Malcolm X

In my opinion, Malcolm X was not a human rights activist. When I think of human rights activism, I think of a peaceful and nonviolent approach for attaining equal rights. It would make sense that you would go about it this way if you were fighting for human rights. It isn't exactly right to be violent. But with Malcolm X, his approach of "whatever means necessary" brings violence. It is almost hypocritical to persuade people to fight whites, when that is exactly what you are trying to overcome. I feel that Martin Luther King Jr. had the correct approach to the Civil Rights Movement, and that is why he was so successful. And of course Malcolm X was successful, but there is a reason we do not learn that much about him in school. His went about things in the completely wrong way.

Major Legislation for the Civil Rights Movement

The major legislation that was a breakthrough for all those fighting for Civil Rights was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This piece of legislation found the Jim Crow Laws unconstitutional and "separate but equal" was no longer in place. Blacks were now legally integrated into society, including in schools and all public places. It gave citizenship to all blacks and guaranteed their equal protection under the laws of the U.S. Constitution. This was such a breakthrough for the Civil Rights Movement because they had finally achieved what they set out to do in the beginning. They were now open to legal representation and equal treatment. Of course, society didn't just change immediately and accept blacks as completely equal, and it still doesn't today. But at this time, blacks were now legally a part of society.

Letter From a Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King Jr. was in Alabama at this time fighting for civil rights. He was invited to Alabama to participate in a non-violent protest along with others who are a part of an organization. Alabama was possible the strictest and worst southern state at this point. His style of fighting was almost peaceful, yet the white violence toward him made it harsh. He wanted to fight at the center of it all and get to the core of the problem. He wanted to be arrested so that a statement could be made to the entire nation, that things were wrong. His message of never giving up hope and fighting for justice came through in his letter and he urged those fighting to not fight back, but instead just stand there and accept the violence that came toward them. Also he wanted to show that people are equal no matter what their skin color is and we should all treat each other that way and love each other that way.

Utilitarianism

Personally, I believe in utilitarianism and I follow this principle for most aspects in my life. But it almost seems to easy to make large decisions by just weighing the costs and the benefits. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that everything you think about when making a decision can be categorized as a cost or benefit. Whether this effects someone else, whether your parents will be proud of you, what this will do to your reputation- all of these are either costs or benefits. And I do believe that we need to try and be happy in our lives, otherwise what do we have. You could have everything you ever wanted in the world, but be miserable.

Scenario 5: City of Happiness

I would just let the child be, and not interfere. You have to make sacrifices in life, and if you sacrifice the life of one child for a whole city, then I think it is worth it. But I also feel like this would almost make the city unhappy, because some people must have guilt riding over them because they know of the secret. I still think that the benefits outweigh the costs, though.

Scenario 6: Hampsterdam

I don't agree with just putting the crime aside because police are there to serve and to protect the citizens, whereas by doing this, they are just giving up. It shows defeat. Also, their duty is to serve and to protect all citizens, including those that do wrongly, so how in any way is this manifesting these ideals? I see the benefits, but you're never going to progress in society if you just put things aside and ignore them, they will arise again.

Scenario 7: The Price of a Human Being

I am pretty disturbed with all of these situations, just because I seriously disagree with the practice of putting a price of the life of a human. No human is worth any amount of money to another. It is just so wrong to say that you should sacrifice a life because it will make you money. I could never live with myself if this happened. Also, I am shocked at the Ford Pinto situation because they knew that people were going to die, but all they cared about were their own profits. That is honestly just sad and shows how self-centered and deprived these people were of moral values.

Has my view changed?

My view hasn't really changed that much, because I feel that I was troubled by some aspects of the principle at first, which turned out to be the main flaws. I didn't think you could apply this to everything because of moral values etc. Everyone has different values on things, so it can't be standardized. But I thought you could fit morals into the costs and benefits. However, you can't. It is just a straight mathematical equation. But life isn't like that. Life is complicated and involves so many different aspects that need to be accounted for. In this way, I don't agree with utilitarianism. But in other ways, I do. For small decisions that don't involve hurting others I believe that it is okay to apply this principle. When you are taking into account another person's free will or life, that is when it gets complicated.

Justice

What does the word justice mean to you?

For me personally, justice means that every action done to another person is fair and right. Not one person should be treated unfairly and as if they are inferior to others. This can be applied to almost any situation in society. But for one example, torture is extremely unjust and by torturing someone, you are treating them like they aren't human. In addition, justice to me means that everyone gets a fair chance at something. That not one person is ahead based on silly circumstances. But of course, this is the way our society works and I don't know if everything can be just in our world.

Scenario 1: Price Gouging

I believe that the government should intervene if the prices of essential items increases to a point where it becomes ridiculous because in an emergency situation there are different procedures than in a normal situation. But for things that aren't essential, putting a price ceiling to effect the prices would create too much inefficiency and would in turn hurt the economy more than helping it. They should intervene to an extent.

Scenario 2: Bank Bailouts

I think that the government should intervene to a certain extent. For those certain companies that are essential to the economy, they should save. Not only do these companies employ millions of workers, but in the long run, the consumer would be worse off without these certain companies. In addition, assuming that these companies make up an oligopoly, the start up costs for another firm to enter the industry and take up the space that was just created from a company going under would be so great that it would take as much if even more capital than needed to save that company. But there definitely is a line that needs to be drawn where if there is a company that is past saving, you have to let it go.

Scenario 3: Runaway Trolley- Driver

I believe that the trolley driver should switch the tracks in order to save 4 people. Although he is still killing one, by not switching, he is actively choosing to kill those extra 4 people, which is basically equal to him actively switching the track and killing that one single person. Given the choice, you would want to kill one person over 5.

Scenario 4: Runaway Trolley- Observer

I honestly can't choose for this situation. On the one hand, the fat man will probably die pretty soon anyways, and you would be saving 5 peoples' lives. But I don't think in the moment that I would be able to actively cause someone else's death. You are not responsible for the runaway trolley, but by pushing the fat man off the bridge, you would be responsible for one death, which is more than you would be responsible for without doing anything. But then the argument comes in that you had the choice and you didn't do anything, so can choice be an action? I can't decide!

Scenario 5 : Afghan Goat Herders

I would shoot the goat herders, because it is a soldier's job to serve his country and it is military protocol to stick to your mission. If in the end the mission is compromised, it would come down to this choice. In this situation, you can't take the chance. In addition, although it is just capturing one deputy, it is a step towards capturing the leader. And you could gain valuable information that could save other lives and you need to take certain steps in order to achieve the bigger mission. This is one step that can't be given to chance.

Multiculturalism - "The Sneetches"

What I will remember most about reading to the Lower School is probably how quickly they latched on to the main idea. Right away we asked them what the main point is and they immediately talked about how differences shouldn't cause different treatment. And when we asked about the students at QK, they hadn't had the impression that I would have thought they would have of them. They just thought they were other students who go to a different school with a uniform. Also, when they were talking about differences between people they know, they didn't talk about skin color. All they discussed were things like hair styles, likes/dislikes, and religion.

After hearing the children speak about "The Sneetches", it made me think of how if 1st graders can treat people the same despite their differences, how come there are certain people that can't? What is it that changes us so quickly and causes a change in our core values? And we discussed this in class, how it can be your family or the media for example. I think that because children are so vulnerable, the are probably at the most important time in their lives, and the most difficult. If they are corrupted from a young age, it is that much harder to change. My view specifically about the story didn't really change because the students just pointed out things that I had already realized, but it did make me have a greater appreciation for children's stories, which have such a strong purpose in teaching moral values.

Myself in Sixty Seconds

Outgoing, bold, smile, laugh, cry, loud, horses, friends, shopping, competitive, dedicated, kind, generous, grumpy at times, caring, hard worker.

Arranged Marriages

Before reading the article on arranged marriages, I was strongly opposed to them. I thought that there was no benefit and it was strongly oppressive to women. But I didn't know a lot about the culture behind it and the viewpoint of those who favor arranged marriages. I know understand the reasons why certain cultures do have them. It was interesting to see how girls thought that they didn't have enough experience to choose a husband, but their parents did. I would never let my mother choose my husband for me, let alone give me advice and interfere in my love life. But Indian girls certainly think differently. They see dating as pointless and marriage is the time when you fall in love with your husband. Although I can see their point and understand it, I still don't agree with it. I could never agree to spend the rest of my life with a complete stranger. Maybe it is just the culture I have grown up in, but the concept is so odd to me. Even though I am still opposed to arranged marriages, I have a new perspective on the matter. I believe that those who want one and want it to be a part of their culture, should be allowed to. It doesn't interfere on anybody else's life and certain people do benefit. For example, it brings about a greater family connection and ties two families together. I have grown up hearing parents complain about the "in-laws" throughout the media. But with arranged marriages, you gain a husband and a new family, which you learn to love. In this way, I almost think these types of marriages are better, but unfortunately, I am still opposed to them in my own life.

Literacy Test Analysis

Some of the questions in the Literacy Test definitely popped out as being racially insensitive. For example, when they ask "How many states are in the Union?", they aren't taking into account how a majority of black people, previous slaves, live in the South, and weren't educated about the North. In addition, when the questions about the President come up, they are almost pointing out how all presidents are white. And when asking "Who elects the President?", black people are yet again reminded of their minority in the political system.

In a lot of these questions, I have realised how unfair they are towards black people because of their slave history. As slaves, they weren't educated about anything. And they didn't know about anything other than what happened on the plantation they lived on and possibly in the town, if they lived in one. So all the questions about law making, branches of the government, Amendments, they are all things that normal black people definitely would not know about. In addition, slaves weren't really a big part of the economy when the original colonies were founded, therefore they wouldn't know facts about them.

One question that shocked me was: "What is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence?" I think this is awful because the main belief was that "all men are created equal." But black people were definitely not treated equally, and still aren't. This is very insensitive to the fact that whites in America during this time thought of black people as animals, and inferior to the human race. But black people are humans and are just like white people, so their main justification for this was completely false.

Voting Registration Simulation

This simulation really showed how far white people would go to prevent blacks from voting in the South. It shocks me that they would ask such outrageous questions that not even white people could answer. It reminds me of something I did in AP US History last year, where we took the citizenship test for black people that included questions about American laws and we couldn't even pass it.

The next part of the simulation seemed much harsher than the previous part. By lying to black people and physically forcing them not to vote was clearly against the law. It was especially shocking when the sheriff pulled out his baton when a black person was just trying to register, but this was going against what they wanted. And I bet that they would probably tell lies about being closed and then a white person comes through and magically they are open again.

This last part was just complete intimidation. They try and point out how white people have power, and if you go against what they want, they will find a way to take you down. But it was interesting, because yet again they were lies. But in the justice system, most likely a white person would be believed to be telling the truth versus a black person. Therefore, a white person could say anything and ruin a black person's life.

The N-word

There are certain words in our society that hurt specific races, cultures, ethnicities, and genders. There aren't really any words that hurt my race, mainly I think because I am white and I don't live in the Deep South, where most racial white insults appear. But because I am a girl, there are definitely some things that I am sensitive to. Specifically, the b-word really hurts me. I find that a lot of other people use it because it is so commonly used and easy to say. But they don't realise the meaning of it, and how some people take offence to it. For me, it makes me feel like someone who is rude and selfish and doesn't appreciate the things they have. And that is exactly the type of person I don't want to be.

Going forwards, I think that I will definitely see the n-word as something so much more powerful than I ever could have imagined a word could be. There is so much history behind it and it has caused great amounts of pain over centuries that it is hard not to see how sensitive of a word it is. I am definitely going to pay attention a lot more to how it is used in our society, in music and other cases, and try and find what certain people are trying to get out of using it. I find it very interesting the way the n-word is used in music. I always thought they said it in hip-hop just to prove that they can say it. But there is definitely a bigger meaning to it.

Do I think I have the word in me? Honestly, I don't know. I really don't think I do, just because I feel bad even writing it down, let alone saying it. But there may come a day where I am pushed so far that the power of the n-word entrances me and I use it. For me, though, there is no way of knowing because I haven't been put in that situation yet. I really hope that it never happens to me, though, especially if I use it in a negative way, because I now known the real truth behind the word, and how powerful saying it can be. For now, though, I don't think I have it in me.

All-Black and All-White Dormitories at University

When I first read these questions, I immediately answered yes to it being okay to having an all-Black dormitory and no for an all-White dormitory. My reasoning behind this was that in our society, Blacks have so many disadvantages just because of the color of their skin. So obviously they feel more comfortable around people of their own skin color. University is something completely new for everyone and it can be scary. So having that support behind you can be helpful. But because Whites have white supremacy in our society, I can see people being very sensitive about this, saying that those who choose a dormitory like this would be racist. But the more I think about it, I think that if we are trying to treat everyone equally, then why shouldn't Whites be allowed to be in a dormitory where they feel completely comfortable. I would never do this, personally, because I have been immensed in so many different cultures in my life and I am comfortable with people of different races. But those students coming from small towns who have never seen a Black person, and it can happen, would feel completely overwhelmed when going to University.

Racist for Liking a Mascot?

"If a team has a mascot like 'Fighting Sioux' or 'Redmen', then I am racist if I support the team."

I found it really hard to say if I support this statement. On the one hand, people who support teams aren't just doing so because of the mascot. They like the players and usually it is based on where you live. But on the other hand, mascots, especially of Native Americans, exaggerate the features and portray them as violent. In addition, most mascots are animals, so are we putting Native Americans on the same level as savages? I agreed with the bill that the representative from Colorado tried to implement where a team would have to get permission to have their mascot be a Native American, but I am unsure about this. I would never think that someone would be racist for supporting a team, but the more I think about it, there are definite ways in which someone could be. Like a lot of these statements, I think it is a balance between the two sides. You can support the team, but just don't do it because of the mascot.

"Learning to Read and Write" by Fredrick Douglas

The main strategies in which Frederick Douglass learned to read and write were very clever for a boy at his age. In reference to reading, he began having lessons with his Mistress, but soon afterwards she stopped helping him and gave in to society's rules. So Douglass became friends with a couple of white boys his age that knew how to read. Whenever he was running an errand, he would finish it quickly and fit in a lesson. In reference to writing, Douglass started out by learning the letters that workers at the shipyard wrote on pieces of wood, but there were only a couple of letters there. So he then fixated himself on Master Thomas' workbooks, which were set aside when he had finished with them. Whenever the Mistress would leave, Douglass would use the empty spaces in the workbooks for practice.

Frederick Douglass decided that he wanted to learn to read and write truly because he had an appetite for learning. Being a slave, he was deprived of so many things as a young boy. Once he got an ounce of literature in him, he couldn't resist it. In addition, literature taught him about slavery and he also felt that he wanted to be like other boys his age, the ones that weren't slaves.

Mr. Auld wanted to prevent Douglass from becoming literate because he knew that if Douglass read the current newspapers and discovered information on slavery, he would realise the crimes against humanity that were being committed. Knowledge comes from books, and the only way to keep slaves on a lower level was to deprive them of the one thing that could change their situation.

Even though Douglass was extremely glad to be literate, he learned about the hardships on slaves that last for their entire lives. As a slave, Douglass was trapped in a bubble, only knowing what he saw. But by reading, he was able to see the world, and realise that he was stuck. This only depressed him further, to know that there was no fix to his situation. How can you have a life when you know what is planned for you in your entire future?

"All Muslims Are Terrorists or Sympathisers"

Step 1. All Muslims are terrorists or sympathisers

Step 2. After 9/11, people began to associate Muslims with terrorists. Especially in airports. There have been many movies that have mad fun of this stereotype.

Step 3. 9/11 was an attack by terrorists from the Islamist group Al-Qaeda. But there have been so many other terrorist attacks in our history and not all Muslims are a part of Al-Qaeda. The terrorists in 9/11 were dedicated to taking the hand of "jihad" and didn't actually believe in this until they joined the terrorist group. The top recruiting countries were  Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and France. Islam doesn't actually condone violence; it is a religion of tolerance.

Step 4. I have never known a Muslim whom I have met to be a terrorist. I have a numerous amount of friends who are Muslim and who are not even close to being terrorists. They are just like me.

Step 5. Due to my analysis, I can conclude that because the fact that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by Muslims, people, especially Americans, have attacked Muslims on a whole for this. But there is not proof to say that their religion pushes violence and terrorism, so therefore Muslims should not be attacked for what a terrorist group did.

"The Sports Taboo" by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell searches through stereotypes, personal experiences, and biology to find out why blacks are like boys and whites are like girls. Gladwell concludes that whites can only rely on their effort, like girls, while blacks rely on their natural ability. “Desire”, he says, “is the great intangible in performance”.

IAT Race Test

After taking two race tests, I received a strong preference towards European American people for both times. I could definitely tell that it was harder for me to associate good with African American, but it's not like I didn't want to. But it showed me how much of an influence the media has on us, and how quickly it effects us. By 8 years old, you are brainwashed. Your subconscious can no longer associate good with African American. The only thing that comes up is bad. My results definitely made me feel almost embarassed because I don't want to have a strong preference towards European American. I would love to be neutral towards both races. But, unfortunately, due to the society that I have grown up in, this is not possible for me. It would be really interesting to see a person who would have a strong preference to African Americans, and see their reactions to the results.

I believe that the results are partly accurate, but I almost felt that it was unfair at parts. During the test, I would make mistakes if it gave a series of pictures that all went in the same category, and then suddenly switched it. I would be so used to pressing one key for so long, that I would make a mistake when I had to switch keys. But I found it very interesting because I would try and go fast, and I could do it very efficiently when European American was associated with good, but I would have to really concentrate when it was associated with bad.

One question that I have is how accurate the test truly is. Because I feel that so many people could find a way to have fixed results, which would in turn make the overall statistics inaccurate. I was a part of 27% of the total population that took the test, but I don't know if that is completely accurate.

"Black Men and Public Space" by Brent Staples

Staples begins his essay with a story that probably most of us would have experienced in our lives. A woman is walking alone at night, sees a black man walking near her, becomes frightened, and runs away. But this was the first time that Staples had experienced this "inheritance" that he had been given. He goes on to explain how everywhere he went, people would associate him with a mugger, rapist, or murderer. And it isn't because of things he has done or is doing, it's because of the colour of his skin. If he crossed the street, he would always hear the "thunk, thunk, thunk" of the car doors locking. He continues on to discuss his past, living in Chester, Pennsylvania. He stayed out of trouble as a teenager, staying on the side lines as he watched a cousin, brother, and friend all day below the age of 25. Staples then ends his essay explaining how he now takes precautions wherever he goes, so that others may feel more comfortable around him. By whistling songs by famous classical composers or giving a wide berth to people on the street, Staples is able to calm everyone around him, and assure them he isn't who they think he is.

Changes in My Beliefs

One belief that I had in the beginning of this class, that has changed over the past two weeks is the belief that we should all be color-blind. When we walked into the first day of class, that statement was written up on the whiteboard. And I immediately agreed, without thinking deeply about what this actually means. But as we started to talk about it in class, I realized that being color-blind is just ignoring that fact that we are different. We should embrace each others' races and see it as something good. By being color-blind, you are avoiding the topic of racism, and therefore extending the causes and effects of racism. We should face the problem head on, in order to come up with a proper solution.

If there is no biological explanation for race, how did it come about and how does it continue to be so important to this day?

I feel that in society, there has always been a social order. Someone is always on top, and someone is always on the bottom. And I'm not necessarily saying that this is bad, because I almost feel that for a society and market to function properly, you almost need this. To have order, you need authority at the top. And I believe that this is how race came about. People needed to see a clear difference in order to justify their order in society that started to form.

In connection with the Declaration of Independence from 1776, which states that "All men are created equal", I believe that the economy played a huge role in continuing racism. The leaders of America chose to clearly act as hypocrites as they had slaves of their own. But America was a new nation. And in order for it to gain power and progress, I believe that the economy needed to stay intact and continue growth. Slavery was the main resource for the economy, especially in the south, therefore if slavery had been taken away at this point, America's economy would have plummeted and who knows if they would have survived as a new nation against Great Britain, especially in the upcoming War of 1812.

Once you are on top, you don't want to lose it. Referring to the four fears of white people, number two is the fear of losing what you we have. We have many advantages in society that allow us to have a better chance at life, almost, and why would you want to give this up once you have it? This is why I believe race has continued throughout history. And because it has been embedded in our minds, and we are constantly reminded about the effects of it, it has become one of the most important progressions through time that we've ever seen.

Daily Effects of White Privilege

Five things that I believe most take for granted are numbers: 5; 10; 15; 17; 21. And five things that I could give up are numbers: 44; 1; 11; 31; 45. The theme really for the things that I think I take for granted is really just about things that I do in my daily life, that I never really would think that race could play a part in my actions. For example, talking with my mouth full. I don't do it usually, but I would never think that if someone of color was doing it, that others would think they were because of their race. Because how is race related in any way to talking with your mouth full? The theme that runs through things that I could give up is basically the idea that I would like to be in a world and have a life that involves people of color. I would have such a boring life if my friends, colleagues, and acquaintances were all my race. With such a homogenous life, I would be unsatisfied and discouraged. After living in a city where I get to experience so many different cultures and races, I wouldn't be okay with leaving that behind me.

Which of the Four Fears Do I Have?

In a fantasy society, I would love to have none of these fears. But in reality, I definitely can admit to having two of the four fears, and possibly have more but I just don't realise it. The first fear being: "a world in which non-white people might someday gain the kind of power over whites that whites have long monopolized" (Jensen). Living in London especially, I am exposed to many different races and cultures. And I'm not saying that I don't respect other races or discriminate against them, but I see the increase in the number of non-white people immigrating into England and it does scare me. It's nice to live in a world where you don't feel inferior to others and you know that the country you are from is on top. But it's scary to think of a world where everything and everyone is a stranger to you. You're the one that's different.

The second fear I have is: "The fear of being seen, and seen-through, by non-white people" (Jensen). I am afraid that others will discover my thoughts about other races, that just happen, and I can't help. I have been raised in a society where racism has been embedded within it for centuries. And something that has stayed in history for such a long period of time doesn't change over night. I wish I didn't have certain thoughts about other races, like: "There's a black man coming towards me; I better cross the street." I don't want to think these things, but while I think them, I almost get the feeling that others are thinking them as well, so it's okay. But it's not. And society shouldn't impose on us the idea that everyone is thinking the same thing.

How Did the Privilege Exercise Make You Feel?

This exercise highlighted how privileged we are, especially at the school we attend. I noticed at the end, how close in distance our class was, especially since we were all quite far from the starting line. It just makes you realize how lucky we are to be going to this amazing school. One thing I found very interesting was that almost our entire class is white. At an international school like ours, you would think that this wouldn't be the case. And in a lot of cases it isn't. But there is still that white majority that runs through our small community. Even though our community is predominantly white, though, I feel that everyone is extremely respectful of each others' race and we don't think of ourselves as being superior just because we are white. I would have loved to have done the exercise with a much more diverse group of people, to really get the sense that I am lucky, and not many in this world can say that. Some of the questions actually made me feel almost self conscious in the way that gender was pointed out as being a point to be discriminated against. And I definitely see it in my life, all the time; I just never thought of myself as losing some privilege because I am a girl. But I think it is absolutely true. I took a class on women's literature last year and I  was exposed to so many ways that society has brainwashed us into stereotyping women as the stay at home wife who can only take care of the children. But we are much more than that. And society has taken steps in the right direction to right this wrong.