This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
PERIOD 1 - LITTLE ROCK
On Wednesday, you watched the documentary "Little Rock High School" in class. Please share your thoughts about the film with the class.
26 comments:
Michelle Ziedonis
said...
After watching the film, I think it showed me how resistant people in our in society to change. Grown white men and women were attacking black children both verbally and physically because they were the ones chosen to begin school integration. It was sad to watch how horrible the whites were acting. Also the government is suppose to be helping all people, but the Governor seemed to be trying to find ways to do what the white people wanted and go against the change for Blacks. The fact that state government officals would go against the rule of the federal government shows how badly people did not want things to change.
Although I was absent and didn't see the film I have seen films alike through out the school years. Little Rock was one of the biggest acts of bravery, in my opinion, that stand out in my mind. The black students that attended this high school were very courageous. I think it is absolutely amazing that regardless of all the odds against them, they stuck it through. I find it insane that they had to bring such reinforcement into the school. Can you imagine if that happened at WHS? Little Rock really helps to put the struggles of blacks into the perspective of a young high school student. It makes me wonder how things like this was able to happen because quite frankly, I can't even begin to grasp the feelings of hatred the two races so predominantly thrived on.
I agree with Michelle, the film clearly demonstrates that people didn't want change so badly. The government officials were even resisting the integration. Its sad, and embarrassing that there was a time in history like this.
After watching this film it was very eye opening to see how blatantly racist would be not only in places down south where it would be somewhat more unsurprising, but also in places like Boston. After seeing how those people in Boston reacted to the busing proposal and intergration laws, I was truly shocked to see how people here reacted. It just brought it close to home and truly just opened my eyes.
I agree with Becky, this was a sad dismal time in our nation's history. Government officials did the opposite of what they were supposed to do. They favored one group over another thereby denying them to the rights given to the under the law.
watching the film about little rock makes me appreciate the society that we live in today where we dont have to go to school to find protest, or walk the halls in fear. when thinking about racism and the hate that our country had towards the black race it can be easy to think that "oh well that was a long time ago" but really when you think about it our own grandparents lived through this whole ordeal and many had the same thoughts as the parents and children they showed in the movie. living in todays world its hard to imagine how kids our age could stand infront of a camera on national television and say "we dont want those people in our school, its our right" and on the other hand I cant even begin to imagine what was going through the 9 black students mind as this whole thing was happening. needless to say little rock was a major stepping stone in de-segregation in schools to get us to the point at which we are now.
This film made me realize how deep the roots of rascim was in the American society up to even the 1970's. It's really astonishing to me of how irrational human beings can act soley based off of the prejudices towards a different race. Also the governer acted foolishly as his blocking of the blacks students from entering and the deployment of the national guard only worsened the situation.
I somewhat disagree with Lampi that the situation in Boston was caused soley by racial prejudice. This is because alot of parents at the time were only resistant to the fact that their school systems were being drastically changed and that their kids were being forced to go off to school far from their communities. Even though race did play a major role in the issue, other non- racial factors were also present.
I think the film showed that the north and the south both had issues with integration, and racism wasn't a sectional issue, but a national issue. When we were younger we would hear in school "the north was good and the south was bad". It's not the case. When we were shown the footage of the high schooler's in Little Rock, I really felt badly for the girl who walked to school alone. I remember doing a unit on civil rights last year, and heard that this girl never got the message that everyone was going to meet before going to school. It must have taken so much courage to walk alone in front of that angry and chaotic mob. I don't know if I would have had the strength to do that. Another thing that really hit me was the mother's behavior. I've heard and seen plenty of things about men getting angry and being outspoken about segregation, but this is the only footage I have seen featuring lots of women fighting for this. We don't really learn a lot about that in school. It was pretty crazy to see. The video was footage from roughly fifty to sixty years ago, and to think we have come from making black people go to different schools and sit at the back of the bus to having Barack Obama make history as the first black president is great, in my opinion. There is always room for change, acceptance, and unity. I am glad to have witnessed this and how far we have come.
I agree with Becky's comment. I can't imagine something like this happening at WHS. I'm glad I never had to see something like that. The fact that it very well could have is sad to think about.
"Little Rock High School" really left me in a state of confusion. I mean I understood what was going on but I could not wrap my head around how such a deep hatred for blacks was so universal. Especially after the desegregation of the military. So Americans were perfectly fine with blacks risking their lives for their country but they were not good enough to go to school with white children. How could someone think that? If my mother were to protest integrated schools tomorrow, I would be appalled and probably wouldn't show my face at school again; but I have to say that if I was at Little Rock's Central High School in the 50's I think I would have loved to see my mother out there protesting. That was just the way people were brought up and that was completely accepted then. I'm not sure what to think after watching the film. All I know is that I cannot imagine what was going through the minds of the "Little Rock Nine" when they saw the outraged public at the announcement of their enrollment at Central High.
After watching the film about the Little Rock Nine and their determination to pursue a better education, and try to change society by integrating schools I was very impressed. I have seen other films like this in other classes, but none of them had the same meaning and talked about each of the kids on such a personal level. I really enjoyed how they showed interviews from when the event was happening, and some of the Little Rock Nines reactions and interviews years after they took part in such a historic event. Overall I found this film very interesting and informational.
I agree with both Jess and Becky that I could not imagine anything so important to come out of a small town like Westborough. I also have a hard time understanding how people could be so mean and rude as to try and stop these teenagers from trying to get an education.
Whenever I learn/relearn about Civil Rights, I always am in disbelief. No matter how many times it is discussed, it is still shocking to me that our people, American people; were so horrible and racist. Our country celebrates Equality, yet we were okay with segregation. It is wrong. No human can be worth less than another human. I can not begin to imagine what it must have been like to be Black in this era; what it must have felt like to deal with segregation. The bravery that the Little Rock Nine showed is truly admirable. On another note, towards the end of class the video began to discuss Boston and the segregation it was facing. Normally when I learn about Civil Rights, the main focus was in the South. It is noteworthy that this racism and segregation was widespread, it was a national problem, not just something that happened in the South.
I agree with Jess. I think that it was really important to see what things were like in the North during this time. I also think that it is so nice how far as a nation we have come. We have allowed great change, and there really is room for more.
I always enjoy relearning about the civil rights movement because there's usually something that wasn't said before. In Little Rock, not much had happened in this city. Sure there was segregation, but white teens went to white schools and blacks went to their schools. However that one year changed altogether. Blacks "moved" in with the white students and it was hard to accept them at first just like a new member in a gang, then over time you begin to like them for who they are. If it weren't for this I wouldn't be in a diverse school system like the one here at Westborough. The Boston bus riots that occurred in the seventies I thought was something unique. It was a topic that I had heard about from my mom who was a Southie girl herself and actually had to put up with this. But never had I seen a video about this event especially since it had more to do with race than it did with the bus routes.
I agree with Becky that the time period after WWII leading up to MLK JR's "I have a dream" speech was a dismal time in our nations history. The jury sided with the white public and not on their true feelings. I also agree that it would be scary to see a bunch of army troops scattered around the campus and stationed throughout the halls if this sort of thing were to happen today. The only thought that comes to my mind that would be like this is, if we ever had a bomb scare at the school or some other tragic event. I'm not saying i want one but this would be the only reason in today's world for the military to respond to such a call.
After watching the film, I was very impressed by the resiliency of the 9 black students; they kept coming to school despite the resistance they got for doing so. I also agree with jess that it is important to see that there was not only racism in the deep south, but in the north as well, which I brlieve is often overlooked.
It's hard to believe that people thought the way they did back then. Living in society now I don't think twice about seeing a black person in school or sitting next to me on a bus. I don't understand why people would have such a hard time accepting black people in everyday life. Everyone is equal and everyone should have been treated fairly. It must have been so hard for the black kids who chose to go to Little Rock High School to have to see crowds of people yelling at them and insulting them. It must have been equally as hard inside the school having other students insulting them. It's a good thing times have changed.
after watching this film, i learned about how bad it was based on the color of your skin. you could not get an education just because of that. now, we all have come together as one and blacks, whites, etc have come together as one.
I agree with Ari with everything he said. If the military was desegregated then why wouldn't people allow a school to be desegregated. It is hard to understand what those times were like.
I thought the film was very interesting and brought up two major points to me. A was shocked about what a racist community Little Rock was, especially when the film mentioned there wasn’t a trend of racism in the community before this. School segregation seemed to bring about the worst in people and really showed how cruel some whites could potentially be. Also the conflict between state and federal government shown was a major crisis in America at the time. I was applauded at how focused the mayor of Little Rock was in going against the National government, which reflect the opinions of the nation, in keeping his schools segregated. It appeared he did everything in his power to defy the federal government and at one point was in fear of being arrested for his wrong doings. I was glad to see the federal government prevail and really proved to me where the true power in America was.
The film showed how America was back then and how it hated change in society. All of Arkansas was making a huge deal over 9 black students and how that would "wreck the school system" and all this other bullcrap. Governor Faubus should have been helping the federal government do this, but instead he openly disrespected the President and the law of the land.
After watching the film little rock, i thought it was disgusting how white people thought it was okay to treat african american children who were just trying to get a good education. people treated them as though they werent on the same level and through rocks at the buses the children rode to school. i thought it was particularly disturbing that the white bus drivers of the buses stopped the buses so that people could through the rocks at them. they too were citizens of the united states, so i think it was wrong and completely unfair that people assumed they shouldn't be able to get as good of an education just because they were african American. i also thought it was wrong how the governor and mayor both tried to stop the black children from receiving a good education as well. they cant expect the citizens to go along with the change if they too are opposed to it.
26 comments:
After watching the film, I think it showed me how resistant people in our in society to change. Grown white men and women were attacking black children both verbally and physically because they were the ones chosen to begin school integration. It was sad to watch how horrible the whites were acting. Also the government is suppose to be helping all people, but the Governor seemed to be trying to find ways to do what the white people wanted and go against the change for Blacks. The fact that state government officals would go against the rule of the federal government shows how badly people did not want things to change.
Although I was absent and didn't see the film I have seen films alike through out the school years. Little Rock was one of the biggest acts of bravery, in my opinion, that stand out in my mind. The black students that attended this high school were very courageous. I think it is absolutely amazing that regardless of all the odds against them, they stuck it through. I find it insane that they had to bring such reinforcement into the school. Can you imagine if that happened at WHS? Little Rock really helps to put the struggles of blacks into the perspective of a young high school student. It makes me wonder how things like this was able to happen because quite frankly, I can't even begin to grasp the feelings of hatred the two races so predominantly thrived on.
I agree with Michelle, the film clearly demonstrates that people didn't want change so badly. The government officials were even resisting the integration. Its sad, and embarrassing that there was a time in history like this.
After watching this film it was very eye opening to see how blatantly racist would be not only in places down south where it would be somewhat more unsurprising, but also in places like Boston. After seeing how those people in Boston reacted to the busing proposal and intergration laws, I was truly shocked to see how people here reacted. It just brought it close to home and truly just opened my eyes.
I agree with Becky, this was a sad dismal time in our nation's history. Government officials did the opposite of what they were supposed to do. They favored one group over another thereby denying them to the rights given to the under the law.
watching the film about little rock makes me appreciate the society that we live in today where we dont have to go to school to find protest, or walk the halls in fear. when thinking about racism and the hate that our country had towards the black race it can be easy to think that "oh well that was a long time ago" but really when you think about it our own grandparents lived through this whole ordeal and many had the same thoughts as the parents and children they showed in the movie. living in todays world its hard to imagine how kids our age could stand infront of a camera on national television and say "we dont want those people in our school, its our right" and on the other hand I cant even begin to imagine what was going through the 9 black students mind as this whole thing was happening. needless to say little rock was a major stepping stone in de-segregation in schools to get us to the point at which we are now.
This film made me realize how deep the roots of rascim was in the American society up to even the 1970's. It's really astonishing to me of how irrational human beings can act soley based off of the prejudices towards a different race. Also the governer acted foolishly as his blocking of the blacks students from entering and the deployment of the national guard only worsened the situation.
I somewhat disagree with Lampi that the situation in Boston was caused soley by racial prejudice. This is because alot of parents at the time were only resistant to the fact that their school systems were being drastically changed and that their kids were being forced to go off to school far from their communities. Even though race did play a major role in the issue, other non- racial factors were also present.
I think the film showed that the north and the south both had issues with integration, and racism wasn't a sectional issue, but a national issue. When we were younger we would hear in school "the north was good and the south was bad". It's not the case. When we were shown the footage of the high schooler's in Little Rock, I really felt badly for the girl who walked to school alone. I remember doing a unit on civil rights last year, and heard that this girl never got the message that everyone was going to meet before going to school. It must have taken so much courage to walk alone in front of that angry and chaotic mob. I don't know if I would have had the strength to do that.
Another thing that really hit me was the mother's behavior. I've heard and seen plenty of things about men getting angry and being outspoken about segregation, but this is the only footage I have seen featuring lots of women fighting for this. We don't really learn a lot about that in school. It was pretty crazy to see.
The video was footage from roughly fifty to sixty years ago, and to think we have come from making black people go to different schools and sit at the back of the bus to having Barack Obama make history as the first black president is great, in my opinion. There is always room for change, acceptance, and unity. I am glad to have witnessed this and how far we have come.
I agree with Becky's comment. I can't imagine something like this happening at WHS. I'm glad I never had to see something like that. The fact that it very well could have is sad to think about.
"Little Rock High School" really left me in a state of confusion. I mean I understood what was going on but I could not wrap my head around how such a deep hatred for blacks was so universal. Especially after the desegregation of the military. So Americans were perfectly fine with blacks risking their lives for their country but they were not good enough to go to school with white children. How could someone think that? If my mother were to protest integrated schools tomorrow, I would be appalled and probably wouldn't show my face at school again; but I have to say that if I was at Little Rock's Central High School in the 50's I think I would have loved to see my mother out there protesting. That was just the way people were brought up and that was completely accepted then. I'm not sure what to think after watching the film. All I know is that I cannot imagine what was going through the minds of the "Little Rock Nine" when they saw the outraged public at the announcement of their enrollment at Central High.
After watching the film about the Little Rock Nine and their determination to pursue a better education, and try to change society by integrating schools I was very impressed. I have seen other films like this in other classes, but none of them had the same meaning and talked about each of the kids on such a personal level. I really enjoyed how they showed interviews from when the event was happening, and some of the Little Rock Nines reactions and interviews years after they took part in such a historic event. Overall I found this film very interesting and informational.
I agree with both Jess and Becky that I could not imagine anything so important to come out of a small town like Westborough. I also have a hard time understanding how people could be so mean and rude as to try and stop these teenagers from trying to get an education.
Whenever I learn/relearn about Civil Rights, I always am in disbelief. No matter how many times it is discussed, it is still shocking to me that our people, American people; were so horrible and racist. Our country celebrates Equality, yet we were okay with segregation. It is wrong. No human can be worth less than another human. I can not begin to imagine what it must have been like to be Black in this era; what it must have felt like to deal with segregation. The bravery that the Little Rock Nine showed is truly admirable.
On another note, towards the end of class the video began to discuss Boston and the segregation it was facing. Normally when I learn about Civil Rights, the main focus was in the South. It is noteworthy that this racism and segregation was widespread, it was a national problem, not just something that happened in the South.
I agree with Jess. I think that it was really important to see what things were like in the North during this time.
I also think that it is so nice how far as a nation we have come. We have allowed great change, and there really is room for more.
I always enjoy relearning about the civil rights movement because there's usually something that wasn't said before. In Little Rock, not much had happened in this city. Sure there was segregation, but white teens went to white schools and blacks went to their schools. However that one year changed altogether. Blacks "moved" in with the white students and it was hard to accept them at first just like a new member in a gang, then over time you begin to like them for who they are. If it weren't for this I wouldn't be in a diverse school system like the one here at Westborough.
The Boston bus riots that occurred in the seventies I thought was something unique. It was a topic that I had heard about from my mom who was a Southie girl herself and actually had to put up with this. But never had I seen a video about this event especially since it had more to do with race than it did with the bus routes.
I agree with Becky that the time period after WWII leading up to MLK JR's "I have a dream" speech was a dismal time in our nations history. The jury sided with the white public and not on their true feelings. I also agree that it would be scary to see a bunch of army troops scattered around the campus and stationed throughout the halls if this sort of thing were to happen today. The only thought that comes to my mind that would be like this is, if we ever had a bomb scare at the school or some other tragic event. I'm not saying i want one but this would be the only reason in today's world for the military to respond to such a call.
After watching the film, I was very impressed by the resiliency of the 9 black students; they kept coming to school despite the resistance they got for doing so. I also agree with jess that it is important to see that there was not only racism in the deep south, but in the north as well, which I brlieve is often overlooked.
It's hard to believe that people thought the way they did back then. Living in society now I don't think twice about seeing a black person in school or sitting next to me on a bus. I don't understand why people would have such a hard time accepting black people in everyday life. Everyone is equal and everyone should have been treated fairly. It must have been so hard for the black kids who chose to go to Little Rock High School to have to see crowds of people yelling at them and insulting them. It must have been equally as hard inside the school having other students insulting them. It's a good thing times have changed.
after watching this film, i learned about how bad it was based on the color of your skin. you could not get an education just because of that. now, we all have come together as one and blacks, whites, etc have come together as one.
I agree with Ari with everything he said. If the military was desegregated then why wouldn't people allow a school to be desegregated. It is hard to understand what those times were like.
I thought the film was very interesting and brought up two major points to me. A was shocked about what a racist community Little Rock was, especially when the film mentioned there wasn’t a trend of racism in the community before this. School segregation seemed to bring about the worst in people and really showed how cruel some whites could potentially be. Also the conflict between state and federal government shown was a major crisis in America at the time. I was applauded at how focused the mayor of Little Rock was in going against the National government, which reflect the opinions of the nation, in keeping his schools segregated. It appeared he did everything in his power to defy the federal government and at one point was in fear of being arrested for his wrong doings. I was glad to see the federal government prevail and really proved to me where the true power in America was.
The film showed how America was back then and how it hated change in society. All of Arkansas was making a huge deal over 9 black students and how that would "wreck the school system" and all this other bullcrap. Governor Faubus should have been helping the federal government do this, but instead he openly disrespected the President and the law of the land.
I agree with Robert. The film shows how far racism goes back and how much progress we have made since those dark days.
After watching the film little rock, i thought it was disgusting how white people thought it was okay to treat african american children who were just trying to get a good education. people treated them as though they werent on the same level and through rocks at the buses the children rode to school. i thought it was particularly disturbing that the white bus drivers of the buses stopped the buses so that people could through the rocks at them. they too were citizens of the united states, so i think it was wrong and completely unfair that people assumed they shouldn't be able to get as good of an education just because they were african American. i also thought it was wrong how the governor and mayor both tried to stop the black children from receiving a good education as well. they cant expect the citizens to go along with the change if they too are opposed to it.
I was absent on this day
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