SOCI 3422 Blog

I just wanted to say that I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The in-depth analysis at some of our minority groups and fun facts in history really created a new dimension for me. I hope everyone enjoys his or her summer and that finals aren't too much of a headache! Professor Warren, may your retirement be as relaxing as possible--it's time after 27 years.

I enjoyed the blogs and I enjoyed the class very much. Keep learning!

I wonder when the final test grade will b posted. Im so anxious to know what I made on it.

Professor Warren I hope you enjoy your retirement and to all my fellow classmates I wish you all success have a great summer.

Hey, just want to share my experience with you all...

I attended a program called xenophobia. The word xenophobia means fear of a stranger. A stranger could be anyone different than what you are used to being around. An example is a Muslim, Hispanic, a homosexual, or a Korean person.

The program was very enlightening. I learned terms that are offensive to other ethnics such as chink, jihad or towel head. A chink is an offensive term towards the Chinese. This word is considered racist. The word jihad means inner struggle, but many people flip the definition around and claim that it means holy war.

The term towel head is also offensive because Muslim people are clearly not wearing towels on their head it is called a Hijaab. The Muslim young lady on the panel explained this to everyone.

There was also a homosexual man on the panel during the xenophobia discussion. He explained to everyone that his is still a man. He likes to fish, drink beer and essentially be manly. But many people believe that because he is gay that he must act like a woman. The young man also explained to us that he cannot be recognized as married in some parts of the United States.

There were also Hispanic individuals on the panel. They explain to us the hardship of crossing the boarder, getting documentation, and even their driverâ??s license. Many people have died on the long voyage to make it to the United States, going through underground tunnels with no ventilation.

And once the surviving few make it to the United States it takes years to become established. The Hispanic young ladies on the panel also told us about the risk and fear of deportation and the difficulty of learning English while still retaining Spanish.

The presentation was excellent and very informative. By participating in this program I now know the correct terms to use when referring to someone other than African American.

I also know what words are offensive to others. I now see that Muslims are just like you and me, they are regular people. And the next time I am around someone new I will not be afraid to open up and talk to them.

Wondering what to expect on this test #So Nervous

Good morning everyone.
Good Luck to everyone on the test. I'm sure professor Warren is going to miss us. We are her last class ever. I did not get to see the honors presentations but I'm sure you all did great. See you all later :)

As I was studying for the test last night, I thought about one of the things I studied. I found it very interesting that Professor Warren told us that "class is more important than race in life chances". I had never really seen it like that until studying last night. We are no long trying to oppress a group of people, these days we are targeting poor people. It just made me really upset to think about.

This has been an interesting semester. I have learned so much from Mrs. Warren. The eyes on the prize book was very informative. At first I didnt want to read it but after I started I really was interested in the knowledge I was gaining. I was once a person that didnt care much for history at all, knowing that their were lots of people that fought to make things as easy as they are today for me but I just didnt care but being in this class this semester has changed me in that sense a lot. I wish she was retiring because I would surely take a class from her again.

As I sat in class and listened to the teacher, as she reminded us of what a great leader and eloquent speaker Dr. Martin Luther King was, I am filled with joy and pride, but then these emotions are quickly changed to one of dismay, confusion, then anger. Why am I angry? There are still so many missing pieces to the puzzle, that evening Dr. King was assasinated, that it makes me angry to think that this entire assasination may have been planned. Like our teacher said, only the very rich could have afforded to travel via airplane, not only that, but the high-powered weapon the assasin used was very expensive, and he could not have afforded these items. I have also spoken to my father-in-law on numerous occasions about the circumstances and events that led up to the evening that Dr. King was murdered. My father-in-law was one of the first black police officers that were hired in Memphis Police Department, and he has been interviewed several times by the local T.V. stations about what it was like to work as a police officer, back in those days and also about the evening Dr. King was murdered. My father-in-law shared with me, that he would always be one of the officers, who would work as a body guard for Dr. King whenever he came to Memphis, but on that day Dr. King was murdered, all black police officers were taken off that shift or sent somewhere else to work on that evening. There are still so many unanswered questions that sad evening Dr. King was killed that it sometimes saddens me to think that it was all part of a conspiracy.

This course has been very informative and I've definetly learned a lot. From the beginning I knew this class was going to be interesting when discussing that there was no such thing as human nature. Which I was shocked to learn and still think about to this day. There have been many different topics in this course that we stick with me. Such as when you care about something it limits your freedom.Which I find true because it limits our free will as individuals. I was also impressed about the history surrounding different ethnic groups and their struggle upon arriving to the United States. This class was definetly and eye opener and a positive learning experience.

Reading eyes on the prize was bittersweet for me. Being of African American Heritage I was so proud to know my people have done so much in gaining rights and freedoms that I enjoy today. I learned about people who were major influnences in the movement that I never knew existed. When you think of the movement you think of Rosa Parks and of course Dr. Matin L. King, but there was so many more who were just as important. When I thought about all they endured it made me proud to be connected to such a strong group of people. At the same time it made me feel bad that they went through so much for things they could not control, like the color of their skin. They believed in themselves and their dreams. They didn't mind standing up for their truths. These days you don't see that any more. You don't see the youths marching and standing up for anything. It makes me wonder what will become not just of my people but of this nation. We all live here together. Much has been acomplished but much is left to conquer. Why are we not marching about "American" jobs being out sourced? Why are we not marching about Tax hikes that affect everyone who are not rich? We are not standing for anything anymore and the country is being turned upside down as a result. I wish the people of today were half as strong and half as brave as the people during the civil rights movement. If we could carry on where they left off, truly the sky would be the limit. Thank you Mrs. Warren for your passion!!! We talked about my attendance a couple of times :-) but I have learned so much from you about America and my own people. This has been an eye opening semester for me. I may never view America the same. :-) To my classmates I enjoyed the presentations, the blogs, the class talks it is hard to believe it is over. I wish every well on their journey of life!

It has been a very interesting semester in this class. I have learned so much that I we were never taught in grade school that it's mind boggling. As I finish up my paper for the honors class, I think about how far our country has come since those years and how far we still have to go. I had a really great time in this class and I hope to keep the knowledge I have gathered for years to come.

I really like this book. I was dreading reading it but once i actually got started reading it was a very easy read. (The first chapter at least) Who else read?

This course has truly presented a challenge for me. Not only did we discuss things that I had never thought about or even heard before about this country, we showed how different ethnic groups can create unity without having many things in common just by being in the same classroom and sharing the same interests. I am currently in the process of writing the 6-page paper due tomorrow before the test for the Honors section. Along with writing this magnificent literature, I am also reading Eyes on the Prize and reviewing for our Final Exam. As I am blasting through all of the information I am presenting to my mind, I am adding to my study guide and trying to define every word within the text of that marvelous gift she provided us with. The study guide is the key to our survival. It holds the grades that we need to make in the class. I feel that it is only an aid for me though because if you truly care about these issues you will remember the important things while learning and reading upon them. Stella Warren is a truly amazing person and a fantastic professor and teacher who is also willing to learn. She has been added to my list of the most influential teachers on this campus. If only the students taking this class in the future would have her teachings. They could change many things in this messed up country. I hope she has a very happy retirement! :)

Eyes On The Prize is easily one of the best history books I have ever read. I'm not just saying that to get extra credit:) it was a super easy read. I really expected to be bored, but after I got not the second chapter I just couldn't put it down. I tore through that book, and I was really amazed at all of the things I didn't know. I've been educated on the court cases and events of the Civil Rights Movement before... or at least I thought I had. Eyes On The Prize offered more details about court cases I thought I had already learned forwards and backwards. The book discussed more names than I've heard of before, and more appalling murders that I don't remember ever having heard of. If you didn't read the book before the test, you honestly missed out. I know it's hard to find any kind of motivation after the class has ended to go back and actually learn the material, but Eyes On The Prize is definitely worth that. Good luck to everyone for the test tomorrow!!

America should be a place of hope and opportunity as it once was. It should be a place of freedom for whomever seeks it. It should be a land filled with nothing but dreams of a better future.

But for the poet, America has never treated him this way.
America should be all that we have hoped for. It should be a land with endless possibilities where nothing is out of reach. You can be whoever you want, love whoever you want, and do whatever you want. It should be a land with Democracy where no one is under the authority of anyone who isinâ??t fit to lead the country.
But for the poet, America has never treated him this way.

America should be a land where all men are free, and their liberty isinâ??t just for show. It should be a land where every man, woman, and child are free and equal. It should come as naturally as breathing.

But for the poet, he has never experiences such equality.

The poet is someone who had faced adversity in a land that claims to give freedom to all. He represents the negro slaves with the scars that wonâ??t heal. He is the man that holds on to a false sense of hope that America refuses to deliver. He is the man who lives in a greedy land where man only seeks to gain what will make him profitable. He represents the black working class that ca not dig themselves out of the pit of injustice and oppression.

He remembers that he once saw America as a land of hope that he anxiously awaited. However, it failed to deliver such things. Nothing is as he thought it would be. There is no freedom for his people. He wants to see America live up to its claims of freedom. He dreams to see it become what he had always envisioned it to be. America has never been kind to him, but he believes that one day it will. It is up to him and his people to create a land of freedom.

This course has been overwhelming at times, teaching me things that I have never really taken into consideration. I highly enjoyed listening to each of the presentations on different ethnic groups. This class has given me a new found respect for each of these minority groups. Learning about the struggles and contributions of each group has given me a glimpse into the life of their culture. Reading "Eyes on the Prize" has shown me that there were so many men and women who worked directly with the civil rights movement, yet were never given the credit that was due them. They are not the people that we normally read or hear about growing up in school. I very much enjoyed getting to read about their lives and their role in fighting for desegregation.

I can't believe how fast this semester has gone and even more amazed how fast this class went as well. There are many things that I will take out of this class as I continue to go to school and beyond that. It's strange to think that we were able to go through two text books and learn so much about other cultures in our class. I've learned so much in these 16 weeks than I have learned years and years of history courses throughout middle school and high school. It's good to know that I've learned things way beyond that of which grade school textbooks were skeptical to teach. My eyes have been really opened with all the things I have learned in this class and I hope that everyone feels the same.

I have really enjoyed this class. I learned a lot more than I anticipated. I also really enjoyed reading Eyes on the Prize. It was a really easy read, and it was very informative and interesting.

Hello Everyone!! I have immensely enjoyed this class, as I am sure most of us have! I would like to share with you all my extra credit work for the Langston Hughes poem. I AM NOT LANGSTON HUGHES and in no way do I intend to be. But my dad says that everyone has a lover, poetic, and crazy side so I enjoy writing poems from time to time. Here is a poem as my response for "Let America be America Again." Let me know what you think!

Let America be America Again?
Why is this not America now?
No, for in America there is no strain.
No one to a man's dream disallow.
Mr. Hughes explains it well.
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed.
Yes, this America, only in a dream can dwell.
A dream that is hope-faith-courage-equality-freedom-themed.
This America is beautiful and Utopia-like.
This America takes your dreams, and it makes them your life.
But what good is a dream in reality alike?
If when I turn to either side, our world is in strife?
There is no equality, no true freedom.
This America is far from what we want for everyone.
The America we need will hold you in its palm.
And protect and reward you for everything you've done.
This America is like no other.
This America would break the mold and happiness would sprout.
But I am a mere admirer and would very much rather.
That you read "Let America be America Again" and see what I'm talking about.

This is a very remarkable class. I have learned so much about my ethnicity and other as well. This class has open my eyes to other ethnic groups besides my own and how we all contributed to the United States. Good luck to everyone on the final tomorrow!

The class has been great and I appreciate all that I have learned this semester. I hope that the fianl test tommorow is a good turn out for me. i wish you all the best of lucj and I hope that you all do well and have learned a lot.

I finished up this book on Friday and have been thinking about it all weekend. I grew up in California and there just wasn't much talk about "race" and racism. After I moved to Memphis in middle school, I was confused by people's comments about races. It all seemed so demeaning to categorize an entire ethnicity based upon extreme cases. It just made absolutely no sense to me- like I said, I wasn't raised to really think about people's skin color. However, after reading this book I realized that the south is really not that far removed from the Civil Rights movement. After all, my dad was already 8 years old when Dr. King was assassinated, and I'm sure many of you have parents who were even older. If they grew up in the south, they were dealing with some crazy strong feelings about race. While I in no means think racism is ok (at ALL!), some of today's parents had parents who were actually involved in beating African Americans or otherwise mistreating them. That has to be very weird to witness as a child, and then try to not emulate. At the same time, many African Americans are alive today who were victims of racial abuse during the movement. All in all, the more I think about it, the more I realize how racial tensions can still be so high. I'm not condoning it in any way, but this all happened just 50 years ago.

Also, I had no idea that the governors and mayors literally disobeyed federal orders. I guess I thought that the federal government had passed laws forcing segregation or something. I was shocked to read about all the elected leaders who literally killed people while defying the president of the country. It takes a very stubborn person to act that way, and I can't imagine how frustrating it must have been to fight against them. I have even more respect now for Dr. King and all the laypeople involved in the movement that never really get highlighted in history books.

The presentations Tuesday were great! I loved coming in dressed as a Native American and seeing all the reactions that people were giving me for not having a shirt on. :P The dishes that we all had were very appetizing and highlighted the presentations even more. Below is the link for At The River I Stand. Unfortunately, the only link that I could find to the video only shows the first 5:39 minutes and the only way to get to watch the whole thing is ordering it for $25 on DVD. :( The clip that it allows us to see is very moving as it is though. The url is: http://newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0007
There is a little more information about the film below the clip and it really makes me want to purchase it just so I can watch it but it's a problem when I don't have the money to spare. This class has been an eye opener for me. I didn't think that there were so many problems in our society that I didn't know about. This makes me wish that there was no inferiority within our set of races and that all of the issues with social class would be obliterated. I know to many that would sound communistic and undemocratic, but this country is not run under perfect democracy as it stands anyway. I could rant for days about the various things that are messed up in this country and all over the world, but this website isn't quite big enough for me to do so and I don't exactly have the time to waste my breath knowing that it won't change. I love Professor Warren and the way that she teaches and I am sad that she is moving away after the semester is over because I have told so many people about this course and wanted them all to get taught the exact same information that I have learned from her. This information is something that I will hold dearly for the rest of my life and her words will be passed down in my family for generations to come.

I know that we are writting a response to this poem, but I just wanted to share a few of my thoughts with the class. I really enjoyed this poem, because for it to be written back in 1935, it's still very well reflects today "Societies". I think I could have written this today and you would never know the difference. For everyone that thinks EVERY SINGLE Thing is always about RACE, particular (Black vs WHITE), this poem proves, that it's not. It's about every IMMIGRANT from the Native, Chinese, Jewish, Irish, Mexicans and yes even the Europeans (Whites), that were poor and looked down on and missed treated by OUR so LOVED AMERICA. Even Langston Hughes was smart enough to know it wasn't about the TONE of your skin, but it was about what you HAD (M$Ney), so why are some of us too SMART not to know this and it's 2012, and this man was leaving right in the mist of all the "Leechingâ??s". So WhY do we think we are smarter than people was of that time? Or should I say WHY do we think people were DUMB and didn't understand thinks before the Civil Right Movement?

I will really miss learning America's Real History in this Class, and I hope people have learned as much as I have and not to be a CLOSED MINDED and stop trying to challenge the history that we have been taught. I think thats the reason we go to COLLEGE to learn about the REAL WORLD, because High Schools just taught you what America wants you to know, so when you think about it, we are ALL SLAVES in the especailly if we only think the OLD way.

I have enjiyed the last couple of weeks of class more so than I have the earlier parts. Ms. Warren I think that you are a great teacher who truly has a passion for what you do. I love learning about the civil rights movement and every time I hear about it I learn something knew. When we were watching the video and the E. Teal part was shown it occured to me that we still deal with some of the same discrimination today. I thought of Treyvon Martin's case and how in the beginning know one was taking the responsibility for his murder. It is always just interesting facts to learn about the civil rights movement.

Why must we as a people read about the things that African American did during the the Civil Rights Movement but not hear about them like the new gossip in the tabloids. Why must we hear only about people such Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshell, and Malcolm X. What about Fannie lou Hamer the black lobbyist for the Freedom Democratic party or maybe even the two lady who refused to give up their seat or harrassed by the bus driver, Jo Ann Johnson and Cluadette Colvin, beside Rosa Parks. I think that are many untold stories and i will like to know more but if it was left up to the people who are in charge i would know anything but what they want me to know. REALLY LOVING THIS CLASS!!!!

Im not to concerned about the last testand Im eagerto hear the honors presantations. i found myself talking to a friend today and was amazed at how much content from the i used in our conversation about education, and the power structure of the U.S.I have really learned alot this semester.

I am really getting concerned about the Trayvon Martin issue. Just think what if this was your child, what actions would you take to be heard or to ensure rights were enforced? there is a huge difference between self defense and straight up killing someone. We as people should know our limits especially when you put yourself in harms way intentionally. This man was known for following the boy, then later its reported the child was dead. What does this seem to you?

Hello readers, I'm back a third time to post another blog. On the last exam, I didn't do so well, but I hope that I will do better on the proceeding test since it has a lot to do with my ethnic history. On this blog, I will discuss relative information about test 3's topics. From my understanding, we will be talking about the Civil Right's Movement. I am anxious to learn more about prominent pushers of the movement like Martin Luther King, Jr., Cassius Clay, Langston Hughes, Rosa Parks, etc. from the Eyes On the Prize book for this class.

Remember, I am giving everyone who blogged four points under participation II.
Participation I will remain empty. I should have the points posted by Thursday.

This class is really an eye opener for me growing up in a lower middle class home. I love how we learn about the struggles that don't get talked about a lot. Usually we hear about Afr-Am and the "oppression" that they ALL had. We now know that they weren't all slaves and that many of them gained their freedom and owned land and had jobs even during slavery. I remember growing up all the Afr-Ams would say that I did that to their family and put them through the rough times and it's all the white people's fault. But I learned here that the "white people" were generally WASPs and not myself who was not even alive during the time plus I'm mostly Belgian so I couldn't do anything to them if their family ever was in slavery. We learned so much about the contributions that the Jewish, Mexican, Italian, Native, Chinese, and African Americans did for this country that was (and probably still is) full of snobbish Anglo-Saxons who think they're better than everyone else. I finally get to speak what I believe about racial equality and against the racism that Afr-Ams say only happens to them but happens to me on a daily basis by them. One thing I wish most people would understand is that two wrongs don't make a right. Don't insult my race just because someone insulted you. You should stand up for yourself and not give in to the way that people insult each others' cultures and be proud if who you are. People should be independent and instead of transmitting the hate onto someone else of the group that insulted them they should act as a buffer and stop the insults altogether. Sorry I know this rant was wrong but I could write multiple pages about this topic.

Top of the morning to ya!

I just wanted to wish everyone good luck on today's test!

And I also wanted to offer a quick suggestion...For the next test could we make a study group? We should help each other pass this class and a study group would help tremendously.

P.S. Last nights program about xenophobia was great!

See you all later!
~Ms. Hamilton

This coming test is about all the different minorities in America. Most of the minority groups, came to America looking for a better life or they came in slavery. It is interesting to learn about the struggle they go through and the life that they came from.

This has definitely been my most eye opening class of the semester. It was interesting to find out so many of the facts about immigration and colonization into the United States. Of course, I knew that immigrants were treated poorly and unfairly given stereotypes, but I had no idea the injustice that they faced once they reached land. I think the presenters did an excellent job of portraying what life was like for these different minority groups. I especially enjoyed the presentation on Mexican Americans. The skit was great and they did an excellent job of engaging the class while still remaining fun and informative at the same time. While I don't agree wih everything Dr Warren had taught us thus far, I will say that I have a new respect for those in such minority groups and appreciate the things that I have been blessed with.

I guess because since I'm in this group I'll automatically like my topic over everyone else's. But the reason why I like my topic so much is because while learning about Jewish Americans in this class, I even had an interview with a rabbi about the subject. He gave me nearly exactly the same answers as the facts that Professor Warren has been given in class. Some of you might find this odd, but some of the thing that she says in class I don't always agree with, or I don't fully believe that the information she is giving us is 100% true. I was really pleased to find out that basically all the things she says in class about the Jewish Americans is true. Very reassuring!

I AM LEARNING SO MUCH IN CLASS. IT MAY SOUND BAD BUT I REALLY NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW WE GOT STARTED WITH ALL THE THINGS WE EAT. I DIDNT KNOW THAT WITHOUT THE NATIVE DOING THE VEGGIES WE PROBABLY WOULDNT HAVE THEM. I KNOW THAT THIS WAS YEARS AND YEARS AGO BUT I WAS KIND OF UPSET ABOUT THE NATIVE NEVER BEING HEARD WHEN THEY PROTESTED. I HATE WHEN PEOPLE ARE NOT HEARD OR OPINION ARE NOT HEARD I AM GLAD THAT SO FAR THINGS HAVE CHANGED. JUST IMAGINE HOW THE WORLD WOULD BE NOW IF IT WAS STILL THE WAY IT WAS BACK THEN FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE. WE COMPLAIN NOW ABOUT THINGS BUT WE HAVE IT SO EASY NOW.

I WAS SITTING BACK THINKING ABOUT THE FICTIVE KIN THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN CLASS CAME FROM AFRICAN AMERICANS. I THOUGHT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY THAT ARENT REALLY RELATED BY BLOOD AND THERE ARE SO MANY. I BELIEVE IF I TRIED TO COUNT THEM IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT IMPOSSIBLE BUT ITS LIKE ANYONE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS AND YEARS THAT THEY ARE SEEN AS AUNTS AND UNCLES ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE IN THE SMAE CHURCH TOGETHER EVERYONE IN THE CHURCH SEEMS LIKE FAMILY. I DO BELIEVE THAT NOT ONLY AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE LIKE THAT AS WELL, IT JUST ORIGINATED FROM THEM.

I have always seen this country in black and white. I guess I always felt as though blacks were some how the only minorities. Maybe that silly notion comes from living in the South my entire life. I was totally amazed to learn how much the Chinese, Irish, and others (minorities) have contributed to this country. I can finally see America as the great melting pot. I appreciate this class so much because it allows me a different prospective to view from. For the first time ever I feel at home! I know that there are others who have come from their native lands and had no other choice but to make America work for them.

I have been working on my honors African-American paper, and since we have to answer all the questions I have really delved into their history. It is amazing to me how much of our society's foundation was created by minorities. Without gas masks World War I might have ended much differently. Without being able to separate plasma from blood, millions of lives would end too soon. And without slave spirituals morphing into the rhythm and blues, rock and roll would not exist. We have a lot to be thankful for!

I have really learned a lot from all of the presentations and class discusions about all of the different groups we have studied. I found the contributions of each group very interesting, and it really opened my eyes to how much other groups have contributed to this country.