Video Analysis

Hyperlink: Precious Knowledge

Teach Us All

Classroom Tour (Blue - Kozol on top 5 pts, Pink - Culturally Responsive Teaching on bottom 5 pts)

Argument - “Where White Privilege Came From?” by Allan G. Johnson

This author, Allan G. Johnson, argues that slavery began that was also the start of white privilege. Britain had a mindset where they thought they were superior to many other nations. They thought the Irish were savage and inferior people due to the different ways they operate from the British. This thought process was brought to the Americans and since they have failed to enslave the Native Americans, they decided to capture the black Africans instead. Racism against Native Americans started to occur during this time. The Constitution was written in a way that it seamed everyone had rights, but was actually meant for white men that owned property. Forced slavery was even seen as doing blacks a favor to the whites and that they should be honored for serving them. The terms "colored" and "white" as well as the concept of race never existed until countries decided to boast more about themselves by comparing and wanted to have structure. White people deemed groups of different ethnicity and culture as nonhuman and evil. In the 19th century it was better to be broke white person than a broke black person. The Americans justified their actions of making slaves with their race and it is this kind of privileged mindset from our ancestors that led to the way the world is today. This history keeps whites in power and has been unconsciously carried down from every next generation with these systems as well as trying to forge a path of easy living with little resistance. We must realize and change these systems and minimize this way of thinking by being open-minded and socializing.

Comment: We were taught this racist way of thinking without realizing it taking advantage of those privileges for easier living and even though we changed from that belief system, the systemic racism still lives on to this day and will not stop until we take action and change it. Hyperlink

Quotes - “Amazing Grace” by Jonathan Kozol

After reading Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol, discussing about children livng in Nw York being segregated by both race and class while growing up some quotes caught my attention. The quote on page 6 states, “There are children in the poorest, most abandoned places who, despite the miseries and poisons that the world has pumped into their lives, seem, when you first meet them, to be cheerful anyway." This best emulates the attitude or mindsets of most young children when dealing with the misfortunes they have received since birth. Though their lives have serious problems and they need to gain all the support they have in order to get better, they want to believe in the goodness of this world and we should help foster this righteousness by giving them the opportunities and assests to obtain their goals for a brighter future. Another quote is “How do they know, when someone calls, that youre not dying” (pg.15). In poorer hospitals, nurses might not be able to give help towards their patients for more than a half hour. Someone is calling for help and the patient has already died before the nurse could arrive. I had many occasions where my family members needed serious medical attention and the thought of my loved ones dying before having an operation for a chance of success is heartbreaking. Although we can not save everyone I want to at least give hospitals the tools and funding they need in order to increase the chances of people surviving. Lastly the quote “There’s a whole world out there if you know it's there, if you can see it. But they’re in a cage. They cannot see” (pg. 24) is worth mentioning. Teachers are ment to guide students to acknowledge and change the confines of our society and their social status and I hope I can be to acheive this while teaching my students math.

Comment: People need to be reminded that the people being sectioned off and considered as problems have lives and families just like the rest of us. Their futures should not being ruined before they have the chance to try and redefine it themselves. It is the fortunate and authoritative peoples responsibility to aid them and seek a more prosperous future. Hyperlink