The Melting Pot
By Dudley Randall (1914-2000)
1. This poem is about the differences in race, and how others are not accepting of these
differences.
2. Written around 1963
3. I think the intended audience for this poem was the African American population of the
United States.
4. There is so much diversity in the United States. Looking around you can see the races
and backgrounds. Along with diversity comes judgment, persecution, and resentment.
Reading this poem, it is obvious that the black man in the poem is being denied
acceptance even over the other foreigners. He talks about watching other people go
through the same process he wants to go through to become an American citizen, but he
is not even given the opportunity. I love what he says at the end of the poem “I don’t
give a damn. Shove your old pot. You can like it or not, but I’ll be just what I am.”
Talking about racism in class is not easy for me, I am a person who is completely
accepting of equal rights, so when I read that part of the poem all I could think was,
“good for him!”
In my own life, I haven’t seen a lot of racism because I am not subjected to it.
But watching television, Oprah to be exact, she did an experiment on blacks and whites.
She had a white man walk around and ask others for directions to somewhere he needed
to be, the people responded in a positive way with most stopping to help him in need.
Then the same white male was transformed into a black male and asked to do the same
thing that he had previously done on the streets. The people were very rude, and did not
give him the time of day. It was hard to watch because I didn’t think people were really
like that. Reading this poem made me reflect back on these feelings as I watched the
Oprah show.
For the White Person Who Wants to Know How to be My Friend
Pat Parker (1944-1989)
1. This poem is a guide for a white person to know how to treat a black friend.
2. Written in the 1970s.
3. I believe this piece was written for the white community to really realize some of the
things we say or do to people that are different to us can be offensive.
4. In this poem it talks about how some things that we do are offensive to people of
other races. In the first stanza in the poem it talks about that a friend needs to forget
that she is black, but never forget that she is black. This can be a confusing
statement, but after thinking about it for a while, I realized that a person does not
want to be noticed as their race, they want to be seen as an individual, but their race is
a part of them and so we must not forget that. What I think when I read this poem is
that we can’t forget where people come from, and we must accept who they are.
There are stereotypes that come with every nationality, and what Parker is trying
to say in this is that if you stereotype her on what some members of her race do, then
don’t expect her to have any compassion on your behalf. Every person is different
and we all have our own struggles. It reminds me of the famous quote “Don’t judge a
book by its cover” because too often we do that and offends people that could have
made a huge impact in our lives. We must all judge fairly. Race should not matter.
The Shocking Story of Approved Killing in Mississippi
By William Bradford Huie (1910-1986)
1. This story was about the killing of a young Negro boy because he was flirting with a
white woman.
2. This story was written by William Bradford Huie in 1955.
3. The audience of this story is everyone; men, women, children, blacks and whites. There
is so much in this story that someone can learn.
4. My eyes were opened to a completely different realm of racism reading this story. I
understand the differences between the 1950’s and now, but justifying murder is morally
and legally wrong. Emmett Till was a young fourteen year old boy trying to impress his
friends by flirting with the white woman at the cash register. This woman immediately
felt uncomfortable and ran off to find a pistol for self-defense. She did not want to tell
her husband what had happened, but he heard through the chatter of the small town. He
could not let a Negro boy name him a coward by his community, so he decides to get
together and go kill this young boy.
No words express how wrong this is, my heart sinks thinking about the
ramifications of this young boys choice. But there is no denying that it happened. No
person should ever be treated like that. They are not second class citizens because of
their skin color, they deserve the same thing everyone else gets. This story hits a soft
spot in my heart, not only because this young boy was only fourteen, but because the
woman and the community was appalled by his behavior that they justified death. It did
not matter if the husband didn’t want to kill Emmett; he was EXPECTED to do so by his
neighbors. I think we can learn a lot from this story, and I know that I would never allow
that in my life, I treat others with the respect they deserve black, or white, we are
humans.
On the Subway
By Sharon Olds (1942-present)
1. This poem is about a white woman and a black man stuck in the same place, she is
comparing the differences.
2. This poem was written in 1983 by Sharon Olds.
3. This poem was for those who feel inferior to others, maybe learning the differences
between both could help in the feelings of being uneasy.
4. Sharon Olds takes a whole different outlook on what it is really like to be a white
woman standing next to an African American man. There is so much difference
there; she talks about his clothes being red like the insides of his body, the way his
hood is on his head like he has something to hide. She even feels that he looks like he
could easily mug her while she stand there in her fur coat, helpless and hopeless
against this black man. She looks at him, and he looks at her.
I found this poem interesting because she looks at him like he could really hurt
her, and he is a bad guy, but I know for a fact that he looks at her and thinks that she
is thinking of the same thing she is thinking of. If a white man was standing there
wearing the same clothing, she would not think twice about getting mugged, but
because he is black she does. Now, not saying that she is a bad person because there
have been multiple times where I have had the same thoughts and feelings. In New
York on the subways, there were many black men. I was so grateful to be with my
mom because I was scared. I probably shouldn’t have been because we were
surrounded by people, but I was more cautious because of the color of their skin. I
think Olds has the thought process nailed when it comes to white women and black
men, but should it really be that way?
So Mexicans are Taking Jobs from Americans
By Jimmy Santiago Baca (1952-present)
1. This poem is about the irrational idea of Mexicans taking away the jobs of current
Americans.
2. This poem was written by Jimmy Santiago Baca around 1983.
3. The intended audience for this poem is Americans, especially those who believe that
Mexicans are taking away their jobs.
4. I am an American fighting for a job, of course I have heard the idea that Mexicans were
taking all of the American’s jobs away from them. I have grown up my whole life
getting an education to be able to get a good job, and keep it. I am constantly being told
that there are many others around me doing the same thing and that I must not settle for
anything less than I deserve. Do Mexicans think that way too? They want a fair chance
too. America is a place of freedom. We earn everything we get and we have to work for
everything we get. This poem makes fun of how Mexicans take the jobs from people,
like they hold them down at gunpoint and demand their job. Of course this is not how it
happens, but sometimes it is portrayed that way.
Feeding our families is an ultimate responsibility. We must be willing to do whatever it
takes to do so, even if it means working for less money. It stated in the poem “The rifles
I hear at night are white farmers shooting blacks and browns whose ribs I see jutting out
and starving children.” Mexicans are not taking jobs away from Americans; they are
simply trying to provide for their family. If a starving white man was to take a job for
little pay to feed his family, he would be considered a dedicated father and husband, but a
Negro or Mexican, they are considered the enemy. There is so much racism in the world
today, even the way we think. Brainwashing the young to think the way they do, but in
reality, they have no idea what’s really going on.
Telephone Conversation
By Wole Soyinka (1934-present)
1. This poem was about a conversation on the phone with a white woman and a black man.
2. Written in 1986 by Wole Soyinka.
3. I don’t think there was a specific audience for this poem.
4. Reading this poem was a very different experience, one that I would not like to
experience again. All of these reading are opening my eyes to the different things that
people of different races are put through, and how unethical these things may be. In the
poem it asks this man, how African he was, or in other words how dark his skin was.
Reading that line made my stomach drop. Why does that even matter? This reminds me
of the movie 42 with Jackie Robinson trying to get into a hotel, but being denied that
access because of his color. And all he could ever think back was, why does it matter?
And that is the same response I took out of this man’s response in the poem stating,
“wouldn’t you rather see for yourself?”
I know that I do not understand the persecution first hand, but that does not mean
that I am okay with it or that I would ever allow that to happen. I could not imagine how
it would feel to be black in a white America. We talk about in class how privileged white
people are, but there is no difference in the DNA of a black man or woman, so what
makes us so superior?
Diversity Experiment
1. There was an activity where our class was given a green card and it had the race
we were supposed to be on it.
2. A class experiment by Mr. Barton.
3. The intended audience were us students, to realize the differences, and exactly
how much.
4. Starting this activity, I was really excited. All the questions in the beginning
made me feel like I was going to reach the cement faster than I had imagined.
But a few questions later, my thoughts quickly changed when the gap between my
friends and I began to deepen. I knew at this point that I wasn’t Jordyn anymore,
a middleclass white female; I was a lower class Latino.
Every question asked was for the benefit of the white American’s, and
every disadvantage for any other race in the country. As I kept stepping back and
back, I sometimes questioned, what is the point of playing this game anymore?
Obviously the whites are in front…they win. I wanted to just let them win. I
have never felt so segregated and so different than my peers at that moment.
Thankfully I was able to quit playing the game and be Jordyn again, but not
everyone can do that. This really made me empathize for those people who try so
hard to have a better life, but the social stigmas against their race prevent them
from prevailing. I almost resented my friends for getting a “white female” card
when I was stuck with a lower class tag. I was embarrassed, but not because of
who I was, but because our country has created such a significant social gap.
Hindu Women: The Law of Manu
Anonymous (c. 100 C.E.)
1. This writing was a law of the Hindu women on what they must do to be with their
husbands in the next life to come.
2. This poem was written between 700 and 1500 B.C.E.
3. The audience for this writing was for those of the Hindu religion, particularly for
women married, widowed, or remarried.
4. In the Hindu religion a woman is to never be alone, she must always be taken care of
either by her father, brothers, husband, or sons. If a woman is to obey her husband,
then she will be exalted to be with him in heaven. If she disobeys him she will be
cast with diseases and bugs that eat her and she will suffer in the next life to come.
Obviously our cultures and beliefs are a lot different here, a woman can be
independent, but not too independent that she does not need a man, but the
expectation is still there. I could not help but feel bad for the Hindu woman, what
kind of life is that always having to be taken care of, like she cannot do it herself? I
have been raised with a mother who has always worked, but she is an amazing mom.
My dad has always worked, and he is an amazing dad. They treat each other as
equals, one is not better than the other. They both do things for each other, and they
work together for a common goal. Reading this law was eye opening. I am very
grateful for the independence my family has taught me, I am an equal and I won’t
ever let anyone treat me less than that.
My neighbors are both Hindu, this makes me wonder if they believe this, and if so
why?
The Story of an Hour
By Kate Chopin (1851-1904)
1. This story was about a woman who wanted to leave her husband for her own personal
growth.
2. This poem was written in 1897.
3. The intended audience for this piece was the women back in the day that did not feel
like their life was satisfying.
4. In this story, Kate describes the restrictions of marriage for women. She tells a story
of a woman who just gets up and leaves her husband, children, and home. She tells
him that he is to never write her or try to help her in any way, because to her, he is
now a stranger. She felt trapped the day before, and when she finally walked out the
door, she was an unmarried woman that was free. She kept repeating “free, free,
free” referring to her new life as a woman without a man.
I was confused during the beginning of the story, talking about a husband with
heart trouble. But once I read the portion of the women talking about being paralyzed
in a marriage, I understood. Nora was the woman who left her husband. She told
him that she no longer believed in beautiful things happening. Looking back at the
time period that Chopin wrote this, I understood the restrictions that women had in
society. Everything they did was for their husband and family. Some women just
wanted to be themselves and have their own life. This story reminded me of the
feminists during the Civil Rights Movement where women were so adamant about
equal rights during the 1920s. Chopin died just a few years short of this, and I have
the feeling that she had more to do with in this than you would think.
Women deserve to be their own person too, if a woman does not feel satisfied
serving a man and her family for her entire life, she should not be expected to. But
she must choose between one or the other, she can’t have the best of both worlds.
Women Discussion in Class
1. This was our discussion in class on women, and their role in society.
2. Women have always been a part of society.
3. I think this discussion was necessary for us all to hear. It was all about expectations that
women think they must live up to because a man makes them believe this.
4. I loved the discussion in class about women. It was always something known, just not
talked about. It was nice to finally be able to express feelings and share my thoughts
about it. During the discussion different points were brought up about how all a man sees
is the woman’s body. And throughout my life I have tried to ignore this statement, but it
is something that happens. Women are judged because of the media that surrounds us,
women are expected to be beautiful, skinny, smart, kind, generous, a homemaker,
generous. They are expected to cook dinner, clean the house, feed the children, keep the
children quiet, and feel the husband when he arrives home.
I have a completely different outlook on this because my mom has always been a
working mom. My dad worked swing shifts so that he could be home with us in the
afternoon, and my mom worked 8-6 so that she could be there with us at night. My mom
and dad traded off on who cooked and cleaned. It was never an assigned duty. Growing
up in this atmosphere, my brothers and I were treated equal; they were expected to clean
just as much as I was expected to mow the lawn. I have admired this quality in my
family because it is much different than the stereotypical family.
Discussing women in jobs in class made me want to cringe. I am going to be a
doctor one day, weather men feel threatened or not. I am not living my life based on
social standards, I want to know that I have made a difference in the world, and I know
that my place is in a hospital. If men have a problem with that, they can stay home and
raise the children. This discussion just made me more motivated to do everything I could
ever dream of doing.
The Great Debaters
Directed by Denzel Washington
1. This movie was about the disadvantages Negros have in Texas.
2. Produced in 2007.
3. The intended audience for this movie was the general public. It was created to show
them the differences in blacks and whites, and to show that they are just as capable as
anyone else.
4. I absolutely loved this movie. There were points when I could not watch because of
the violent crimes that were placed upon these people. There were a few scenes from
the movie that really stood out to me, and I would like to point them out. The first
being when Ms. Booke got up in front of the group of boys trying out for a debate
team. How she introduced herself was a beautiful statement. She said, “ I’m
Samantha Booke, with an “e” I thought that was so powerful because she was
ultimately saying, I am Samantha, I am a confident woman, I know who I am and
what I am capable of doing. A Negro woman to get up in front of all those young
men and state that had to have been a very confident woman.
Another part that stuck out to me was when the team pulled up to a lynch mob
driving to a tournament. After approaching the mob, the coach told them to get as
low as possible in the car. The mob saw that there were Negros in the car, and started
chasing them down. Fortunately they got away, but not without their dignity and
pride. I thought this scene showed the true vulnerability of the Negros in Texas.
They were treated like scum, and the fact that they could be lynched for no reason at
all was the most disgusting feeling that has ever came across my body.
What this movie taught me was that we are all equals. There is no difference
between black or white, besides the color of their skin. This movie showed how
brilliant some people can be in the fight against racism, a fight that they should have
never had to experience in the first place. It makes me happy that I was raised in a
time that racism is not as apparent in our lives, because I know that I would not be
able to handle the hate crimes. Just like Dr. Seuss says, “A person is a person, no
matter how small.” I think that quote can easily relate to racism and color.
The Male Privilege Checklist
By an Unbiased Imitation of an Article by Peggy McIntosh
Barry Deutsch
1. This article is about the privileges that men get just for being a man in today’s society.
2. This study was done in 1990 by Peggy McIntosh.
3. I think the intended audience for this piece was the male species. Created for them to
really see how privileged they really are, even though they might not think so.
4. Reading this study I was very intrigued. Growing up I knew that men felt that they were
superior because our whole society is run by men. There are multiple advantages men
get from just being men, they are not expected to quit school if there are financial
problems, they are not expected to quit work to raise a family. They are more likely to
get paid more doing the same job as a woman, they are more likely to get a better deal at
a car dealer ship than a woman buying the same exact car. There are numerous
advantages of being a man.
I have seen this a lot in my own life. My mom works at a company and gets
around $60,000 a year, and a man doing the same job gets six figures easily. Now, I do
not see that as fair considering that my mom works 10 hour days and is always working,
when he can get time off to do whatever he wants. I asked my mom if that bugs her, and
she just said, “It’s the way the world is.” I would not tolerate that, but what is she
supposed to do? Quit her job? She would probably just be replaced by a male. This is
hard for me to hear, because I would do something about it. I wouldn’t be able to work
knowing that the guy next to me who is twenty six years old makes more money than me.
A Class Divided
By Jane Elliot
1. This documentary was about an Elementary class that was divided based on blue eyes
and brown eyes.
2. Performed by Jane Elliot in 1968.
3. The study was done to show just how easily people believe that they are superior to
the other people of the world, in this case, the classroom.
4. Jane Elliot was an elementary school teacher. The day after Martin Luther King Jr.
died, she did an experiment on her class. She told the students that all of the children
with blue eyes were better than all the students with brown eyes. That day the blue
eyed students soared in their tests performing much better than the students with
brown eyes. The blue eyed students got more privileges and even started calling their
friends, who had brown eyes, names. The next day she switched and said that she
lied and told the students with brown eyes that they were better than the students with
blue eyes. The brown eyed students performed much better, and were much happier
than before.
During this study I watched as the children completely changed. What seemed
like friendship in the beginning turned to teasing, taunting, and hatred because of the
color of their eyes. It was interesting to see how quickly the students turned evil, and
gave in to taunting each other when they were the “superior eye color.” We all
thought this was so crazy, but is it really? Because, it is happening right before our
eyes. We see racism all the time, and we do nothing to stop it.
This study showed the true colors of the human species. We are all so glad to not
be on the bottom, we do anything and everything we can to never be in that place,
even if it means pushing someone down for our own gain. I have become more
aware of how I act towards people, and I hope that I would never discriminate against
someone because of the color of their skin.
42
Directed by Brian Helgeland
1. This movie was about Jackie Robinson and his struggle to play baseball in a “whiteman’s sport.”
2. Written and premiered in theaters in 2013
3. The audience was intended for everyone, especially young students who never knew the
significance that Jackie Robinson had on American baseball.
4. This film is on the story of Jackie Robinson’s struggle to be accepted into American
baseball. Jackie was the first black baseball player to ever be drafted. He was one black
man amongst three hundred and ninety nine white players. As you can imagine he
received a lot of rejection and ridicule from the public.
One of the scenes that stood out to me while watching was when a father started
yelling racial slurs at Jackie, and his young son started to do the same thing. It was hard
to watch such a young child start to mimic the hateful actions of his father. Although,
this behavior was not uncommon back then, or even now, does not make it acceptable.
Watching this movie reminded me of the story about the Ugly Duckling. Everyone hated
Jackie in the beginning because he wasn’t normal; he was a black man playing a white
man’s game. Jackie went through a lot to be able to play ball, and now we look at him
like an American Icon. He turned into a beautiful player and changed the way we saw
and watched American baseball.
A lesson that this movie showed me was that times always change, and people
become more accepting as time goes on. Something that is not okay today will be
completely fine the next day. With Jackie’s story, dedication and perseverance is critical.
Of course there were hard times and points where he did not want to move on because of
the hateful words being used against him, but he never once gave up. If that isn’t an
attribute of a real human being I don’t know what is. If America was still the hateful
racist country that it used to be then amazing people would not have ever gotten the
chance to change the world.
Conclusion
During the process of this class the reflection journals were a nuisance. I did not see a
point in reading the readings, talking about them in class, and then on top of all that write a page
and reflect on what you learned. It seemed like a lot of information, and a lot of time. And of
course, there was a lot of work involved on all of the journals, and a lot of thinking was required.
But towards the end of the year I started looking forward to what I was going to pull out of the
readings and what would stand out to me in my own life. As you notice, by the end my journals
get much longer. I could not help the length of the journal, because I was enjoying thinking
about what this really meant to me, and not just the words on the paper.
These journals required me to go above and beyond just the natural knowledge of things. I
learned that I am very passionate about equal rights not only for women, but for minorities. I
never knew how much I admired equal rights. I enjoyed the discussions on Identity the most,
because, I learned the most about myself during this unit. The reflection journals were fun to do,
because I always had a feeling fueling the fire behind the writing.
There were many risks that I involved myself in for the journals, and also the cultural
activities. I was exposed to many different things between museums, performances, or even just
life. I noticed myself watching movies and asking myself why they put something in that movie.
I would look deeper than the surface of the movie and notice the colors of clothing the characters
wore and why they were wearing that certain color, and if it had any significance that I needed to
know. I started to enjoy letting my imagination wander and make up my own answers to
questions, and of course that just led to more questions.
One thing I really enjoyed was when the readings would suggest something to do, like in the
Religion Unit with meditation, I loved trying new things. I loved subjecting myself to something
completely new and taking risks that way. I loved the Nature Unit and learning how depended I
am on electronics and power, but also learning ways to get away from those tendencies.
Humanities gave me an opportunity to grow and learn as I experienced. I have learned how to
look deeper into things, and find a meaning that I never knew existed. I am very happy to report
that I have received more questions out of this class than answers.