Color /Is/Magnigificent

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Mariah N. Little; Post IX

The topics that stood out most during my semester enrolled in the American History 2010 course was the Road toward Independence, the Jacksonian Era, and the Civil War and its causes. These topics collectively symbolize the major influence on our countries history. Through the road toward independence we see how our forefathers we able to come together to fight for one cause. It is through the Jacksonian era that we exhibit the rise of America’s first demagogue who plants the seed for states’ rights that indirectly causing the Civil War.

The course has definitely changed the way I view American history. I now believe that it is important to be informed, be critical of the information especially in the media, and draw my own conclusions. How I was taught to view Lincoln during my early education was a misconception. I was taught that Benjamin Franklin invented electricity, when in fact he only invented the light bulb.

The instructor of the course presented bias by paying special attention to the history associated with the state of New York. Native to New York, the professor tended to elaborate on its, advances, role during the American Revolution as well as the Civil War.

There was missed opportunity in the course to incorporate past history in the present. As the semester progressed there were opportunities to talk about what happened this day in history. This would allow for more recollection.

Since the birth of America, it has been created to be a male dominate society. Granted, it has become “his-story.” I would have liked to have seen the role of women portrayed more frequently in the telling of this history narrative from colonization to 1865. They say “behind every great man, is an even greater women.” What influence do women have on the great men in history? Or what attempts of influence occur during this period of time?

Tumblr post five, viewing the, “Dark Girls” documentary was the most interesting and most empowering to me because I am an African American female. It not only taught the history of colorism, it reminded me to embrace who I am. The section of the course that I found no interest in was the Age of Exploration. Even though, this section sets the stage for American history, it was an unfortunate time in history for the Native Americans, showed greed form all parts of the world, and a long period time of men claiming land.

This course has shown me that popular media needs to be under strict scrutiny for its validity of portrayal of events in history. Filmmakers can introduce bias, alter information to add dramatization or omit important details that alter the understanding of the audience. It is important not to believe everything you see in the media. Out of this course, I am able to appreciate history for what it is.

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MAriah N. Little; Movie Journal Reflection II: Glory

From section three to section four of the AMH 2010 course there is narrative being told in which the climax is the Civil War. Section four of the course depicts this climax with its full engagements. In January of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, stating, “Such persons (African-American men) of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States.” When word of this circulated, African Americans enlisted in the war, fighting on both sides. The northern free African Americans fought on the Union side and runaway slaves fought defending the Confederate side.

The film, Glory, illustrates the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry led by Colonel Robert G. Shaw. The 54th consisted of about 600 African American men who encounter many struggles, including racism from their fellow white soldiers. The story begins when Colonel Robert G. Shaw accepts his promotion and command. Through training, hard work, and determination the men prove to Shaw that they are worthy of fighting on the front lines of the battle of Fort Wagner in South Carolina.

Glory seems to be the only movie about the first African Americans to fight in the Civil War and make a great contribution to the understanding of the role African American played in the Civil War. Told through the eyes of Col. Robert Shaw, the filmmakers missed the opportunity to tell the story from the African Americans themselves. It is typical for Hollywood to choose the white man as the lionhearted main character. The plot is mostly about their experiences, struggles, and triumphs. Why not include how the 54th perceived Shaw, as white commander, instead? These men were proud soldiers and ready to take on anything. This was their story. Instead, the movie portrays Shaw as the leading hero of the time.

           The story of the 54th continues after the Battle of Fort Wagner, yet the filmmakers do not continue to tell the story after the battle. This gave the audience the impression that all men of the 54th regiment were killed in battle that day. Historians say that the Confederate troops abandoned the fort soon afterward. For two years after, the regiment participated in successful siege operations in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida and then were able to return home.

The powerful film possesses historical inaccuracies as well that change the story behind the film, for dramatization. From the beginning, during Shaw’s decision to be the regiment commander he only takes a few moments to accept the position. History, has shown that there was a much longer process to his decision.

The film also ignores the character of those who fought in the 54th. In reality, the majority of the men who fought in the 54th regiment were freeman of the North. The film created the impression that the regiment consisted primarily of escaped slaves and one freeman of the North, Thomas Searles. It idolizes the African Americans of slave states, instead of the important men who had been free all their lives who are laying their lives down for the cause. Overall the film is inaccurate in illustration of the detail of this event in history.

In my opinion, this film is a work of good and bad history. During a time of war over a social injustice, African Americans for the first time are able to fight against what has kept them in bondage. Prior to 1863, there was no effort in recruiting of African American soldiers. This film depicts the glimpse progression of history from slavery to the battlefield. Even having lost the battle at Fort Wagner, the 54th left their mark at the fort and in history. They set the tone for more freedman to enter the battle for themselves. The film lacks a representation of “good” history, by making Col. Shaw the war hero, when in fact the true heroes are the men who stood behind him.

The film, Glory, was released in 1989 during the time George Herbert Walker Bush was inaugurated as the 41st United States President. During this time of history being made, is the context of which he film was made. It is said that movie producer, Freddie Fields and screenwriter, Kevin Jarre were walking through Boston Common when they caught a glimpse of the Saint-Gaudens monument. The aspiration to produce a movie about Col. Robert Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. For Fields and Jarre, it became a passion four year in the making. Through this passion they were able to capture the story of the 54th Massachusetts regiment.  

Sources

http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/the-54th-massachusetts-infantry

https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/history/waughj/classes/civilwar/public/syllabi/memorypdfs/blatt.pdf

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Mariah N. Little; Post VIII

The overarching topic of concern in TED Talk: How to End Modern Slavery is our century’s greatest injustice, slavery. It is the third largest organized crime in the world. Modern slavery feed on the groups of people who are most vulnerable and ostracized. From men, women, and young children slavery has no age or gender. Child trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor, and sexual exploitation are some of the many forms of slavery today.

The TED Talk clips by Sunitha Krishnan, Kevin Bales, and Lisa Kristine tell of their courageous experiences with the modern day slavery system. These speakers set out to spread the awareness and have a call to action for the support of the victims involved. They all stand on a platform that slavery in all parts of the India, Africa, US, just to name a few.

The quote that stood out to me by Lisa Kristine was, “I hope that these images awaken force in those who view them, people like you, and I hope that force will ignite a fire and that fire will shine a light on slavery, for without that light the beast of bondage will continue to live in the shadows.”  What better way to invoke action from the audience.

The question that I ask after viewing the clips, how can America intervene in to other countries’ matter of slavery when it is occurring in our own backyard? It was mentioned that North America and Canada are countries with the less than 500,000, yet it is still present. The missed opportunity here is the answer to the questions is specifically where are these instances of slavery occurring in America? What does that picture of slavery look like? How do we take care of this monster of modern slavery within our own walls? By not answering these questions, the filmmakers create a bias that slavery is a here in America, but not as predominant, widespread, or as more of an issue as other countries.

The third section of the American History 2010 paints the narrative of how the Civil War began in 1861. The desire for slavery in the South, raised opposing views in the North to inhibit it from expanding and abolish it completely.  The South argued that slavery was the foundation of their economy. This was the cheap method they used to mass produce and earn a profit on nonessential products like cotton, indigo, and tobacco. The North had a different means of economic survival, factories and mills. Disputes of slave laws and rights between the north and south and the status of whether or not a state was going to be held as a free state or a slave state were both at the forefront of the minds of America during this time. We begin to see our new country disband right across the middle and tensions rise so high to the climax of war. The TED Talk films proclaim that slavery is still as much of an obstacle today as it was in the 17th and 18th century.

Reflecting upon the TED Talk clips and the topics discussed the AMH 2010 course, I have come to the realization that the answer to, “can never again become reality?” is no. I don’t agree that slavery will be “never again” because it has occurred repeatedly throughout history, is happening now, and new disguises of slavery continue to emerge.

To explain the new disguises of slavery, I think about the debt bondage that college graduates are in and that I am slowly falling into. I believe that this will continue to rise. Society teaches us that in order to have a career and be successful we must have an education. My idea is that students enter into a contract of slavery when they decide to acquire higher education. More often, students graduate with the debt of student loans and have to begin paying of this governmental debt with a job in their chosen career field. They continue to work until this debt is paid off. Not only do college students enter debt bondage, but so do middle aged adults who acquire credit card debt, court expenses, and medical expenses.

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Mariah N. Little; Movie Journal Reflection I: The Crucible

The following review is based off The Crucible film, not the play.

The third section of the American History 2010 course discussed the establishment of the thirteen colonies, the key characters, and conflicts that occurred. Desiring religious freedom for the Puritans, John Winthrop founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1690. Puritanism arose as a movement within the Church of England seeking to reform, or “purify” the Church and establish a middle ground between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. They were considered the extreme Protestants, in their thinking that the Church reformation was not enough. In the midst of their thinking, way of life and fear of the devil, the Salem Witch Trails emerged in 1962. This was a state of emergency to execute all who didn’t conform to the rules of their society deeming them a witch, called “witch hunts” The Crucible is a 20th century depiction of the 1692 Salem, Massachusetts witch trials.

Researching the key people centered around the witch trails, I find that the names in the film were taken directly from the people alive during 1692. The names have kept some essence of the history behind the film.

With the film being a 20th century film however, there are factual errors in the dramatization. In history, the main character Abigail William, is an 11-year-old girl and John Proctor was a 60-year-old man. In the film, Abigail was portrayed to be a lustful eighteen-year-old and John Proctor looked to be in his early thirties, strong, and handsome. The forbidden love between the two did not match up with historical evidence, but Miller added this element to grab the attention of the audience and add to the plot.

           Events within the movie did not math up to the events in history. The film depicts Betty Parris and Ruth Putman fall unconscious, but in fact Abigail and Betty were the first two girls who exhibited unusual behaviors caused by witchcraft. The history also shows that there was no such event of the girls dancing in the woods and the drinking of the chicken blood, like the film portrays. What took place was the experimenting of the “venus-glass” in the attempt to learn more about their future husbands.

The filmmakers do not film the entire movie is Salem, Massachusetts, where the witch trails truly took place. In fact, out of six filming locations, only one took place in Salem. The scenes in Salem were filmed in a mansion called the House of Seven Gables. Other scenes took place in Massachusetts towns including Plymouth, Danvers, Beverly, and Ipswich. Canada was also a listed location, taking away from the authenticity of the setting.

In the account of factual errors, in my opinion, I feel that the film is a work of bad history. In this historical narrative, a group of individuals wanted to establish a place where they can practice their religion freely. Once that is established, the town takes a turn for the worse. The accusations of said witches cause destruction and turmoil of the Puritan faith. People are forced to admit witchery and avoid death by accusing others of witchcraft or they are put to death not admitting guilty of their crime. The result is merely just remnants of principles established by the Puritans, the religion has nearly disappeared.

The playwright brings historical context in the form a play during the 1950’s and was not made into a film until 1996. To describe the background of the writing of the play and the production of the movie, the time the play was written plays an important role in the context. Playwright, Arthur Miller, wrote the play during the term of Senator Joseph McCarthy around the first years of the Cold War.

In the name of the “Red Scare,” McCarthy pushed the need for the United States to engage an intense anti-Communist movement.  McCarthy led a series of congressional investigations and trail to weed out these said communists. The accused included Soviet Union spies, those who used to work for the government, and even, individuals associated with the entertainment arts, like actors and writers. One of whom was Arthur Miller himself. Miller intended the play to be an allegory alluding to the McCarthyism era. Just as the McCarthy trials, the accused witches of Salem were forced to confess accomplices to avoid punishment.

           The dominance of Puritanism has now disappeared, but American society today still proves to be influenced by the Puritan society. Democracy is a principle that the Puritan church followed and has since contributed to American democracy. The belief in which the Massachusetts colony was founded, the freedom of religion, stands as an important freedom granted to the American people in the Bill of Rights. The Puritan notion that schooling is an important institution is another remnant of the Puritan society. From this, it can be concluded that with the exception of the belief in the existence of witches and hangings, the film can be looked at in the same way even with the complete decline of Puritan religion.

Sources:

http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/res/article/viewFile/4585/3924

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ma-salemafflicted3.html

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115988/locations

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Mariah N. Little; Post VII

Louis Farrakhan is the African American leader of the Nation of Islam, an African American movement and organization based on the Islamic belief in conjunction with Black Nationalism. He is known for his vocal commentary of social issues, mainly, our country’s government.

The Louis Farrakhan: Angel or Evil?, compiles the entire interview of Louis Farrakhan by Alex Jones, an American conspiracy theorist. The interview is aimed to address many topics in which Louis Farrakhan, based on the teachings of the Nation of Islam, has vocalized in the past. This is Alex Jones attempt at analyzing Farrakhan’s evolved thinking. The interview begins with Farrakhan’s reasoning of political conspiracy coming from an invisible satanic control that is aiming to divide and destroy America.

On the topic of police brutality, Farrakhan clears up his statement “white people must die.” He explains that when the government fails to intercede, grant justice to the people, and do their constitutional duties, then ultimately African Americans have no choice but to defend themselves making up for the lack of a just government.

From gun laws, to abortion laws, the value of money, race, police hatred and brutality, Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam believes that if truth is not revealed and the American government does address the events that have incurred then America cannot be mad great again.

In search of inquiring more about Louis Farrakhan and the views of the Nation of Islam, I have come to agree with some of his views, questioned and disagreed with others. Scrolling through the comment section of the video, I came to agree with Larz Some:

“But, I see Farrakhan as someone who has reflected on his past, and admits that his passions have gotten the better of him, that we are in crisis as Americans, and it is not about the Blacks vs Whites vs Jews, vs Indians. It’s about Americans vs the Globalists…”

     The battle that America is having is at home more so in any other country. The film made look at the American government in a different light as having its own agenda controlling every aspect of our lives.

Overall the construction and execution of the interview was well planned out and gave its viewers a different of Louis Farrakhan. However, the filmmakers missed the opportunity to set the stage of more of Farrakhan’s views and information of the effect he has on the Nation of Islam. An interview of the perceptions of his followers about his views and how he leads this movement of people would be effective.

Reflecting on the documentary, I have come to realize that demagoguery is going to be a part of American democracy no matter the effort to stop it. This is so much so that even the Founding Fathers of our nation has warned against and tried to suppress from the birth of the American government.

Even currently in our election year, I see the rise of a potential demagogue, Donald Trump. Donald Trump’s tactic throughout his political campaign has been to appeal to the emotions, fears, and prejudices to gain support. I used the word potentially because he’s in a position of popularity due to his reputation in the real estate world and on television with “The Apprentice”, making him a billionaire. Throughout the campaign, he has expressed on more than one occasion he was self-funding his campaign. The reason he specified, as not wanting lobbyist or special interest. This is a man who has clearly indicated that he has his own political agenda.          

Works Cited:

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Farrakhan        

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Mariah N. Little; Post VI

The Iraq War, also known as the Second Persian Gulf War, was a two phase battle fought between America and Britain against Iraq in a total of eight years. A history of tension began to escalate with the terrorist attack on the United States back in 2001 with the presidency of George W. Bush.  The cause of the US involvement in war was rumors of Iraq possessing or in the process of building weapons of mass destruction.

After the attempt to kill Saddam Hussein, president of Iraq, on March 20, 2003 in Baghdad, tensions began to build starting the first phase of the war. Invasions of American troops into Baghdad began. The U.S., British, and other forces overpower the Iraq army within three weeks which led to the fall of the Iraqi government. By early December Saddam is captured, tried in court and executed.

Phase two of the war began with the demise of Saddam causing an uproar of violence between Shi’ite Muslims and Sunni Muslims. The United State responded by sending troops to disband the violence by the Iraqi insurgency, Sunni groups. During the presidency of Barack Obama, on December 15, 2011 the war came to an end with the removal of American soldiers.

The Iraq War by National Geographic is a documentary that aims to tell the inside story of the Iraq War from 2003-2005. The footage in the documentary is taken by the US troops fighting on the frontlines to give a depiction of modern warfare. It paints a gruesome picture of the conditions, challenges, dangers, events and successes the American soldiers faced in the war.  First-hand accounts were included by interviews that were conducted on the men and women who fought and lived through it.

The film was really informative on what event happened during the war. From the beginning of the documentary, I was shocked at how young the troops begin to be involved in was. To enlist in the American Army an individual can be as young as seventeen years old, but the account of Jessica Lynch who was 19 at the time of the war put it into perspective for me.

The filmmakers do a successful job in weeding out any sources of bias. The documentary told both sides of the story. The opportunities that the filmmakers of the documentary missed were to capture the entire war up until 2011 when American soldiers withdrew from Iraq.

The curriculum discussed in class, specifically the Revolutionary War, over laps with the topics discussed during the Iraq War documentary. These wars took place at very different times and places, but the results were that same in a sense that America was victorious in both.

Before watching the documentary, I had no inkling of knowledge about the Iraq war. I was about four years old at the time of the 9/11 attack. From watching this documentary not only was I able to find out what happened during the three of the eight years, but what war strategies were used to overpower Saddam Hussein the insurgencies in Iraq, what conditions the U.S. endured, and what setting the war took place.

Reflecting on the events and result of the U.S. being involved in the war in Iraq, I do not think the involvement was reasonable. The number one reasons for our involvement were rumors that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction after the attack on September 11, 2001. These rumors have still not yet been solidified. Until this day, the insurgency and terrorist operations are still ongoing after withdrawing our U.S. troops, claiming lives of innocent people. With the debt and casualties combined, the war was not worth it. The money could have been put to a greater use and the many lives that war claimed could have been saved. The U.S. could have taken a better approach than, “we have to bomb them before they bomb us.” A more effective solution would have been to befriend the country, gain a trusting relationship with Iraqis, and find out if the rumors were in fact true.  

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Mariah N. Little; Post V

The documentary, “Dark Girls,” by Bill Duke is intended to open the eyes of its audience, specifically African American women, and reveal a controversial issue troubling the African American community. The film begins by introducing the issue of colorism, the prejudice or discrimination based on the lightness or darkness of skin color within one’s own ethnic group. During the time of slavery, colorism was apparent and applied as the brown paper bag test. If your skin was lighter than a brown paper bag you were considered beautiful, desirable and smart. If you weren’t, you were dark and unattractive. Colorism has been an ongoing concern even today. At early ages, darker skinned girls feel inferior to lighter skin colored girls, are teased, bullied, and are taught to feel resentment about their skin color. This resentment develops into jealousy, and creates a divided generation between light skin and dark skin. From the divide, there is a need to do something to change their appearance. 

The filmmakers make it evident that the issue of colorism is not just within the United States, but a global one between different races. It introduces different perspectives from different races describing their experiences of colorism, how men, white and black feel about light and dark skinned women in terms of dating and marriage, and how dark skinned women feel about men. This film does a superb job of circumventing bias by including these perspectives. However, the filmmaker missed an opportunity to discuss the perspective of a black and white interracial couple who may have a daughter of a lighter skin tone.

“Dark Girls” reminds me continue to embrace who I am and where I came from. I will continue to be me and never try to alter what I look like. In my opinion this is a documentary that all black women should have the chance to see. Colorism has become most prevalent since the ending of slavery, but not talked about.  

Growing up, I was always told I was beautiful, from family and friends. I always thought I was beautiful and I truly believe that you are a trained to perceive yourself in a certain light. My father is African American, but is considered “red”. My mom is black, but considered “high yellow” and I take after her complexion. These terms of “red”, “high yellow”, “caramel”, and even “chocolate” are now used in place as if this is a different race from being black.  As a light skinned black woman, I have heard things that put light skinned women on a pedestal more so than dark skinned. I believe that media has a strong influence on what beauty is supposed to look like. What used to be considered beautiful was thin, long hair, blue eyes, and light skin. There has been a shift in these trends and now it’s a curvier body shape, plumper lips, bigger noses and a darker skin tone. I believe we as a people need to tear down the walls of colorism, because everyone is different we are all beautiful, no matter the skin tone.

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Mariah N. Little; Post IV

There is similarity between the terms religious freedom and religious liberty and that is religion. However, the difference between two terms lies within the difference between liberty and freedom. Gathering information from the media sources and articles, I have come to the conclusion that the definition of religious freedom is the capability to make decisions and practice in the name of religion without the control or restraint of a government. Religious liberty, on the other hand, is the freedom given to individuals by a government. In essence the religious freedom we all have is guaranteed through the liberty we are granted from the government. The question that these sources raise is yes, we have the freedom of religion, but do we have the liberty to do so?

The law that is at the center of the controversy is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993, which states had adopted in their own way. It insures that interest in religious freedom are protected, but if the government has to apply restrictions it must do so in the least restrictive means possible. Since this law, it has now erupted in the passing of new law in Indiana by Governor Mike Pence. It states that the government cannot intrude on a person’s religious liberty unless it can prove a compelling interest. There are two dissenting sides that have been vocal about how they feel about these laws.

The sources that represent the religious liberty side argue that religious liberty is being attacked or limited by government. In the video, “Stand for Religious Liberty,” business owners felt that there was a cost to practicing a religion. For these individuals, the definition of freedom has changed from the building of their businesses until their down fall. The reasons it has changed is because of the law suits that have risen up against how they run their businesses and received death threats. It forces them to abandon their right to religion, the very first right mentioned in the Bill of rights.

The opposing side of the issue feels as though, this allows room for legalizing private discrimination of certain groups of people, particularly the homosexual community. Those deeply concerned about the legislation include the Nation Collegiate Athletic Association, who don’t know how it will affect student athletes as well as employees.  

After viewing these sources, I question where the line is drawn to allow every American their freedoms without them conflicting or being infringed upon? From my view point, amongst every freedom that an American has is freedom of choice. Individuals have the right to choose whether to shop at a certain grocery store, attend certain schools, and even eat at certain restaurants. Business owners should have the freedom to choose how to run their business, whether it be through Christian values and beliefs, or based on atheism or homosexuality. It is the customer’s or consumer’s choice whether to receive services or purchase something from a particular business. Going back through the history of America, it was founded on religious beliefs. Therefore, individuals should have the right to practice them, in an evolving secular world.

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Mariah N. Little; Post III

         Since November of 2014, President Barack Obama has made an executive action plan in regard to the broken immigration system in America today that has the potentially establish a historical precedent. This executive action includes allowing immigrants who have lived in America for at least five years, have children who are American citizens or legal residents, and have not committed any felonies to apply for temporary citizenship and work permits without the fear of deportation. The action in question is called the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). Additionally, this calls for the expansion of the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) intended for teenagers and young adults who were born outside of the U.S., but raised in the country. This could potentially grant for almost five million undocumented immigrants in good standing the hope of keeping their family together and give their family a better future. However, 26 states including Texas challenge this, suing on the grounds that the action violates the Take Care clause of the United States Constitution and the Administrative Procedures Act. The case has gone through several lower courts and now is being taken up by the Supreme Court. Reflecting upon the two distinct sides, both agree that action needs to be taken on this issue that has affected this country for decades. One side feels that the immigration system needs to be more effective in a way to accept those who have come her illegally. The dissenting side feels as though the action will force the states to accommodate these individuals and change their laws to do so.

           This topic of immigration is not new and dates back to the founding and colonization of the British colonies. Immigration is what has made the United States prosperous, successful, and rich in culture and values. The reasons for the mass migrations of people back then have evolved and expanded. Economic opportunity, religious freedom, escaping oppression, violence, poverty, and to make a better life for the future are these reasons. I acknowledge that the “mixed salad bowl” symbolizes the United States of America. Everyone here today traveled far to get here, therefore everyone is an immigrant. Each individual contributes to this salad with their history, background, ideas, innovations, culture, religion, and values. We don’t want to take away from that diversity by deporting these individuals especially if they are in good standing with the law of this society. For this reason, I strongly disagree with the view of presidential candidate Donald Trump on the issue to deport all undocumented immigrants. This will cause a change in what America stands for as a nation and the way other countries view America. If the executive action is said to be unconstitutional and undocumented immigrants are forced out of the country there will be chaos and turmoil by individuals who are targeted and those who advocate for them. The issue was put into perspective for me when President Barack Obama mentioned a college student named Astrid Sylva. He used her as an example to attest to the many other students who came to America with barely anything, wanting to learn and be successful faced with the fear of her family being torn apart. Sylva is a college student just like me striving for success for a better future. I wouldn’t want anything or fear of anything to get in the way of that.  

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Mariah N. Little; Post II

In the video, “American Red and Black: Stories of Afro-Native Identity” the producers attempt to tell the stories of a few African Americans of native descent. The stories from the perspective of the Afro-Natives themselves, tell of the issues that they have in the U.S. society in terms of how they are being recognized or not recognized, racism, and the misconceptions that society have about the native heritage. What seemed to be true across the board from the diverse accounts were the different misconceptions that society has developed. Hair and skin color seem to be most thought of as an indicator of Native American descent, which is an instance of racism. The film transitions to an individual by the name of, Tall Oak, brought about the fact that Native Americans have to jump through a high hoop to be federally recognized. This recognition process included “mountains and mountains of detailed documentation” to be submitted ultimately to the “same people who spent all their time here on your land trying to stop your existence.” Another point in the film that is brought up is the suppression that society tries to impose on Native Americans. In the testimony of Sequoyah, he describes his childhood experience of being convinced he was not “orange”, but only black. Because he didn’t accept this label as being black and the attempt to convince him failed, he was told he needed to see a professional because that was a problem.  

What stood out to me the most in the video was the fact that the Native Americans aren’t accepting of the African Americans. My perception of the mixing between the two would be that there were no documented historical prejudice between the two races of people is false. Just because there are African American and Caucasian mixed individuals does not mean there wasn’t dissention at any point in history. It made me read additional information about the issue and why this separation occurred? One theory that stood out to me was that the Native Americans sided with the confederacy and owned slave plantations.  

After watching the video, it forced me to ask myself the question of how much do I really know about my heritage? I am only limited to what my parents have told me, which is that I am Cherokee Indian. My only experience with the Native American culture was attending a Pow Wow at the Seminole Hard Rock years ago. At the time, I thought of the experience as a time to enjoy the entertainment, try different foods, and buy dreamcatchers. The video convinced me to delve into and embrace my native descent. I would hate to see my history just be vaguely printed in the pages of a history textbook.

           Under the film itself, describes the director of the film interest in “understanding the dynamics of race in America.” It also described her diverse upbringing, which brought about bias within the film. What stands out is her father’s African American and American Indian heritage. The film only depicts the accounts of this group of people. It made me question why the director doesn’t include the racism that also exists against mulattos, mixed African American and Caucasian individuals. This was the opportunity to shed light on racism towards biracial and other multiracial individuals.

To address the filmmakers of this video, what are the first steps to finding out more about your native descent, besides the popular anscestry.com? I can imagine that it is a difficult process because of the lack of information and there has been many attempts to wipe out the native population. When doing online research, there is a million accounts of stories and history? How do I pinpoint which are true and false?

[mariahnlittle-blog]

Mariah N Little; Post 1

When I think about my past experience with history, I think back to junior year in high school when I took an AP U.S. History course. I thought it would be a wise decision to take this class having college at the forefront of my mind. I was not looking forward to learning about U.S. history, but I was ready for the pay off. Once I heard of the stories of the teacher that would be teaching the class, Mr. Kaitz, I was a little less opposed to taking the class. He had an obsession with the Hostess Twinkies and when news hit the media that they would be discontinued, word went around the school that he stocked up on as many Twinkies as possible and stored them in his closet.

As far as the class was concerned, I was told on the first day of school that there will never be homework, except to read the required text corresponding to the class lectures and there would a curve on each test. As the school year began, I was not at all interested in the Colombian Era or the settlement of the Americas. I was the ultimate procrastinator only when it came to reading the textbook just because of my non interest. I either read the chapters right before test day and often found myself not completing the reading or not reading at all. My test scores always exceeded the passing score thanks to his grade manipulations.

I found the funny stories to be true about the teacher being very animated the day he suddenly went into his closet and came out as Thomas Jefferson, the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence. He read the first two parts of the document in front of the whole class is an English accent and allowed anyone to record and take pictures. The school year progressed and the only unit that seemed to keep my attention was the events leading up to the Civil War and the aftermath. I remember reading all I could about that time period period and that happened to be the highest test score out of all my tests. After those lectures, I fell uninterested again. The end of the school year quickly approached and the AP U.S. History came even faster. By then I knew I completed the class with a solid B and wasn’t sure if that was the case for the AP National Exam. I was not adequately prepared for the exam and was just forced to do my best on the 3-hour long exam. My scores reflected how I felt walking out the doors of the testing auditorium. I don’t regret taking the course because of the laughs and the background I’ve received to excel in the AMH 2010 course.

I have learned through AP U.S. History, AMH 2010, and POS 2041 that past history is relevant today and is still being made through politics, governmental issues and policies. Living in a nation controlled by a representative democratic system, I am able to have a voice as a citizen on these governmental issues, laws, and policies.  

The piece of historical fiction that I have chosen to introduce as the #1 television series of 2013, The Bible. It is a relatively close depiction of the story of creation and events leading up to the death of Jesus Christ, as told in the Bible. The piece of historical fiction that was recommended to me by a peer was 12 Years a Slave, based on the true story of Solomon Northup. The movie shows the courage and determination of a born free man who was deceived and sold into slavery. I look forward to viewing and analyzing this piece of historical fiction throughout the semester.