But it stunned the ones that loved him for eternity. Going to jail stunned those who knew him. Changing shocked those who knew him as well. But his death might have shocked those who knew him the most.

REMEMBERING HAMMER

Hammer Logan lived 83 years. From his birth in 1897 to his death in 1980, Hammer was an inspiration. He told people that you can make a difference. He told people that with hard work, anything is possible. But most importantly, he told that if you’re not happy with yourself, you can change and transform into a completely different identity. Hammer Logan proved all of this in 83 years, and in 1 tragedy, everything was gone. Hammer Logan was a hero, a role model and a fighter, but most importantly, he was an inspiration. He was an inspiration to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. later in his life. He was an inspiration to all African-Americans who wanted a change. He was a freedom fighter.

AN OVERVIEW

In his early life, Hammer Logan was known as violent and un-loving. Later, he was known as a hypocrite for abandoning the dark side, but he was known as a role-model, a positive influence, an inspiration and a freedom fighter. Hammer Logan before, believed in violence. Later, he believed in peace. Before, Hammer was going to do anything for equal rights, including riots that could potentially harm the lives of others. Later, Hammer was going to send the right message for equal rights. Hammer was viewed as a poor influence in the beginning. In the end, Hammer was viewed as a role model on others. Hammer is the true meaning of a freedom fighter.

THE END

PowerPoint Created By: Collin Giuliani