This movie discussed the multiple hardships that African American's struggled with throughout history. It talked about the various political leaders, the groups, and the struggles faced among black population. I felt that this documentary really resonated with me in the sense that so many people in our country had to deal with discrimination over something that they could not control. Due to the color of their skin, they were judged and looked down upon in society. I understand that this still occurs today even though I would like to believe otherwise. I do realize that people still think with a narrow mind and have preconceived notions of people. This proved true when we observe the population of African Americans without our prison systems. There have been instances where they make up 6% of the population in the state and yet over 35% of the prison system in that same state. This is common across the United States and the statistics don't lie.
Some parts of the movie jumped out at me in particular. There was an instance of a young white girl in class. A black woman came into the classroom and said she had something for her daughter. The school teacher replied that she didn't teach Negros. However, a the young white girl walked up to the front of the room to leave with the black woman exclaiming "I hate you" feeling mortified and embarrassed. To feel ashamed of your own family solely based upon their skin color is a horrific idea as well. Sad to think of schools during this time. I can look at my own school, were about 50% of the population is African American. To think about these students being placed in a different school where they received a lesser education, less funding, no supplies, is such a disservice to amounting young learners to reach their potential.
Another portion of the film that stuck out to me were some of the interviews on talk shows. One in particular where a white and black man were discussing racism in the United States was very intriguing. The white man, a professor of the sorts claimed that "I have more in common with a black scholar, than a white man who is against scholarship." This statement is funny in a way. Coming from a single, scholarly white man, it may be easy to convey a message like this one. However, it was clear that social danger was very real during this time. It was very likely that a black person would be killed for speaking out or standing up for what they really believe in. Malcolm X even said "The most segregated hour is high noon on Sunday." This goes to show that even some of the more intelligent people at this time were unable to understand the hardships that African American's faced on a daily basis.
Rodney King - INJUSTICES : The documentary exposed some of the police brutality that occurred. It was horrible to watch, it reminded me of the Rodney King video, in which he was beaten by police officers. This was video taped, viewed, and the officers were acquitted. It felt like it was a way to increase black activism in communities and also demonstrated how these social injustices still exist.
In a similar sense, it reminded me of the Native American deculturalization from previous articles in class. Stripping these people of what they believed in and trying to conform them to the "norm". Their treatment was essentially the same: being considered a worthless to society. The film depicted some iages of lynchings of African Americans, another horrible occurrence to wrap my head around.
The movie also mentioned the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the gut wrenching feelings the African American people felt. This man fought for the rights in a non-violent way and now their progressive leader who was really making a difference and was an inspiration was gone. Another crime against humanity.
The movie can be summed up by this quote: "The story of the negro in america, is the story of america. It is not a pretty story."
Hi Erin,
ReplyDeleteA thoughtful post and response to the film. YOu bring ups some really important issues here that we need to think about as educators:
- Why DO we (white folks) want to think that racism doesn't exist? I think many succumb to that desire to erase racism -- what can we do to intervene in this in our classrooms, families, social circles, communities? And in ourselves? How do we look within and find the intimate places where racism lives on, in spite of our efforts, and how do we extricate it from our consciousness? How do we do more, do better?
- The connection to deculturalization is also very important, as slavery and the appropriation of Indigenous land were at the heart of the founding of this country, and their underlying racial ideologies live on today, shaping our society (and its schools). How do we identify and name this? How do we actively oppose it?