Still on the Obama Watch

I believe that the media always plays a big part in portraying the lives of anyone who is in the spotlight. They can make the person or group of people look good or bad. The media has done a very good job of portraying the Obama's as a family as well as individuals. Because the Obama's are an African American family, the media can show them to be a normal family that just happens to be in the a position of higher power. The image that the Obama's portray in the media is very important because it not only portrays their life but it can also portray a stereotypical life for all African Americans in the eyes of other Americans. There are many Americans that will use the Obama's to stereotype all African Americans so it is so important that the Obama's are careful when they are in the lime light.

The History Makers

There are many stories in the History Makers database that make you stop and think. One that I had taken a brief look at was Angela Davis. I really enjoyed listening to her tell of her experiences and how she did not let anything really stop her. She know that there was always the chance that the law would catch up with her but she wasn't afraid. She recalls when she returned to the hotel after going to see a movie and just knowing that it was the end of the line for her and the she was going to be captured there. She seemed to give the impression that she had a peace about it and that it was okay. She was ready to go. You could tell that she was just tired of all the running that she had to do and just wanted it all to be over. I believe that she even said she was relieved to be caught.

Is Barack Obama an African American?

An African American is not just defined by the color of their skin but also by their heritage. Where did their ancestors come from? Yes, Barack Obama is an African American. There is no way to deny that. His ancestors are from Africa, therefore, he is a true African American.
I think that there are still people in America today that have a problem with an African American being president because they still have a very prejudice mind set and they are living in the past. The prejudice that used to define America has flown out the window. With the mindset of prejudice, hinting that a person of color would hold some kind of powerful position would be unheard of. Now, it is something that is looked upon as a great accomplishment.

Black Studies

The in class video on Black Studies was a really eye opener for me. There are so many things that I really never know and that is never taught in school. For instance, before watching the movie, I did not know that there had been such a push to get Black Studies in the collages. That was a huge accomplishment for those who tried so hard to be able to teach and those who wanted to go to the classes, and yet, it is never talked about in the history books. There are still a lot of things that I do not know about what really happened in the struggle that the black people in America faced in order to get Black Studies in the schools but I hope that I will learn that and so much more as the semester unfolds.

Beginning Cosiderations

I am still playing catch up with the reading since the book came in late. I will say that what I have read so far is very interesting. I will post more after I have caught up on the reading, which will hopefully be very soon....

White Mainstreaming

There are many things that have, over the years, become the norm for society. These norms have become part of everyday life for most people and just accepted as being part of the way things are. I believe that many of these norms have been put in place by the white, middle class, people in society. To identify these norms means that when they are looked upon, they are accepted and no one really thinks twice about them. I think that the only way that these norms can stop being viewed as coming from the white middle class and start to become human, or even as something that encompasses all people no matter what the color of their skin is or where they came from, is for there to be a change. The change that needs to happen is people need to start to view others that don't have as much money as they do or are not the same skin color as they are as equals and really see that person for who they are. The only way that the norms of today's society are going to become human is if we all stop caring about the little things in life that really do not matter and start to view the larger picture. We are all equal no matter what anyone says and there is nothing that is going to change that. Today's white middle class society needs to take off the blinders that so many have put up and see today's society for what it really is. A bunch of people who live in the same world and are really all the same.

Here's more

I hope to get everything that I can out of this class. I want to learn more about the culture, traditions, lifestyle, etc. of African Americans. There is a lot that is not taught in the public school system and I think that it is a shame. Children need to really understand from a young age what it was and is really like to be an African American. I think that this class will help me to be able to teach the children what is right and wrong when it comes to the color of someone's skin.

There are the children that think that it is okay to degrade another child in their class because of the color of their skin. Most of the time, they have an influence in their home who leads the child to believe that it is okay and that it is normal. I hope to be able to take what I learn in this class and utilize it in my classroom to help the children to really see that we are all the same and it doesn't matter what color another person is.