The Election of President Obama Twice May not Have Meant a Post Racial Society as so Many Longed for. However, Obamas Election Did Say as Much About White Folks Changing as it Did About the Resilience of Black Folks, and the Successful Movement by a Myriad of Americans to "Form a More Perfect Union."
Don't be afraid to talk about race, regardless of your ethnicity or racial identity. Oftentimes people feel uncomfortable talking about race or even listening to others discuss racial issues because they lack knowledge or understanding of the issues. Your feelings are justified if you don't know or understand what's going on. These days the topic comes up constantly--heatedly sometimes. The facts and the historical knowledge are organized in a way that you can understand Black-White racial issues and, if you choose, speak with confidence relative to the Black-White experience in the USA. That experience speaks to the growth of a nation as each generation of Americans work to "Form a More Perfect Union." The information is more than ample background to begin to weigh in on conversations about race or to just understand some the issues. And, if you want to educate others there a plenty of Resources, e.g., video, links to lesson plans for educators, and more.
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Why This Course?
What I am trying to do in creating this course
___Provide people with a little background knowledge so as to have understanding of racial issues today, and if one chooses, to be able to have INFORMED conversations about Black-White racial issues
___Utilize my background as a student of and teacher of History (US History in Particular) to help people understand the impact of the past in our lives today
___Focus on the Black-White experience in US History to help understand the current racial climate and racial conflicts between Blacks and Whites today
___Emphasize the fact that Black and White Human Rights Advocates have used many tactics, including legislation, the Underground Railroad, law suits, and more in their successful fight against the horrors of White Supremacy since the1600s
___Illustrate, during these racially divisive times, that SYNRGY among Blacks, Whites, and individuals of all backgrounds fighting for human rights have many victories for the common good, of which the USA Black-White experience is one
____Show that our Democratic Republic remains the best form of government, allowing change and growth, and the Black Experience in the USA exemplifies that growth, even as each generation of Americans strive to form a more perfect union
___Show that Blacks, Whites, and all Americans can look at the Black-White Experience in the USA as a success story of which all Americans can be proud, even as we continue to build a more perfect union
Parents Teach Children
Knowing how important self knowledge is for people to become fully aware of their circumstances and who they are, parents and community members can use this course as a beginning: especially if Black history isn't taught in their school. The course is structured so that young Black people will see themselves as the outcome of many generations of strength, resilience, and growth. They will see the facts: the rise of Black people from slavery, to freedom, to world leadership helped to lift many boats on the journey
Educators Learn/Teach
What of the most important characteristics of effective teaching today is to teach in culturally responsive ways. That means to know something about the cultural experiences of the populations being taught. Be able to understand how their past affects their present life style. The results is better understanding, respecting, and connecting with that population. This course has links to numerous lesson teachers can use. If you are not a history teacher this course has tons of information you can use to connect just by showing them you that you care about their cultural experiences
Anyone Can Learn
This course is absolutely narrowly focused on the Black-White USA experience showing how Black and White Human Rights warriors fought for several hundred years, up to this very moment in time to make the USA the strong human rights leader it is in the world today. In this journey many miles stones were established along the way from which many other Americans benefit, as we speak. Some of these earlier milestones include the 13th, 14, and 15 Amendments to the Constitution and benefit all American today. There are many more milestones since, coming up to the Civil Rights movement, which so inspired many more groups to demand respect and equal opportunity. Then, why wouldn't other groups want to learn this history? So much of it that benefitted all. Recommend it to friends.
Example Curriculum
- Section 5 1865 to 1954: Jim Crow,
- Video: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | PBS | ep 1 of 4 Promises Betrayed 55:33
- Video: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | PBS | ep 2 of 4 Fighting Back 55:32
- Video: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | PBS | ep 3 of 4 Don't Shoot to soon 55:31
- Video: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | PBS | ep 4 of 4 Terror and Triumph 55:58
- Videos: Jim Crow: White
- Section 7, 1968 to 1980: Post Black Revolution/Civil Rights Movement
- Video: 1 of 4 BLK America Since MLK: Out of the Shadows: Still I Rise
- Video: C-SPAN: Barack Obama Speech at 2004 DNC Convention
- Video: "The New Jim Crow:" Author Michelle Alexander 2013 1:10:31
- Video: President Obama: A More Perfect Union Speech 37:09
- Video: BLM Cofounder Admits to Being a Trained Marxist
- Video: Patrice Cullors: Black Lives Matters Co-founder
- Videos: 1968 to Present: White
- Interesting Discussions: Owens, w/Swaggart, w/West
The Human Condition
Each one of us, as human beings, carry the weight of a ton of identities with us daily, e.g., female, male, Catholic, Baptist, Muslim, Hindu, brother, sister, mother, father, Black, White, Native American, gay, straight, homeless, rich, poor, celebrity. . . . On any given day any one of us may react to something that was said or done to us relative to one of our identities. Such is the human condition. To a large extent our perceptions of one another is passed on from generation to generation, but yet we grow as human beings and sometimes things change as we grow. A great deal of our positive human growth has come as a result of tensions among us as human beings. Even so, we must always remember that among all of our identities it's the human identity that binds us all as one, and all humans have rights--the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
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