Run and Tell That

The artifacts I chose came from sources that have been produced within the past ten years. They were not made during the Civil War or during the time of the Jim Crow laws. They were produced in this day. So why are we still depicting blacks in such a way that may cause them to feel inferior or incompetent? Why let these stereotypes into our media if we are trying to erase racism from our society? The movie hairspray, taking place in the 60's, depicts how blacks were viewed back then, and puts them on a pedestal. They are shown to be classy, brave, and kind. Unfortunately, this view is not demonstrated in all of our media. One person, or many, thought that electing a black president would finish this job up, but black children who are a minority in schools still feel that being the minority makes them less of a person in our society. Would changing the content of the media change the developing minds of children in the future? Or is a certain way of thinking about the African-American culture so built within our society it will never change?

Hairspray the Musical

"Sorry, she's from our out-of-the-hood program!"

Something as simple as a famous youtube video can affect the way black children are viewed at school. In our unconscious mind, we can picture this character, Bon Qui-qui, to be a "typical example" of how we view the working class of this culture; unfortunately, putting this culture in a bad light, which could carry into the classroom. Teachers need to be aware of this popular media that can mold the child's mind without them even knowing it. As we become more aware of the materials being presented, we will know how to better shape our classroom so that those pre-judgments or biases do no develop in the minds of our students.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkdcYlOn5M

Bon Qui-Qui: Mad Tv

Healing the Racial Divide

Some might say that Barack Obama has not been one of the best presidents. If a parent of a child going to school is aware of this parent's view, what is to stop them from thinking it is because of his race? Children are usually not aware of the details of politics, or various policies that are being put into place. They create judgments on what they observe. It could be easily mistaken that in the eyes of the child, the parent does not like how they look, how they speak, how they dress. These are the typical judgments that cause bullying, so why would they not apply that now?  "No one man's appointment will end all racial tension. Nor will it totally eradicate the residual bitterness inherent in a society where such atrocities as slavery and Jim Crow lie only a few miles behind us." This may be true, but as teachers, we are teaching a whole new generation. We can help them see that it does not matter what is on the outside, but that it is on the inside that truly counts. 

Will a Black President Really Heal the Racial Divide?
 http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1857017,00.html#ixzz1aY45yj9h

"No one man's appointment will end all racial tension. Nor will it totally eradicate the residual bitterness inherent in a society where such atrocities as slavery and Jim Crow lie only a few miles behind us. In fact, the economic crisis facing the country demands that the Obama Administration move past the pettiness of race matters with the haste of a paramedic driving an ambulance. Tomorrow we will not care about the color of the driver nor the pronunciation of his name. Instead, our hope is in his ability to provide the medicine this nation desperately needs to rise again."

School a Safe Zone?

School a combative place for minority students

Black and Hispanic students see school as tougher, rougher place to learn

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13053034/ns/us_news-life/t/school-combative-place-minority-students/#.TpU4hd4r2so

"Most teachers, meanwhile, said academic expectations for students were high regardless of the racial makeup of the school. Teachers in mostly minority schools reported less parental involvement, lower support from their superintendent and poorer grammar among their students"

Our Blind Side

Even some of the greatest movies, such as "The Blind Side" are putting this culture in a bad light. This is when it is hard to judge whether material such as this movie is inspiring or harming. This is a true story about a black boy who made it out of the slums because of a white person who cared enough to love him. As adults, we see this as heart-warming. But to children, could this maybe seem like no one else cared enough to take a black man in? Or what about the coach who's only purpose in getting him into the school was to play sports? All of these factors can play a huge role in children's view of this culture. 

                                   

                                                                       The Blind Side: A movie

Homeboy, Home-home-homeboy

As a more technologically advanced generation rising, it is easy for others to have fun with the stereotypes made about a different race or culture. From a simple news report, now turned into a rap song, we assume this is funny because of his "ghetto-ness." The question is, do we laugh because we think this is typical, or do we laugh because he is different? Either way, we laugh. Could this be why so many children are still feeling like, as a minority, they do not belong? If we laugh at a video such as this, what will convince black children that they won't get laughed at to? As teachers we MUST be aware of these issues. We must be the example of showing our students that we are all children of God. No matter where we come from, what we look like, how we dress, what we smell like, we are all children of God. We can demonstrate this by not have prejudices or biases ourselves. By giving every child equal opportunities. They deserve the best. 





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mKwgwH1UTo&feature=related
Antoine Dodson: News report