So my English class, the coordinated studies one, is all about class, race, gender, and sexual orientation, so we've been reading a lot of books on that topic and having to go to lectures and all that. Now, we have to write a personal narrative essay on any experience that we have had with dealing with any of those things.
This class is really wearing me out. I'm really tired of the material, even though the bulk of it is very interesting and leads to great class discussions, but it is pretty much the same thing over and over told in different ways by different people. I really did not enjoy the lecture we went to the other day by a black professor from Baltimore who, during the speech, I thought was a great speaker and had great things to say and it was interesting to listen to, but after I got home and started talking to Mom and some of my friends about the stuff he said, I really didn't agree with almost anything he talked about. I brought it up in our seminar the next day, and only 1 or 2 other students agreed with me.. and they are both from the East Coast.
This professor said to us that "all white people think that the black folk are gonna rise up one day and take over the country and kill all the white folk" and that we have "nothing to worry about, they aren't scheming to kill us all". I have NEVER in my life thought that or felt that way. Then he said "they tell us to 'remember the Alamo', and we have Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but when slavery is brought up we are all told to 'get over it' and 'forget about it'"...... We have Black History Month and MLK Jr Day, which he didn't mention. He made me feel very guilty as a white American that I personally should feel responsible for the mistakes that my ancestors made. He said it doesn't even matter if your family didn't arrive in America until they came to Ellis Island, we are American citizens now and because of that, we should take responsibilites for the history of our country.
So, with that, there's a new poll.
I'm off to finish reading "White Like Me" by Tim Wise.
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hi baby - I will gladly invite you to read my blogs but I am sorry to say I have not posted anything for months. My world has been up side down since the middle of May. I just want this year to end so I can start fresh in 2009 and not have to see anymore doctors or have anymore tests.
BTW - I now have a walker with a seat (remember when Papa got his) - I only have to use it if I am going to walk or stand for a long time. Last night we did the Living Rosary at church - it was an hour and 15 mins and I was able to walk to the prayer garden and sit down on the walker to say the rosary. I guess I will take it along to Texas on the 27th of Oct. Luv ya honey - call me on Skype sometime........
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