To Sir With Love Reflection

To Sir With Love is a 1967 film about an African American man, Mark Thackeray, who begins his job as a teacher at a new school. Upon arrival at the school, he experiences crazy students and teachers who don't know how to handle the kids. 

Mr. Thackeray takes on the challenging job of teaching students who have behavioral issues and don’t respect authority. None of the other teachers seem to have faith in him and they all think he will fail at teaching the children. When he starts the job the kids treat him with disrespect. The student's constant disrespect, ridicule, and pranks seem to drive him over the edge. There is a scene where Thackeray seems to have a switch and calls all the boys out of the room. He yells at the girls for their “slutty behavior”. After this scene, he takes a new approach to teaching. He is seen throwing away the books and taking on a different curriculum. He sees the way that the kids act and knows that they need to start being treated like adults so they will act like adults. 

Thackeray now makes the students refer to him as “Sir” he also has the students treat each other with respect and learn manners and life skills. They are taught how to cook, and the girls are told about how they need to make themselves more than just “sluts” who have no education. The students are also taken on a field trip which gains the student's respect. They start referring to him as sir and having better manners

Throughout the film the audience sees Sir gain the student's respect and care. This is seen through many different scenes. However, the most powerful scenes I believe are in the last minutes of the film. When Pamela dances with Sir everyone claps along and then has fun. They give Sir a departing gift and he leaves the room in tears. In the very last scene, two students make fun of Sir’s gift. This makes him realize that future students need work to become adults. This causes him to rip up his engineering job offer and decide to continue teaching at the school next year.

EOTO #4 and Regents of the University of California v. Bakke Reflection.

The negative progress EOTO team presented many different events that hindered negative progress in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The assassination of MLK was a devastating event for the civil rights movement. MLK was a civil rights leader and people around the country mourned his death. The death of RFK was another devastating death because it made it seem as if peaceful change in America was achievable. It created extreme division in the United States, and it prevented change from happening in the US. Malcolm X was another man assassinated during this period. This was a tragic event in the civil rights movement. Anti-miscegenation laws were laws against interracial marriage. This was harmful to progress in the African-American community because it further segregated African Americans and white people. Redlining is where the FHA would redline houses where they believed the loans would not be paid off. After this black people were unable to receive loans and buy houses. The Boston Bus Riots were where white protestors were throwing things at the buses carrying black children. A lot of violence occurred against black students in desegregated schools.

In the case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the court was deciding if the University of California quota system was constitutional or not. Bakke was a white plaintiff who had good grades and a great transcript and did not get accepted into the USC med school whereas African Americans with worse grades got in over him. Bakke went to court to go against the Board of Regents because he believed he was experiencing racism

The team representing the Board of Regents presented arguments on why the quota system was constitutional. The argument started by stating that white and black people should be able to be educated together and that desegregation is important for progress in America. The Civil Rights Act and EEOC were ensuring desegregation in the United States. Universities were trying to increase the attendance of the African-American population in their institutions, and the quota was helping to achieve that goal. They presented that affirmative action would help equalize Universities because although we were all created equally, the opportunities we get are not always equal. They also presented the importance of diversity in universities to open people up to more cultures and ways of life. Lastly, they presented the legal argument stating that the use of racial quotas is permitted under the equal protection clause. We live in a country founded on all men being created equal. The 14th Amendment is just being respected as an amendment. The equal protection clause should be used to help African Americans get a higher education. Nothing is barring educational institutions from giving favoritism to minorities in the acceptance process therefore, the use of quotas is constitutional.

The team representing Bakke presented arguments on why the quota system was unconstitutional. They presented that affirmative action is unfair and unsuccessful. The policy is a favoritism towards a certain race. It is based on preferential treatment based on race. It has caused acceptance in college to be based solely on race which is not fair. The treatment of a person based on their race is wrong. It is unnecessary to have affirmative action when HBCUs exist. College admissions should be based on an individual's abilities and accomplishments. The government should instead fix the primary and secondary education institutions to increase the education of African Americans before college. HBCUs have given African Americans education around the United States. HBCUs allow students to thrive without preferential treatment in the admission process. Affirmative action causes significant problems. There is a creation of a reverse bias. Individuals more qualified are overlooked to accept underrepresented groups. Individuals should be judged based on achievements. Minority groups may feel the need to prove themself which leads to stress. There is also a risk of tokenism. This can make individuals feel isolated or undervalued. Affirmative Action does not address problems of unequal access to education, or economic inequality. Lastly, students are placed in institutions they are not academically prepared for. 

The decision in this case was not normal. Because this was such a tough case, the court compromised by giving each side a little of what they wanted. On the side of Bakke, they decided that a quota system was unconstitutional. On the side of the Regents of the University of California, they decided race can be used as a factor but not the factor for acceptance

EOTO #4: The Equal Employement Opportunity Commission

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability. Most of the time, employers with 15 or more employees are covered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also covers most labor unions and employee agencies. The laws protected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission apply to all types of work situations including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. They have the authority to investigate charges of discrimination against employers and settle the charges. If the charge is not settled the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission holds the right to file a lawsuit against the employer. They also work to prevent discrimination before it occurs through outreach, education, and technical programs.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was established to uphold Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act is what caused the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to open one year later in 1965. In its early years, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was strengthened through other organizations. The NAACP collected individual claims to pressure the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Congress to establish affirmative action and other policies to advance Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. 

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has faced issues throughout the time after its establishment in its funding. They receive thousands of calls a year about discrimination claims but they consistently lack the funding to ensure accountability of employers. States have the ability to help fund the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but very few do anything to help anti-discriminatory laws. 

There has been a lot of progress within the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1972 Congress gave the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission the right to reach private employers. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also worked in hand with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The commission was able to help with more than just the African-American population. There was help to all different minority groups in the United States. 

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was used in 1976 in the case of Jenkins vs. Blue Cross Mutual Hospital Insurance. This case was a case about black women's natural hair in the workplace. The court of appeals upheld a race discrimination lawsuit against the employer for employee bias. The appeals court agreed that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act applied to this situation and workers were entitled to wear afros in the workplace. One thing this case did for African Americans was help start the natural hair movement. In the eighties and nineties, there was social pressure for African Americans to alter their natural hair. There were many waves of the natural hair movement which was started because of the advancements from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

Overall the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has helped in many cases to prevent discrimination in the workplace. This was a major step for African American progress to create a more equal workplace. It also helped for the acceptance of African Americans in the workplace because of the decreased discrimination as a result of the Equal Opportunity Commission.

Driving Miss Daisy Reflection

    Driving Miss Daisy was a film from the 1980s about an elderly Jewish woman, Daisy, and her driver, an African-American man, Hoke. In this film, the audience sees the struggles of both communities and how their friendship grows over time. Originally, Daisy did not want a driver and was very stubborn about having a driver in the first place. Over time, Daisy grows more fond of Hoke. The first instance the audience can see of their bonding is when Daisy teaches Hoke how to read at the graveyard. At the time, education still wasn’t easily accessible to African Americans, so the effort put in by Daisy to help him learn how to read was an act of kindness

    Later in the film, Daisy’s synagogue is bombed which allows Daisy to see how prejudice in the United States affects her as well. The political and social tensions in the United States are shown through this and also the dinner Daisy attends where Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a speech. However, Daisy wouldn’t let Hoke go in with her to the speech, she only let him drive her there. 

    Throughout the entire film, we see instances of them bonding and getting closer, and also overcoming prejudices together. In one scene with an instance with police, they make a comment about there being an African American and Jewish woman together. They both face adversity and get closer because of it. At the end of the film when Daisy is in a retirement home, Hoke comes to visit her. The biggest sign of their friendship was when Daisy began struggling with dementia and Hoke called her his best friend. 

EOTO #3 Reaction

    The EOTO #3 teams presented the two sides of how black people were affected during the Brown v. Board of Ed time frame. Both teams helped the class gain a better understanding of all the things that happened during this time.

    The team showing the negative side presented the Birth of a Nation, 2nd rise of the KKK, Sundown Towns, Four Little Girls, Emmet Till, and the Mississippi Burning. The Birth of a Nation film received a lot of backlash for its negative portrayal of black people and heroic portrayal of the KKK. The film still was released and ended up sparking the second rise of the KKK. The KKK was trying to make the United States 100% American. Their violent and racist efforts affected the black population in the United States. Sundown towns were all white towns that kept black Americans out. They had a rule that African Americans must leave the town by sundown. They began in the great migration when African Americans left the South. Businesses that hired or served black people were boycotted by white people. There was also violence to chase black people away. The Four Little Girls, Emmett Till, and the Mississippi Burning were violent acts towards black people. Thesecases didn’t receive justice until many years later, and things like this would happen often. 

    The team showing the positive side presented the Great Migration, Integration of the Armed Forces, Jackie Robinson, the Harlem Renaissance, the NAACP, and UNCF. The Great Migration was when African Americans were able to relocate from the South. They gained more economic and job opportunities. It allowed many families to lead better and more fulfilled lives. They were able to avoid the extreme and unfair segregation that was in the South. Black people had better access to education in the North. The integration of the armed forces was Truman's executive order that put an end to discrimination in the United States armed forces. It was a pivotal accomplishment and milestone in the civil rights movement. Truman established a national commission to show the moral importance of civil rights. Jackie Robinson was the first professional African American sports player. His accomplishment showed that black people were able to participate in traditionally white American traditions. The Harlem Renaissance encouraged a sense of racial awareness. Black people’s creative art and literary work thrived. The NAACP is America's oldest and largest civil rights organization. It works locally and nationally to promote equality for all. It aims to secure the rights guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. It increased opportunities for black people in America. They were focused on anti-lynching, legislation, voter participation, and education. UNCF supports the colleges and supports students by giving scholarships.

Brown V. Board of Ed: School Segregation Positives

    In 1954 during the Brown v. Board of Ed trial there were many arguments for and against segregated schools. Today I will be presenting the side in favor of segregated schools. 

    The first main argument was that the constitution did not require white and African American children to attend the same schools. After exiting the Civil War era, the South entered into a period of separate but equal facilities. Brown vs. Board of Ed cited Plessy v. Ferguson where the equal protection clause stated that the Constitution did not require integration and the states had begun an effort to make equal facilities. After the Plessy v. Ferguson case, segregation continued in the United States. The segregated schools were going and there was a separation between white and black students, but the black students were still able to learn in a school setting.

    Segregation was also a custom for many states. This was the way things were at the time. Stopping segregation in schools could cause issues in the social order that had been established. The South was dealing with a lot of racial prejudice. Keeping black and white students separated kept issues and arguments out of the learning environment. Along with this, many people in the South were used to segregation. It was a custom in their society, and they wanted things to stay the way they were, and stay with what people were comfortable with.

    People in favor of segregation argued that states should be able to regulate the way things are segregated if they want to. This argument cites the 10th Amendment which states the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Using the 10th amendment, segregationists claimed that the constitution did not mention anything about segregation, and Plessy v. Ferguson allowed separate but equal; therefore, states should have the right to segregate schools.  

Another argument was that segregation was not harmful to African Americans. White people were making an effort to equalize institutions. However, the effects of slavery were still showing in African-American children. Black children were behind in their education because it hadn’t been offered for them until recently. Their reading and writing skills were behind those of white children. To make schools work they would either be behind for the white children, or ahead for the black children. Black children needed time to be able to compete and learn at the same pace as white children. There was also an issue with teaching. Many black teachers lost their jobs as a result of desegregation in schools. The white teachers were the ones who got to keep their jobs instead of the white teachers. Issues would also arise because the white teachers that would be teaching the students likely hold the same racial prejudice as most people in the South. This causes the teachers to give more attention and care to the white children's education instead of the black children.

    

Plessy v. Ferguson Reflection

The trial team presented arguments from the side of Plessy and from the side of Ferguson to argue who should have won the case. The case was started because Homer Plessy, an ⅛ African American man, got onto a white-only train. People on the train knew he was part African American and reported him for it and got him arrested. 

The team on the side of Plessy presented many arguments. The main one is the legal argument. The Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and property. African American's rights need to be protected because if they are not it gets rid of the liberty in America. The 14th Amendment makes it so African Americans need equal protection under the law. Segregation is completely the opposite of equal protection. There was also an economic argument presented. Having an extra train to fit African Americans was spending money that was not necessary to spend. There was also an issue with employment on white trains because African Americans couldn’t work on white trains. Another argument presented was the ethical one. There is a lack of justice in equality in the American legal system at the time. Segregation is completely unnecessary and does more harm than good. Classifying people based on their race is unconstitutional. Plessy would not have even been caught if people on the train didn’t already know who he was. Ethical precedent for civil rights activists was set after this case. 

The team on the side of Ferguson also presented many arguments. Plessy’s decision to sit on the white train deliberately undermined the Louisiana Separate Car Act. The punishment allowed for a $25 fine or jail time. The separate but equal doctrine covers social arguments whereas the 14th amendment only covers legal arguments. The Separate but Equal Document does not conflict with the 13th Amendment because it does not allow or institute slavery. This was an act of civil disobedience. The separation on the trains had no legal inequality. African Americans stayed with their equal legal standing even if segregation was in place. There was also a civil and state rights argument. Segregation is a logical way to organize society. States rights argument says that the 10th amendment allows different states to have their own laws about segregation. States should have the authority to be in charge of their own choices. 

Each team presented good points and showed the court how tricky of a case this was at the time.

EOTO #1 Reaction

During the founding era there were many things that advanced slavery and things that helped to end slavery. The groups that presented the EOTO’s presented both of these sides. 

Some things that advanced slavery were the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas Nebraska act, the Fugitive Slave Act, Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott v. Stanford, and the Election of 1860. The Missouri Compromise allowed for popular sovereignty. This was where when new states were admitted into the United States they were able to choose if they would be a free or slave state. The Kansas Nebraska Act increased slavery in the U.S. and its territories. This increased popular sovereignty. The fugitive slave act made the government responsible for returning slaves. It encouraged people to kidnap and catch slaves. This made it less safe for the slaves leaving to the North. Bleeding Kansas Instituted a policy allowing settlers to decide if territory would be admitted as a free or slave state. After this murder mayhem, destruction, and psychological warfare became a code of conduct in Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri. All these events helped to advance slavery in the United States.

The things that helped to end slavery were the Underground Railroad, the Election of 1860, the Anti Slavery Society, and the Fugitive Slave Act. The Underground Railroad was set up to help slaves escape to freedom. The Election of 1860 is when Abraham Lincoln was elected into office. This caused slaveholding states to feel pressure and eventually start seceding. This caused the outbreak of the Civil War which ended in the abolition of slavery. The Anti Slavery Society was an abolitionist society that believed slavery was a sin and slaveholders were sinners. The society had agents that traveled throughout the country producing lectures, distributing anti-slavery journals and organizing local anti-slavery societies. The fugitive Slave Act was a main factor sparking the Civil War. Free states saw the act as unfair and Northerners resisted the act because it made them responsible for enforcing slavery. All of these events helped to end slavery in the United States.

EOTO: Black Codes

Black codes are restrictive laws designed to limit the freedoms of African Americans and ensure their availability as cheap labor after the end of the Civil War. The primary purpose of black codes was to restrict African Americans' labor and activity. Black codes had an extremely negative effect on the African-American population in the United States.

They were first enacted in 1865 in many different Southern states. There was a loophole in the 13th Amendment that allowed for these black codes to be possible. The 13th amendment prohibits slavery and servitude in all circumstances “except as punishment for a crime”. What Southern states would do is criminalize simple activities like ‘loitering’ so that if a group of African Americans were standing in a group and talking it would be considered a crime. This would allow for slavery and servitude as punishment. Debt peonage was another way to institute servitude. Failure to pay fines allowed Southern states to order black people to work off their balances. This was considered debt peonage. This was easy to institute because African Americans were making such little money that any fee presented to them, they would be unlikely to pay. 

Another common form of black codes were ones that restricted voting. The Grandfather Clause was where a man could only vote if he had an ancestor that voted before 1867. This got rid of most black people’s right to vote because they couldn’t vote until the 14th Amendment was put in place. Literacy tests were another way to restrict voting rights. These tests would be presented by a law clerk and had to be passed in order to vote. African-American voters would be given a far harder test than white voters. The white voters would pass and be able to vote, completely outnumbering African Americans. 

Segregation was a way to socially isolate black people from the rest of the population. Separated public schools were particularly bad because they allowed for black children to get an inferior education to white people. Segregation in other places gave black people an inferior lifestyle to white people. Oftentimes the transportation or bathrooms or water fountains wouldn’t be as nice for black people as white people. This also created social isolation. 

Different states had different black codes. For example, Mississippi had a law that required African Americans to have written proof of employment for the following year. They were forced to forfeit earlier wages and subject to arrest if they left before the end of the contract. South Carolina law requires black people to have a job as a farmer or servant or else they have to pay a 50 or 100 dollar fine. 

Overall, the effect of black codes was seen throughout the nation. African Americans were segregated from the rest of the population. Their rights were being infringed on, and they were treated less than everyone else. Black codes trumped African American rights and were not stopped until the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed. African Americans were given the right to rent or own property, and bring cases before courts.

Gone With the Wind Reflection

Gone With the Wind is a 1939 American film set in the American South during civil war times. The movie gives a different portrayal of slavery that isn’t typically shown in film. Gone With the Wind shows the effect that the civil war had on the South. Scarlett O’Hara, the main character in the movie, falls in love with Ashley Wilkes who ends up marrying his cousin. Scarlett instead marries Charles. Charles ended up dying during the war. This is one focus of the movie; the portrayal of people dying in the war, and their families and loved ones finding out. A powerful scene in the movie that I enjoyed was where Scarlett was in mourning of Charles wearing all black, and still danced during the charity event. This violated the rules of mourning that are in place. 

The portrayal of all the characters was cool to look at. The settings and the costumes in the movie made the story be shown through a historical light. These aspects of the movie helped amplify the movie. 

The portrayal of African American slaves was debated on whether it is okay or not. While many aspects of the portrayal are disrespectful and not okay in today’s times, it is important to remember the time in which the movie was made. In today’s context, the disrespectful portrayal of African Americans would not be acceptable, however, in the 1930’s it is seen as okay. It’s also important to remember that it is a movie representing civil war times. African Americans were not treated well in this time period. The movie was more respectful then how slaves were actually treated in the time period. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and I think it was a powerful portrayal on how the civil war affected everyone in America.

Town Hall Meeting Reflection

The town hall meeting presented different sides to slavery back in Civil War times. I took the side of anti-slavery through the perspective of Harriet Tubman. Many people who were once pro-slavery later became anti-slavery like Jefferson and Lincoln. In Jefferson's pro-slavery time, he believed slaves didn’t know how to not be under servitude. He sees slaves as inferior, and less intelligent and capable than children. This was the view of many pro-slavery individuals. Pro-slavery people believed slaves would not be able to survive outside slavery. After being in the institution of slavery for so long, slaves were used to the life they were living. 

Another pro-slavery view was state rights. Southern slave owners wanted each state to be able to make its own decisions. This was a 10th Amendment argument. They believed the federal government should not be able to make the Southern states abolish slavery. 

Another pro-slavery figure was Jefferson Davis. He was the first and only president of the Confederate States of America. Davis fought for slavery, along with the Confederate army he had. 

Another pro-slavery argument was the economic argument. At the time, slavery was a large part of the Southern and even some parts of the Northern economy. Plantations were the main food source in the South and the labor behind the plantations was completely run by slaves. Southern slave owners feared the abolition of slavery for the idea that their economy would be destroyed. 

The last main argument for pro-slavery was the religious argument. The Bible frequently allows slavery. Religious pro-slavery individuals believed it was their God-given right to own slaves. 

Overall, there was a great divide between those who wanted to abolish slavery and those who wanted to keep slavery. Pro-slavery arguments remained strong to those in the South. The anti-slavery arguments were beginning to grow to combat the pro-slavery movement.

Slavery in the 1830's, Anti-Slavery Spin

 Slavery in the 1830’s had many different views. The presence of slavery was less than most would expect. The opinions on slavery remained divided between the North and the South. In the South most still supported slavery. In the North, most were fairly against slavery. The conditions of slaves were horrible and relentless. 

In the 1830’s slavery lay primarily in the South. Three-quarters of Southern white people did not own slaves anymore, and those who did mainly owned 20 or fewer. However, Southerners who did not own slaves still supported the institution of slavery. There was a bond between the families of slave owners and the slave families. Many enslaved children would form close bonds with the white children and caretakers, and the white children became attached to black nannies. 

The conditions of slaves remained poor. Heat and humidity in the South created numerous health problems. The presence of unsanitary conditions, inadequate nutrition, and unrelenting hard labor made disease in the slave community a problem. Child mortality within slavery was around 60% and on rice plantations, child mortality reached as high as 90%. Families were being separated through being sold and never being able to see each other again. 

In the 1830’s, slave codes were in place in the South. The slave codes considered slaves as property and treated them that way.  Slaves couldn’t testify against white people in court. They couldn’t leave the plantation without permission. They couldn’t defend themselves or own firearms. They couldn’t buy and sell goods. There were many more rights that slaves did not have that free people did. If a slave was killed, it wasn’t seen as murder. Overall, the rights of slaves were completely stripped away, and they were not being treated as people at all in the South. 

In many places in the South slaves and free African Americans completely outnumbered white people. Some slaves got themselves hired out by their masters. The contact slaves had with free black people gave them a new view and resistance against slavery. In this time slaves truly began to resist slavery. Slaves were boycotting work, purposefully making their property value lower, and running away. Slaves were sabotaging the entire slave system. 

Overall, the idea of slavery was fairly opposed, or lowered in existence. Slavery was becoming less normalized, and slaves were beginning to fight for their own freedom. The civil war would begin in around 30 years, and the fight against slavery was just beginning. Slaves, freemen, and whites were starting to see the wrongs of slavery. With the differing views across the North, and South, the future of slavery seemed uncertain. Slavery was a moral wrong. There were also many religious arguments against slavery. Slaves started turning back to their religious roots. Religion gave slaves inspiration for something better and gave solstice to them. Some slaves would hold their own religious gatherings and began to resist bondage more and more. 

With the downfall of slavery, there was less reason to keep the institution in place. It was not benefiting people as much as it originally did. The need for slavery decreased. The moral arguments against slavery were getting stronger than ever.

Town Hall Meeting

Hello, am Harriett Tubman. I was born between 1820 and 1822 in Dorchester county Maryland. I was born into a family of slaves. I had 8 brothers and sisters whom I was separated from early on in my life due to slavery.

I began my fight for justice against slavery when I was just twelve years old. I witnessed a slave owner about to throw a brick at a fugitive slave and tried to intervene. The weight ended up striking me. The weight broke my skull. They carried me to the house all bleeding and fainting. I had no bed, no place to lie down on at all, and they laid me on the seat of the loom, and I stayed there all day and the next. This incident left me emotionally and physically scarred. For the rest of my life I struggled with narcolepsy, where I would randomly fall asleep in the middle of doing things. 

In 1849 I escaped from slavery to Philadelphia Pennsylvania by the underground railroad. Shortly after I myself became a conductor on the railroad. Making around 13 trips from Maryland to the South and back, I was able to free around 70 slaves. My anti slavery efforts were rooted by my strong connection to God. I believe that slavery is an evil created by man. During my time as the underground railroad conductor, there was a $40,000 reward if I was captured or killed. 

The fugitive slave act made the underground railroad a more challenging feat. The fugitive slave act required that fugitive slaves must be returned to their owners even if they were in a free state. After the fugitive slave act was put in place, I moved further North to Canada, and operated at night. 

During the civil war, I had a role in the Union army as a scout, spy, nurse, and confidante of generals. I was the first African American woman to serve in the military. I learned about confederate troop placement and supply lines from the enslaved population in the South. I dispensed my own herbal remedies to soldiers to prevent them from dying from infection. 

After the war ended I moved to New York. I married a union soldier, and we adopted a daughter. I began raising funds for women’s suffrage. I also opened a nursing home for African Americans in New York. 

Slavery Bible Debate

  The argument for and against slavery was fought over in America for many years. Using the bible, abolitionists and supporters of slavery had formed arguments for their respective sides. Religion and slavery have many connections, and the interpretation of the bible depends on who you would have asked at the time. 

Since the creation of the first civilizations and empires within society, humans have found a way in justifying the issue of slavery. Of course the purpose of the creation of slavery was for faster work due to industrialization and these new massive fields of crops that were being planted, now needed to be mass harvested. So eventually the slave industry grew overtime, and by the time the United States of America relieved itself of the detriments and debt the Revolutionary war caused, the slave industry was booming. However, at this time as well, with the freedom of America from Great Britain, this idea of freedom started becoming a regular part of American culture and soon was involved in almost every conversation of every aspect of life, soon this idea of freedom even started to slowly be questioned and involved within the slavery industry. Even sooner this new abolitionist movement started growing in popularity throughout the country, eventually the end of slavery came into question and many slave owners became enraged and constantly put effort into trying to justify the issue of slavery especially out into the public. Slave-holders would claim that the African Americans they held as their slaves were in fact being saved from the horrors of society. During this time of course it would have been nearly impossible for any African American individual to nevermind become successful in society and own land, but to find a job to make enough money to buy food and support themselves. In fact slave-owners were convinced that they were instead saving these individuals from inevitable poverty and suffering and made the argument, “natural slaves are much better off than the poorest non-slaves,” and in that god would if anything not just want but expect his people to care for others and “take those in need under their wing,” 

(https://time.com/5171819/christianity-slavery-book-excerpt/). 

The abolition movement was fueled by many different forces. Christian abolitionists used the bible to support their movement. Harriet Tubman, a famous abolitionist linked to the underground railroad, had a strong faith and believed that slavery was an evil created by man. Many abolitionists took an overall look at the bible and believed that slavery was simply an immoral and un-christian system that denied basic human rights. There are two main points in the bible; Creation and Gospel. Viewing creation, all humans are created equal in God’s image. Slavery puts a vast strain on equality which abolitionists viewed as against God’s image. Viewing the gospel, God has overcome racial, social, and religious divisions at the cross. These divisions are against God’s gospel. Slavery is at “war with the image in which man was created” (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-wrong-say-bible-pro-slavery/). Another biblical point brought up by abolitionists is that man was not created as a slave to anyone but God. Slavery creates a system where masters are a “God” to their slaves in a sense. Another point that abolitionists made was the difference between the institution of slavery in the bible versus in America. Slavery did exist in the bible and abolitionists acknowledge that, but also point out the differences between the institutions. In the bible, Leviticus 25: 46, scripture says, “Your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule, one other another rigor”, servants were seen as family. The bible also does not condone the violence involved in slavery in America. Exodus 22: 21-24 says, “Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him.. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, i will surely hear their cry. And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.”. Abolitionists point out these institutional differences when speaking out against slavery.

Supreme Court Blog

The supreme court video gave insight into how the supreme court works, and what goes on inside the court. This video taught me a lot about the supreme court that I didn’t know. The justices read around 100 case proposals a week, and only take around 100 a year. Once the case gets accepted and goes to the supreme court, lawyers have 30 minutes to make arguments before the court. While they make these arguments, the justices are asking clarifying questions about the case to make sure all justices are on the same page. The justices frequently use the lawyer as a bridge to talk to the other judges to make sure they are all on the same page. The questions are asked to bring out information that was not presented in the briefs. Once both 30 minute arguments are made the justices have a private conference where they try to come to a decision. This discussion is completely private with no clerks or secretaries present. They find a majority decision. Once justice from the majority side is chosen to write an opinion explaining the legal reasons for the decision. Law clerks help to assist with this decision and it is an extensive process. Separate decisions are often written from the minority side. There are many revisions and different drafts of the opinion. Oftentimes the majority decision becomes the minority after several drafts. The process involves lots of compromise. After the decision is made, it is released to the press and they can have it printed in hours. 

The most important take-away from the video was the extensive process of how the court works. From just putting justices in the court, they are chosen by the president, and the senate has a confirmation role. This is what gives the public some sort of say in the court. The actual process in the court takes months. After the trial there is much to discuss between the judges. 

The most surprising thing I learned is the amount of cases they get and have to choose between. Only taking 100 cases a year is hardly anything compared to the amount they receive, 100 a month. 

This video changed the way I thought about the Supreme Court, because it put into perspective all the decision making the process is. I did not realize how much work and time goes into making the decisions. There is also a lot of thought put into who can become a supreme court justice

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