Remnants of the racist historical events, rules and laws described in Module 1 still exists today in the form of white privilege. Even though I, as a white person, did not and would never personally engage in any of the racist historical events described in the text and in the videos in this module, or agree with the rules and laws that, though partially corrected through the Civil Rights Act and other laws intended to reverse racial discrimination of earlier times, racism still persists in the form of the benefits I have received in my lifetime simply because I am white: easier access to better schools, easier access to loans and investment opportunities, more opportunity to live where I want to live, emotional ease and a sense of safety when walking down a street that many people of color feel they can never completely have, etc. We have come a long way since the blatant racism of earlier times, but there are still far too many incidents with racial undertones, such as the killing of innocent black persons, because of a race-based response by racist law enforcement officers or racist citizens taking the law into their own hands after totally misreading a situation. Things have changed for the better, but not nearly enough.
Great observations Mark to round out module 1. As you say, yes a lot has changed, but definitely not enough. It is so deeply ingrained in our way of life and social structures. And that is why making the connection between past and present is so crucial.
What makes this situation worse is that we have a President who is LITERALLY SUPPORTING RACIAL BIAS! So now, as a minority and many other minorities, will see a rise in prejudice regarding this pandemic and in general, which makes me question why I even defended this country in the first place (I honestly do know why, but this is just a rhetoric). Sadly, nothing has really changed all that much but, compared to other countries, I think we are slowly inching our way towards equality, but not at the rate we would hope. Remember, that is was only in the 50's and 60's that Americans allowed blacks and minorities to vote and it was only in the 1920's that women can vote, so we still have a long ways to go. What I hope with my generation and the newer generation, is that they will break the chain of racism and stand up against the institutionalized racism that plagues many southern and remote locations across the United States. Fear is driving America now, and we need to combat that with peace and truth!