Final Discussion

America is a country known for its opportunity for a better and more financially stable life. As an 18 year old woman who lives in America and was raised by a family of immigrants I have seen pros and cons of the country. However what I have realized is that my pros and cons may be different from somebody else's. I was born a white female and brought up in an upper middle class primarily white town. I have never witnessed poverty or financially unstable areas. I do not know what it is like to be on the other side of the fence. In our conversation in our final class, a classmate of mine made an important point that I have still not been able to get out of my head. "The police talk", this is something she brought up that I have heard of but have never had to experience or witness this. I never knew that parents actually had this talk with there children and to always keep your hands visible. This is all due to the color of my skin, and we are in the year 2022. Should we really be justifying people still on the color of their skin? Sadly, this skin color is still one of the first things that people notice about a person which is just plain sick.

Living in America, you get the privilege of living amongst different people who come from different cultures. We have heard and seen racism for as long as we have been alive. I personally find it so sad that I have peers who feel as if they do not belong due to their skin color. Another one of my classmates pointed out how gender is also something that divides one another. Women support women, yes I will always support women. I will not although support someone just because they are a women if I do not agree with them on whatever it may be, no I will not support them. This is one thing I do not agree with, that say you share similar features with the person such as skin color, gender, or culturaly they should not just receive your automatic vote and support. This is one thing that people in America seem to do a lot which I quite frankly do not agree with. 

We also touched upon ideas of inflation which is something that if affecting Americans daily. For the people wanting immigrate to the United States in the next year are going to struggle with balancing the costs it has to live in this country. Since I am a member of an immigrant family from Greece I will use Greece as an example. In Greece, they use the Euro as their currency which currently is basically equivalent to the U.S. Dollar. You would think that 5 dollars would be equivalent to 5 euros but it is really not. In Greece you would spend 2.50 Euros on a coffee, here in America we spend over $5 on a coffee from Starbucks. The lifestyle shock that greeks have when they come to this country is crazy. So with inflation now it will make it a lot harder for them to come to this country for a better life.

What we need to understand is that everyone is different. Whether it is from sexuality, gender, race or anything, not one person is the same. It is something that people need to come to terms with. In the discussion we had in class we made it all very clear that none of us will ever experience the same things as one another. This doesn't bother me one bit. I love the way I am, I will not wish to experience anything different. What I have and will experience in the future makes me the person that I am. 

Overall, I think that our discussion was informative and eye opening. Listening to different perspectives of the ideas of inflation, social norms, and racial issues really helped me see other sides. I know what I have witnessed in my everyday life, but I did not know what it was like for someone of another race to feel like in there every day life. I now know that my normal is not someone else's normal. I would like to thank Professor Dean Smith for allowing me to partake in such an informative conversation like this and for creating a comfortable environment for me to open up about my opinions to the class.

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"

 "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" is a film based on showing mixed racial couples and how the couples family's react to the relationships. As this was a time where racism was slowly moving to the shadows, white families still had issues with it.

As the film went on we saw how each go their parents viewed the relationship. The mothers of the couple learned to accept the relationship and saw how the couple loved each other. The way the mothers viewed it was that as long as their kids were happy then it didn't matter there opinion. The fathers of the couple on the other hand disapproved of the relationship extremely. They did not believe in marrying outside of their races  and wanted to try and protect their children from making that mistake. John's father was seen as more selfish, he kept on repeating to John that he had done a lot of work in trying to raise him correctly and he did not want him to throw it all away. This then made John feel guilty.

John shows his love for Joanna countless times but also feels guilt for potentially breaking up Joannas relationship with her parents and his. Joanna is madly in love and would jump at the opportunity to marry John as soon as possible if she could. As a white privileged girl, Joanna has not been thinking about the consequences and back lash her and John will be receiving for having a mixed marriage.

Watching this film, I began to think about how difficult it must have been during this time. I am a strong believer on that you cannot help who you fall in love with. So being in Joannas position I would not know what to do. I may believe that I can't help who I fall in love with but I also put the respect of my parents before anything. If my parents don't agree with something, then I respect it and look the other direction. In my culture this is just what we have been accustomed too. Watching John hesitate marrying Joanna I feel for him because I would not want to disobey my family either.

Overall, I can see how John respects his father and I also see how much he truly loves Joanna. This film shows how difficult it was during this time period to be accepted if you married outside of your race. We could see each characters true selves and how lives were at the time.

EOTO #4 Reaction

 In class we had the opportunity to hear about the case known as Board of Regents vs. Bakke which took place in 1978. This case was well known throughout the United States. It helped shape the country when it came to the college admissions process. It helped with opening university's eyes when it came to looking at a persons credentials to get accepted to the university.

This case has to do with a white man named Allen Bakke who wanted to attend the University of California and had beyond the credentials to do so. He wanted to go into medicine and attend this university. Bakke applied the first time and was rejected but not only did he reapply he was also rejected for the second time.He was claimed to have been rejected because of his race. He then began to fight this rejection and didn't believe that the reason for his rejection was valid. He then learned that the university had a special program where they can only allow a curtain about of people of each race to reach the diversity they were trying to portray. He didn't agree with someone getting accepted into the program over him due to the color of their skin.

This then caused Bakke to file a lawsuit against the University of California. The court then decided that the decision to deny Bakke violated the Equal Protection Clause and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The school then began to argue that the reason for the program was to make sure that the program of medicine is including minorities in its program. The Supreme Court then ruled that "race can be one the several determining factors in determining college admissions policies, but it rejected the use of racial quotas as unconstitutional." 

I believe that college admissions should not be based on race. The Supreme Court made the wrong decision with this case. If you have the credentials to get into a school then you should be accepted. Not denied because they let in too many whites or to many of a curtain race. We are taught to have goals and dreams from a young age, and many of us work hard to achieve them. One of these is to get into a college with a curtain program and if we are denied due to the color of our skin then what's the point of putting countless hours of effort in? Now that I think back on my college admissions process and the schools that I have been denied from. Was I rejected because I didn't fit the diversity role that the school wants to have? Could I have gotten in if I was African-American or Latino? I will never know but it could be a possibility. What is the point of having dreams like this if what I as my race off on a box can decide whether or not my dream of going to a curtain school or even a job is the deciding factor. 

This case was an extreme eye opener for me personally because I just completed this process a year ago. In the years to come this could affect me when applying to jobs and or a curtain program for school.It is 2022, you should not be judged on your race. Your credentials and experience are what should be the deciding factor. This case should be used as a reference for fellow Americans and especially people who review students applications in the college admissions process. As someone who will be continuing their education after receiving my bachelors degree, I would hope that my decision to get into whatever program is judged on my experience and resume.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/regents_of_the_university_of_california_v_bakke_(1978)

https://www.britannica.com/event/Bakke-decision

Klansville USA

 

This film was created to inform viewers of the Ku Klux Klan. The Ku Klux Klan was known to be a very violent group of people who targeted African Americans. They believed that slavery should not end and that whites were superior to all. In the documentary we hear about Bob Jones who was the leader of this Klan in the United States. A little background information on Jones, is that he was raised in North Carolina by a poor white family. He was in the navy but was kicked out due to him refusing to salute to a black officer. Later he became the leader of the North Carolina chapter of the KKK.

Bob Jones had a fear of being overpowered. He was the speaker for the North Carolinians and would voice the concerns of the people. The North Carolina group grew to 10,000 members in the course of two years. This shows how Jones was not afraid to get his voice out there and was a very strong influencer. Bob Jones reminds me of a dictator. He was a leader of a group that was targeting a specific race. He was feared. All of these things fall under the category that other dictators also hold such as Hitler. They share many of the same views just targeted towards different groups.

This documentary allowed you to deep dive into what the Ku Klux Klan really was and what they stood for. We have all heard of the group before and how they were known for being white supremacists. What most people didn't know is how big it was in the state of North Carolina. The group received the name "Klansville" after Jones obtained leadership and expanded the group around the state. The film was really informational for me especially because I do live in New England. Due to me living up north segregation was only briefly talked about in history class, I learned what the KKK was but never went into extreme detail like the documentary did.

Overall, I think learning about the KKK is something that needs to be focused on more. It is something that we need to make sure doesn't repeat itself. All men are created equal, and no race is superior to another and by watching the documentary I realized how dangerous this group really was. We learn about Hitler and his hate towards the Jewish community but rarely ever discussed someone identical to him in our own country. We were shown how people were brain washed by Jones' ideas and how they went along with white supremacy. 

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/klansville/

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/13/arts/television/klansville-usa-explores-the-ku-klux-klan-of-the-60s.html

Hazel Scott Reflection

 

Back in the day Black women were involved in television shows or movies to play the role of the maid or the "mammy". By playing these roles they were given a sense of independence by making there own income. It gave them a sense of independence. In my opinion, this was a huge step for women in the black community to step outside of their comfort zones.

Hazel Scott was a woman who voiced her self worth, she would tell producers in order for her to be in there him she would need to be herself. She would not be put in rugged clothing and be hit by white superiors. Scott in fact would make sure that in her written contract it stated that she has control of what she wore and what she sang.

Scott was also extremely talented in music as well as her acting. By the time she was thirteen she was performing professionally throughout New York City. After graduating high school, she began to sing at New York City's top night club. Interesting enough Billy Holiday three weeks before had stopped singing there and vouched that she be the one to take her place. People saw Scott for more than just her skin color, she was talented and never held back. People knew her name.

Fast forward to the year 2022, and some of the biggest hits in music are black, such as Cardi B, Mariah Carey, Beyonce who are some of the most successful black women in music today. They are famous because of there talent and there skin color doesn't play a role in there success. In the modern days today it doesn't matter if you are black or white. In Hazel Scotts day, she was judged and criticized throughout her whole career for her skin color. She did not let this affect her, she continued to sing and act and hold herself to her values. Hazel was one who understood her worth and was a main factor in her success.

Overall, Hazel Scott was such an influential woman especially to young African-American girls. She showed society that you can do what you want no matter the color of your skin. Hazel Scott proved to everyone that even though she was black, she was incredibly talented. Showing that skin color doesn't define you and at this point in time, someone needed to prove it.

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

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/piano/hazel-scott-jazz-entertainer-fought-racial-segregation/

ΕΟΤO#4

 

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential and symbolic leaders of the civil rights era. He came from a long line of baptist preachers By 1954, King served as a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People which at the time was the leading organization in the entire nation. King was also the youngest man to have ever received the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of thirty-five.

On Thursday April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was shot standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis ,Tennessee.King was in town of Memphis to prepare for a march that was set to be held on that Monday for the striking of Memphis sanitation workers. As he was stepping out of his motel room his assassin James Earl Ray shot fire at King. He was convicted for Kings assassination and was given a ninety-nine year prison sentence.

Kings assassin

The night before his death King gave a speech at the Mason Temple Church in Memphis. Here is where he gave his famous "I have been to the Mountaintop" speech. In this speech he was claimed to have foreshadowed his own death. In his speech he says: “I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

On April 8, Kings wife Coretta Scott King and other family members joined in on a march in Memphis lead by thousands of other people in honor of King. This march was the one that King was originally in town for. It now was held in memory of King and also the support of the Memphis Sanitation Workers. His funeral was held in Atlanta at the Ebenezer Baptist Church where many fellow Civil Rights activists and political figures attended to pay there respects to King.

Coretta Scott King and other members of Kings family on April 8th leading the march.

Sources:https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/assassination-martin-luther-king-jr

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr-assassination

https://www.britannica.com/event/assassination-of-Martin-Luther-King-Jr

In the Heat of the Night

 

The film "In the Heat of the Night" took place in the 1967 and is about a mysterious murder that occurred in a small town in Mississippi. Unlike the past films that we have see in class, this was more of an investigative/mystery when the others were dramatic love stories. The film is about a wealthy man named Phillip Colbert who was murdered and the local sheriff named Bill Gillespie and a police man from the North named Virgil Tibbs try to discover what happened.

What stood out to me in this movie was that unlike the others one of the lead characters was a Black man. Eventhough this film and the last one we watched were produced 10 years apart you can see how times have changed in terms of segregation. The producers made a black man the lead role and is used to show the audience and society that they are just as intelligent as whites. Virgil Tibbs was who led the investigation and was able to use the evidence in order to figure out who convicted the murder.

Virgil Tibbs in the beginning of the film was falsely convicted of the murder due to him having a large amount of money in his wallet. A moment in the movie specifically that I remember was when the sheriff didn't believe that the money belonged to Tibbs. He then goes on to explain that he is also a police officer and that he makes the money himself. The sheriff didn't believe that he got payed as much as he did. This then goes to show him that Tibbs may be a more respected man than he originally thought. In this time period showing that a Black man may be more qualified than a white man was odd and unlikely.

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As we can see throughout the movie Bill Gillespie starts to treat Virgil Tibbs as more of an equal instead of a low class man. In the beginning he thinks that Tibbs is just a Black man that fits all the pasts years stereotypes. He didn't believe that he could be such a well respected officer. Virgil does not care that the sheriff sees him this way and he continues to try and figure out the investigation. We can see that as the movie proceeds the sheriff starts to respect and change his perception of Tibbs. Tibbs really wants to get to the bottom of this case and Gillepsie begins to realize how worthy his determination is. As the two start to work more as a team, this shows society that no matter the color of ones skin they can come together and work as one.

EOTO #3 Reaction

 

This EOTO presentation was about events that happened throughout the Civil Rights movement that focused on segregation. The country was divided on race and people were not afraid to voice their opinions.

One thing that was discussed was the sixteenth street bombing. This event was new to me and I had never know that it occurred so it was helpful to have heard information on it. This church was in Birmingham, Alabama and was one of the first Black Baptist churches. This city was known to be very violent and had many bombing events. The sixteenth street bombing ended up killing twenty-two black civilians including four young girls. This church served as a meeting point for meetings and rallies for the community.

Another event that was discussed was the Ku Klux Klan also known as the KKK. This was a white supremacist group that during this time era focused on attacking Civil Rights activists. They used murder and violence to try and scare the activists. Throughout time this group had different Klans, the one we discussed was more specifically the second clan which did its focus on preserving segregation.

This presentation was extremely informational for me because throughout my years of taking history classes I honestly don't remember ever touching on these subjects. These events are important for our country and understanding of the Civil Rights era. The events that I named are just a few of the many that took place in this time period. In schools today, students need to spend more time learning about the Civil Rights era and the tragic but monumental events that helped end segregation in America.

Justice Harlan Dissent

 Justice Harlan believed that all me are created equal. That everyone in this country was equal. He believed that the "separate but equal" doctrine was simply unconstitutional. He states this "Our constitution is colorblind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens." This shows how Justice  Harlan believed more in equality and fairness than the color of ones skin.

Justice Harlan knew the constitution and amendments extremely well and used his knowledge to make his decisions. He used his knowledge specifically in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Harlan really believed that everyone is equal. Ironically he was a slave owner which shocked me because of what he preaches. For being a white man who believed that all men are equal he received a lot of criticism. 

As to his knowledge of the 14th Amendment, Justice Harlan took it as it makes judging people by the color of their skin illegal. This then led Harlan to call out the state of Louisiana in the Plessy v Ferguson case. He called out the state by saying the having separate cars is illegal. Due to the state using the wording of the amendment to try and bypass what the law really means. By making the cars separate by color, Harlan knew that this was a violation of the amendment. 

By believing what he did, Harlan released some key points that not many other people thought of or believed. One of his famous points was  “in this country there is no superior, dominant ruling class of citizens,” and also stated how it is wrong to “regulate the enjoyment of citizens' civil rights solely on the basis of race.” These points that Harlan made were to express his point on how African Americans are not trying to win superiority, it is they just wanted to be treated as equal human beings.

https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1335/john-marshall-harlan-i

https://louisville.edu/law/library/special-collections/the-john-marshall-harlan-collection/harlans-great-dissent

Brown vs Board of Education

In my class, we had to do research and preform a speech as if we were in the case of Brown vs Board of education. I had to portray a member of the state that was fighting to keep segregated schools based on the religious point of view. This was informational to all because both teams made extremely valid points as to why schools should be segregated. Although we were playing the role of being "pro" segregation we all obviously agree how segregation was unfair.

 

Let me begin by asking you all a question. Would you like it if you sent your child to school to learn and they came home telling you stories about how someone was discussing different points of views on God? What would you do? Whites and Blacks believe different things. I personally would be incredibly angry if my child came home one day and said that a black child was discussing their religion with my child. Our children are sent to school to receive an education with children who are like them. In the state of Kansas, blacks and whites have separate schools for a reason to make sure everyone is with who they are supposed to be. The "separate but equal” doctrine was created for a reason. To make sure that treatment between races is fair. You don't see whites sending their children to black schools. God would not want us to. He gave us the opportunity to be separate for a reason and we should be following his wishes. God created us differently for a reason. Why are we trying to mix together when we were born to be separate. Those who are in favor of changing it will be punished. God sees everything. All is fair. There is a school for everyone. We go to separate churches and are taught and preach different ideas. Our children should be attending school with children they go to church with. The importance of associating our children with people of the same beliefs is one of the most important things. It is one of the only ways we will keep our religion strong. Overall, as a state we should not be allowing our schools to be mixed.The "separate but equal” doctrine is completely fair and was created for moments like these. Why should our state go against the laws and start mixing all together. Our children need us to stand up for them and for the better of them things should remain separated.

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka

https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment

EOTO

 

My part in the EOTO presentation was to elaborate on the 13th Amendment. Before doing research on the topic I did not know what this Amendment was. I am overall grateful that this class gives me the opportunity to learn more about the fundamentals of our country and read about things I wouldn't normally search on my free time. As a person would doesn't look into politics or history much, I actually really enjoyed researching this topic. From hearing about how law was a key part of the "Reconstruction Era" after the Civil War to discovering that Abraham Lincoln played a key role in passing this law.

The 13th Amendment was passed in 1865, towards the end of the Civil War to try and abolish slavery for good. It was passed as the first Amendment of the “Reconstruction” the period after the Civil War and made slavery illegal in the United States of America. This was passed to try and end slavery in the United States. The law however did pass at the Senate level but did not make it pass the House, which then caused President Lincoln to push and have it go pass Congress. Lincolns actions had the House pass the law in 1865.

“13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865).” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/13th-amendment. 

History.com Editors. History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/thirteenth-amendment. 

U.S. Senate: The Senate Passes the Thirteenth Amendment, 11 Mar. 2022, https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/senate-passes-the-thirteenth-amendment.htm. 

National Geographic Society, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/13th-amendment-united-states-constitution. 

Plessy v Ferguson

 

The case known as Plessy v Ferguson was an important case in American history. A man named Homer Plessy refused to sit in the Blacks only train car even though he was only 1/8th black. This took place in 1896 in the state of Louisiana where Black and White people had to ride the train in separate cars. Plessy fought that the this law violated the 14th Amendment which stated that "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States." 

This case took place in the "Reconstruction Era" which was the period of time that took place after the Civil War. This time was when slavery was becoming abolished in America and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments arose. These Amendments were created to focus on making sure African American citizens were treated equally. In the state of Louisiana where the Plessy v Ferguson case took place, they had there own la known as "Separate but Equal". This law was made to ensure that the races had everything "equal" but would still be separate. This was believed to still be following the 14th Amendment. 

 

The state of Louisiana declared the "Separate but Equal" doctrine as constitutional, which then caused Homer Plessy to lose this case. The doctrine was claimed to be constitutional as long as whites and African Americans got the same treatment at all places they went to. To the government this was fair as long as everything was equal. Overall, the Plessy v Ferguson case would be seen as unconstitutional now but back then in Louisiana it was seen as there was nothing wrong. 

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson

https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/plessy-v-ferguson

"Band of Angels" Reflection

 In the film, "Band of Angels" we got to see and understand a different view of slavery. In the other film we watched known as "Gone with the Wind" we see slaves get treated more harsh and very disrespectfully, in this film we see them get treated like people.

In this film we see a woman named Amanda Starr who had just found out that she was part African American be put up for auction and bought by a man named Hamish Bond. Amanda was then living in Bonds house with other slaves but noticed how respectfully Bond treats his slaves. She refused to believe that all of this had happened to her and refuses to leave her room and even look at Bond. Bond ended up letting Amanda go and even though she left she eventually went back to him because she realized that she loved him.

This movie is mainly about a Southern romance between a "slave" and a white male who became a former slave owner. What we began to notice is the difference in how the slaves were treated in this film vs. "Gone with the Wind". The movies were released almost 20 years apart and we can see the difference in the times.As time progressed we see that slaves were treated more like people and with respect. They were not working under people who would abuse them, they were working for people who actually cared about them. They were housed and clothed and cared for. Overall, based on this film we can see how slaves eventually were treated more as people and less disrespectful.

Town Hall Reflection

 As someone who isn't a huge history fanatic, I actually enjoyed the Town Hall meeting activity. Learning about different historical figures in the slave era was very eye opening to be because it was great to hear about people besides Abraham Lincoln. When I used to think about the slave era I would think about Abraham Lincoln and Rosa Parks, now I learned names from both sides of the argument. We had both pro slavery and anti slavery representatives in this assignment.

Andrew Jackson was one of the historical figures that was named during our presentations. He was known as one of the largest slave owners in the U.S., so the anti-slave supporters hated him. I knew that he served as a President of the U.S. but I didn't know that he was such a big supporter in slavery. Jackson firmly believed that men should have slaves so do all their work for them and that they should just sit back and worship their land. As someone who does not know a lot about past Presidents, I am extremely shocked that people from the north would vote for someone like Jackson as President. We have seen that more people lived in the Northern part of the United States than the South. The North had a lot of anti slavery supporters so after hearing that a President was such a big supporter of slaves I am surprised he was voted for. 

Overall these were just a few things that I learned from the Town Hall presentations. One big thing that I took away was that I learn better from activities like this than textbook readings or lectures. Having an activity that is like this where it is interactive allows me and other students to get involved in learning. Now in the year 2022 slavery is immoral but going back in time and seeing peoples point of views of the idea of slavery makes me have a clearer understanding of how bad it really was. Without this activity I would never have learned what I did.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andrew-Jackson

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/abraham-lincoln/

Religious Argument for State vs Mann

 

The following writing is a speech I wrote defending the idea that slavery should be abolished focusing on the idea of religion for the case known as State vs. Mann. This case was the state of North Carolina against John Mann. Mann shot his slave named Lydia and then was told to pay a $10 fine. Unfortunately the state lost this case because the Supreme Court ruled that slaveowners had all legal rights to do what they wanted to their slaves.

Slavery is the devils work. Any person who believes it is moral will be looked down upon by the eyes of God. As Exodus states in 21:16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.” Our Bible even states how we do not condone slavery so why should we support it? Why are so called religious people still choosing to own slaves when our Bible states things like this?

The people who believe in slavery use them to perform there duties on there beautiful farm lands that the lord has blessed them with. This is not right, God bless you with that land, it is for you to take care of and nourish not anyone else. The people who own slaves believe they are superior. God is who we should be trying to please and only him. Listening to the Bible is how we should be doing it. “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.” Peter 1:16 People should be free and living through the rules of God not through the rules of someone.Everyone should be able to live their lives freely.  God will punish those who go against him. Those who are with him live without sin and those who betray him walk through their lives as sinners. Does one not feel the guilt of abusing another person? God is always watching, and he knows all. For those who try and hide there slaves from society, God knows. He watches you commit the crimes. It should be gone to many innocent people are getting there lives taken away by slavery. We need to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves and God will back us up. In the eyes of God we are good and we now must go out and preach his words to help end slavery.

http://projects.leadr.msu.edu/youngamerica/exhibits/show/antislaveryreligion/antislaveryreligionusa

https://time.com/5171819/christianity-slavery-book-excerpt/

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-slavery/

Gone With the Wind Review

 

This film really opened my eyes to a different type of film. I had never seen a film like this one before, one this old. The film has real special effects such as, having to actually light the set on fire, use hundreds of people to create overview scenes, and also use real live animals. This showed be what it really took to create a genuine film like this in a time where they did not have the technology they do today. Without this class, I would most likely had never even had thought to watch this because the idea of an "old" movie would never had been appealing to me.

Gone With the Wind shows a perspective of what it was like during the Civil War. Throughout the film we see how the whites were considered "wealthy" and people of color were treated as slaves. This is what it was like during this time period while the North and South were at war with each other over if slavery was right or wrong.  The film makes the North seem like the "enemy" when in fact they were the ones fighting for slavery to be eliminated, the South believed that they had the right to own them.

The slaves in the film were mostly houseworkers and caregivers, and they played a big role in the film. They go one to treat them as if they were stupid and worth nothing. For example, the female lead named Scarlett was called to help deliver her friends baby but she did not know how and asked a young girl who was her slave. The young girl began to tell Scarlett that she also had no idea how to deliver a baby and then Scarlett began to beat her. This was just one specific example of how the film portrayed the slaves.

As I said before I did really enjoy the film but one thing I did not agree with was how glorified the southerners were. They were shown as perfect and innocent when they were the ones who had owned the slaves. Not the northerners. Maybe this is just my 2022 modern day mindset, but I feel as if it is definitely biased. Overall the film "Gone with the Wind" is a well put together film used to demonstrate life in the Antebellum and Civil War period in time.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/14/movies/gone-with-the-wind-battle.html

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/

Bible Team Challenge

 Throughout history, we have seen the idea of slavery take place all over the world. We have focused on the most in the United States, especially in the 1800s. Religion played a massive role in how people viewed slavery because during this time most people were very religious no matter what the religion may have been. In Catholicism, we see that they believed in slavery because their religion never specifically said anything negative about it. Since their religion never preached that the idea of slavery was a sin, they saw nothing wrong with the idea and took it as more of a right. 

Pro-Slavery: Rachel

Since Catholicism was the main religion in the United States throughout the prime years of slavery, it influenced people’s minds the most. According to Ephesians 6:5-8 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. This shows how the Bible easily tells people it is ok and will not be looked down upon by God. For instance, in Maryland, there was a plantation that was bought by a Jesuit priest in which he used his slaves to spread the word of the Catholic church. The pay that the slaves would receive would go to the building of new churches and new schools. We see here that the Catholic church used the Bible to preach and enforce the idea of slavery.

This photo shows Frank Campbell who was one of the enslaved men on this plantation.

New York Times Article

Over the years the Catholic Church has grown and modernized. One big thing that has changed was when the new Catechism of the Catholic Church (teachings of the Roman Catholic church) was published in 1994. This new idea of teachings truly changes the Catholic’s ideas from pro slavery to against it. In the seventh commandment, it states that “you shall not steal”. This meaning that the idea of slavery is an idea of stealing. You steal their identity, because when slaves were employed they were not given names or self-identities. Also, the employers would steal their incomes and use it on themselves because they believed that they should not get paid. Without the changing of the Catechism of the Catholic church, they would still believe that being treated as an object and stealing one's identity is moral because the church does not say anything against it. “No longer slaves but brothers and sisters,” said has said, Pope Francis.

Pictured is the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” which was published in 1994.

Sources:

https://justiceandpeace.org.au/key-ideas-and-extracts-about-slavery-trafficking/

https://faithmag.com/seventh-commandment-you-shall-not-steal

https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2018/09/18/major-role-catholic-church-played-slavery/

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/01/a-harvard-exhibit-on-slavery-and-christianity/

ANTI-SLAVERY: Lauren

Christianity has so much history to it that it is extremely hard to say, “Yes, the Bible was pro-slavery” or “No, the Bible was anti-slavery.” The correct answer to someone asking what the Bible believed about slavery is that it was both pro and anti-slavery. I will be unpacking the anti-slavery side of Christianity. One thing that most people don’t understand is that when the Bible was written, slavery had a completely different meaning, which is why it is hard to come to a verdict on what side the Bible stood. 

Slavery was a completely different concept than it was in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Old Testament talks a lot about slavery. Throughout the O.T., it is clear that slavery existed. In Deuteronomy 27:7 it says: If someone is caught kidnapping a fellow Israelite and treating or selling them as a slave, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you. It is evident that slavery was a thing during these times and that people in Israel were struggling. If we take a closer look at Exodus 21, it flat-out condemns the selling and enslavement of people. Although I am supposed to be talking about the anti-slavery side of things, it is not fair to give information about a Bible that supposedly condemns slavery, when there is so much background and history that get to that point. 

(Enslavement in Israel)

So what changed? Why was slavery okay back then but now, any Christian would immediately be against it? What people fail to understand is that slavery as spoken about in the Old Testament was not race-based at all. What one will see if they dive deeper into what the Bible says about slavery, is that it is condoned in both the New Testament and the Old Testament, but less in the New Testament. The Bible states that everyone is made in the image of God. The slave and the master are equally human and protected in our one in Christ. So yes, although the Bible is condoning slavery, is a completely different version of the slavery that we know today. What the New Testament explains better, is that the Bible's main goal was spiritual redemption, not social reform.  

A lot of times in the Bible, "slavery" refers to being a "slave" to Jesus. "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who is sojourning with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:33-34). One of the reasons people say that the New Testament is more anti-slavery is that it talks more about not submitting yourself to slavery for people other than Jesus. So while the Bible is condemning slavery in a way, it still says that you should be a servant and a slave to Jesus, which is completely different than traditional slavery. In Galatians 3:28, Jesus states, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ." In Ephesians 6:9 Jesus demands, "Masters do the same to them and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven and that there is no partiality with him.” In Ephesians 6:5, Jesus demands, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ.” 

To conclude our findings, it is fair to say slavery is equally condemned and condoned throughout the Bible and has completely changed over time. The meaning of slavery in the Bible is nothing like the meaning we know today, which is what people fail to understand. There are many different interpretations of what the Bible actually meant by all of these arguments. Religion has played a vital role in the development of slavery, and the Bible has been a critical tool when analyzing if slavery is ethical. 

Sources:

https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-slave-of-christ/

https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/passages/related-articles/slavery-in-the-new-testament

https://emergencenj.org/blog/2019/01/04/does-the-bible-condone-slavery

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-wrong-say-bible-pro-slavery/

Frederick Douglas Game: James Henry Hammond

I took the part of being James Henry Hammond who was a governor and state representative in the state of South Carolina. He was extremely opinionated and believed that slavery should exist. Hammond was a very religious man and believed that God has blessed him with his plantations and that his slaves should be blessed and grateful for their lives. This is something I wrote as I played the part of James Henry Hammond:

"I James Henry Hammond believe there should be a class in our social system that has a low level of intellect and can be used to perform duties. For us southerners and fellow South Carolinans we have found a race that can  answer all these commands. We call them slaves. We do not just have them in the south they appear up north just you northerners keep the status low. We keep them for life, we house them, we feed them, and most importantly offer them employment. We do not have to beg them to stay. All the northerners try to preach is that the world has abolished slavery when no one in this world has that amount of power to do so. Only the man himself known as God has that power. In the north you all hire your slaves daily and then they are pulled into the streets of the towns and are harassed by there employers. You wonder why you need to find new ones every day? The south believes that whites under no law can become slaves, slaves are black, God has blessed them with the position of being our slaves. They are not equals with whites. I firmly believe that. “Slavery is I believe to be one of the greatest of all the great blessings that which a kind of Providence has bestowed upon our glorious region.” That is what I stated in my speech that I made to the Senate in March of 1858. In order for our country to achieve all that is great we need our slaves to support us. We want them with us not against us. Ask our slaves how they feel. They will tell you that they are happy and nothing is missing from their lives because we provide essentials for them. So why should we give up our slaves that are perfectly happy with the lives that we have provided for them? Why should we take away their happiness? Upper class civilians should be treated as upper class. We are the ones who own the land. In order for civilization to continue to grow we need a lower class in order to work for us and take care of our fortunes. Mr. Jefferson states that “all men are created equal” but this is false. Men cannot be created equal. We whites are the landowners and this is our right. We decide what should happen in our region. Our slaves help us in ensuring that our civilization can keep rising.  All the states can justify for themselves but we in South Carolina believe that a white mans right of passage is to own slaves. I do not stand for other states, but as for my own I will continue to fight for what we as a region believe is moral. Why should I allow outsiders to come into my region and dictate what we see fit. I do not trespass into other regions and tell the rulers what to go by. The only eyes I plan to please are Gods and he sees what good this is for our region and we must take and protect what God has given us. We as a nation shall never allow others to take what our righteous father has blessed us with".

Sources:

https://www.nps.gov/people/james-henry-hammond.htm

https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1800-1850/Representative-James-Henry-Hammond-of-South-Carolina/

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/mud-sill-speech-in-the-senate/

The United States Supreme Court

I used to think that's the United States Supreme Court was just where you went if you committed a very bad crime. My young self thought the past few years when I started to pay more attention to the News and to social media posts. Little did I know I lived in a country that had the strongest court on Earth and followed a 200 year old Constitution. The SCOTUS contains nine people who are known as the Supreme Court Justices, they meet weekly to discuss which cases to accept and which to deny. As a group they only approve around 100 cases per year. This was shocking to me because I did not know how selective they really were. 

                    

Pictured above are the nine current Supreme Court Justices.

Over the past couple of months teenagers in the United States have discovered more about what the Supreme Court is than over there years of education. Now a days you can just be scrolling on Tik Tok or any social media platform and see posts about the supreme court. Personally, I have learned a lot more from social media about the Supreme Court than any of my history classes throughout the year. The power of social media is definitely a blessing and a curse because you can get biased information as well as factual. Social media allows not only residents of the United States to discover decisions made by the SCOTUS but also anyone around the world. 

The most recent decision made by the Supreme Court that received the most publicity was their decision to overturn Roe vs Wade. People all over the world began ranting on all social media platforms about their opinions on the decision. Some users took this to an extent and started righting posts with explicit language and writing personal attacks on others posts. This then made social media platforms take a step to remove their accounts from their platform. For example, Facebook would lock your account and users would call this as being placed in "Facebook jail". You would see posts that state "Abortion is murder" or "My body my choice". These are just two of the many things that people would post all over social media to embrace their opinions. 

Pictured above is a photo from the Roe vs. Wade protests.

Personally I am not one who is interested in discussing my opinions on politics or publicly voicing my opinions on topics like Roe vs. Wade on social media. The major thing that I have taken away from all of this the past few months is the amount of power that the Supreme Court holds. One decision that they make can affect the lives of an entire country. No matter what the decision is they are going to have to face negativity due to everyone having different opinions on different topics. as we saw with the Roe vs. Wade case people started grouping into Republican and Democrat sides even though this had nothing to do with a presidential campaign. As an American citizen I am glad I have had the opportunity to learn more about the Supreme Court and as I have gotten older I now have a better understanding on the amount of power it holds.

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWRoXYRsaeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca8qSuWxcG8&t=622s