This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
"50 Years Later" - Period 1
For the past three days we've watched the HBO Special Little Rock Central High School 50 Years Later. I would like you to tell me what stands out the most about the film and what you will take away from seeing it.
I suppose the thing that I will remember best about the film is the girl, Maya, who had a baby when she was 13 years old. That means she was probably around 12 when she got pregnant. I have a little sister who is about to turn 12, and the fact that this girl could have been pregnant around my sister's age scares me a lot, and particularly that while it was still a big deal, it wasn't a huge fiasco. To me, a girl being pregnant that young is terrifying and horrible, and it's even worse that a few years later, it happened again. I'm sure it must be at least partially a result of how and where she grew up, but I also think that there really isn't enough being done to stop things like that.
The video was very interesting. To see that nothing has changed in 50 years was a very eye opening experience to how things are today. While violent and vocal racism is not as prevalent in today's culture, an invisible line does come into effect at some points.
Until this silent segregation is deminished completely we will not be able to be completely free from what was going on 50 years ago, as the woman pointed out, in the classroom.
Also the disrespect shown to her by a black male student was very upsetting to see. Here she is, a crucial person in black rights history, and it didn't matter anything to him. I was upset by this, amongst many other things.
I was very happy to see that some students rose to be in AP classes despite their hardships and back rounds. But Andy made a great point, where many black men could either do school, or go out and make money instead of wasting time that maybe they don't even have the confidence to think they can achieve.
I also believe it is crucial that every child gets a fair chance, and kids should be at their grade level for reading. It is crucial to understanding in High School, and if that was raised, I believe confidence would come with it. And that is an incredibly good thing.
Katie makes a great point about young women becoming pregnant, it impacts their lives so greatly, they wont be able to have the same opportunities as people who aren't in that situation.
Before starting this movie, I thought that the high school was going to be completly different. Since they were the first school to become intergrated I thought that the students there were going to be equal and not segragated within. I was very suprised by the separation. I think that the white students are expected by their parents to be in all ap classes and succeed, while the african americans didn't have all the support at their homes.
I think that it is very important for the african americans to get more attention in elementry school to get them motavated and to make sure they stay on track.
Like Tony said I was glad to see that some of the african americans were in some AP classes and it shows that they are motivated and they wanted to do better for themslevs.
What stands out for me most during the movie was when the woman who was teaching the class room who was one of the original African Americans who went to the school was so upset about how the classroom was divided. Even though none of the students even throught about it to be bad it upset me how upset she got.. i thought about how couragous she was to have walked into that school surrounded by people degrating her and being escorted by men in the service and understood why she got so upset..Tony I agree with you and say that this is like silent segregation and it will behard to be free from 50 years ago..
i agree with the lady from the little rock 9. as she said when she walked into the room, "this is disturbing, i cant stand being here" because i can see where she's coming from. 50 year ago she herself fought so that blacks and whites could sit side by side and get a good education, and now, 50 years later, although they go to the same school, they are still segregated. blacks on one side and whites on the other, and to be honest, nothing has really changed according to my experiences in the southern public school system, in the south, the black kids never hand out with the white kids and the Hispanics are in a league of their own. however it is not like that in the north at all, but then again, we only have like 15 black kids in the whole school...
What stands out to me is the segregation that still takes place today. I am glad to see that the kids no longer need to be escorted however there is still a long way to go. Although there is change the students still sit in their own group leading for them to be sitting with people of their ethnicity. The Caucasians on one side and the African Americans on the other. I hope in the future this will change and the kids no longer are segregated within. Little rock still has future issues to tackle in the future.
This movie touched upon a lot of things. Racism, stereotypes, segregation, the issue of poverty and teenage pregnancy. It is extremely sad that this happens, but it is true, it happens. Like one of the caucasian girls said, if she does it by herself, she will be the only one. What she doesn't realize, is that if everyone did it by themselves, they'd all be doing it together. To answer the questions who cares? A lot of people don't, which is why this is a huge problem. A lot of people don't see what is happening or see it and let it be. However, everyone SHOULD care. It does not matter how far it is, because it is our country, we need to show interest in the issues that happens around us, especially issues involving race. I agree with Katie that, there isn't enough being dont to stop horrible things like teenage pregnancy. It is time we all do something.
The Little Rock nine have made a trademark in our history and its just unbelievable how still today, 50 years later the segragation continues to roam in societies around us. Its as if the efforts of those 9 African American teens were pointless. People need to look around themselves and reverse things, they need to make our history count. Maybe Central High isn't as integrated as it should be, but the students have to take charge. They must make a difference.
Jared "and that one treasure, thick golden crust and a layer of cheese" Milbank
said...
The image that stuck out in my mind was towards the end when the lady was talking to the class about when she tried to go to the school 50 years ago, and the colored kid was sleeping. What that says to me is that some people are extremely ungrateful for the things that have been done for them. It also kind of angers me, because many times i hear or see on T.V. colored people using the white peoples harassment on the black people as an argument against white people. That white people don't know what it's like. What that one colored person showed to me was that nowadays some kids are so distant to their past. So much that they could care less about someone who physically fought for their freedoms and rights. I understand that what the white people did was wrong, but it is unfair when someone holds a grudge against someone else who had no connection to the past and the person holding the grudge has no connection either. It is like blaming someone for something when neither people were a part of it. I'm not saying to forget what happened, I'm saying that holding grudges and blaming people for something they had no direct connection to is no right.
I agree with many of the comments above about not enough being done. I think one of the problems with our nation right now is a lack of commitment and action from its citizens.
it really is amazing to see students that are able to rise academically despite what they deal with personally. we all saw the boarded up houses and rough living situations that many of the black students dealt with. Tony's right when he mentions that there is an invisible line of segregation at the school. One of the black students at the school answers "that's just the way it is" when asked why the class is so divided. Theres no other reason he can think of to explain what is happening. i also appreciated how the black students that were interviewed in class weren't afraid to speak up and tell white students that they don't know just how fortunate they are. one of the things that aggravated me was when the mother of the white AP student girl, from earlier in the film, said that she thought Little Rock was never a racist town in the first place. I couldn't help but think about the perfect little bubble shes living in to be so ignorant of the segregation that took place in that same town 50 years prior and which still exists to this day. She was so naive to the fact that people within a mile or two were living in poverty.
it really is amazing to see students that are able to rise academically despite what they deal with personally. we all saw the boarded up houses and rough living situations that many of the black students dealt with. Tony's right when he mentions that there is an invisible line of segregation at the school. One of the black students at the school answers "that's just the way it is" when asked why the class is so divided. Theres no other reason he can think of to explain what is happening. i also appreciated how the black students that were interviewed in class weren't afraid to speak up and tell white students that they don't know just how fortunate they are. one of the things that aggravated me was when the mother of the white AP student girl, from earlier in the film, said that she thought Little Rock was never a racist town in the first place. I couldn't help but think about the perfect little bubble shes living in to be so ignorant of the segregation that took place in that same town 50 years prior and which still exists to this day. She was so naive to the fact that people within a mile or two were living in poverty.
If I may, instead of commenting on a blog, I would like to comment on what Andy said at the end of class today. I couldnt agree more with what he said. I like how a lot of people automatically assume that the black kids who arent doing well in school arent, becuase they have the mentality of inevitable failure. What about the white kids who are flunking out of school because they could care less. I bet around the same amout of black kids truly dont care about their lives as white kids. The number of black kids though is multiplied when looking at the black kids to appear to not care. I think it is tragic that some people have to go through the stuggle that a lot of those kids do. I know there are acceptions, like that one girl, but something needs to be done outside the school. The enviornment is ruining these kids, not necissarily the separation of race (although it adds). Thats just what I think.
Like Mary Kate, I thought the school was going to be different. The Little Rock Nine faced many challenges trying to get the same education as white students. They were not only changing the system in their town but also showing the nation that it could be done. It was a shame to see that the school was the complete opposite of what I was anticipating. It was sad to see the African American students living in those conditions, many of which did not allow them to concentrate in school. Even though they face these issues it was nice to see that there were still students who were striving for something better. Like many of you have said, it was very irritating to see one of the African American males sleep while a women who had fought so hard to give kids like him the opportunity to walk into school with white people and not have to worry about what was going to happen. Andy made a great point in class, which I agree with. African American males have a lot of responsibilities because they do not have a father figure to support the family. Although education is important taking care of your family is priority. Even though the students face many challenges, they can succeed; they just need to be motivated. A lot of them feel as though they don’t have other options but they have many people in Central High who are willing to help. I think the nation as a whole should work on these issues. We have to understand that it is not okay to segregate each other, we are all different but at the end we are all human beings.
The woman who was one of the Little Rock 9 stands out most to me. It isn't even just that the kids were separated by their races like they were, but how they rationalized being like that. Although a similar family life or economic status could have been part of the reason to feel more comfortable around people of the same race in Little Rock, the kids said it was because that is how it is and always will be. It was strange to see how the girl didn't even notice that the woman involved in the civil rights acts saw the segregation in the present day classroom to be a problem at first.
I think that a lot of the black kids in Little Rock see their older generations not achieving in school, and decide that it is all they can do too. It seems the same around here that many people of different races will buy into this stereotype that they have to act a certain way. This makes them try harder to fit in than to achieve on their own.
Like Tony, I was surprised at how little had changed 50 years after the school had been integrated. Although they are in the same building, the divide is almost as large as before. I was shocked at how many examples of segregation there were. AP classes were almost entirely white, while remedial classes were almost entirely black. At lunch, everyone sat in their own little clique, again divided by race. When the woman who had been one of the nine pointed out the two halves of the classroom, I was shocked that the students said that this was normal, expected, and the way it should be.
Lina, I also noticed the girl justifying her inaction by saying that if only she changed, nothing would have happened. This self-defeating philosophy is sad, because she realized that something was wrong but didn't feel that she had to fix it. I think this would qualify as a "bystander," and I'm guessing that many others in the class felt the same way, if not plain apathy or acceptance (without acknowledging that their segregation was wrong).
I found this film to be deep. I may not come from a wealthy family but I live a pretty comfortable life. I couldn’t imagine how it feels like to live in a place that is that tiny or a place where nothing works or when you look out side there isn’t a nice view to look at. The African Americans in this video have it hard but people just think they are not trying. Why try? if none thinks you are giving your best when you do? As an African American, I live a very comfortable life and I still find it hard. Day by Day I try to erase the stereotypes people think of us. Imagine how hard it is for those kids? Not having parents to push them. Losing any hope they ever had in life and being around people who already think they are failures. Maya had the sad story in the video. I admire how even after two kids she is still trying her best to get on track and succeed. Many teen moms would have quit after the first child. Central High may be intergraded today, but there is still an invisible line of segregation. Each African American child who walks through those doors have something to prove to the school in order to be looked at differently. For each Caucasian who walks in the door they have nothing to prove. There is a million things I could say about this video.
It gives us a lot of point of views on race that we can debate about. The one thing I want everyone to know when they think about the video is that although the African American students may act like they don’t care, they have a story behind it which makes their mind set that way. Not every child is able to think for themselves and strive for success without motivation. They need encouragement and help and many of those African American kids are not receiving that from their home or school. The faculty members may appear to be encouraging them but its not from the heart. You need to understand what a child goes through in order to understand the person they are today.
Like Lisbeth had mentioned the African American that was sleeping in class was rude and pissed me off. That is another issue many African Americans face today, some of them don’t understand their history. They don’t appreciate it. They have in their minds that this is a white men world, they don’t need to succeed.
Prior to seeing this movie, I did not think it was even possible for a school to be like that. The fact that black and caucasians are still separating themselves in school is ridiculous. There was a student in the film who stated that Little Rock High represents a a goal that was achieved. He also said that Little Rock also represents work that needs to be done. This school is an example that racism isn't something that can be stopped. There are always going to be people who dislike a particular race. Even though you cannot eradicate racism, there are things that can be done to prevent it. Towards the end of the film, the black woman that was talking in front of the class that appeared to be segregated, tried to influence the kids to start sitting next to kids of the opposite race. These are the things that can be done to prevent racism. There is also an issue of blacks lacking in motivation. You cannot blame these kids for this. It is more based off the lives they are living. Most of them are poor, or living in tough conditions. This isnt necessarily an excuse for them, but it is really hard to have motivation when you are living a tough life where your opportunities seem to be limited. The last 50 years in Little Rock have shown that there are always goals you can achieve, but on the other hand, there will always be work to be done.
I also agree with Mark. It was really weird that the students when asked about why there school was different, replied that it was expected and normal.
This film, like Lina said, touches upon everything that occurs within a high school and teenagers. The person who I agree with from the film was Angelica. She explained it very well that since AP and honor classes are mostly white, African American students feel that they should not even try because they will never be able to compare or compete. I feel that in the film that skin color was just used as an excuse in the high school and not to do well was something easier than trying. I understand that most of the teens that were in the film came from underprivileged backgrounds, but i feel that they were just feeding into the stereotypes and stigmata that comes with being African American. I did not come from a wealthy back ground, my mom was a single parent raising my sister and I. Everyone comes from something that is challenging and MUST rise above it not become it. I would just want to prove the general public and face the odds because just giving in is obviously doing nothing for their future.
It is really sad to see students at 15 years old have two children, but the bright side of that story is she still went to school, played soft ball, and raised her kids. This film is just one view of one school, this happens all over the counrty if its not Little Rock it could be Boston. People should care because this counrty has traveled 50 years through segregration to inter-gration and still faces the same problems that were then now but everything likes to be hush hush. Racism still exists and the only ones who can change it are teenagers.
The most shocking thing to me after watching the video was to see that nothing has really changed over the past 50 years. Before the video began, I was expecting that the school was going to be completely different. But that was not the case. It seems as though nobody cares except for the adults in this situation. The students just sit idly by as everyone around them realizes it's a problem. However, there is only so much an outsider can do. The kids at the school need to take action to change the school.
One of the things that made me kind of angry during the film was the student who was sleeping as Mrs. Brown was speaking to the kids in the classroom. She took time out of her day to go to the school and speak with the kids which would be such an amazing learning experience, yet someone had the nerve to completely disregard what she was saying. If I was in her shoes I would have been extremely angry at the student, because all he was doing was furthering the idea that no one seems to care about what is happening around them.
The only thing that truely stuck out to me was the idea that AP classes are the best. I dont know why that stuck out to me the most, i guess the idea of segregation just got put into that people want to be with people they're most like and comfertable with.
20 comments:
I suppose the thing that I will remember best about the film is the girl, Maya, who had a baby when she was 13 years old. That means she was probably around 12 when she got pregnant. I have a little sister who is about to turn 12, and the fact that this girl could have been pregnant around my sister's age scares me a lot, and particularly that while it was still a big deal, it wasn't a huge fiasco. To me, a girl being pregnant that young is terrifying and horrible, and it's even worse that a few years later, it happened again. I'm sure it must be at least partially a result of how and where she grew up, but I also think that there really isn't enough being done to stop things like that.
The video was very interesting. To see that nothing has changed in 50 years was a very eye opening experience to how things are today. While violent and vocal racism is not as prevalent in today's culture, an invisible line does come into effect at some points.
Until this silent segregation is deminished completely we will not be able to be completely free from what was going on 50 years ago, as the woman pointed out, in the classroom.
Also the disrespect shown to her by a black male student was very upsetting to see. Here she is, a crucial person in black rights history, and it didn't matter anything to him. I was upset by this, amongst many other things.
I was very happy to see that some students rose to be in AP classes despite their hardships and back rounds. But Andy made a great point, where many black men could either do school, or go out and make money instead of wasting time that maybe they don't even have the confidence to think they can achieve.
I also believe it is crucial that every child gets a fair chance, and kids should be at their grade level for reading. It is crucial to understanding in High School, and if that was raised, I believe confidence would come with it. And that is an incredibly good thing.
Katie makes a great point about young women becoming pregnant, it impacts their lives so greatly, they wont be able to have the same opportunities as people who aren't in that situation.
Before starting this movie, I thought that the high school was going to be completly different. Since they were the first school to become intergrated I thought that the students there were going to be equal and not segragated within. I was very suprised by the separation. I think that the white students are expected by their parents to be in all ap classes and succeed, while the african americans didn't have all the support at their homes.
I think that it is very important for the african americans to get more attention in elementry school to get them motavated and to make sure they stay on track.
Like Tony said I was glad to see that some of the african americans were in some AP classes and it shows that they are motivated and they wanted to do better for themslevs.
What stands out for me most during the movie was when the woman who was teaching the class room who was one of the original African Americans who went to the school was so upset about how the classroom was divided. Even though none of the students even throught about it to be bad it upset me how upset she got.. i thought about how couragous she was to have walked into that school surrounded by people degrating her and being escorted by men in the service and understood why she got so upset..Tony I agree with you and say that this is like silent segregation and it will behard to be free from 50 years ago..
i agree with the lady from the little rock 9. as she said when she walked into the room, "this is disturbing, i cant stand being here" because i can see where she's coming from. 50 year ago she herself fought so that blacks and whites could sit side by side and get a good education, and now, 50 years later, although they go to the same school, they are still segregated. blacks on one side and whites on the other, and to be honest, nothing has really changed according to my experiences in the southern public school system, in the south, the black kids never hand out with the white kids and the Hispanics are in a league of their own. however it is not like that in the north at all, but then again, we only have like 15 black kids in the whole school...
What stands out to me is the segregation that still takes place today. I am glad to see that the kids no longer need to be escorted however there is still a long way to go. Although there is change the students still sit in their own group leading for them to be sitting with people of their ethnicity. The Caucasians on one side and the African Americans on the other. I hope in the future this will change and the kids no longer are segregated within. Little rock still has future issues to tackle in the future.
This movie touched upon a lot of things. Racism, stereotypes, segregation, the issue of poverty and teenage pregnancy. It is extremely sad that this happens, but it is true, it happens. Like one of the caucasian girls said, if she does it by herself, she will be the only one. What she doesn't realize, is that if everyone did it by themselves, they'd all be doing it together. To answer the questions who cares? A lot of people don't, which is why this is a huge problem. A lot of people don't see what is happening or see it and let it be. However, everyone SHOULD care. It does not matter how far it is, because it is our country, we need to show interest in the issues that happens around us, especially issues involving race. I agree with Katie that, there isn't enough being dont to stop horrible things like teenage pregnancy. It is time we all do something.
The Little Rock nine have made a trademark in our history and its just unbelievable how still today, 50 years later the segragation continues to roam in societies around us. Its as if the efforts of those 9 African American teens were pointless. People need to look around themselves and reverse things, they need to make our history count. Maybe Central High isn't as integrated as it should be, but the students have to take charge. They must make a difference.
The image that stuck out in my mind was towards the end when the lady was talking to the class about when she tried to go to the school 50 years ago, and the colored kid was sleeping. What that says to me is that some people are extremely ungrateful for the things that have been done for them. It also kind of angers me, because many times i hear or see on T.V. colored people using the white peoples harassment on the black people as an argument against white people. That white people don't know what it's like. What that one colored person showed to me was that nowadays some kids are so distant to their past. So much that they could care less about someone who physically fought for their freedoms and rights. I understand that what the white people did was wrong, but it is unfair when someone holds a grudge against someone else who had no connection to the past and the person holding the grudge has no connection either. It is like blaming someone for something when neither people were a part of it. I'm not saying to forget what happened, I'm saying that holding grudges and blaming people for something they had no direct connection to is no right.
I agree with many of the comments above about not enough being done. I think one of the problems with our nation right now is a lack of commitment and action from its citizens.
it really is amazing to see students that are able to rise academically despite what they deal with personally. we all saw the boarded up houses and rough living situations that many of the black students dealt with. Tony's right when he mentions that there is an invisible line of segregation at the school. One of the black students at the school answers "that's just the way it is" when asked why the class is so divided. Theres no other reason he can think of to explain what is happening.
i also appreciated how the black students that were interviewed in class weren't afraid to speak up and tell white students that they don't know just how fortunate they are. one of the things that aggravated me was when the mother of the white AP student girl, from earlier in the film, said that she thought Little Rock was never a racist town in the first place. I couldn't help but think about the perfect little bubble shes living in to be so ignorant of the segregation that took place in that same town 50 years prior and which still exists to this day. She was so naive to the fact that people within a mile or two were living in poverty.
it really is amazing to see students that are able to rise academically despite what they deal with personally. we all saw the boarded up houses and rough living situations that many of the black students dealt with. Tony's right when he mentions that there is an invisible line of segregation at the school. One of the black students at the school answers "that's just the way it is" when asked why the class is so divided. Theres no other reason he can think of to explain what is happening.
i also appreciated how the black students that were interviewed in class weren't afraid to speak up and tell white students that they don't know just how fortunate they are. one of the things that aggravated me was when the mother of the white AP student girl, from earlier in the film, said that she thought Little Rock was never a racist town in the first place. I couldn't help but think about the perfect little bubble shes living in to be so ignorant of the segregation that took place in that same town 50 years prior and which still exists to this day. She was so naive to the fact that people within a mile or two were living in poverty.
If I may, instead of commenting on a blog, I would like to comment on what Andy said at the end of class today. I couldnt agree more with what he said. I like how a lot of people automatically assume that the black kids who arent doing well in school arent, becuase they have the mentality of inevitable failure. What about the white kids who are flunking out of school because they could care less. I bet around the same amout of black kids truly dont care about their lives as white kids. The number of black kids though is multiplied when looking at the black kids to appear to not care. I think it is tragic that some people have to go through the stuggle that a lot of those kids do. I know there are acceptions, like that one girl, but something needs to be done outside the school. The enviornment is ruining these kids, not necissarily the separation of race (although it adds). Thats just what I think.
Like Mary Kate, I thought the school was going to be different. The Little Rock Nine faced many challenges trying to get the same education as white students. They were not only changing the system in their town but also showing the nation that it could be done. It was a shame to see that the school was the complete opposite of what I was anticipating. It was sad to see the African American students living in those conditions, many of which did not allow them to concentrate in school. Even though they face these issues it was nice to see that there were still students who were striving for something better. Like many of you have said, it was very irritating to see one of the African American males sleep while a women who had fought so hard to give kids like him the opportunity to walk into school with white people and not have to worry about what was going to happen.
Andy made a great point in class, which I agree with. African American males have a lot of responsibilities because they do not have a father figure to support the family. Although education is important taking care of your family is priority.
Even though the students face many challenges, they can succeed; they just need to be motivated. A lot of them feel as though they don’t have other options but they have many people in Central High who are willing to help.
I think the nation as a whole should work on these issues. We have to understand that it is not okay to segregate each other, we are all different but at the end we are all human beings.
The woman who was one of the Little Rock 9 stands out most to me. It isn't even just that the kids were separated by their races like they were, but how they rationalized being like that. Although a similar family life or economic status could have been part of the reason to feel more comfortable around people of the same race in Little Rock, the kids said it was because that is how it is and always will be. It was strange to see how the girl didn't even notice that the woman involved in the civil rights acts saw the segregation in the present day classroom to be a problem at first.
I think that a lot of the black kids in Little Rock see their older generations not achieving in school, and decide that it is all they can do too. It seems the same around here that many people of different races will buy into this stereotype that they have to act a certain way. This makes them try harder to fit in than to achieve on their own.
Like Tony, I was surprised at how little had changed 50 years after the school had been integrated. Although they are in the same building, the divide is almost as large as before. I was shocked at how many examples of segregation there were. AP classes were almost entirely white, while remedial classes were almost entirely black. At lunch, everyone sat in their own little clique, again divided by race. When the woman who had been one of the nine pointed out the two halves of the classroom, I was shocked that the students said that this was normal, expected, and the way it should be.
Lina, I also noticed the girl justifying her inaction by saying that if only she changed, nothing would have happened. This self-defeating philosophy is sad, because she realized that something was wrong but didn't feel that she had to fix it. I think this would qualify as a "bystander," and I'm guessing that many others in the class felt the same way, if not plain apathy or acceptance (without acknowledging that their segregation was wrong).
I found this film to be deep. I may not come from a wealthy family but I live a pretty comfortable life. I couldn’t imagine how it feels like to live in a place that is that tiny or a place where nothing works or when you look out side there isn’t a nice view to look at. The African Americans in this video have it hard but people just think they are not trying. Why try? if none thinks you are giving your best when you do? As an African American, I live a very comfortable life and I still find it hard. Day by Day I try to erase the stereotypes people think of us. Imagine how hard it is for those kids? Not having parents to push them. Losing any hope they ever had in life and being around people who already think they are failures. Maya had the sad story in the video. I admire how even after two kids she is still trying her best to get on track and succeed. Many teen moms would have quit after the first child. Central High may be intergraded today, but there is still an invisible line of segregation. Each African American child who walks through those doors have something to prove to the school in order to be looked at differently. For each Caucasian who walks in the door they have nothing to prove. There is a million things I could say about this video.
It gives us a lot of point of views on race that we can debate about. The one thing I want everyone to know when they think about the video is that although the African American students may act like they don’t care, they have a story behind it which makes their mind set that way. Not every child is able to think for themselves and strive for success without motivation. They need encouragement and help and many of those African American kids are not receiving that from their home or school. The faculty members may appear to be encouraging them but its not from the heart. You need to understand what a child goes through in order to understand the person they are today.
Like Lisbeth had mentioned the African American that was sleeping in class was rude and pissed me off. That is another issue many African Americans face today, some of them don’t understand their history. They don’t appreciate it. They have in their minds that this is a white men world, they don’t need to succeed.
Prior to seeing this movie, I did not think it was even possible for a school to be like that. The fact that black and caucasians are still separating themselves in school is ridiculous. There was a student in the film who stated that Little Rock High represents a a goal that was achieved. He also said that Little Rock also represents work that needs to be done. This school is an example that racism isn't something that can be stopped. There are always going to be people who dislike a particular race. Even though you cannot eradicate racism, there are things that can be done to prevent it. Towards the end of the film, the black woman that was talking in front of the class that appeared to be segregated, tried to influence the kids to start sitting next to kids of the opposite race. These are the things that can be done to prevent racism. There is also an issue of blacks lacking in motivation. You cannot blame these kids for this. It is more based off the lives they are living. Most of them are poor, or living in tough conditions. This isnt necessarily an excuse for them, but it is really hard to have motivation when you are living a tough life where your opportunities seem to be limited. The last 50 years in Little Rock have shown that there are always goals you can achieve, but on the other hand, there will always be work to be done.
I also agree with Mark. It was really weird that the students when asked about why there school was different, replied that it was expected and normal.
This film, like Lina said, touches upon everything that occurs within a high school and teenagers. The person who I agree with from the film was Angelica. She explained it very well that since AP and honor classes are mostly white, African American students feel that they should not even try because they will never be able to compare or compete. I feel that in the film that skin color was just used as an excuse in the high school and not to do well was something easier than trying. I understand that most of the teens that were in the film came from underprivileged backgrounds, but i feel that they were just feeding into the stereotypes and stigmata that comes with being African American. I did not come from a wealthy back ground, my mom was a single parent raising my sister and I. Everyone comes from something that is challenging and MUST rise above it not become it. I would just want to prove the general public and face the odds because just giving in is obviously doing nothing for their future.
It is really sad to see students at 15 years old have two children, but the bright side of that story is she still went to school, played soft ball, and raised her kids. This film is just one view of one school, this happens all over the counrty if its not Little Rock it could be Boston. People should care because this counrty has traveled 50 years through segregration to inter-gration and still faces the same problems that were then now but everything likes to be hush hush. Racism still exists and the only ones who can change it are teenagers.
The most shocking thing to me after watching the video was to see that nothing has really changed over the past 50 years. Before the video began, I was expecting that the school was going to be completely different. But that was not the case. It seems as though nobody cares except for the adults in this situation. The students just sit idly by as everyone around them realizes it's a problem. However, there is only so much an outsider can do. The kids at the school need to take action to change the school.
One of the things that made me kind of angry during the film was the student who was sleeping as Mrs. Brown was speaking to the kids in the classroom. She took time out of her day to go to the school and speak with the kids which would be such an amazing learning experience, yet someone had the nerve to completely disregard what she was saying. If I was in her shoes I would have been extremely angry at the student, because all he was doing was furthering the idea that no one seems to care about what is happening around them.
The only thing that truely stuck out to me was the idea that AP classes are the best. I dont know why that stuck out to me the most, i guess the idea of segregation just got put into that people want to be with people they're most like and comfertable with.
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