ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: racism

Another prominent racial collision amongst characters of different ethnic groups is between Officer Ryan and Cameron and Christine Thayer. In this scene Officer Ryan, the character played by Matt Dillon, sexually assaults Thandie Newton right in front of her husband. As viewers watch, they are overwhelmed with emotions of anger, disgust, and distrust towards Matt Dillion’s character. Meanwhile viewers are also filled with emotions of outrage and confusion when Cameron Thayer, played by Terrence Howard, idly watches his own wife get sexually assaulted. Dillon’s disgusting actions in this scene not only reinforce the ideology that all white male cops are “slimy pricks;” but also it reinforces another truth that minorities in Western society are powerless, especially against repressive state authorities like the police. Haggis is able to achieve this by having Matt Dillion’s character dehumanize Christine Thayer. Ultimately, this reinforces that male Caucasians are more dominant than the African-American race.
Topic: racism

Even though this scene reinforced many dominant ideologies, as the film progresses and character storylines unfold, Haggis is able to slowly deconstructs those ideologies previously reinforced and establishes a counter-narrative. For example, previously in the film it has been established that the white males have power and have no compassion at all. However, as the story unfolds, audience members discover that Officer Ryan is empathetic and merciful towards his own dying father. This literary device suggests to viewers that this dominant ideology of “Whiteness” may not be true after all. Ultimately, Haggis establishes a counter-narrative when Officer Ryan rescues the same woman he previously assaulted, Christine Thayer, from a burning car. This heroic action done by Officer Ryan leaves audience members astonished and puzzled. In spite of this Officer’s objectionable past, this event proves that not everyone is classified under a certain stereotype based upon one action.
Topic: racism

Furthermore, Haggis is able to establish the counter-narrative that not all stereotypes are true, when Officer Hanson accidently kills a hitchhiker. Unlike the other scenes throughout the movie, this racial collision between the Officer and the hitchhiker does not occur by chance. However, this collision was intentional. In this scene Officer Hanson is driven by his admiring and caring attitude when he intentionally picks up a stranded hitchhiker, Peter. After the pick-up, they begin to drive into town. A conversation arises regarding a “religious statue” that located on Hanson’s car dash. As the conversation progresses as do tensions and racial assumptions. As Peter, innocently reaches in his pocket Hanson makes a racial judgment that he is pulling out a gun and shoots the man. As the gunshot was heard, Hanson and audience members are immediately shocked and filled with astonishment over what has just occurred. This scene is jaw dropping. Hanson’s “accidental” misfire shows to viewers that no one is exempt from racial stereotyping. Ironically, Peter was reaching for a “Christ-like” statue, one that not only signified peace, forgiveness, redemption, and love, but also signified equality between two ethnic groups. Furthermore, because Hanson burns the dead body, the counter-narrative is established. By this act, Haggis not only proves that not everyone lives up to certain stereotypes present in our society, but also that good-hearted people are capable of evil actions. After this scene, the status quo is no longer just being challenged but it is overruled.
Topic: racism

“Grouping people according to their race, ethnicity, or nationality overlooks or undervalues the similarities and commonalties that exist between all human begins” (Griffin 48) In the film, Crash, racism and prejudice is not only addressed but questioned. Throughout the film many ethnic groups literally and figuratively crash into each other within a twenty-four hour period. In these “crashes” many dominant ideologies are reinforced and deconstructed. After seeing this movie, audience members have literally and figuratively seen the extensive whiplashes that racial stereotypes can have. Viewers are alarmed and appalled with respect to the frightening ideologies present in our society. After seeing the astonishing amount of debris that can come from an innocent racial judgment, viewers are compelled to question and reflect on their own lives and biases. Likewise, one can agree that everyone has good and bad inside of them, regardless of their ethnicity. Although people might live up to certain aspects of a typical racial stereotypes that does not mean that they are defined by that stereotype.
Topic: racism

Throughout the book, Jesus Behaving Badly by means of Mark Strauss, he goes through a lot of characteristics the place it appears like Jesus should be criminalized and despised as a substitute be anybody that is appeared up to and worshiped. He argues that Jesus was once judgmental, provocative, aggressive, racist, anti-environmental, indignant and he also pronounces that Jesus used to be just a  prophet and no longer the Son of God.
Topic: racism

Personally, I do not like this assumption that Jesus was once done for actions that are seen as questionable. Furthermore, Strauss then uses Albert Schweitzer and his writings that talk about that the picture of Jesus was modified by rationalistic scholars into a gentleman and philanthropist (Pg. 12). Strauss compares this scenario that took place in the 19 th century to todays society. He says that we make Jesus seem like a Santa Clause or a mans man. This is not entirely true. While I do accept as true.
Topic: racism

Williams with that we have an altered view of Jesus to make him seem perfect, I do not agree with Strauss on his thoughts of how we exchange our understanding of Jesus. People in todays society do view Jesus in a very wonderful light, however being honest, I suppose this light is nicely deserved and perhaps it is now not such a terrible component that Strauss makes it to seem. In conclusion, Strauss does put into standpoint that society has a view of Jesus that does not totally reflect who he is, but he makes it seem greater dramatized than it certainly is.
Topic: racism

In the film Remember the Titans directed by Yakin Boaz we embark on the journey of an American Football team who now has to integrate an all white school with an all black school. This was the kick off to an epic journey of surpassing society’s doubts of how interaccial friendships can’t be maintained due to the many differences each race shares. We are shown of how meeting people can impact our lives and change our perspective on how we perceive each other when we were first introduced to Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell.
Topic: racism

” In this instant Gerry realised that Julius was right and, the following day he made the team realise that no matter what race you belonged to, at the end of the day you all belonged to the same team: ‘The Titans.’ Gerry and Julius made sure the team realised the importance of working together as a team so they can do well and in order to achieve this they needed to overcome their racial differences that was slowly splitting the team apart. Another time we see how meeting different people changes our perspective was when we were first introduced to Coach Boone, the schools first black coach which left many people apathetic.
Topic: racism

Coach Boone made the effort to unite both teams together, as one, for the first time in Virginia. One of the first times we see this is when Boone purposefully forces the two races to sit together on the bus to camp he says “Listen up, I don’t care if you’re black, green, blue, white, or orange, I want all of my defensive players on this side, all players going out for offense over here.” He then advanced to pair people from opposite races together and advises them “Get comfortable too, because the person that I have you sitting next to is the same one you’ll be rooming with for the duration of this camp.” This was one Boones many efforts to try and unite the two races together as one and make the boys realise that they aren’t so different. He taught the young men that racism is beyond common sense and has no place in our society, and he changed the races views on each other and made them realise that the only difference between them was their skin colour, and that neither race was inferior to another. He taught the team that achievement has no colour.
Topic: racism

In this day and age some people believe that racism is over because there are no longer any slaves, some people believe that there is still racism but that’s alright. I believe that those people would benefit a great deal from seeing this movie. I know that there is still racism, I also understand that it’s not acceptable. Yakin shows us that we must focus on the real issues in our world and fight to overcome these critical problems, such as discrimination, racism and brutality and even something as little as a football team can help influnece massive change in the way that individuals perceive other races.
Topic: racism

The novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part -Time Indian written by Sherman Alexie also displays the concept of how meeting people can impact our lives and change our perspective on how we perceive each other when we pursue the main character Junior. The book follows a fourteen-year-old boy, Arnold Spirit (Junior), living with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Wellpinit, Washington for a school year. It is told in episodic diary style, moving from the start of the school year to the beginning of summer. We follow his incredible journey of how he shifted his education from an Indian Reservation school to a rich white school (Reardan). It includes both Junior’s written record of his life and his cartoon drawings, some of them comically commenting on his situation, and others more seriously depicting important people in his life.
Topic: racism

Before Junior moved to Reardan he only thought so little of himself he thought he was nothing more than “just a poor ass kid living with his poor ass parents on a poor ass Indian Reservation”. Race is a pretty huge deal for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Why? Because it gives Arnold Spirit, Jr. a good deal of trouble in his search for self. Arnold feel like he’s only half an Indian – or as he says a “part-time Indian” – once he transfers to the white school in Reardan. He then gets split into two: Junior on the Indian reservation and Arnold in his white high school. This all suggests that one’s racial or ethnic identity can change depending on place or social setting. Once he transferred to a new school, he met a kid named Gordy. He showed Junior that if we wanted to succeed in life then he needed to work hard like everyone else if he wanted to be successful. “I want to be your friend,” Junior said to Gordy. “Excuse me? I assure you, I am not a homosexual.” “Oh, no,” Junior replied. “I don’t want to be friends that way. I just, I meant regular friends. I mean, you and I, we have a lot in common.” Junior described himself as “I was lonely and sad and isolated and terrified. Just like Gordy.” This is implying that Junior thought of himself as a lonely, sad, isolated and terrified teenager and to overcome this he decided to befriend Gordy. So they form a “tribe” of two outsiders who are both smart, interested in learning and interested in reading books.
Topic: racism

In the following year, Gordy helps Arnold with learning and he shows him how joyful it can be to learn new things. They became quite acquainted to each other because they were so much alike. Gordy teaches Junior that life doesn’t offer many big things to celebrate, so learn to appreciate the smaller things in life and find happiness in them. Junior also made many many other new friends such as Roger and Penelope. These characters helped shape Juniors perspective of white people. One of the times we see this is when Junior punches Roger in the face because he cracked an extremely racist joke. “Hey, Chief,” Roger said. “You want to hear a joke?” Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?” Junior felt so enraged by this insult that he threw his fist into Rogers face without giving it a second thought. Roger didn’t react or hit him back at all he just walked away. He was being the better person and he respected Junior because he was the first person who stood up to him. Junior thought he was following the rules of a “fight” when he went after Roger and proclaimed: “You meet me after school right here, “Junior said. “Why?” he asked. “Because we’re going to finish this fight” he demanded. “You’re crazy,” Roger said. He got to his feet and walked away without another word leaving Junior standing there dumbstruck. Penelope and Roger changed his view that white people were barbaric beasts who got the easy life, but rather as people who are just the same as him and aren’t as savage as he thought. Junior had this fixed mind-set that white people were nothing but cruel beasts because of the way him and his family were treated in the past due to other white people.
Topic: racism

Junior eventually realises that all white people are not the same and Roger and Penelope helped alter his perspective. This reveals how meeting new people can help alter your mindset because if Junior had never met Roger, Penelope or Gordy he would’ve never achieved so much at Reardan High School and still would be living in fear of white people and stuck in a mindset where he is going to constantly live in poverty and not be able to achieve more things because he’s just a kid from the rez. We must consider this in our own lives as well we can’t live our lives in fear of something otherwise we may not be able to get on with our lives. The only way to overcome fear is to go through it.
Topic: racism

The Blind Side is a life lesson more than it is a film. Directed by John Lee Hancock, this film shows us that when new people enter our lives we tend to have a different outlook on various things. Through the movie Leigh Anne discovers Michael’s problems and also changes perspective on people like Michael. She helps unravel Michael and deals with his problems and helps him with his education. Leigh Anne also changes through the movie whilst helping Michael. By the end, Michael is adopted into the family. He goes to college and becomes a 1st grade NFL player. I chose this text because it demonstrates how people can change perspectives no matter what race, religion, economic status or appearance. An example of this is when Leigh Anne was talking to her friends over lunch about the way she had found Micheal and how much he had impacted her life since the day she found him looking so vulnerable on the street. One of her friends said to her, “Honey, you’re changing that boy’s life.” She softly replies with “No, he’s changing mine.” This shows us that Micheal has impacted Leigh Anne’s life and we are shown that Leigh Anne is standing up to her friends who are making a mockery out of him, just because he is a “large black boy” and she defends Michael.
Topic: racism

Leigh Anne gets to know Michael throughout the film; learning about his past, his strengths and weaknesses. She understands how he thinks and understands that he is very protective of family. Now that he is apart of the Tuohy family he will protect them no matter what. When Leigh Anne takes Michael shopping for the first time. They go downtown to a very run down part of the town. Leigh Anne is cautious of the dodgy people that are living there, but Michael tells her “I got your back.” Leigh Anne links her arm through Michael’s. This simple gesture shows trust and how it has bloomed into a beautiful bond.
Topic: racism

Racism is human nature; it is hardwired into our brains. Prejudice has existed for as long as humans have; it’s almost like an instinct. Fortunately, this is false, discrimination is not part of human nature. However, this is what it seems like in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a classic novel that is both loved and hated by readers alike. Set within the fictional county lines of Maycomb, Alabama, the novel is narrated by a young girl named Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, growing up learning how to handle the crude prejudice and injustice in her depressed 1930’s society.
Topic: racism

Although Atticus is hesitant to pull the trigger, he carries through with the task for the safety of the neighbourhood and its residents. Harper Lee uses the dog itself as a symbol for the madness Atticus has to confront when he accepts Tom Robinson’s case. The majority of Maycomb County is against Atticus and his will to properly defend Tom Robinson, as they genuinely believe Tom is culpable based on no other evidence other than the fact he is black. Atticus shows determination to defend Tom Robinson, even when his closest neighbours turn against him, he stands against the “social norms” and represents what he believes to be morally right.
Topic: racism

The idea of an ‘outsider’ is a rather common concept within literature, and such a strong opposition from other characters, dooms Othello to be a permanent outsider, consequently making him a tragic figure. Iago maliciously uses zoomorphism in order to describe Othello as a ‘black ram’ and paradoxically compares him to a ‘white ew’, not only expressing his distaste by demoting Othello to a beast, but introduces the racial connotation of black versus white, therefore presenting a Jacobean audience (of which would have most likely shared the same racist feelings) a justification to why Iago feels a certain way about this character.
Topic: racism

Due to the fact that a Jacobean audience would acknowledge the aggressive creature that is a ‘ram’, as a position below that of humanity in the Great Chain of Being, Shakespeare ensures to clearly underscore the idea that Othello is lesser, therefore outlining him as creature destined to be outlawed. Through this particular animal, Shakespeare depicts the image of a horned devil to an audience, automatically allowing observers to perceive Othello as evil, and morally wrong.
Topic: racism

Othello is therefore not only presented as an outsider, but as someone who is demonic, which at the time the play was written and performed, was a very serious accusation. Characters within the play, very easily express their discriminatory opinions on Othello, as they successfully aim to single him out, allowing an audience to view him as an outsider. Through the racial slur ‘Moor’, used to describe Othello multiple times, one could suggest that he is an outsider not only to those whom he lives with, but feasibly within society.
Topic: racism

Barthelemy notes that the ‘overwhelming majority’ of black characters presented on stage ‘between 1589 and 1695 endorsed, represented, or were evil’ which withholds truth when comparing Othello to other texts containing ‘The Moor’ written during this time period such as George Peel’s ‘Battle of Alcazar’ (1954). Peel presents the protagonist within this tale, as a Machiavellian politician, who is cruel, treacherous and evil. Peel expresses that these barbaric features are directly accompanied with the blackness of his skin, therefore representing the immorality of ‘The Moor’. As religion obtained such a large part of a Jacobean society, Shakespeare would have been aware that by using this metaphor, he could undoubtedly cause an audience to share Iago’s disgust of this character, allowing a collective illustration of hostility towards Othello’s ethnicity and the miscegenation that he is part of. In addition to this, by Shakespeare placing both ‘black’ and ‘white’ within the same sentence, he allows for an explicit contrast between what could have been viewed to the particularly religious audience members, as sin and purity.
Topic: racism

For starters, the whole “terrorist” spiel was very prominent growing up. Other kids thought calling me a terrorist was the funniest thing ever. Even today the misconception that all Muslims or Middle Eastern people are all terrorists is still very much alive. I think that living in Trump’s America has a lot to do with it but I don’t want to get into that right now. People also believe that all of the middle east is worn torn and dangerous. This is not the case at all.
Topic: racism

I realized I was asexual my junior year of highschool. I realized it when my friends kept pushing me to be in a relationship and I went along with it and had multiple boyfriends but I never had any interest in these relationships. Don’t get me wrong, they were all great guys and i’m still friends with most of them but I just didn’t have any interest in them or anyone really beyond friendship. While I knew this since highschool I didn’t fully identify as asexual until I went from our small Texas city to Los Angeles for college.
Topic: racism

All my friends in Los Angeles and back home know. I’m sure others know as well, because as you know in small cities like ours things that don’t conform to gender norms spread like wildfire, but that doesn’t bother me. My parents and brother know as well but none of my family back in Jordan know. I decided not to tell them because I don’t think they’d understand. I have brought up asexuality in general around them and they had no idea what it was and dismissed it. I made the decision not to tell them because I only see them a few months a year and I don’t necessarily feel like I need to tell them.
Topic: racism

I was hoping to write a literature review on Jordanian women in America. Unfortunately, there have not been many studies done on Jordanian woman in America and because of this I have chosen to focus on Arab women as a whole. I was also hoping to focus on asexuality in the Middle Eastern community but there is also a scarcity of research done on asexuality in general. Because of this I have chosen to focus on the LGBTQA community as a whole within the Middle Eastern community.
Topic: racism

While many Arabs express wariness and anxiety about aspects of their lives in the United States, Arab women tend to be more pessimistic about their place in U.S. society than Arab men. (Green) In America more Arab women than men say it has become more difficult to be Muslim in the U.S. in recent years. (US Muslims, 2019) Among other races in America women are less likely to be targeted by hate crimes because they are not seen as dangerous. (Aktar) This is not the case with Arab women. There, women and girls appear to be extremely vulnerable to violence motivated by their status as Muslims, but especially as Muslim women. In part, this is due to the fact that those who are covered, in particular, are readily identifiable. Yet it also has to do with the controlling images of Muslims, women, and Muslim women that render the latter especially attractive and available targets. (Perry, 2014) This literature review will focus on gendered racism and the LGBTQ arab community.
Topic: racism

Gendered racism is a form of racism oppression that takes place for no other reason than the race and gender of the victim. Gendered racism occurs because of the perceived thoughts and stereotypes around a certain gender and race. Gendered racism also encompasses what is known as “double jeopardy”. . Double Jeopardy is when you have two things that you cannot control, working against you in society. (Greenman)The subject of the interview above would be an example of someone whois part of this double jeopardy phenomeon because she is Muslim and Asexual in a society that looks down on those characteristics. Gendered racism is seen through society’s stereotypical portrayals of men and women of color. For example, movies have shown Arabs as heartless, brutal, uncivilized, religious fanatics through common depictions of Arabs kidnapping or raping a fair maiden; expressing hatred against the Jews and Christians; and demonstrating a love for wealth and power. (Shaheen) Gendered racism is term that encompasses alot of racisms, microagressions, and stereyotypes and Muslim women have to deal with a good chunck of this type of racism.
Topic: racism

The literature review above dives into the different social, racial, and gender factors that go into being an Arab. I wanted to focus more on the specifics of my interviewee which would have been Jordanian and Asexual but unfortuanatly there has not been alot of research done on these topics at all. While I found sources that succificed I did also find it a bit difficult to find articles on Middle Eastern Women in general. Most of the articles that I found focused more on Middle Eastern Men.
Topic: racism

Despite these challenges, I was able to form a thorough body of work. This body of work touches on being a Middle Eastern women in america and how different factors one of which being sexuality play a part in your everyday life. I tied all of these ideas together because of the things my interviewee said. As an asexual muslim jordanian woman living in America she does not exactly fit into any cookie cutter mold american society has put forth and because of this she is seen differently than most by society.
Topic: racism

Overall, I think that social workers would benefit significantly by trying to learn more about different countries and people in the Middle East. Although there is not much information in terms of Arabs in the United States there is plenty to learn about different customs and beliefs among this diverse group of people that many tend to lump together. Middle Eastern Americans are marginalized in their day to day lives and this marginalization carries over into academic research as well. There is so much research that is necessary that still needs to be done and I highly recommend that Academic sources start tackling this extensive field of research. I also think it is very important for social workers to learn about different religions. For example, in this interview the interviewee made it very clear that she was a Sunni Muslim and not a Shia Muslim. She made it clear that it is almost an insult to her to be called a Shia and many of her elders would find it extremely rude. Things like this would be amazing for a social worker to know so that they don’t accidently insult someone’s religion.
Topic: racism

In regards to Asexuality I believe that social workers first of all need to learn what asexuality is. Asexuality is not very talked about or even known about and I believe that if a social worker knew exactly what asexuality was when talking to someone it would make that person feel more comfortable. I also think that social workers need to come at any sexuality outside of heterosexism with open arms. People in the LGBTQA community are marginalized enough in their everyday lives.
Topic: racism

Colorism is an issue among African Americans and many other ethnic groups that have been ‘colonized’ that is slowly disunifying there cultures. Along with every other ethnic group in the United States, colorism has been passed down generation after generation and this shows how systematic it is. Colorism is prejudice or discrimination of one’s skin tone and favoritism of the opposite skin tone that occurs in the same race. There has been a trend of colorism in the black community.
Topic: racism

Light skin is considered better (above) than those of dark skin, but this is all due to slavery because slave owners only really gave special treatment to slaves with fairer/lighter skin complexions. This then led slave owners offering them with better opportunities. Even though most slave owners didn’t acknowledge their biracial children, they were known for giving them preferential treatment. So, it’s clear that slavery was the start of colorism, but it also wasn’t the end. In the United States, those with light skin is more likely to get ‘privileged’ than, those with darker or medium skin tones that are African American.
Topic: racism

An effect of Colorism is the ‘Ideal European beauty standard’ which is also what can give people of other ethnic backgrounds insecurity. Some people (women) have been told ‘you look pretty for a dark skin girl’ this is nugatory it’s saying that being a person of dark skin can’t be pretty because of their skin complexion. This can have many negative impacts on a person, child, and teen. Think about if someone constantly said those things and how it would make someone you know feel. Colorism can be traced back to ‘European imperialism and colonialism, in the 18th, 19th, and 20th Century’. This was when European settlers spread/oppressed their ideology of beauty standards to people of color and many other races. Europeans told people of color and different ethnic groups that not having white hair and features are considered ‘unattractive’. In history, this idea affects the world on colorism because it can lead to stereotypes and dehumanization. Therefore, many people disregard the fact nor care that some people are treated differently than others in their own race based on the color of their skin. Even though those that aren’t European follow the ideal standard they can sometimes be colorist to other ethnic groups or people.
Topic: racism

Another effect of Colorism is that sometimes due to the Ideal standard of beauty in society it can result in self-hatred and insecurity. There’s this idea that light skin is superior than darker skin likewise this is immensely rooted with slavery and the African American community. Majority of people must deal with colorism in their everyday life in every aspect such are relationships, job force and social media. Many people don’t even know the meaning or rarely know about colorism because they don’t hear about it. This can be perceived as a hidden topic, something no one wants to talk about it since many don’t know about colorism. The effect of colorism on the politics of beauty is explored. The influence of impossible beauty ideas on some women of color emphasis on
Topic: racism

products. Many women and men from various ethnic backgrounds use these types of stuff to get their skin lighter cause there not happy with their self or how they look. So, colorism is solely based on skin color other things like eyes and certain feature would be considered featurism. People are taught colorism growing up at a young age unconsciously and then they don’t discern the effects it has on their culture, because then it’s normalized. In other countries besides the United States, colorism is more related to class levels in society the lighter they (people) are the closer you are to the ideal standard. Even though European colonialism has indeed left a mark worldwide, colorism is said to predate contact in places in Asia and Latin America in both places they also use bleaching cream to convert to society ideal beauty standards. This is a form of self-hate, changing yourself for the benefit of others due to colorism and insecurity.
Topic: racism

Colorism is an issue amongst African Americans and many other ethnic groups that have been ‘colonized’ and it’s gradually disintegrating their cultures in many ways. Along with every other ethnic group in the United States, colorism has been passed down generation after generation and this shows how systematic it is. Colorism is still an issue amongst African Americans furthermore it’s still gradually tearing down their culture and it still is today. Slavery is the cause of colorism and it resulted in disadvantages, insecurity, and self-hatred. Even though there is a long way to go for change it’s going to take years (decades) for action to be done.
Topic: racism

The destruction and lowering of one’s self to make one race more superior overall, whites, and the other to be inferior, blacks. Due to this constant need for the ‘alpha’ race, slavery was put into effect making the less superior races, to be treated less than human. With slavery the act of selling and belittling another human with utter humiliation was degrading. BBC introduction to ethics and slavery, agrees that slavery violates the very right of a human.
Topic: racism

Race is also tied with the slave trade that took place approximately in 1526 to 1827, capturing slaves from Africa and shipping them off to the Americas. History Now states that the Atlantic Slave Trade ‘was the costliest in human life’. The Atlantic Triangular Slave Trade was created by the European colonist so that they could maintain a wealthy empire, but also because they lacked the workforce in the new world. In order to keep the status of being wealthy the Europeans had in mind to use blacks were sub-human, the reason the Europeans showed lack of character towards those with a darker complexion to them, resembled the likeliness of creatures, monsters. Europeans exploited the blacks to make a means to an end.
Topic: racism

The bravery shocked some of the fellow African-Americans.”I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.” -Malcolm X. There was a part of his desire for equality that he was dubbed by some reporters, ‘ the worst black man in America. ‘ If someone doesn’t do the right thing, we need to speak out against them, for instance oppressing others. By not speaking up, these evil deeds are not eliminated.
Topic: racism

Research shows that people love to stay in places of warmth. It extends to all this planet’s ears. Special people are those who are willing to abandon their social circles continuously. Do people believe in the same things that a decade ago they used to believe? Is your decision tainted by prejudice? Sometimes, no matter how difficult it may seem, we have to abandon our attitudes and beliefs. It doesn’t matter how much it violates society’s values. If it is the right thing to do, it is the moral thing to do. Malcolm X, who was not on a trip to Mecca, travelled across the world to many countries. He obtained valuable knowledge. He discovered that the version of Islam that he was learning was not appropriate in America. He came to realize that there was no good in all white men. He saw effective ways to solve America’s race problems. And as predicted, the latest Malcolm was not welcomed by most of the ignorant African-Americans. “Always keep and open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search of truth.” -Malcolm X
Topic: racism

How do you feel about yourself? Do you think you’re superior to others? Often I deal with questions of self-esteem. Like when I feel like I don’t do much, like a big team victory on Saturday nights. In one of Malcolm’s famous speeches, he asked: “Why do you hate the colour of your skin?” “Why do you hate the texture of your hair?”He spoke to African Americans who struggled from the weight of the system of inferiority. He went so far as to inform them how black people came down from the kings and queens that rule the world. If there is something you’re going to learn through the story of Malcolm; it’s the ability to have a high self-esteem. “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything” -Malcolm X
Topic: racism

I agree with Malcolm X hustle throughout the autobiography. While Malcolm is giving up drinking, cigarettes, and violence while in jail, his background as an after-prison evangelist is close to his previous experience as a hustler. From his years as a hustler, Malcolm maintains experiences, skills and beliefs that support him as a spiritual leader and media personality in his later career. Malcolm’s talents are used as a hustler and then as an advocate not being established with these future roles in mind, but rather focused on the required life skills that Malcolm acquired at an early age, stressing that life is a matter of life or death for the urban black person. Although the young life of Malcolm is very different from his adult life, at both stages of his life, his ability to fight for survival in the racist culture of America is equally important.
Topic: racism

Today we talked about race, gender, sexuality, and our differences between our classmates. During the discussion, things got heated and feelings were hurt. It was a tough topic to talk about but in this generation, this should be talked about in every institution. During the heated conversation, people in the class did not know what was privileged and what wasn’t. One of our classmates stated, “Privileged, is that the athletes in this room can go to school for free.” What that person does not understand is that we had to work to get this full ride scholarship to this expensive institution, and I will let you know now that it was not easy for most of us. To be a student athlete on a scholarship at this level, you will need to be sharp in every aspect, on the field, and the classroom. Therefore, us student athletes are doing everything the full-time students do, plus more. Not to mention, if not all, most of us would not be able to attend this University without an athletic scholarship. This experience in class has related to book in ways of how Malcolm X preached about the trials and tribulations us African Americans really have to go through in this cruel world. Malcolm reflects on how us African Americans are dehumanized by racism against blacks. The white people around Malcolm frequently see him as less than normal, and the determination of Malcolm to change that impression fuels his quest for racial equality.
Topic: racism

No other literary work does so much for the Black reader to affirm our race’s essential dignity and humanity. While one might assume that such basic values would be granted in the modern era, it remains a nation in which social powers are continuously chipping from the legal system to the entertainment world. Nevertheless, given much of the so-called “change” that has taken place since the 1960s Civil Rights movement, many of our people still live in the same “ghettos” and “slums” where Malcolm existed during his lifetime. Through describing his extraordinary transition from the drunken, alcohol-addled and unethical Detroit Red into the respectful, honorable and god-fearing chief El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, his memoir shows the opportunities opening up as Black people realize our own value and expect better from ourselves and others.
Topic: racism

Many people think that computer programs can’t favor one person or race over another which has been proven to only be half true. The computer itself isn’t really favoring one race over the other in this case whites over blacks. The people that designed the algorithm for a health program made the algorithm to favor white people over blacks according to recent studies. This means that the people are to blame rather than the computers. What is happening with the programs is the same as racist things said verbally the only difference is that there are codes instead of words.
Topic: racism

Dice stands for Design is Innovation Creativity and Energy conference. The theme of the competition this year was to make an aluminum folding chair. Ryan Player made “The Lazy Toddler” which took first place in the competition and Alexander Brossard took second. Hillary Clark is a teacher at TMCC and a past winner of DICE and she says that the problem-solving process of design is another form of critical expression. Alexander Brossard wanted to keep the cardboard how it was so he came up with a design that had no cuts and was one whole piece of cardboard. As the final part of the project the competitors have to sit in the chairs they make for an entire class. The competition is used to help students put their designs into physical objects.
Topic: racism

This article does go along with our class because it talks about the problem solving process. The competitors first have to identify the problem by getting the theme of the competition, then they prepare by making a design. The competitor would then try by making their design into a physical object. The reflecting part of the problem solving process would be when the students have to sit in their chair for the class because that is when they test it out and when they find new problems with the chair. I think that this is an interesting competition but not one that I would want to participate in.
Topic: racism

Racist laws have been abolished in the United States for decades. Before this semester, I thought that meant that racism had been abolished. I knew there were random racists that still made the news, but I had no idea of the extent that racism still exists in the United States today. In fact, even I have unconscious racist thoughts. On the other end of the spectrum, racism allows me to experience privileges I never asked for, but everyone deserves. I now know that the government, the media, and typical ‘non-racist’ citizens contribute to the racist structures in place today.
Topic: racism

I parked just twenty feet from the door, but before getting out of the car I looked all around me to make sure nobody was nearby. I then exited and locked the car and hurried in the doors of the old church 8th and College Connections is located in. I heard kids screaming from downstairs and wondered who would let their kids be so rowdy. Finally, I met Wendy, the VISTA of 8th and College Connections, and she showed me upstairs to the room where I would be helping teach English.
Topic: racism

In the first class, I met a few men from Mexico, two women from Guatemala, and one woman from El Salvador. Throughout the class, I was impressed with how eager the students were to learn. Over the break, I had the opportunity to talk to the women from Guatemala and learned that I had stayed in a hotel near where they were from while on my trip to Guatemala last year. They were excited to hear about my trip and we swapped stories about some of the places I visited there. The ladies from Guatemala and everyone else in the class were so kind. We all laughed together when they made mistakes and cheered each other on as each took a turn speaking in front of the class. By the end of the class, I realized I had no reason to be scared in the neighborhood. Everyone was friendly and wanted the best for each other. The Latino immigrants I met are definitely not the same as how the media portrays them to be.
Topic: racism

I thought about how unfairly the media portrays immigrants (especially Latinos and Middle Eastern people) and connected their inequality to class. In an article by John Greenberg, I learned that a reporter from Iowa City covered two stories of burglary, but in one three white men are shown in their suits and in the other the mugshots of four black men are depicted (Greenberg). Unfortunately, the unequal portrayal of black people and white people is all too common in today’s media.
Topic: racism

Outside of the media, I worry about the inequalities the students from 8th and College Connections might face. Many of them do not have a lot of money, but are more than capable of making a difference in the world. They are all intelligent, but they do not get a fair chance to show it. For example, the world’s poor, including those from River Bend are not given access to quality education to develop to their full potential. Paul Farmer discusses this issue: ‘And so [the poor of Haiti and the United States] and others in their position–globally, this would be hundreds of millions–have fought to construe as a basic human right access to health care, education, and other social services’ (5).
Topic: racism

Even if they do get a good education, Latinos and other people of color may not have the chance to use it because it is much harder for them to get a job. In the film White Privilege 101, two friends with the same credentials applied for the same position at a company. The black friend had a good interview, but was told that the company did not have any openings. The white friend interviewed after, but was offered a job. The only difference between the two interviewees was the color of their skin. The company simply dismissed the black man without giving him much of a chance. In fact, they flat out lied and told him they did not have any available positions. I now wonder how many other people of color are denied jobs they are well qualified for because they are not given a fair chance.
Topic: racism

While poor education and unfair job interviews are just a few examples of inequality, I now know that there is a much broader cause of continuing inequality: the systems put in place within society. Farmer notes that ‘Rights violations are, rather, symptoms of deeper pathologies of power and are linked intimately to the social conditions that so often determine who will suffer abuse and who will be shielded from harm’ (7). He goes on to introduce the idea of structural violence, the systems in place that allow for inequality, and violence, to occur (8). The economic structures that allow people to starve to death or laws that deny women education are just a couple obvious examples of structural violence. Social structures are less obvious. It is our social upbringing to unknowingly think less of or be scared of people of color or the poor. I find myself nervous in the River Bend neighborhood because it is poor and has many people of color despite my knowing that they are people with kind hearts, and I feel awful about that. These structural violences and unconscious inequalities are what allows inequalities to continue today. Racism, sexism, and other inequalities supposedly ended in the United States decades ago, but prevail in subtle ways today.
Topic: racism

On the opposite end of the spectrum of racism, I am able to enjoy the benefits of white privilege. Peggy McIntosh describes many examples of white privilege. The fact that ‘I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared’ or ‘I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time’ are things I take for granted (10-11). What is dangerous about white privilege is that it is easy to forget that it exists. It is not fair that we enjoy these privileges while others do not. The first step in fixing that inequality is acknowledging we have them.
Topic: racism

Despite the fact that I did not create these inequalities, I feel guilty about them. However, because of my privilege, I can definitely work to make sure I do not contribute to them and instead lessen them. Unfortunately, changing social norms is very difficult; they do not change overnight. However, through this class, I have learned about the technique of nonviolence. Nonviolence has been a successful tool in many social movements, including the Civil Rights Movement and the movement for women’s suffrage. Holmes and Gan explained, ‘commitment to nonviolence may assume the form of nonresistance, passive resistance, or nonviolent direct action’ (xviii). Nonviolence was used even in Biblical times; Jesus does not say to turn the other cheek so that you are struck again. According to Walter Wink, ‘By turning the cheek, then, the ‘inferior’ is saying: ‘I’m a human being, just like you. I refuse to be humiliated any longer. I am your equal.” Nonviolence was successful in the Civil Rights Movement with the lunch counter sit-ins and the freedom rides. People who protested knew they would face violence, yet protested anyway and did not give in to the desire to be violent towards their attackers (‘Nashville’; Freedom Riders). Because the protesters were peaceful despite the violence towards them, the movement gained national attention. Society realized that racism was prevalent and wrong, and finally did something to change it because of their courageous actions. If the protesters were to be violent, the media would only depict them as animals and would set the movement back. I truly think the only way for social change to occur is through nonviolence. Thus, to change the inequalities that still exist, we need to form unified, nonviolent movements to capture the attention of both the government and the rest of society.
Topic: racism

While nonviolence is effective for social change, it takes a strong will to commit to nonviolence. Currently, my mind would not be prepared to continue acting with grace despite the harsh words or physical violence I would face. To have any hope of making social change, it is necessary to find or train a group of people to have the courage and will to act nonviolently. Because this is a difficult thing to do, many movements often fail in the beginning until they can succeed in acting gracefully. If we can gather these people though, any movement to end a certain inequality will be unstoppable.