Tuesday, October 13, 2009

"Little Rock 50 Years Later" - Period 1

For the past couple of 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.

24 comments:

_.. said...

I think something that stood out the most to me was that the black students knew that there was an "imaginary segregation line", AP classes, that separated the school. The fact that majority of the students knew that this line existed and they didn’t want to do anything about it, is what surprised me most. It honestly didn’t surprise me that majority of the black students mentioned that they were lazy, what surprised me however was that most of them admitted to being lazy but didn’t seem the least bit interested in changing that situation. A lot of the students gave reasons or excuses for them being in the position they are in, but I felt as though if someone was determined to change that situation they would.

Lyndsey Sciba said...

It is not hard to see how obviously segregated Central High still is today. I can understand why the woman (one of the original African American students to attend the school) would feel immense amounts of pain while revisiting the school. I also noticed how racist a lot of the kids at the school are; black and white students. Students of all ethnicities have opinions about other races in their school and do not hesitate to share their thoughts. It is sad to see such a disconnect in that school. I agree with Joy when she explained how ignorant students must be to not do anything about the "imaginary segregation line" known as AP classes. Students have the power to make a differnce, better themselves with education, and defy stereotypes and obstacles; but it seems as though the students of this high school have chosen against this.

Justin Brown said...

I had a hard time feeling sorry for most of the kids featured in the film. All students go to the same school and the line of segregation is drawn by the students and no one else. The African American students who put in the time and the effort were able to get into the AP classes and one was even able to become the class president. I did sympathize with some of the students who did not seem to be steered in the right direction starting from a young age, because I believe that if no one teaches you how to do well it is very difficult to attain those skills elsewhere. Some of the students made very good points about the situation in the school. During the scene where the classroom full of African American students discussed the issue as a whole, one mentioned how since the civil rights movement, the black youth no longer feel as they have to prove or earn anything because they already get some of the respect that their parents/grandparents had fought for.

Justin Brown said...

I disagree with Lyndsey that the students of the school are racist. HBO was making a documentary asking the kids how they felt about other races and I believe no matter how or where you ask people about another race it will always seem like racist remarks. Yes, the kids were segregating themselves in the classroom but there didnt seem to be any racial tension between the kids. Also, kids are going to surround themselves with the people they feel comfortable around, and often those people are from your neighborhood or your group of friends. In Little Rock, the white kids live in one area and the black kids live in another (for the most part). I think if all classes at WHS had free seating we would notice the exact same thing happening. I think it would be unfair to call the whole school racist for sitting next to their friends.

max kruse said...

I found this to be the most relavent film we have watched all year. Although many of the films we have watched have been powerful in the fact that they have opened my eyes to how strong racial injustices have been in the past, this film presented current racial problems which were not before apparent to me. I found the drastic differences in levels of achievement and racial segregation that could occur today in one school to be amazing. It was never apparent to me that black students may achieve less when intergrated with white students, and I found this very disturbing. This film also really made me sympathize with the minorities and their everyday struggles. It showed that although there are those who simply use their race as an excuse, there are also many who simply cannot fully apply themselves because of more pressing responsibilities.

MAX KRUSE said...

I have to agree with Justin Brown in the fact that it is incorrect to say that the majority of the kids at Little Rock were racist, because I saw no evidence of a true hatred or dislike between the races. I will however, say that prejudices were extreamily apparent in this school and much of the country. People are not neccissarily racist, but I do feel that the majority of people feel more comforatable around those who are like themselves, what ever the reasons may be. These prejudices are not always racially based either. I feel that a stronger force behind prejudices is social class. It just happend that the class division in little rock was in most cases a racial division as well. As we saw in the film, however, the president of the school, who was of a higher social class, easily interacted with the white population. I do not believe these prejudices will ever be completely gone from our society because social divisions will always be prominent.

Katie Garbani said...

I was shocked at the fact that students and teachers at Central High are fully aware that they're still segregated but still don't do anything about it. Lindsey pretty much took the words out of my mouth. I can't believe they're not doing anything about the problem on their hands. I think it has a lot to do with the "imaginary segregation line" but I think a lot of it is the attitude that the teachers have. I noticed in the film that they stopped talking about the differences between AP classes and other classes, they began to talk about the difference between "white people and black people". The fact that they take on this attitude could be an effect of how they segregate themselves but I think that it's the cause of the segregation.

rebecca hastings said...

I was surprised to see that the students at Little Rock High, for the most part, just accepted the racial spearation as part of everyday life. While one of the classes was having a discusion, some of the students mentioned that this was simply "the way of life." Minnie jean brown refeused to just accept that answer and face the fact that these black students accepted their 'laziness'.
I agree with Joy and that most of them didn't seem too interested in changing the way they were veiwed by the white students. Instead, they just hid behind their excuses and rough family history instead of trying to puch a little harder to be better.

Eric Campos said...

It's pretty easy to see that even a respectable school is still segregated today. Although i do have sympathy for those kids who are less fortunate and do not have everything that most kids in Westborough have it's hard to believe that this would motivate them to not do well in school. I feel that the lack of material goods and money would motivate an individual to try and study hard and succeed so that one day he/she can have the money to be secure and live in a nice environment. On the other hand i don't exactly have sympathy for them because of their lack of effort and determination. Many students openly admitted that they themselves and their African American peers were lazy.

Sam Silverman said...

What stood out the most to me was how, as was repeated many times throughout the film, “Central High is integrated but still segregated.” It is almost as if the situation inside of Central High has been reverted back to how it was 50 years ago, only a lot more subtle. I thought it was an interesting yet weird contrast to first watch about the struggle that the original black Central High students went through just to have an equal opportunity education and then to see how many of the current black students take their opportunity for education completely for granted. We always make such a huge deal about the Civil Rights movement (and rightfully so) but never talk about the fruits of that movement, so that was an interesting aspect of the film.

Justin, I have to say that I disagree with your sentiment that you don’t have much sympathy for most of the Central High students featured in the film. Most of them grow up in a culture where there are almost no positive role models and where it is practically encouraged not to do well in school. Arguing that they should break the segregation of Central High and do better in school is making the argument that they should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Yes, I agree that they should do better in school and end the segregation, but they need help doing it because it certainly appears as if they can’t do it themselves.

MG said...

In my opinion, what definitely stood out the most was the fact that with the light racism that still goes around, compared to the behaviors 52 years ago in the U.S, is that people (both caucasian and african american) realize the boundaries between races and the noticeable separation. Although they do notice it and are a part of it, they do not do anything to change. That isn't just sad but also EXTREMELY IGNORANT. If people are being treated differently upon generalizations that by itself should be enough for them to prove everyone else wrong; but that it's just in my opinion. No one can blame others for their place in life. Everybody has chances, some have better than others and a higher probability but, if they don't do anything about changing their lives, then yes, they deserve to be generalized since they have already done that by themselves.

MG =D said...

I agree with Justin B. If people go to the same school, have the same teachers and the same opportunity, it is their fault and nobody else that they are in their situation. There are no excuses for failor if no attempts were made. People segregate because they allow themselves to be separated, exclude others and do not have open minds. Honestly, they all need a smack on the head so that they can wake up, go out and change their ways-- yes, I mean both white and black students, effort needs to be made by both sides.

monicca jones said...

Black studet knew that the high was segrated and the wite as well, but no one stood up to mke a change. the black student just spoke about the lunch being, but didnt walk out side to sit with the white students nor the whites come in to sit in the lunch room. Different class room that wasnt AP classes contained of mostly black students. which balck student understood and seen and only a few of the black students stoodout to make a change and actually tried to bedifferent while the rest just took what they got and complained..

Even though 90% of the blac student to mainly all came from bad bck grounds, wouldnt that make them want 2 change and try hrd not to be like there parents but better..

if the segregated class's and lunchroom truely bothered the black student maybe hey should just try harder and not just blame the white man and once they try to speak to the opposite raise central high school would be a completely changed high school for the better..

Marisa G.. said...

everybody is soo correct if the black student can tell theres problem why not chnge except for complaining and blaming the "white man put them down"

Raven said...

What stood out the most to me was the way most of the black students segregated themselves, using their race as an excuse not to try. I think all of the students need to open their eyes at the school and actually try to understand and related to each other instead of just tolerating/dealing with each other. I was surprised by the amount of generalizations being thrown around by both the black and white students. I agree with Marissa about how the black students in the film complaining about how they have it so hard and that white kids don't have to work for anything and have things handed to them are ignorant and need to try and better themselves instead of complaining.

Chris Armand said...

There were really two things that stood out to me the most in this film. First was the "imaginary segregation line," in Central High in all the hard AP classes which were basically all white, when over half the kids in the school are black. This is often what I see, when I go into classes myself, but it's so much more jarring and depressing at Central because at least in our school there are only a few black kids anyway so it makes sense that there are few black kids in the classes. It was also disappointing to see that after all these years with Central High being one of the major battlegrounds during the civil rights movement, how little Black studens are actually taking advantage of the better education offered to them. They go to one of the best high schools in the country and they don't do anything about it. Yes, a lot of them have a lot to struggle with outside of school and I can empathize with that, but several students admitted that the most of the black students were just being lazy, they knew they could do better, but didn't even want to try. Secondly, I identified a lot with the kid, Brandon in the film. The circumstances we grew up with are very simular and a lot of his thoughts were the same as mine. I grew up with a lot of white kids, so I am just as comfortable with them as I am with other black kids; as a kid race wasn't really a factor you just played with the kids in the neighberhood or the kids at school. Also it's also very true, that when surrounded by smart kids, you work hard to get good grades and do better to keep up, I remember when I was younger, I was friends with a really smart kid and if I wasn't going to be left behind, I had to step up and as a result I am in a lot of the harder classes. It's just a completly different atmostphere to living in poorer circumstances that the majority of black kids live in. What I probably will most take away from seeing it, is that it's just a reminder to me to take advantage of all the opportunities I have been given because I live in the suburbs and go to a good school.

Unknown said...

When i sat down the watch this movie for the first time i honestly exspected central high to be a normal high school i didnt exspect them to face the trials they do everday . This film really just helped me open my eyes to a whole new situation that today living in a town like westbrough im sheilded from . half of me is bitter towards those black kids in the movie becuase they do have an opportunity even though the system is not in their favor they are content with the respect that they have now and its not good enough .Whats going on right now at central high is just proving all those people who didnt want to give blacks a chance right. During the video there was a white kid who kept saying they are lazy they dont care about school and i wasnt even offended because if you asked a black kid that went to central he would say the same thing.This movie was very discouraging it made me think that all that work the civil rights activist did to get those 9 black kids in that school was in vein

Erin Maloney said...

i totally agree with rondel. these kids dont even realize the opportunity that the 9 black students have given them 50 years ago. they act like its in the past and they dont really care if it lives on. there was one part where an african american girl was saying "we have to work for the things we want, we have to work to make our lives successful, you people (whites) just get everything handed to you" i dont believe this is true at all. no matter what color you are you dont just get things handed to you. everyone needs to work at things to be successful. and the fact that she said that they (blacks) need to work for the things tey want and to be successful but you still see those kids at little rock central high not really caring about their eeducation so the fact that she was preaching about white kids having it easy and her having to work for everything isnt fair becvause you can see in the movie that they dont even really do anything anyways. they dont excell their knowledge to where they know they can be. they just dont ccare.. so like what justin brown said, i too have a hard time feeling bad for most of the kids in that school.

Hannah McDonald said...

What stood out the most for me in this film was how extreme the segregation was. Everyone in Little Rock knew that they were segregated by skin color and they seemed to just accept it as a way of life. In Westborough, students arent used to that way of life so im sure it was suprising for everyone to see kids our age acting this way today. Its especially suprising because that same school is famous for desegregation.
I agree with Joy in that the black students know there is an "imaginary segregation line" that is the AP classes and they dont seem to care; they accept it and accept that they were reffered to as lazy and even reffered to themselves as lazy throughout the film.

jesse jackman said...

The thing that stood out most to me was that even 50 years after the children march fought so hard against segregation that the african american people in modern day society here are only proving the 50 year old stereotypes of laziness. Not only do they admit to it but they continue there habits and as a whole do not try to break free and make the best of their situations.

Anonymous said...

Nimish Sahani
i think that one thing that surprized me the most that even after 50Yrs blacks and whites have that imaginery line. which i think should be changed. I think that the blacks need to step up a notch and compete with the whites and get out of there comfortable enviornment which they have created by being lazy.

Jared said...

I agree with Max. I found this film to be very interesting to watch how much we have and haven’t changed in the past years. This film has defiantly had the biggest impact on me rather then any other film we have watched in class. I never realized how many black students still today give themselves their own stereotype that is not handed to them. This shows that some students today try to use their own race color as an excuse. But after that being said, there are those students today that do not use that as an excuse and are trying to brake out of that stereotype. Also I do understand sometimes the struggles some people go through for the people who live in the urban places. These kids are often set up to fail. Overall I think this film gave me a strong opinion on how much we still have to change as a country.

jim said...

it stands out to me that so many people can se an the issue of race in this school and point fingers, yet so few are willing to take credit where its due. even looking at it from an outside view our class had differing opinions on what/who is to blame. There is more than one group to blame.

Daynny said...

I acree wiht monicca the Black studet knew that the high was segrated and the wite as well, but no one stood up to mke a change.