FNED 502 Social Issues in
Education
June 5th, 2018
Race, Racism and White Supremacy in Education
I Am Not Your Negro: A documentary video narrated by James Baldwin and Raoul Peck
The documentary film I Am Not Your Negro exposed
the terrible experiences that Millions of African Americans faced during the times
of Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America (1954 – 1968). Throughout this film prejudice
is clearly visible all around the nation. Bias and injustice towards “Black Men”
was evident everywhere. The story of “The Negro in America, is the Story of America
and it is not a pretty story” James Baldwin words are deep and sad, it is
well known that only the people in power are the only ones who will living from
having a good and just life. Unfortunately the people who say they care for us,
are precisely the ones who fail to protect us all the time. The film makes a
remarkable depiction of how African Americans were marginalized and kept
separate from the white population simply because they were seen as a plague
(just like the Native American Population as seen by the European that
conquered the US). Different laws were written and adopted in favor of “whites
only”. Laws like Jim Crow laws were established in the South
beginning in the late 19th century. T
he
law mandated that Blacks couldn’t use the same public facilities as whites,
live in many of the same towns or go to the same schools. Interracial marriage
was illegal, and most blacks couldn’t vote because they were unable to pass
voter literacy tests. Even though this
law was not adopted in the Northern States, millions of African American man,
Woman and Children experienced discrimination at
their jobs or when they tried to buy a house or get an education. To make
matters worse, laws were passed in some states, where voting rights for blacks
was limited or prohibited.
Black Civil Rights in the USA is a 5-minute video which documents exploitation of Blacks in the United States of America during the middle of the 20th century. https://youtu.be/mcXNRqlgXGo.
The documentary I Am Not
Your Negro showed the devastation that social inequality produced in tour
nation. Millions of African Americans men and women lost their lives as they publicly
protested as they only wanted justice, peace and equality for all men. The Government
and Whites did not want equality for all men simply because white people could
not recognize and would not accept, a former slave of theirs to be one step
closer or being at the same social level as they were. It is unfortunate to see how in 2018, 50 years after President
Lyndon Johnson singed the Civil Rights Act in on July 2, 1964, Equality still elusive for millions of American Citizens. African
American men have made many economic and educational gains, but still fall short.
For many generations,
African Americans and other minority groups have had many unfortunate and
deadly encounters with police, and other agencies which continues to confront
minority groups simply because they are seen as a powerful Plague which MUST be
erased, eliminated from the face of the planet. All African Americans wanted is
freedom, but freedom and success still seems to be a distant dream for many
African American as well as other Minority groups in the US. Power will still
be a big obstacle for many of them. Mr. Baldwin himself stated on the Film that
he had to move to France in order to achieve his goals and become a successful
citizen in The US.
This documentary was an astonishing and challenging sharp
examination of race in the United State. Confronting how the country's history
repeats and how Baldwin insisted we must remember, relentlessly question,
remain conscientious and resist.
Mr. James Baldwin lived a difficult and amazing life. I
love to see how he managed to crawl out of poverty and out from under the
burden of a segregated America to achieve a place as one of the heroes of its
betterment. Unfortunately, not every African American is able to confront
injustice and be victorious! People like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, tried
to be the change maker in America, but were confronted by evil power. They made
the ultimate sacrifice (lost their lives). They raised their voices to stand up
for the rights of those who had no voice.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteI too am amazed by Mr. Baldwin's accomplishments and embarrassed to admit that I only knew a little about him except what I know through literature. I never heard him speak, and he was an excellent speaker. I don't believe he would have been as successful if he didn't move to France where he was allowed to be James Baldwin and not James Baldwin, the black author. I love your comment, "This documentary was an astonishing and challenging sharp examination of race in the United States" because it was hard to hear and it definitely challenged me to think beyond my world and how I treat people both consciously and unconsciously.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that Baldwin had to move out of the country to achieve his goals. The United States and the American citizens left him no choice. If he wanted to be successful, he had to go. I believe this is still the case in many many places. African Americans and other groups of people are not treated equally with White Americans. There are many examples of this such as: unequal pay, mass imprisonment, and police brutality. We also see racism alive in many people around the country. It is sad but true and the fight for equality is not over.
Not only did Baldwin need to leave the US, but he states that he didn't miss anything about the culture, "he was never homesick for anything American." This statement is from a man who grew up in what we would all assume to be, especially after WWII and in the 50s, one of the most prosperous times in America. In the section "Paying My Dues," he feels because others were "paying their dues," meaning African Americans who are beginning to fight for their civil rights, he know he needed to do so too.
DeleteTHIS! "we must remember, relentlessly question, remain conscientious and resist."
ReplyDeleteWhat more important task is there for us as educators?
You make me think: How can we get together and do this remembering, questioning, and resisting in solidarity with each other, youth, families, and communities?
and
What does this look like pedagogically, in terms of classroom instruction and content?
I was thinking the same thing, Jeremy. I watched the video that Alex posted and although simple, Booker T. Washington statess, "Education is the key to black success." As we continue to see the disintegration of inner city public schools, and the violence and drugs in these predominately African American areas, there obviously needs to be a change, Black Lives Matter, is an important piece, but it will really take education to make a permanent change, and in a world of instant gratification, society has to realize we will not see the results of positive social change for several years!
Delete