How much do you believe our history informs people's beliefs and behavior today? What information in this module stood out to you or impacted you the most?
100%. That's how much our history informs our beliefs and behaviors today. Watching the various videos of what people have done in the past is so reflective of what I see, hear and read. It is engrained in our society. The information that stood out the most to me was the video about the El Paso/Mexico border because of it's relevance as well as the Japanese Internment camps. I doubt we will ever see this administration apologize for what they are doing though. Also, learning that law enforcement was initially for ensuring enslavement really opened my eyes to the engrained beliefs that more than likely are behind police brutality today. There were so many things in this module. Talking about stress levels and normal stress reactions. How black people are in a constant state of stress is unnerving and upsetting to think about but it's true. Every day I can only assume they question if this will be there last or what they are going to do today to not die. I have never had that thought come across my mind, not even before getting on a plane. What our society is rooted in is disheartening and the fact that it continues to this day is horrible. It truly shows how white people hide behind the systemic racism that is in place, victim blaming, to ensure their comfortability.
The history is we have learned is not what we are seeing in the videos. I suppose that the histories we have learned inform our behaviors because they reinforce a better view of what the white people in power have done. Often the histories we learn, and refer to as accepted, explain past acts as done by people who didn't know better. This does not put the onus on the country to end or even acknowledge the racist policies that continue today.