First Year Seminar Blog

    Today in class we watched the movie The Help. The movie is about African American maids that are underpaid and discriminated against. The maids do things like take care of kids, clean and cook. Many African American women who worked as slaves were not given proper education unlike the white folk at the time depriving them of job opportunities and equal standing. Skeeter, one of the main characters in the movie wrote a book about the struggles and hardships that the African American women have endured during their lives. However, the maids chose not to be recognized for their stories that were included in the book. I find this noble because they did not want the spotlight on them, insead they wanted to bring the spotlight to the fact that any African American maid could have gone or be going through the same things. I also enjoyed the fact that the maids being African American started to integrate the different races as it was the start of a more accepting society.  ...

In class today we discussed the Case of Brown Vs the Board of Education and the effects it would have on the advancement of our Black populous. The 2 groups that presented the information staged a Mock trial and had to argue their assigned sides. In regards to who I believe brought a better argument, it would have to be Brown's side for multiple aspects. In the eyes of the law their side argued that segregation was a violation of any black persons 14th amendment. If under the guise that separate but equal was actually legitimate then this argument would have no ruling, as Plessy Vs Ferguson would not have been overruled. However, segregation was notoriously unequal, as systemic racism had been fueling the divide for almost 300 years.  I feel that Brown Vs the Board of Education was key turning point in the advancement of African Americans and finally allowed for the equal treatment of an oppressed people.  If Brown Vs the Board of Education hadn't happened I feel segregation w...

In class we played a character from history and discussed their ideologies concerning slavery as our own. In regards to my opinion concerning which side won, it is clearly Anti-slavery. The arguments brought from Pro-Slavery people were messy and did not deviate from clear personal gain. I personally represented my ancestor John Calhoun, but do not share his beliefs. He was a proponent of slavery due to believing the south was entitled to these rights and the north should be in compliance with such. The slavery argument in modern times is very hard to debate because it's clearly wrong. Therefore I personally think the Anti-Slavery side was correct, but read this carefully. Some of those that represented Anti-Slavery still had slaves. Specifically Thomas Jefferson, who said it was a horrible blot on American history but would profit from slaves his entire adult life. These people were hypocrites yet you can also see they lived in a very different time frame. Maybe because the world ...

In class we discussed the case of North Carolina V John Mann. In the case John Mann is accused of wounding a slave that was rented out to him. In class we discussed both sides of the argument and how we interpret their arguments with the law. According to the state he battered Lydia, the enslaved woman, but since she was someone else's property Mann was liable for the damages. In Manns defense he claimed that he was protected under the law that a runaway slave is allowed to be disciplined.  The rights to a slave owner to beat and recapture their slaves if disobedient were somewhat spotty. In regards to the ownership of Lydia, it was technically Manns at the time. Therefore the issue becomes solely based on if Mann had the right to discipline her.  The court ruled that the authority of the owner is absolute and she was Manns property at the time. This would be a landmark case as it allowed for no slave owner to be found guilty of committing violence against them. I personally a...

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the government that is part of a 3 branch checks and balances system that prevents any branch from gaining to much power. The court comprises of nine Judges which are named by the President and affirmed by the US Senate. The Supreme Court is the final court in the long of line of courts. Judges filter through 7,000 cases every year and scrutinously choses 100-150 cases. At the point when the case is picked the Judges identify the key violation and address the illegality of it compared to written law. The Supreme Court is necessary to our government and in my opinion the most vital aspect of our government. The court when uncompromised and diverse is unbiased in every case making their decisions based on the law and ideal morals. The constitution is colorblind and its interpretation must be the same. I believe that the Supreme Court was essential in our societal change and their rulings give people a moral level in which they should live...

Today in class we learned about different events that either helped or weakened the civil rights movement in the late eighteen hundreds. These events were significant in the decades long crawl that would be best known by Jim Crow. However, a few bright advancements for African Americans happened in this time period such as increased education and congressional recognition. Specifically a man named Hiram Revels became the first African congressman. Along with becoming the first, Hiram took ex Confederate president Jefferson Davis's seat making the transfer symbolic. Along with increased political standing the first black university was founded, Howard University. This school was founded on the basis of higher black education. Another older school founded in 1837 is called the Institute for Colored Youth. This would be renamed as the Cheyney University. However for every advancement the Black race has, the most bigoted whites have to tear them down. One event was the Memphis Riot, a ...

Gone with the wind was an American classic which has brought about great controversy even when released. From the dark vivid imagery used to paint the south's destruction to the depiction of enslaved people the movie hits home for many. With such a mixed feeling crowd it was hard for MGM to exactly know what the ramifications would be for releasing the film. Now personally I believe they had every right to release the film because in some aspects it had a correct portrayal of southern life.  I do not know how it feels to be systematically oppressed so with that being said I believe that censorship in these certain circumstances would be appropriate. Gone with the Winds reinforcement of stereotypes about African-Americans is in my opinion the key cause for anger amongst their community. The deep pain slavery brought to a dignified people is made almost comical in Gone with the Wind and in certain aspects depicts a message that the enslaved people were fools. Malcolm X made a famous ...

In class we learned about Plessey V Ferguson, a landmark civil rights trial that would start the Jim Crow era. The basic facts of the case was a mixed race man by the name of Homer Plessy sat in a whites only cabin of a train. This was from the Separate cab act enacted by Louisiana state government.  Homer Plessey intentionally went into the whites only cab to be arrested.  Plessy was seeked by the Committee of Citizens, which was a group of New Orleans residents who wanted to repeal the Act. They were the ones who asked Plessy to sit in a “whites only” car of the Louisiana train.” Plessy was then told to exit the whites-only car and he refused to do so. He then was arrested and jailed. He was convicted by a New Orleans court and later filed a petition against the judge; John H Ferguson. This petition claimed that the law violated the Equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. In trials, Plessy’s lawyers argued that the Separate Car Act violated the 13th as well. The court...

Glory was a movie about Civil war Colonel Robert Gould Shaw who led the first African American battalion in 1863. The significance of his actions would later help turn the tide of war as thousands of African Americans would enlist to help the war effort. Shaw was also respectable in that he told his men refuse pay until they received the same wage as a white person.  Glory helped portray a perfect version of Shaw but all humans have flaws. It was true that Shaw did seek the equal treatment of African Americans, but he also was not solely devoted to that cause. The saddest part of his story is that he was struck down at age 25, definitely in his prime.  The racist superior officers did not allow them to fight even though it would most likely build the union's army. This systematic racism even in the military has shown the true racism in its roots. This time period was a very difficult time in the United States and the fight for civil rights has just begun.  Shaw was a call...