Final Blog Post

 The discussions that took place were a great insight to the people that we have in our class. I feel like we never got to truly talk with one another about things that are going on in our world. There are a couple talking points that were brought up in the discussion that were very intriguing and brought up a lot of emotions for everyone.

 

Let’s start with the question of what I would name this era we live in? This question was harder to respond to because of my age. I have not lived long enough to truly grasp the era we are in. The only thing I would consider naming it is “Digital X”. I do not know what I would give the name to replace the “X”. The only thing is that I know it is digital. Our society has become addicted to the workings of social media. We look to social media for everything. From news to connections with family members, as a society we work our whole lives around social media. Every issue is recorded, and every celebration is video recorded and is documented. The realities that have come with the rise of social media is that nothing feels authentic anymore.

 

I do want to continue the point Andrew Mack said. I thought what he said is a valid point. There are advantages inside of minority groups. Although these “advantages” were only created to help deal with the oppressor. Minorites only created these things because we need each other to continue success. Our oppressors will always try a way to keep us from succeeding, so minorities have an unspoken bond between each other.

 

The classic one that I notice is that minority groups will always find each other. As a black student, I will always bond with another black student. This is because we understand that in a setting full of white people, we will understand each other the best. Another is women supporting women. This can start from sharing tampons to even pretending that were our best friends to help a woman from a creepy man. This stems from shared traumas that these minority groups have. Their lives are not always the same, but there is a level of empathy that comes with being a part of these groups. Although Andrew did not structure his point correctly, he had a smart point.

 

This group discussion proved to me that we are all the same in a way. We all want happiness and for others to get the opportunities they deserve. No matter the background or color of skin, we have things in common and we want what is best for others.

A Youtube video that I think shows the danger of social media

social media is not always good

Guess Who is Coming to Dinner

Guess who is coming to dinner was such a beautiful movie. It was comedic and very truthful. This movie is timeless. This topic is still something that happens in families until this day. The characters had growth and dimensions to them.

 

JoAnn was such a delusional character. She has such a beautiful heart. She did not care about his skin color. Even when describing him all she could talk about was his qualities. She was enamored by this man, but she was delusional. She just did not pick up on the issues that were arising. Her dad in the beginning was so obviously against the marriage. Everyone else knew the issues that were happening but her. She just chose to live in delusion.

 

John Prentice’s character is one of my favorites. He loved her so much that he would let her go to save her relationship with her families. I loved his development he became such a strong man by the end. He proved his love for JoAnn by standing up to his father. The monologue he had with his father was so powerful. So many kids of color could relate. Parents should not hold over our heads how much they sacrificed for us because that is just what makes them a parent. A good parent will do whatever it takes to make their kids happy even if it comes with sacrifices.

 

The dad had so much character development. In the beginning he was a closeted racist. Although he believed he wasn’t racist, in practice he was. When faced with the opportunity to blend families and have his daughter marry a black man he was against it. By the end he realized that love has no skin color. That if his daughter is being loved the way he loved his wife then he is completely fine with their marriage.

 

I also think the portion where they talk about how men forget to that they love their wife is true. I think many marriages the man falls out of love with his wife. Therefore, so man divorces and affairs are happening. I do not think the older generation got married for love. They just wanted to grow up or follow the standard of life. I hope our generation will marry because of love and take time with love as well. 

14th Amendment key Post

 The 14^th amendment is an important for people of color. The 14^th amendment granted rights for every person regardless of race. This allowed black students to thrive in their education. This began to close the racial achievement gap that was created during the segregation of schools.

 

The racial achievement gap is the disparities in educational groups or facilities based on race or ethnic groups. This gap began during the “separate but equal” era of America. Children of color were separated by schools and were not treated the same. Black students during this time were underfunded. They had little to no resources. This began a foundation to the growing split of white education versus black education. This issue is still in effect until this day. We are seeing predominately black and brown communities have low resources and horrible funding to the schools. This issue can be led back to slavery and how slaves were treated as property and even after slavery white Americans still held the financial power over the people of color during this time.

 

These disparities have caused a ripple effect on the different race’s education and lifestyle norms. Native American students were sent to schools to be taught how to be white and fit into the norms of white Americans. This slowly started to erase the culture that Natives had within their families.

 

The 14^th amendment is a document that was used in many landmark cases that provided equal rights and opportunities to people of color. Wong Kim Ark v United States being a one of those landmark cases. The Us signed the Chinese Exclusion Act that denied citizenship rights to Asian Americans. Even if this individual is naturally born in the states, they are not a citizen. Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrants. When he has 21 his family moved back to China, and he went to go visit. He later returned and was denied entry to America. This infuriated Wong because he is a natural born citizen, so he sued under the 14^th amendment. This struck down the Chinese Exclusion Act and granted citizenship to all Asian Americans.

 

Affirmative Action is a direct effect of the 14^th Amendment. Without Affirmative Action we will begin to see segregation on college campuses. Black and Brown students do not get to perform the same as their white counterparts in schools due to funding. Predominately, black, and brown areas have low income that channel into the schoolings of these kids. This has caused underperformance from these ethnic groups. Allowing Affirmative Action will grant these children equal opportunities for growth. If not, these kids will all be funneled into HBCUs. There are no issues with these kids going to the colleges or Universities, but these places often are products of underfunding or money issues. This will then begin the cycle all over again.

This issue is still getting fought until this day. Should we have schools reflect the areas the reside in? This can and will allow every student equal opportunities for their higher education. The other issue is will hard work begin to slow down because of Affirmative Action. These two points are valid points that has caused this issue to stay relevant still to this day. 

Sources I used:

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/5-reasons-support-affirmative-action-college-admissions/

https://www.yahoo.com/video/role-hbcus-post-affirmative-action-130000756.html

https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/14th-amendment-was-intended-achieve-racial-justice

https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-xiv

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/13/us/education-the-bakke-case-10-years-later-mixed-results.html

https://www.pbs.org/becomingamerican/ce_witness17.html

https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/169us649

https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/docs/pdfs/essay-contest/first-jonaslorincz.pdf?sfvrsn=e3fba009_2

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/wong-kim-ark-case/

https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/14th-amendment-was-intended-achieve-racial-justice

EOTO Reaction

 The one thing I enjoyed most about this EOTO is watching white kids teach about black history. Things that I wish was taught anyway in school, but it is not truly dove into.

Black issues should definitely be taught more in schools. These are everyday issues that all stem from the same big issue. The whole time I was listening I was just reminded how little white kids know about black struggles. I know this because there was absolutely nothing that I learned that was new to me. Most of these issues are issues that I struggle with everyday or am reaping the repercussions of.

 

The things I would change would be to change the historic figures. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks are great black leaders to learn about but those tend to be the only ones that are taught. The fact that Malcolm X’s assassination is the only thing that was taught was infuriating. Malcolm X did a great deal of help during the Civil Rights Era. Although, he chose a radical way of showing his support he is still an important figure. He also coined the phrase “By all means Necessary”. The fact that the only thing that was taught is the fact he died felt very invalidating to the importance of Malcolm X.

 

I also wish we had discussed was Fred Hampton. He created the Rainbow Coalition. Bring solidarity between the Latino group and lack people. He helped the growth of the Black Panther Party. Another big group that is important during the Civil Rights Era. The fact that the Black Panther Party is coined as a “Black KKK” is an issue. I be you these white kids do not know what the Black Panther party is.

 

Klansville USA

Klansville USA was a documentary about the giant political group that is know as the Ku Klux Klan in the good state of North Carolina. This documentary was the most unnerving documentary I have seen. As a black woman the documentary just made me hate being from North Carolina a little more. To know the Klan was originally like a pranking group just shows how extreme groups like this can get when there is a horrible foundation.

 

This documentary felt like a roller coaster of emotions. The fall of the KKK was so eminent that it honestly took away from their rise. They had so many holes that I just knew were going to be issues later. To start the KKK, could never hold power for too long. They have no true mission. Their mission of white supremacy seems too broad for it to work out long term.

 

The growth of this mindset is terrifying. The more I listened the more it felt like I am studying a cult. I mean the KKK is most definitely a cult. The fact it was one of the biggest political events of the year is bizarre. The initiation and the cross burning do not sit right with me. I just cannot understand how a priest like Dorsett could deal with the burning of the cross.

 

Bob Jones reminded me a lot like Hitler. With they way he could just rally people against a group of people. He grew this group by the thousands. He became their leader by using this scare tactic. The “if they keep progressing, we will lose something” tactic was very appealing to these white people. He made them believe that they are losing power because black people are succeeding.

 

The irony of the fall of the KKK was oddly comedic. The beginning the KKK has trust in the FBI, but by the end it was the FBI that shut them down. Them losing credibility due to taxes is diabolical. It honestly is an odd reason for the fall. Especially since they are an extremist group that is known for hate crimes. Also, Bob Jones turning out to be a crooked, money hungry, man was not surprising. It became very apparent that all he wanted was power. That all anyone wanted was power. Like he stopped caring for the cause and only cared about how much control he has over the people.

14th Amendment Speech

 

I want you to look to your left and then look to your right. I want you to count the amount of people of color that are in this room. Not that many are there? That is a problem. The 14^th amendment granted rights for every person regardless of race. This allowed black students to thrive in their education. This began to close the racial achievement gap that was created during the segregation of schools.

 

The racial achievement gap is the disparities in educational groups or facilities based on race or ethnic groups. This gap began during the “separate but equal” era of America. We were told that our kids were being treated the same. We saw the white kids flourish and began a life that give them a leg up for years to come. We watch black kids not even have the right amount of seat in their classrooms or even have textbooks that were up to date. We even saw native kids get their whole entire identity erased from themselves. Affirmative Action is owed to these kids.

 

The 14th Amendment had created a written documentation that proved that Black Americans and every other race were Americans and were equal to the white man. We have the case Wong V The United States that invoked the 14^th amendment and provided that even Asian Americans are granted the same citizenship. Invoking the 14^th amendment for the continued succession of the white man is a slap to the face. It is a slap to the slaves that fought, hid, and ran for the freedom. The Asian Americans that were denied rights to vote even though this is their land. This a slap in the face for the Natives that were raped, beaten, and whitewashed just to “fit” in.

 

Although Bakke has great credentials, his great credentials could get him into literally any school. While we are trying to repair the gap in education for the people of color. Affirmative Action is what these ethnic groups fought for with the 14^th amendment. That we can all have the same chances even when not handed the same plate. This is not an argument for equality, but a fight for equity.  

Hazel Scott

 Hazel Scott is an inspirational woman. She was not only the first black women to host a television show but also stood up to Hollywood when she saw mistreatment.

 

Born June 11, 1920, in Trinidad, Scott was a musical prodigy. She learned piano at a young age. She mostly learned through listening to the different notes on the piano. Her parents split during Hazel’s childhood, and she lived with her grandmother. Her mother and her became very close through their shared interest in music. Her mother opened many doors for Scott’s music career. Scott began to be taught by many big-name musical artists.

 

She then auditions for the school Julliard School of Music at the age of 8. They don’t normally let anyone younger than 16 into the school but they deemed Scott a musical genius with how good she plays the piano. She began to play professionally at the age of 13. She ends up joining her mother’s jazz band. The people love her. Hazel then becomes a headliner in multiple jazz events. She even goes onto Broadway.

 

After being on Broadway, she signs with a major movie studio. She becomes a movie star, but it came with challenges. She was faced with many racial issues. Hazel would refuse to play any racial roles. She turned down several roles as a singing maid. She would only play sophisticated roles. This began to break the tight casting of black people. She would stand against prejudice in every sense. She became one of the first performers to not perform in front of a segregated audience. She still was highly wanted actress/musician. Her worth began to grow the more popular she became.

 

Hazel Scott moved back to New York and fell in love with Adam Clayton Powell. Scandals began to grow with these two lovebirds. Since their love bloomed from an affair. They had a son and got married days after Powell’s divorce was finalized.

 

The summer of the 1950s, The Hazel Scott show began. This show catered to her love of music. She would play several genres of music for 15 minutes three days out the week. The show only grew in ratings. The people loved her and the show. It abruptly ended after being named in the Red Pamphlets. The Red Scare ended Scott’s career almost overnight. Scott denied these rumors, but the damage was already done. She no longer had her show.

 

Later Scott and Powell separated, and Scott went to Paris. Where she spent these rest of her years.

 

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/hazel-scott