ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: racism

My ivory, oh yes, I heard him, My intended, my ivory, my station, my river (Conrad 187), because every person in the village gave all his ivory to Kurtz. It describes how Mr. Kurtz thought about himself as if he had all the power and he was the owner of everything around him. Moreover, no one in Congo would compete him in the ivory business because he had killed almost every person who said no to him for ivory. He’s very possessive for ivory, even when he’s dying of illness, still, he was saying to save the ivory. His possession of ivory can be well-determined as, “In this country, you will not find ivory whether on the ground or underground because no matter how deep the ivory buried, only genius Kurtz knows how to find them” (Shetty 474). So, it shows Kurtz’s curiosity for ivory and to get that, he ready to do anything and everything as described above.
Topic: racism

Violence and cruelty are the main identifications of an evil genius. In the story Heart of darkness, these characteristics of an evil person have been portrayed by the actions of inhumanity by white people towards Africans. As Africans were shown less educated in the story, they weren’t aware of modern weapons like guns, before. So, with the influence of guns, Kurtz ruled over the Africans. He stole all the ivory from Africans under the shadow of guns he had. He treated them very badly, Africans were seeing him like a disease, and they were dying out because of that disease (Conrad 160). When Marlow came to Congo, he saw African natives suffering and describes them as, The joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected with a chain whose bights swung between them, rhythmically clinking. They all are naked and moved like ants (Conrad 161). It depicts cruelty, violence, and dominance of white people, and there was not any law to save them. They were being beaten very badly and were losing their lives. As the influence of power, Kurtz considered himself as God. He forced people to worship him. If anyone resisted, he killed him or her. Because of his superiority, people started worshipping him. But, in actual, he was not a God, he was very cruel, and exploited African’s lives. Kurtz was devil, he displayed the heads of Africans to the world to show his power and to fear Africans. Marlow also showed his face of evil, when he met the manager and saw the African people dying but did not try to help him at all and got left out from there.
Topic: racism

Racial discrimination with black people was seen clearly in this story and it shows the nature of the evil of white people. European people considered themselves well educated, rational and they thought Africans were strange and stupid (Asim 235). White people thought they have the right to civilize them. Moreover, the Europeans claimed that they were trying to civilize the natives of Africa, and that each colonized station should be for “humanizing, improving and instructing” as if colonization was to the advantage of the natives, in the same voice, it was said that the natives were “brute” and “savages” and they should all be
Topic: racism

“exterminated” (Adam et al. 5). They were showing like as if they were helping the local people, but in reality, they bullied the Africans. White people treated African natives as criminals and animals. They were killing Africans without any fear of God. Even they were killing Africans for their fun too. White people did not care when Africans were dying from starvation. They just wanted work from them. Africans were forced into hard labor for the whites profit.
Topic: racism

It showed the evil side of white people who removed Africans from their houses for work, beating them, giving them unfamiliar food and killing them at the end. In short, Africans were living a miserable life. All this depicts the racism towards the black people by the whites and shows the dark side of white people in Congo. White people’s greediness for ivory and money brings a lot of harm to African natives, as most of them lost their life.
Topic: racism

In a nutshell, evil is not a word written on the foreheads of individuals. People, like Kurtz, show the characteristics of an evil mind as explained above. Cruelty, violence, greediness, and discrimination are the main identifications of an evil person; and Kurtz was possessing them all as shown through his behavior. Kurtz and white people show their evil side by hurting others. They lost their souls for the greed of money. In the story Heart of darkness, the evil, its characteristics, and its behavior are very well depicted and presented indirectly through some characters. Though in real life, Kurtz and other characters might not exist, but their characteristics are alive even today.
Topic: racism

After reading the article, the main idea Saini wants to transmit is that “the concept of race and in particular the categories we use, are human inventions that make no scientific sense”. That they are value-laden and socially constructed terminology (De Vrieze, 2019). This is related to what Douglas talks about in “Values in Social Sciences” where she discusses the role that values must play on science (Douglas, 2014). She defends that epistemic and cognitive values can play a role, but personal, social, moral, political, and religious values can create problems because they depend on factors like individual perspective, and therefore subjectivity or personal interests.
Topic: racism

As a consequence of this, personal views and beliefs vary greatly and can differ because of cultural and social differences. In this case, the term “race” is socially-constructed and therefore it should not be considered or pretend to be scientific. And what can be worrying about this topic is the intervention of “direct roles”  normative part of values, what Douglas considers very problematic for science since they can affect negatively research and the outcome of it due to manipulation led by personal interests and beliefs, since direct roles make values determine the acceptance or rejection of a claim (Douglas, 2014).
Topic: racism

One important point Saini makes is that when Social Darwinism was applied, that is, the survival of the fittest proposed by Darwin but applied to humans, it was meant to explain why “some groups of people were destined to die out” (De Vrieze, 2019). And this was a moral shield that colonialism and imperialism used to justify its actions against oppressed and invaded cultures. So, when this kind of racial hierarchies’ ideas are deeply woven into society, it is normal that science can be affected and it is worse if both are “governed” by those who defend those ideas or at least are latently believers of them.
Topic: racism

What Saini detects is that, “taking on account the obvious differences between populations, some people seem to forget that the main source of variation between people is in the individual level” (De Vrieze, 2019). To some people their “personal belief makes them think that there might be statistical differences between groups”. But even when that is not true, those differences can be “used to justify the inequality in the world”. Saini says that it is kind of “will to truth”: “if we just try hard enough, eventually we will find something” (De Vrieze, 2019). Here is where Douglas value-laden science enters the scene: the illegitimacy of the direct role (Douglas, 2014). Value-laden choices of topic or methodology must not predetermine or bias the outcomes of the study, that in this case is the main problem of studying racial science, but they often do. We cannot be sure that a scientific team will not “influence” the outcome or data to suit their personal beliefs. This scientific interference (Douglas, 2014) is what entails a great risk for science.
Topic: racism

The illegitimacy role of values on racial science appears as there are always people who don’t want things to change. Because of personal, individual, and social factors, they use the argument that “we are different just because we are different” (De Vrieze, 2019). That the “inequality that we see is not a product of historical or social factors, of bias or discrimination but it is just the way things are” (De Vrieze, 2019). But the important idea is what lies beneath this: the fear of losing their (or certain) privileges, the attempt to explain crimes and vicious acts (in the past or in the present) or even an attempt to get rid of an inferiority complex that leads to make others “in this case other “races”, inferior for their own sake and benefit (to exploit or abuse them). Because humans tend to gather with similar people or groups, and because we need to be part of communities or identities. And Saini says that these (racial) categories that appear “often merely social, should not be “underlined”, neither try to reflect them in nature to “explain differences or to underline identity” (De Vrieze, 2019). Some people think that by justifying something by nature, even if it is not true, something is immutable or even factual.
Topic: racism

In conclusion, the term “race” is deeply embodied in our society and even in our institutions, because we have intertwined the terms culture, religion and race to a point that it is even a linguistic necessity (Topolski, 2018). But race means something, even if is not used in a discriminatory way. It is meaningful and value-laden as it explains or indicates something, cultural, social, physical, and religiously (Topolski, 2018). As Douglas defends, “language carries with it value inflection, and it can create distortions in our understanding because of confusions with original means” (Douglas, 2014). Even if today the term “race” is often benign and well-meaning “to indicate human categorization, it still has a discriminatory and racial connotation.” And this racial terminology has become so powerful, that “we can’t just consign scientific racism to the bad people” (De Vrieze, 2019), because everyone uses them, not only racist people. Even when instead of “race” scientist started using terms like “populations”, people were (and still are) not used to it even between scientists’ not only by “the kind of Nazi ones” (De Vrieze, 2019). For example, opponents to this complained about this change of terminology, by saying that this was limiting academic freedom. And this is an important debate. “Why should any avenue of inquiry be blocked for political reasons? Science should not be limited or censurable” (De Vrieze, 2019). But the fundamental issue here is that the term “race isn’t real”, Saini defends, and therefore the main premise is wrong. And more importantly, “racial science” is lost due to the impossibility of establishing a neutral methodology and value-ladenness scientific teams that leads to an objective and non-influenced research and outcome.
Topic: racism

Imagine being the only person that looks like you, in a place where it is obvious you are not wanted. The scene described above is what Ruby Bridges experienced at only six years old. Ruby Bridges was the first African American girl to integrate an all-white school in 1960. This happened during a time of segregation which made her story really important. An article that gives us a perspective on what happened during Ruby’s school years, is an article from the website Social Studies for Kids.
Topic: racism

This article would be considered a secondary source. It gives us a view of what others saw and thought Ruby was going through while attempting to support the integration of schools. Another article that was from a primary source was from the website NPR, which included an interview with Ruby Bridges talking about her personal experience and how she felt during that time. Looking at these two articles it became clear to me that both articles were talking about the same event and had some similarities, but there were also many differences.
Topic: racism

Perspectives are determined by individual experiences. The two articles are written in a way that shows that the author’s experiences in life may have been different. Personal point of views and or world experiences help shape individual perspectives. The writer of the article written more for children stated that “Coles wanted other children to know of Ruby’s courage” However when we hear Ruby tells her story she didn’t really feel as if she was being courageous, just obedient. This is evident when she states,”I really wasn’t aware of what was going on. I mean the only thing that I was ever told by my parents that I was going to attend a new school and that I should behave.” Her perspective and the way she viewed the world came from her state of mind during that time and her values.
Topic: racism

Another difference between these two articles is the different audiences. The article from NPR is for a mature audience and the article from Social Studies for kids is for a younger audience. With these audiences being different that means that the language and vocab are going to be different as well. The Social Studies for Kids article uses basic vocab that children would see in their history book or hear in their classrooms. One example of this is when the author states, “Ruby’s year at school wasn’t easy. She had nightmares. For a time, she stopped eating the lunch that her family had prepared for her.” The language and vocab we see in the NPR article is the type of language you would expect when having a conversation with someone who is more mature. Both Martin and Ruby Bridges which were the two people talking are very educated and you can see this in the article. You can see this because of the tone of the conversation. They are just calmly sitting and having a conversation and not just scratching the surface of the Ruby Bridges experience, but really going deeper. Martin the interviewer states in the article, ” they wanted to end the political invisibility that came with segregation.” This statement is one example of the maturity level that was required by the reader of this article. To be able to fully appreciate the conversation between the two and understand the correlation between segregation and politics, one must reach a different level of maturity than what is required to understand the views discussed in Social Studies for Kids.
Topic: racism

One thing that both of these articles have in common is that they both have the same theme and overall focus, integration of schools and equal opportunity for all. The article from Social Studies for Kids says ” The integration came about as a result of a court order, not as a result of a request from the school.” It talks about how not many white people wanted Ruby at their school. In the NPR article Ruby talks about how “if you build a first-class school, an environment that you say, you know, will be diverse, we’re going to devote so much attention to diversity and teaching them values and having them learn side-by-side, I do believe that that somehow will help to close the gap.” Both articles focus on segregation of schools contributing to the problem of inequality. This explains why Ruby’s family allowed her to be exposed to a hostile environment. They were hoping that their small child would help make a larger impact on the world by helping bring about equality for people of all races.
Topic: racism

Both articles address the abuse Ruby experienced but in very different ways. The Social Studies for kids article alludes to how cruel these adults were to Ruby but definitely not in as much detail. The article for kids states, “Someone in that angry mob threatened to poison Ruby’s food, so she brought her own food to school. Other people found other ways to try to unnerve Ruby.” The level of abuse experienced by Ruby involved so much more. However, I believe the authors motives for writing it this way was to appeal to his younger audience. The NPR article had many more references related to the mental and verbal abuse Ruby endured. Ruby clearly states in her interview that she had no idea why they were yelling and screaming at her and the various things they would bring to torment her. Ruby Bridges states ” I turned that corner and saw them and heard them, I thought I had stumbled into the middle of a Mardi Gras parade.” Ruby’s perception of those type of events was probably necessary to help her get through such a divided time in our world. Ruby also gives us a vivid description of another time fear set in. She stated, ” I was afraid because on occasion the crowd would bring a box, and this box was actually a baby’s coffin. And they would put this black doll inside of the coffin.” I can only imagine how she felt after seeing that. Since she was only six years old she probably played with dolls like the one they put in the coffin and once she realized that the doll represented her and they were talking about killing her, how she was able to continue to go to school and learn is unimaginable.
Topic: racism

Ruby Bridges had a very different experience at school than most children back then. Both of these articles talk about Ruby’s school experience especially her first day. The article from Social Studies for Kids says ” On that first day, Ruby spent the entire day in the principal’s office”, this was true but it didn’t give many details of what happened after she left the principal’s office. The NPR article discusses the same day, but definitely has more details about what truly occurred that day. Ruby talks about how she did get rushed into the principal’s office as soon as she got there she witnessed the following. ” I remember seeing them pass the windows and point at me and they were shouting and their faces seemed really angry about something” All of this was done so schools would stay segregated. With all this going on Ruby didn’t even realize they were angry because of her. Ruby also says ” what they were actually doing is going into every classroom and pulling out every child.” Ruby had to go through all these negative environments on her first day of school. Perhaps the author of Social Studies for Kids hesitated to expose the younger audience to such details and didn’t want to taint their idea of adults and or the first day of school. I understand the need to write in a way that will reach your audience, but I don’t agree with leaving out details that may help students understand the severity of the situation.
Topic: racism

One area where the perspectives were very similar throughout both articles was the focus on how this experience affected her entire family. Both articles talk about the hard times Ruby Bridges family had to go through. Ruby also says in the NPR article ” my mother and father had gone through such a hard time that by the time I graduated from sixth grade, they were separated.” I would imagine this was really hard for Ruby to endure especially after all she had already experienced. The Social Studies for Kids article gave a little bit more details with what happened to Ruby’s family in hard times. It says “Her father lost his job but was eventually offered another one at another business. Her grandparents were forced to leave the land where they had been sharecroppers for 25 years.” Having bad things happen to your family shared in both perspectives was an unfortunate part of RubyBridges journey. It appears that both authors may have backgrounds where the family is valued because they both felt the need to be descriptive when discussing the struggles Ruby Bridges family experienced. It highlights another sacrifice that was a result of their determination to achieve equality.
Topic: racism

One question that I feel only one of the articles addressed was, why segregation existed in the first place. What is the real reason whites didn’t want their children attending school with blacks? The only people that seemed to have a problem with it was the white adults because they wanted to keep everything segregated. We have segregation because of racist and unrealistic adults. The article from Social Studies for Kids doesn’t address this topic, however, in the interview with Ruby Bridges, she makes it clear that adults were and continue to be the problem. Many people believe segregation to be a thing of the past. Ms. Bridges did an excellent job making sure the reader understands her truth. ” Well, I guess the question would be, you know, are they really getting the same opportunities? Somehow, schools are still segregated. I mean, are they really getting the same opportunities in those different schools?” Segregation was a mixture of inequality and racism which is something that we as adults have kept alive. Kids are not born racist this is something they are taught. I believe that the reason Ruby shared these thoughts because she wants readers to understand that it is it’ is their responsibility to raise their kids to be better than us and to not judge people based on their skin color. People may think that segregation ended way back in the day, but that’s not true, it’s still going on today and it is up to us, young and old to help put a stop to it.
Topic: racism

In our world today, many people live according to specific rules and practices that society considers “normal.” Rather than being true to themselves, people follow certain principles because they want to fit into society. Similarly, during the 1930s, the people of Maycomb, Alabama were surrounded by particular beliefs and stereotypes that were extremely popular. Many of Maycomb’s citizens valued these customs and lived their lives according to them. These attributes, also the main themes of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, are established early in the novel.
Topic: racism

The responsibilities and limitations of women in Maycomb’s society is a notable theme established in Chapter One. For instance, on page 5, Scout states, “…, when my father, Atticus Finch went to Montgomery to read law, and his younger brother went to Boston to study medicine. Their sister Alexandra was the Finch who remained at the Landing; she married a taciturn man who spent most of his time lying in a hammock by the river wondering if his trot-lines were full.
Topic: racism

In addition, on page 6, Scout mentions, “Men’s stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o’clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum.” In this quote, Lee is implying that in Maycomb’s society, men were busy and always at work. Women, on the other hand, did not work, so they slept, had free time to shower, and always stayed clean. This, again, restrained women from doing outdoor jobs and defined their role in Maycomb’s community. It reiterates the stereotype that men go out and work hard, while women stay at home and take care of the house. This stereotype is still in place in our world today. The theme of femininity progresses throughout the novel, as shown on page 108, when Scout says, “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could not do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants. Aunt Alexandra’s vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father’s lonely life.” This shows that girls in Maycomb were expected to be neat, elegant, and wear jewelry and dresses, not pants. Also, they were not supposed to play outside where they would get messy but rather play inside the house with tea sets. Scout is being pressured to act and dress differently, which is preventing her from being her true self and doing things she enjoys. Lee is showing that not only were women forced to act a certain way but so were young girls, who should have been enjoying their childhood. Aunt Alexandra’s character portrays the ideal female in Maycomb and represents the expectations women and girls were required to meet. Aunt Alexandra’s comments regarding Scout show the reader that girls had constraints everything from their clothing to what they did in their free time. The same stress put on girls for meeting their expectations of being female, is still pertinent in today’s society, especially in teenage girls. For example, countless high school girls are pressured to look perfect and be skinny out of fear of being judged on their physical appearances. Along with gender roles, other aspects of life were also accentuated in Maycomb’s community.
Topic: racism

Another prominent theme emphasized in the first chapter of the book is the importance of family name and reputation. For example, Scout says, “Atticus had urged them to accept the state’s generosity in allowing them to plead Guilty to second-degree murder and escape with their lives, but they were Haverfords, in Maycomb County a name synonymous with jackass,” (page 5). This shows that even though Atticus advised the men, they still ended up getting killed because they were known for being vacuous people. Lee shows the significance of family history by indicating that a family’s actions in the past have an imperative effect on how the community perceives their generations in the future. Another example is on page 6 when Scout says, “He liked Maycomb, he was Maycomb County born and bred; he knew his people, they knew him, and because of Simon Finch’s industry, Atticus was related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in the town.” Atticus is well-known and respected in Maycomb’s society because his ancestor, Simon Finch, set up a successful business in Maycomb many years ago. Unlike the Haverfords, the Finch’s’ family name is benefitting them in the future. The importance of family name is advanced throughout the book, as shown on page 26, “The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back – no church baskets and no scrip stamps. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on it.” This shows that the Cunninghams are poor, but are fairly respected because they follow society’s rules. Upon hearing a person’s last name, people in Maycomb can create an image of the person’s character in their mind. Lee is showing that Maycomb’s citizens are judged upon reputations, not identities, which can impact a person’s interactions and friendships in the future. Judgment is also expressed in other forms during the novel.
Topic: racism

Furthermore, racial inequality is also brought up in the first chapter of the book. One example is on page 4, when Scout mentions, “So Simon, having forgotten his teacher’s dictum on the possession of human chattels, bought three slaves and with their aid established a homestead on the banks of the Alabama River some forty miles above Saint Stephens.” In this quote, Lee is introducing the idea of racism by bringing up the practice of slavery. African Americans were bought and owned like property, which signifies that they had little value in society. The practice of slavery foreshadows the prejudice and bias against African Americans which plays a major role later in the novel. Another example of racial inequality being shown early in the novel is, “The sheriff hadn’t the heart to put him in jail alongside Negroes, so Boo was locked in the courthouse basement,” (page 14). This quote shows that African Americans and white people were kept in different jailhouses because even white criminals were more valuable than blacks. Lee implies that putting a white man in the same jail as an African American man is almost like torture to the white man. The officer would feel bad if he put Boo in jail with a black man, which shows the cruel treatment African Americans had to deal with. Discrimination, based on race and ethnicity, is still experienced by many people today. Racism plays a crucial role in the second part of the story during the Tom Robinson trial. Atticus states, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life,” (page 295). Atticus is explaining in any situation, a white man is always considered more trustworthy than a black man. This conveys the message that African Americans were treated unfairly, which eventually leads to Tom Robinson being convicted and his death. Still, even in the modern day, racism is a common practice in most parts of the world.
Topic: racism

By paving the way for major themes early in the novel, the author sets up the plot of the story. Themes regarding the roles and restrictions of women in society, family name and reputation, and racial inequality are developed throughout the novel. As shown in the book, Maycomb’s lifestyle involved believing in certain opinions and valuing specific notions. Similarly, people in our world today follow common stereotypes and popular beliefs. People still tend to judge others based on gender, family reputation, and race. As Ralph Smart said, “Are you doing what your heart desires, or living up to society’s expectations, what friends and family think? Because the moment you start doing what you love, what you truly feel in your heart, all your cells start working for you.”
Topic: racism

After the Civil Rights Movement, you would think that things with racism and unfairness would not be as big of an issue. There was a lot of events that involved racism as well as minorities being treated unfairly. One example is the KKK. The KKK is still around today especially in Harrison, Arkansas. They aren’t as active, but they still have a radio station and offensive signs leading into town. There was marches and laws passed. Martin Luther King Jr was also assassinated during all of these events.
Topic: racism

Even though, they didn’t have serious sentences this was the first time someone was convicted of a crime against a civil rights worker. I think this shows that minorities were not treated fairly and still were not free. They have had almost the same rights white people did, but black people still did and still do have to face backlash because of their background and skin color. This example shows how black people were treated even after the “I Have a Dream Speech”. Could it because white people were afraid their power would be taken away or was it because they didn’t think black people should have the same rights as them? If there was never slavery in the world, I wonder how things would be. I feel like most people would get a long better and that black and whites might get a long better. This example displays how there is still people out there who can not stand minorities or other races.
Topic: racism

Kate Chopin is an author of American decent whose stories consists mainly of feminist points of view and focuses on women’s exploration for self-identity, non-conformist behavior towards gender and society’s expectations. Nineteenth century class status for women did not differentiate one from the other, women were not allowed political power and were subservient to men. The author focuses on three main characters in three of stories, Desiree, Louise, and Calixta. Although the three women’s experiences were varied, the author portrays them as extremely sensitive and intelligent throughout the three stories: Desiree’s Baby, The Story of the Hour and The Storm.
Topic: racism

Desiree eventually met and married Armand Aubigny. Desiree knew Armand was racist and despised everyone who labeled as non-white, but she loved him so much that his character faults were overlooked. It was not until they conceived a baby boy that the possibility of her true heritage as a mixed raced woman comes to light. Although Madame Valmonde notices the child’s appearance as that of a mixed race baby, it is not readily apparent to Desiree. It was not until she observed another mixed race child playing with the baby that she realizes the possibility of her own African ancestry and her baby must have inherited those genes.
Topic: racism

Desiree discussed her concerns with Armand, whose loving behavior suddenly turn to mistreatment and hate. Desiree pleaded with Armand to tell her why he had changed so drastistically towards her and the baby. “Tell me what it means!” she cried despairingly.” It means,” he answered lightly, “that the child is not white; it means that you are not white” (Chopin, p. 192). In the pre-emancipation period in which this story is depicted, being of mixed race is intolerable.
Topic: racism

Pre-emancipation Louisiana presented a particular problem for Desiree. A color barrier existed that prohibited the integration of the Black and White Race, those instances of mixing races were done only in a secret setting. No respectable white upper-class family would accept a child of mixed races and any family member that crossed the line of this standard would be cast out. Desiree’s extreme reaction of comparing her skin tone to that of another is an appropriate response. She was ashamed that she could be considered non-white. However, the letter from Armand’s mother stating that Armand himself was of mixed race was a huge twist. Armand protected his secret and forced Desiree to leave his property thinking that she was the reason their baby looked like a mulatto person.
Topic: racism

Desiree is the true victim in this particular story. The current social environment made her feel ashamed of her assumed mixed ancestry. After all, an African child begins life as a slave and endures an extremely treacherous life. The same was true of children born to white and black parents. These children were labeled “mulattoes”, and contrary to thoughts of lighter skinned blacks being more acceptable to white people, their lives were as treacherous or worse. Desiree’s situation was due to racial assumptions and although being mulatto was no fault her own, the suffering and cruelty cast upon this group was unimaginable. Blacks, mulattoes and other non-whites were not considered second class citizens, in fact, they were not citizens at all.
Topic: racism

The same cannot be said of Louise and Calixta. It is a fact that white women of the time also endured suffering and oppression, but the circumstances surrounding their situations were profoundly different. For instance, Calixta, a devoted housewife was seemly happily married and had no reason to feel dissatisfied with marriage before the storm. However, while her family was away during a particularly rough storm, she broke her marital vows with a previous love interest. Once the storm has passed and Calixta’s family returned, she acted as if nothing had happened between her and Alcee. The author portrays her as reinvigorated by the fling and settling in to a happy marriage. However, no matter the effect Calixta’s fling had, adultery is, and will always be immoral. Louise Mallard is a woman trapped in a loveless and unable to break free. She actually wished her husband dead, so that she can be free of his personal oppression. Her motives are quite apparent when she receives word of his death and exclaims, “free, free, free!” (Chopin 262) “She says a prayer that her life might be long to enjoy all the seasons in her life”. (Chopin 262). Louise’s story ends in tragedy as she dies of a heart attack upon finding out that her husband did not actually die. The author details Lousie’s cause of death as a broken heart. Louise could not envision herself returning to a life of oppression ever again.
Topic: racism

Finally, nineteenth century women had no occupation that was of any importance other than that of taking care of their husbands and children. As this was socially accepted, women were classified a second class citizens and taught that no matter what they do, it will never be as important as that of men. Although they lived repressed lives as second class citizens, their struggles cannot be compared to that of Desiree. Desiree’s circumstances as a possible mixed race person would exact a much different kind of oppression and cruelty than that of white women.
Topic: racism

Racism. A word? An emotion? An Experience? Racism is a culture deeply intertwined into our society which fully optimises the acrimony of the human mind. The film ‘Hidden Figures’ directed by Theodore Melfi reveals the lewd nature of racism in its crude form, the outright rejection and repudiation of coloured rights within contemporary society. The highly influential music video ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ by Sam Cooke also presents this cultural dissention within society, utilising contrasting techniques to reveal a deeper connotation of the specific stratum within the idea.
Topic: racism

Within this intrinsically powerful scene, two specific film techniques are employed to immense effect in aiding the moulding of the theme of racism through the characters and setting. A visual technique utilized within this scene is the movement and positioning of influential characters, which is especially evident whilst Al Harrison (NASA Director) is questioning Katherine. When Al first confronts Katherine, he is standing on a balcony, overpowering her inferior body which creates a metaphorically accurate perspective on racism. After she answers with a statement replying to his question he comes down from the balcony and converses at her level, inferring an empathetic nature becoming evident.
Topic: racism

Within this exact scene, Katherine becomes emotionally overpowered by the effects and perturbing nature of segregation and begins a powerful plea to the audience and her fellow Caucasian co-workers. Her bold nature during the plea enables an empathetic response and begins to dismantle the body of pride and naivete views within the minds of the onlooking co-workers. The use of diegetic sound to generate immensely dynamic emotion chains through weakness and trembling within her voice emphasizes her position and compliments her already powerful dialogue. Her breathing and panting can be heard as she screams to gain the empathy of her audience and this translates to a feeling of intensely potent regret of white racial ascendency. Provoking the audience to a pondering of the effects of racism highlights insightful use of diegetic sound complimenting dialogue and enforces the power of Katherines plea, whilst maintaining a clearly defined link to the theme.
Topic: racism

Highly regarded as one of the single most influential song and music video combinations of the 60’s, ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ by Sam Cooke vividly highlights the issue of racism. Written and performed from a powerful black perspective, the techniques used contribute to an objective of evoking empathy. A full shot displaying a coloured woman on her knees, weeping and pleading a cause along with the lyrics of “back down on my knees” provokes an empathetic emotion, through detailed use of the camera angle. This high angle sustains the metaphorical position of superiority over the subject to characterize a portfolio of emotions within the viewer. This full shot paired with the lyrical caption efficaciously captures the emotional essence of racial discrimination and is used similarly in Hidden Figures through use of character placement and Diegetic sound.
Topic: racism

Sustaining the intrinsic use of duration and tone colour within the musical composition of the piece ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ helps to support the message of the lyrical composition and builds the thematical power of the piece. In the film Hidden Figures, the use of diegetic sound is powerfully used to convey the intended emotions which contrasts to the use of musical concepts which achieve the same effect within this music video. The composer has manipulated duration to assist in the building of mood within the piece by using predominantly longer note values whilst also adopting specific sound sources which contribute to an overall ensemble tone colour that is mellow and sonorous. This use of tone colour and duration invokes empathetical emotions which are parallel to the lyrical composition, specifically the line “It’s been too hard living, but I’m afraid to die”. This line is an example of a litotes, which provides two negative ideas contributing to an affirmative idea of pain and suffering and specifically supplicates the feelings of solemnity and empathy.
Topic: racism

Whilst sustaining a contextual link to the 60’s through genre, the music video “A Change is Gonna Come” simply and powerfully portrays the issue of racism in a way that is relevant to the modern world. This helps to solidify the issues relevance and reality within the audiences lives and within local communities today. The strong contextual link is why this music video is so relevant to anyone living in today’s world who may witness the discrimination of the Aboriginal people for example.
Topic: racism

Hidden Figures and A Change Is Gonna come are both choice examples of texts which bring the theme of racism to life through integral links to contemporary society. Both texts utilise the power of sound, be it musical or diegetic vocal sound to complement textual and visual ideas which work in unison to create a truly authentic and original perspective on racism within society. This results in the texts becoming somewhat though-provoking, moral questioning and utterly flattening at times as they fully reach into the elements of racism and their effects on humankind. That poses the question for all of us. Racism. What does it mean to you?
Topic: racism

In the “Book of Negroes” by Lawrence Hill the novel has a underlying statement that Aminata’s storytelling dares the upper class and their power. Powerful people in society maintain social hierarchies and restrict the freedoms of the lower class in order to preserve their power. Although Aminata’s freedoms are restricted, her storytelling challenges the power of the upper class. Aminata uses storytelling to increase her power in society and fight against the upper class. She uses her words to forward herself in social ranking although she is restricted for being a black African American in the 18th century.
Topic: racism

Even though that her owner knows that eating pork is forbidden in Aminata’s religion, her owner still gives her pork to eat without any other choice, making her feel less powerful creating his dominance and power. Aminata being a African woman is entitled to nothing more but to feel powerless and being in the lower class of society while the slave owner in the upper class to be dominate and powerful, “Gender contributes significantly to social inequalities. However, the United States is racially organized and hence its class structure is racially designed. White racism, along with class oppression and sexism, pervades the boundaries of the culture” (Wilkinson). thus creating an environment where the white man in the upper class is left with power and to be dominant over the powerless Aminata
Topic: racism

The lower class constantly gets put down throughout the novel by the upper class so they can maintain hierarchy, whether it being from racism, a act of dominance or pure hate. Aminata’s owners would abuse her due to the fact that she was lower in social status then them and that they had more power then her. The Americans would call Aminata names like “The crazy big mouthed African” (Hill, 175) to say that she is a crazy African and nothing more. Aminata’s friend says that “you call a white man white, he beat you black and blue” (Hill, 129). Africans being in the lower class would not be allowed to call a white man “white” because they are not defined as humans in the eyes of people in the 18th century. Enslaving Africans would cause them not to be moved up in society keeping whites hierarchy in place. “White men and women in any social stratum, regardless of education, skills, ideological convictions, ethnic affiliations, gender, or sexual orientation, are aware that American society favors them over all African Americans” (Wilkinson).
Topic: racism

The upper class will ensure they stay in that social ranking by constantly putting the lower class down so they have no chance of success, for example “When a college educated African American female data entry clerk wanted to take some college classes, rules were passed stipulating that one could no longer take extensive breaks or enroll in more than one course. This attempt to prohibit a black female from continuing her education is an example of institutionalized racism. And yet, this practice is sanctioned at all levels of the division’s administrative hierarchy” (Wilkinson). In this situation the people with power tried to take away the right to learn from the African American female so that she could not become educated and make money. Aminata gets put into the slave trade because the system in the 18th century did not want people from African descent to gain a hierarchy and power.
Topic: racism

Aminata’s freedoms are restricted almost every step of the way in her journey. Her class, race, and gender make her more vulnerable to these restrictions than anyone else. Aminata feels like she can not do anything in life without her slave owners torturing her. The toubabs command her to do everything so she is no longer making choices herself, “There is no water. No food. No breaks to pee” (Hill, 116). Her freedom was restricted so far so that she could not even go to the washroom without getting permission from the toubabs. Discrimination results in all of Aminata’s rights taken away from her, she goes from a happy child dreaming about success to thinking that she is worthless, “I was tied at the hands and yoked by the neck”. But i felt no pain at all” (Hill, 22).
Topic: racism

Aminata no longer feels the throbbing anymore, she gets beaten every day and is used t the pain now. Restrictions like physical abuse and dehumanization against her make Aminata have little but no freedom. Aminata’s freedom being restricted is due to her race and gender, “Devah Pager’s experimental research has studied employer perceptions by sending pairs of fake job seekers to apply for real jobs. (5) In each pair, one of the job applicants was randomly assigned a rsum indicating a criminal record (a parole officer is listed as a reference), and the “criminal” applicant was instructed to check the box on the job application indicating he had a criminal record. A criminal record was found to reduce callbacks from prospective employers by around 50 percent, an effect that was larger for African Americans than for whites” (Western).
Topic: racism

Although Aminata’s freedom’s are restricted her storytelling challenges the power of the upper class and provides her the power, strength, and mindset she needs. In the opening chapter, the elder Aminata looks back on her life and shares her story. “The abolitionists may well call me their equal, but their lips do not yet say my name and their ears do not yet hear my story. Not the way I want to tell it. But I have long loved the written word, and come to see in it the power of the sleeping lion. This is my name. This is who I am. This is how I got here. In the absence of an audience, I will write down my story so that it waits like a restful beast with lungs breathing and heart beating. ” (Hill, 101).
Topic: racism

Aminata believes words have power, she has believed that her whole life, ever since her father taught her words in Arabic. She uses her words to tell stories that will make her challenge the power of the upper class. She goes from a slave that was beaten from day to day to a African American meeting the Queen, and having a voice “I have my life to tell, my own private ghost story, and what purpose would there be to this life I have lived, if I could not take this opportunity to relate it? My hand cramps after a while, and sometimes my back or neck aches when I have sat for too long at the table, but this writing business demands little. After the life I have lived, it goes down as easy as sausages and gravy ” (Hill, 7).
Topic: racism

As she sits alone writing she remembers all the people in her life that have turned to ghosts, she wants to make worth of her life, and wants to write her story down so she can change other peoples lives with it. Her story is what got here to the place she is now. She is able to be with her child freely and able to write her story down. “the stories transformed my everyday life. They sparked my curiosity and provided an escape from a crowded environment” (Pinkney). While Aminata’s freedoms were restricted her story was something she always kept with her. Her story is something the upper class can not take away from her, and that’s why it’s so useful to challenge their power.