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 6
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.
17 comments:
Marwa
said...
I just find it really ironic that the school which was "integrated" about 52 years ago is still so segregated today. I thought that this school would probably be the most-integrated school in the nation. I still am very frustrated with that one African-American kid that was sleeping during the lecture. I thought that was soooo rude. When thinking about that I realize that maybe that disrespect which was shown through that young man is the reason why Little Rock Central is still so segregated today. This movie makes me want to change what is happening at Little Rock. It is unacceptable for a school to continue to remain segregated in 2009, and I think that as a group, we all need to work on getting that point made, and finally integrate schools for the last time.
The thing that struck me most about this film was how much segregation their can be in one single school, especially when that school ended segregation 50 years ago. Its crazy to go from an AP white girl whos looking to go to Harvard or Princeton and a few classes over theirs a black girl whos 16 years old and has 2 kids. Its amazing to me how two different social groups can live such drastically different lives and attend the same school.
I agree with both marwa and john. It is amazing that we took such big steps in order to stop segregation but it shows today that those efforts did not have very big returns. Like I brought up in class the other day-there are still schools out there who have segregated events like homecoming and prom. Its sad that this is still so apparent. So, the thing that i will bring away from this is the fact that segregation isn't dead in school systems, like i personally thought it was. This film opened my eyes especially when it came to that fact.
This film was a huge eye opener for me. I didnt realize how segregation still existed as much as shown in little rock central. One thing i probably wont forget is that one girl who had a baby at 13, and then another soon after. I just dont see how you can possibly be okay with that type of life style. I was happy to see some of the African Americans putting the effort to get into ap classes but the others who were in lower levels only had excuses and were blaming others for doing so bad. I dont think they should be complaining if they arent willing to even try and do something about it. Rather then sleep in class they should be trying to pay attention and take the oppertunities that, that school gave them.
The thing that affected me the most is the fact that even in a country which is considered to be the leader of the modern world, such segregation goes on every day in our schools. It disturbs me that there are kids my age who have seen their siblings and other relatives killed, who have their own children, and are living in such poverty. And the worst part is, based on this film, the situation is not getting any better. You would think that 50 years after the integration of public schools, some sort of progress would be made; however, except in a few uncommon cases, that is just not what is happening. I agree with John in that I think it's incredible that two groups that are so different from each other go to the same school and live so closely to each other without any real interaction.
I agree with Marwa that the student sleeping in the classroom showed disrespect to the woman speaking. She was one of the original Little Rock Nine who fought so hard and stood up against so much hate just to get a fair education, whereas now her race that she fought for just looks as school as an obligation and not an opportunity. I can see why she was so frustrated. I had a lot of mixed feelings throughout the movie because at some points I would think, "well why don't they just work hard in school so that they can try and get their family out of the mess they are in now?" but then i would see people in highschoool who had children to care for when they got home, so it was not that simple.
What stood out the most to me was how different the backgrounds of all the kids that went to the high school were. I think these varying backgrounds more than race affected students attitudes towards school, and who can blame them if your growing up without any parental supervision or have children it is easy to understand why someone wouldn't put education at the top of their list simply because they have to worry about living day to day. At a lot of times during the film I kept thinking that all they have to do is try harder and put a little effort into their school work and not have a pessimistic attitude towards school. But it is easy for me to say that because i don't have to provide for my family. However, it is still possible to overcome these obstacles like that black girl who was in one of the AP classes. She is an example of a person who came out of a lower class household but still is willing to put in the effort to try and succeed. She demonstrates that a lot of the time it is simply choice that puts you in the position your in. Her brother choose not to try in school and will probably not end up leaving Little Rock, but she might because she is willing to put in the effort.
I was quite shocked to see that one high school could essentially be 2 very different schools in one. One school for rich white kids looking to go to ivy league colleges and another school for African Americans consisting of drug dealers and 16 year old mothers. What really annoyed me though was how the principal bragged about her school when i didnt see much to brag about. Little Rock may be known to produce more ivy league students however a majority of the students dont even see a need to try in school. I agree with Marwa in that i want to see change at little rock too because the conditions there must be changed.
This documentary was very eye-opening and unsettling. It was upsetting to see the continuous segregation in a school that was famous for integration, and also upsetting to see many african american's fall victim to a continuous cycle of impoverished living. I thought that our class discussion about the latter was very interesting. On one side, many people want to just tell some of the african american kids to try harder and realize that they need to overcome whatever is holding them back. On the other side of the spectrum people point out the unbelievable conditions that many african americans face, and the near impossibilty to be able to overcome these conditions. I feel like it's easy for me to watch this documentary and say, "can't they just man-up and try harder?" But how can I tell some one to do well in school when instead of doing homework they have to make dinner for their family in the absence of their mother and tie togethere countless other loose ends? I really can't say anything at all; I haven't stepped in their shoes. One thing's for certain though, I sympathize with Marwa when she says that she feels the need to make a change in Little Rock- and for that matter, in society all together.
I agree with John. I couldn't believe how segregated their school was, but I see several similarities in our school. Ilana's comment may have been a little over the top, but she was basically trying to explain that whites like to hang out with white, blacks with blacks, etc. I'm not saying this is always the case, but it just appears that way, even in our school. I agree with Marwa that the kid shouldn't have been sleeping during that woman's lecture. The major thing I don't understand is the issue regarding Advanced Placement classes. When the camera was in the low placement classes, the students explained they just come to school to "chill". If the students don't even care about school, why would they ever strive to take AP classes?
I thought that this movie was really shocking. It was so surprising to me that the black students and white students at the school did not interact with each other at all, it was like the school was two seperate schools in one. I thought that the students of a school that was that historic and well known would be proud of its heritage and what they had to overcome, but the students didn't really seem to care about that. Like John said, the thing that schocked me the most was that there were kids who took all AP classes and were planning to go to and Ivy league school, and there were kids in the same school who were 16 and had two kids. The only bright spot of the movie was the girl Angelica, who was doing well in school despite her family's poverty. I think this shows that it is possible for the black students to succeed and overcome their obstacles, it is just much harder for them than the white students.
The situation at Little Rock Central really frustrates me. Here is a place where nine courageous black students did something very monumental in their people's history and now everything they were fighting for is pretty much gone. I understand that the black community in Little Rock is in a constant economic struggle and that school often isn't and often shouldn't be the first thing on the kids minds, but I can't help but think about the opportunity they have in a school like Little Rock Central to get an education and make lives for themselves. I agree with most of the people before me when they say that they were shocked to find out that a school that has been integrated for over 50 years is still so segregated.
This film was a very eye-opening film. The film showed how after 50 years after Little Rock Central High School was desegregated through the Little Rock 9, their is still a glass ceiling for African American Students. African American's consist of about 60% of the schools population but are not participating in AP classes nearly as much as white students. Each AP class may have 1, 2 or at most 3 African American Students. I think this is less a matter of race versus a matter of socioeconomic problems. The majority of African Americans live in less then desirable home conditions. Most of the African American's live in neighborhoods were there are drug deals going on, evicted housing, and gang shootings. Along with the fact that many of theses students have a single mother as a parent, this lack of a Father-figure often leaves the students in a situation where taking difficult classes and getting good grades is not always encouraged or seen as a good thing. I think that their needs to be something that stops this cycle and helps students in need so that they can get out of Little Rock and value their education so that they can have a better life than their parents.
I would defiently have thought without seeing this movie that Little Rock Central High School would have been more integrated. I was really surprised that all black schools produced more doctors and scientists, as if the black population at Central High somehow didn't try. I think that Westborough High School is more integrated than Central High School. I was surprised when that woman said that there was no racism there because clearly there is. I even thought that the teacher who was teaching them to read was a little bit racist as she was saying its always black males who can't read but here we have people who can't read of all races. I think that at the Parents meeting I was shocked that there was only one black mother. Since the black population is 60% of the school I would have thought that there would be a few more parents even though I understand that they work two jobs. I just saw a lot of shocking things that I would not have expected.
It upset me to see how segregated that school was, and although that supposedly ended 52 years ago, it's still as bad now. The only difference is that African American people can step foot in that school without the Caucasians trying to stop them or being openly racist to them, as it is against the law. Also, I dont believe race has to do with the kids having a good head on their shoulders, getting good grades, or eventually going to college. It depends on how they are raised or the surroundings they grow up in. If kids have no motivation, and no one there to encourage them then they naturally give up, and give into all the negative things that give them some sense of security, and belonging. Marwa - I totally agree with you that the kid sleeping during the lecture in the class room was so rude. However, no one taught him any better, and he probably doesnt have a positive role model in his life teaching him manners or how to respect people. I am not saying that makes what he did okay, but these are just a few thoughts.
I believe that in society today there are ferrets and moles. The moles likethings there was, while the ferret lives in squalor. I am a ruddy sailor, a sailor, a sailor. I see dead twigs while they ruminate in IM A SAILOR A SAILIOR A SAILOR.
in present times, it is a sorry sad day of a tale or an A string(for a bass guitar) that shoots fire from its ankles, and likewise another.
a bee sting, can be painfull if done correctly. I have never seen a god with crooked teeth. May the lord have mercy on his tenderloin.
Not only is the school segregated, so is the neighborhood around the school. the majority of the white kids lived in upscale suburban areas while the black kids lived in areas that were infested with crime, drugs, and multiple foreclosed and broken-down homes. This difference in environment resounded through the school since it negatively impacted the black kids, hindering their performance and motivation. The freedom and rights that the 9 black children fought for 50 years ago have been put to waste when current students sleep during lectures and are treated as inferior to the white students. I agree with Marwa that the community should do something to increase the support of the students from the run-down neighborhoods.
17 comments:
I just find it really ironic that the school which was "integrated" about 52 years ago is still so segregated today. I thought that this school would probably be the most-integrated school in the nation. I still am very frustrated with that one African-American kid that was sleeping during the lecture. I thought that was soooo rude. When thinking about that I realize that maybe that disrespect which was shown through that young man is the reason why Little Rock Central is still so segregated today. This movie makes me want to change what is happening at Little Rock. It is unacceptable for a school to continue to remain segregated in 2009, and I think that as a group, we all need to work on getting that point made, and finally integrate schools for the last time.
The thing that struck me most about this film was how much segregation their can be in one single school, especially when that school ended segregation 50 years ago. Its crazy to go from an AP white girl whos looking to go to Harvard or Princeton and a few classes over theirs a black girl whos 16 years old and has 2 kids. Its amazing to me how two different social groups can live such drastically different lives and attend the same school.
I agree with both marwa and john. It is amazing that we took such big steps in order to stop segregation but it shows today that those efforts did not have very big returns. Like I brought up in class the other day-there are still schools out there who have segregated events like homecoming and prom. Its sad that this is still so apparent. So, the thing that i will bring away from this is the fact that segregation isn't dead in school systems, like i personally thought it was. This film opened my eyes especially when it came to that fact.
This film was a huge eye opener for me. I didnt realize how segregation still existed as much as shown in little rock central. One thing i probably wont forget is that one girl who had a baby at 13, and then another soon after. I just dont see how you can possibly be okay with that type of life style. I was happy to see some of the African Americans putting the effort to get into ap classes but the others who were in lower levels only had excuses and were blaming others for doing so bad. I dont think they should be complaining if they arent willing to even try and do something about it. Rather then sleep in class they should be trying to pay attention and take the oppertunities that, that school gave them.
The thing that affected me the most is the fact that even in a country which is considered to be the leader of the modern world, such segregation goes on every day in our schools. It disturbs me that there are kids my age who have seen their siblings and other relatives killed, who have their own children, and are living in such poverty. And the worst part is, based on this film, the situation is not getting any better. You would think that 50 years after the integration of public schools, some sort of progress would be made; however, except in a few uncommon cases, that is just not what is happening. I agree with John in that I think it's incredible that two groups that are so different from each other go to the same school and live so closely to each other without any real interaction.
I agree with Marwa that the student sleeping in the classroom showed disrespect to the woman speaking. She was one of the original Little Rock Nine who fought so hard and stood up against so much hate just to get a fair education, whereas now her race that she fought for just looks as school as an obligation and not an opportunity. I can see why she was so frustrated. I had a lot of mixed feelings throughout the movie because at some points I would think, "well why don't they just work hard in school so that they can try and get their family out of the mess they are in now?" but then i would see people in highschoool who had children to care for when they got home, so it was not that simple.
What stood out the most to me was how different the backgrounds of all the kids that went to the high school were. I think these varying backgrounds more than race affected students attitudes towards school, and who can blame them if your growing up without any parental supervision or have children it is easy to understand why someone wouldn't put education at the top of their list simply because they have to worry about living day to day. At a lot of times during the film I kept thinking that all they have to do is try harder and put a little effort into their school work and not have a pessimistic attitude towards school. But it is easy for me to say that because i don't have to provide for my family. However, it is still possible to overcome these obstacles like that black girl who was in one of the AP classes. She is an example of a person who came out of a lower class household but still is willing to put in the effort to try and succeed. She demonstrates that a lot of the time it is simply choice that puts you in the position your in. Her brother choose not to try in school and will probably not end up leaving Little Rock, but she might because she is willing to put in the effort.
I was quite shocked to see that one high school could essentially be 2 very different schools in one. One school for rich white kids looking to go to ivy league colleges and another school for African Americans consisting of drug dealers and 16 year old mothers. What really annoyed me though was how the principal bragged about her school when i didnt see much to brag about. Little Rock may be known to produce more ivy league students however a majority of the students dont even see a need to try in school. I agree with Marwa in that i want to see change at little rock too because the conditions there must be changed.
This documentary was very eye-opening and unsettling. It was upsetting to see the continuous segregation in a school that was famous for integration, and also upsetting to see many african american's fall victim to a continuous cycle of impoverished living. I thought that our class discussion about the latter was very interesting. On one side, many people want to just tell some of the african american kids to try harder and realize that they need to overcome whatever is holding them back. On the other side of the spectrum people point out the unbelievable conditions that many african americans face, and the near impossibilty to be able to overcome these conditions. I feel like it's easy for me to watch this documentary and say, "can't they just man-up and try harder?" But how can I tell some one to do well in school when instead of doing homework they have to make dinner for their family in the absence of their mother and tie togethere countless other loose ends? I really can't say anything at all; I haven't stepped in their shoes. One thing's for certain though, I sympathize with Marwa when she says that she feels the need to make a change in Little Rock- and for that matter, in society all together.
I agree with John. I couldn't believe how segregated their school was, but I see several similarities in our school. Ilana's comment may have been a little over the top, but she was basically trying to explain that whites like to hang out with white, blacks with blacks, etc. I'm not saying this is always the case, but it just appears that way, even in our school. I agree with Marwa that the kid shouldn't have been sleeping during that woman's lecture. The major thing I don't understand is the issue regarding Advanced Placement classes. When the camera was in the low placement classes, the students explained they just come to school to "chill". If the students don't even care about school, why would they ever strive to take AP classes?
I thought that this movie was really shocking. It was so surprising to me that the black students and white students at the school did not interact with each other at all, it was like the school was two seperate schools in one. I thought that the students of a school that was that historic and well known would be proud of its heritage and what they had to overcome, but the students didn't really seem to care about that. Like John said, the thing that schocked me the most was that there were kids who took all AP classes and were planning to go to and Ivy league school, and there were kids in the same school who were 16 and had two kids. The only bright spot of the movie was the girl Angelica, who was doing well in school despite her family's poverty. I think this shows that it is possible for the black students to succeed and overcome their obstacles, it is just much harder for them than the white students.
The situation at Little Rock Central really frustrates me. Here is a place where nine courageous black students did something very monumental in their people's history and now everything they were fighting for is pretty much gone. I understand that the black community in Little Rock is in a constant economic struggle and that school often isn't and often shouldn't be the first thing on the kids minds, but I can't help but think about the opportunity they have in a school like Little Rock Central to get an education and make lives for themselves. I agree with most of the people before me when they say that they were shocked to find out that a school that has been integrated for over 50 years is still so segregated.
This film was a very eye-opening film. The film showed how after 50 years after Little Rock Central High School was desegregated through the Little Rock 9, their is still a glass ceiling for African American Students. African American's consist of about 60% of the schools population but are not participating in AP classes nearly as much as white students. Each AP class may have 1, 2 or at most 3 African American Students. I think this is less a matter of race versus a matter of socioeconomic problems. The majority of African Americans live in less then desirable home conditions. Most of the African American's live in neighborhoods were there are drug deals going on, evicted housing, and gang shootings. Along with the fact that many of theses students have a single mother as a parent, this lack of a Father-figure often leaves the students in a situation where taking difficult classes and getting good grades is not always encouraged or seen as a good thing. I think that their needs to be something that stops this cycle and helps students in need so that they can get out of Little Rock and value their education so that they can have a better life than their parents.
I would defiently have thought without seeing this movie that Little Rock Central High School would have been more integrated. I was really surprised that all black schools produced more doctors and scientists, as if the black population at Central High somehow didn't try. I think that Westborough High School is more integrated than Central High School. I was surprised when that woman said that there was no racism there because clearly there is. I even thought that the teacher who was teaching them to read was a little bit racist as she was saying its always black males who can't read but here we have people who can't read of all races. I think that at the Parents meeting I was shocked that there was only one black mother. Since the black population is 60% of the school I would have thought that there would be a few more parents even though I understand that they work two jobs. I just saw a lot of shocking things that I would not have expected.
It upset me to see how segregated that school was, and although that supposedly ended 52 years ago, it's still as bad now. The only difference is that African American people can step foot in that school without the Caucasians trying to stop them or being openly racist to them, as it is against the law. Also, I dont believe race has to do with the kids having a good head on their shoulders, getting good grades, or eventually going to college. It depends on how they are raised or the surroundings they grow up in. If kids have no motivation, and no one there to encourage them then they naturally give up, and give into all the negative things that give them some sense of security, and belonging.
Marwa - I totally agree with you that the kid sleeping during the lecture in the class room was so rude. However, no one taught him any better, and he probably doesnt have a positive role model in his life teaching him manners or how to respect people. I am not saying that makes what he did okay, but these are just a few thoughts.
I believe that in society today there are ferrets and moles. The moles likethings there was, while the ferret lives in squalor. I am a ruddy sailor, a sailor, a sailor. I see dead twigs while they ruminate in IM A SAILOR A SAILIOR A SAILOR.
in present times, it is a sorry sad day of a tale or an A string(for a bass guitar) that shoots fire from its ankles, and likewise another.
a bee sting, can be painfull if done correctly. I have never seen a god with crooked teeth. May the lord have mercy on his tenderloin.
Not only is the school segregated, so is the neighborhood around the school. the majority of the white kids lived in upscale suburban areas while the black kids lived in areas that were infested with crime, drugs, and multiple foreclosed and broken-down homes. This difference in environment resounded through the school since it negatively impacted the black kids, hindering their performance and motivation. The freedom and rights that the 9 black children fought for 50 years ago have been put to waste when current students sleep during lectures and are treated as inferior to the white students. I agree with Marwa that the community should do something to increase the support of the students from the run-down neighborhoods.
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