Reflection 1: + Do you still think these historical events, rules, and laws still impact our society today? Yes, I do. Overall, the Human Rights movement is still relatively recent in the United States. People that we alive prior to the movement are still around. Futhermore, they have had children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. that they have helped grow, develop, and educate. With this, more people in the current society have grown up with believes that don't align with the movement and actually oppose it. I, myself, grew up with much older parents and grandparents that had very negative opinions and feelings towards People of Color (POC). I grew up in a very white, wealthy, religious town. A black student even found a noose on his locker one day. What did the school administration do? You guessed it, essentially nothing. They played it off like a prank and had a 30-minute presentation about why not to pull pranks of people because it might "hurt their feelings." It took me until college to really understand that my initial way of thought was wrong and that I needed to be proactive in my anti-racism, which has caused a significant break between me and family members and friends. Additionally, the history we were taught in school was so white-washed that they celebrated the annihilation of the Native American tribes, the abuse of African Americans through slavery, and those Confederate leaders that were worth "praise." + What are your thoughts after viewing these videos? My thoughts are very similar to my thoughts prior to. I was educated about these issues and I have done my own research for further education. I think my only empowered thought was how we really need to start learning from our history and not allowing this to continue. It made me reflect on the detention camps for the "illegal" immigrants coming from Latin American countries and the treatment they are receiving. We need to do more work and fight these systems of injustice. Reflection 2: + Are you able to see these connections? Yes! This section was massively informing to me. I can honestly say that I had no idea that red lining was a thing. I have always known that lack of resources and access has been a barrier for POC in the United States, but I did not know how it is purposely done this way. I have never owned my own property, so my desire to learn about property and property value hasn't really peaked. I work in a field that essentially requires relocation every few years just for opportunities of promotion. Living a very privileged life, as a child I didn't understand that POC had so much less access and it lead me to thoughts of them being lazy, criminals, etc. This really hit me in my college years. Now that I can see these connections, I work diligently with my students, especially my students of color, to help them find and establish resources to help them become successful in their futures. Reflection 3: + How much do you believe our history informs people's beliefs and behaviors today?
I think our history informs people in many ways, some positive and some negative. Positively, we are seeing more white people coming out and standing alongside POC in their fight for true equality and anti-racism than we did in the past. The educational systems are getting torn to shreds for white-washing history and adjusting textbooks to their own perspectives, rather than fact. This is creating a better place for children to understand the injustices in our country. However, we still have to factor in the nurture aspect of development. Children may learn one thing in school and then their guardians or family will tell them something that argues with history and forges foundations of racist ideologies. In general, I think it comes down to how and who is educating. + What information in this module stood out to you or impacted you the most? The information that stood out the most to me was the Jim Crow Museum. For one, I did not know it existed, which infuriates me. What I love about the museum is their chosen method of education. It starts guests off in the history and acknowledges the trail of blood this country has led. It ends in raising up POC for their amazing accomplishments and what they have contributed to this world. The cherry on top is that it provides a safe space for education and dialogue among guests and guides. We don't see this enough and safe spaces are still treated like a joke, especially by those unwilling to have a respectful dialogue about difficult topics.
Yes, the actual history of this country (not the history that is typically taught from the White perspective) massively influences how we function as a society in the present moment. The laws and rules of our current social systems are inherently racist as they were originally established and sustained by Whites to support and maintain the way of life for Whites--and at the expensive of the basic civil rights, liberties, and freedoms of Blacks, Indigenous People and other People of Color. If we do not understand this history then we are destined to consciously and/or unconsciously prograte the gross injustices inherent within our society as a whole.