Final Post

The "Talking About Freedom" class conversations offered another powerful layer of personal and intellectual growth. The students were able to discuss and argue about the meaning of freedom in various levels politically, cultural and personal. Such talks promoted integrity and sympathy, making all people value diverse opinions. The class contributed to the dissolution of the goal of liberty and responsibility by considering historical examples and practical situations. It is these free-form but respectful sessions that were most remarkable in that the students had no problem thinking and voicing their opinion, challenging, and learning through disagreement. It focused on the notion that education is not only about facts and definitions but about being in the world by actively engaging in discussions among the most intricate ideas of the world critically and with a mutual understanding.

The most relevant experience I have had during this semester was the mock trials. These trials were demanding in terms of preparations that took a lot of research, critical thinking and teamwork. The students were assigned certain roles, i.e. lawyers, witnesses, and even judges, which imitated the tension in the real courtroom. This is where role-playing aspect allowed the scholastic theories to become alive and the theory became practical. The art of legal arguments required not only knowledge of the facts but also the counterarguments and making convincing arguments. The mock trials also led to a high level of teamwork in addition to enhancing people speaking and analytical skills. Any argument was successful and relied on the communication and trust in the group which provided some excellent lessons concerning cooperation and solving problems as a group which have lasted long beyond the school.

The use of AI videos in the coursework has brought a contemporary, innovative aspect of learning. Combining technology and storytelling and research, students were taught to use AI technologies to create educational or illustrative content. Production of the videos required proper planning in terms of writing triggers, organizing visuals, and leveraging on the technology in a meaningful manner. The display of the final videos to the class did not only demonstrate the level of creativity of each of them, but also showed that AI can be used to improve communication and presentation skills. The experience of seeing each group in its specific approach proved that these tools are potent in case of their reasonable use. More to the point, it made one wonder about what the future of learning and communication would be in the age where the concept of AI keeps influencing the ways we share information and communicate our ideas.

EOTO Reaction

EOTO Reaction

The mid-20 th Century Civil Rights Movement was a historic period in the American history that was characterized by historic pieces of legislation, bold activism, and social change. The efforts to eliminate systemic racism were influenced by several events and organizations that played an important part in eradicating inequality in the USA.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

Such a law was an epic win because it not only made it illegal to segregate people in any social venue, but it also prohibited any type of discrimination in employment just because of race, color, religion, sex or anything related to national origin. It gave the federal government the power to implement desegregation which marked a drastic turning point toward legal equality.

NAACP LOGO

The NAACP

The National Association of Advancing Colored People was established in 1909, and it was very instrumental in combating racial inequality using the law. The NAACP headed such cases as Brown v. Organized bottom-up campaigns, and demonstrating that systemic change meant both courtroom courts and community organization.

Lunch Counter Sit-Ins

Sit-ins started off Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960 and became an effective way of nonviolent protest. The blacks took up the whites-only lunch counters, demanded to be served and refused to vacate. These activities made the futility of segregation the forefront, and the rest of the country started to follow suit, with no emphasis placed on violent demonstrations.

Freedom Rides

In 1961, racially mixed people rode the buses to the racist South in order to put into uncooperative efforts of disobeying the Supreme Court decision regarding interstate travel in a desegregated manner. Cyclists were brutally beaten but their fearlessness brought national publicity and compelled the federal government to implement integration laws.

March on Washington

In 1963, the March on Washington to Jobs and Freedom led to more than 250,000 individuals gathering in the capital of the country and demanding civil and economic rights. Here is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic speech on the reasons he had a dream as he inspired people in support of the civil rights legislation.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The boycott, which was more than a year long, was triggered by the arrest of Rosa parks in 1955 and it brought the transit system of the city to a standstill. It challenged the strength of the group movement and the emergence of King as a national leader as it was led by Dr. King. The boycott finally included the Supreme Court decision that it was unconstitutional to segregate public buses.

Conclusion

The happenings and groups described in this article demonstrate how multi-layered the Civil Rights Movement was; legal action, activism on the grassroots, and an appeal to moral sentiment all combined forces to confront inappropriateness. Their combination redefined the American society and showed that long-lasting, efficient action could destroy even those forms of inequality which seems to be the most established.

AI disclosure: After taking notes on the mock trial my peers did. I used Claude AI to smooth the text and format it in a readable way. I then added photos, links, and captions

Brown v Board

 The landmark case of Brown v. The case of Board of Education questions an old doctrine of separate but equal which was set in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. Though the advocates of desegregation justify their desegregation claim by using the violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14 th Amendment, it is quite convincing why states should be given the mandate to have separate schools to cater the needs of each race which is black and white students.

Tradition and stability should be taken into consideration first of all. The justice system has supported segregation in almost 60 years, and the tradition has given communities permission to establish their own educational institutions in line with their needs. This system would take too quick to destroy, and destroy the entire country. Most parents are of the view that segregation ensures that their children are safe in school and this gives them languages familiar with them and the students can learn without the tension that would have come with integration. These issues capture serious members of the community values, which should be honored and given attention.

Economic consequences of desegregation can not be avoided. Affluent families have cited that they would take their children out of the public schools in case they are forcibly assimilated which would destroy the state education system. Moreover, the shift would lead to the loss of many jobs especially among the black workers that are working in the segregated schools who may be rendered jobless in a new integrated system. Black families already earn much less than white families and forcing them to integrate is likely to make the gap between them even greater.

Further, some suggest that the cause of separation is upheld by spiritual doctrines. The Biblical interpretations have been referred in justification of natural order of segregated communities and have claimed that various communities can live together harmoniously yet have different institutions. This is an honest view of the opinion that needs not be overlooked merely because it no longer augurs well with the present sensibilities.

The suggestion that segregation would negatively affect the mental well being of children or impede with the idea of cooperation is illogical. Students can be taught a lot on how to work as a team within their respective communities prior to being exposed to the dynamics of an integrated society. It cannot truly be argued that black students will get their schooling in broken windows and that white students get theirs in spaces that are better than the first one simply indicates that the case of the separate and equal is not being met as mandated under the Constitution.

The notion that all men are created equal does not require that similar treatment always be administered. Equality may be realized in forms of separate institutions that will not violate the preferences and comfort of various communities. The 14 th Amendment safeguards equal rights, which however, is not a requirement of social integration. States must be left to make decisions as to what educational arrangements serve their people best.

As opposed to the criticism that segregation divides the nation, forced integration will lead to the introduction of even greater divisions because they force communities that are working well to adopt changes that are unwanted. The Constitution safeguards the rights of states to manage their matters and education has always been a state issue.

To conclude, the preservation of the segregated schools maintains traditions, economic stability, parental interests, and states rights with a still possibility of receiving equal treatment under the law with actual separate facilities.

AI disclosure: Having made notes on the mock trial conducted by my peers. I benefited from Claude AI to edit the text and put it in an understandable form. At this point, I included captions, links, and photos.

Plessy v Ferg Trial

 Plessy v, 1896 Supreme Court ruling. The Ferguson case is one of the most disagreeable cases in American law. The decision by the Court to support Louisiana Separate Car Act and the doctrine of separate yet equal essentially allowed legal segregation in the entire South. The frustrating thing about this decision is even stronger since it ignored solid religious objections to segregation which was informed by basic biblical values. The realization of how religion was resistance to segregation in these times indicates the colossal misalignment between the so-called Christian ideals in America and the legal system in real practice.

The central theme of Christian theology is that all men are created in the image of God which is called imago Dei. This is based on the idea of Genesis which states that God fashioned man in his own likeness. 

It was not a trivial fact, but an underlying doctrine that provided each and every individual with natural dignity and value, regardless of his or her appearance or origin. The segregation laws were in direct conflict with this because they considered the Black citizens to be fundamentally different and inferior to the white citizens. With everyone bearing the image of God in the same manner, then there is no theological reason to put people into different races and make them to be treated differently in the eyes of the law.

The New Testament gave even more arguments against racial divide. In Galatians, the Apostle Paul stated that there was no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female and that they were all one in Christ Jesus. This was a radical utterance of the day, and in essence, implied that all the social classifications and levels that humans establish are inconsequential to the eyes of God. 

Even Jesus did not stop at breaking social rules communicating with Samaritans, tax collectors and other people who are treated as outcasts. His whole ministry consisted in breaking down rather than erecting fences among people. When you consider it, therefore, segregation was the very antithesis of what Jesus taught and showed in his acts.

Another religious principle, which renders segregation unacceptable to justify, is the Golden Rule. Do unto other people as you wish they should do unto you demands that people must be truthful with themselves and think of how they would feel when they are in the position of the other person. Would the white Americans have been satisfied to be compelled to separate and inferior facilities? Could they subject their children to inferior treatment? Obviously not. This is a basic ethical exam that reveals the extent of iniquity that existed as a result of segregation.

It is also important to mention that the racial injustice was being combated by religious communities decades before. Quakers played a significant role in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad since their religious inclination on equality among humans made them view slavery and discrimination as evil. They risked their lives as they felt that the law of God was of a higher priority than unjust laws of human beings.

 This religious activism on racism was not dead during the Plessy era in spite of its disregard by the Supreme Court.

The Plessy v. The Ferguson decision demonstrated to what extent America had lost its proclaimed religious values. In a country that prided itself as a Christian country, the supreme court of the land supported the system that went against fundamental bible teachings on human equality, unity and love. This inconsistency between religious principles and the law would ultimately assist in the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement and help to demonstrate that these religious justifications against segregation possessed actual strength and permanency.

AI disclosure: I created the essay about the Plessy v. case with Claude AI. In his argument, Ferguson contended that Plessy relied on religion to take on segregation.  I then attached photos, links and captions.

"In The Heat of the Night"

 In the Heat of the Night: A Reflection on Race, Justice, and Change

In the Heat of the Night is a strong movie based in the Jim Crow South around which a murder in a small town in Mississippi was carried out on a rich man. The suspects then turn out to be one of the police officers as well and this makes the investigation even more complicated. The novel centers around the life of Virgil Tibbs, an African American detective named Sidney Poitier, who is not only in the wrong place regarding the case as he is wrongly suspected of having committed the crime. Tibbs unwillingly gets teamed with the white local police chief, Bill Gillespie, a man who is initially angry that Tibbs is around and commanding. The movie explores the conflict between the two men, revealing the opposite view on race, power, and justice as the investigation unfolds. As the time passes, the character of both characters grow and develop in a meaningful way coming to receive an awkward yet heartfelt mutual respect.

The brutal life experience under the Jim crows laws in the American South during the 1960s is also one of the strongest features of the film. Released in the thick of the Civil Rights Movement, the film challenges the overt biases that dominated at that point in the history of the country. In the experience that is shared by Tibbs with the white people in Sparta, the story brings into light the way racism was defining all areas of social and professional relations. The first suspicion of Gillespie toward Tibbs is based on racial prejudice as well as in his personal pride, however, as soon as Tibbs proves that he is a smart person and can solve cases, the attitude in Gillespie changes. Their changing relationship highlights a greater meaning of the movie that there can be a possibility of understanding and respect even in the systems constructed on inequality.

This acting of Virgil Tibbs by Sidney Poitier is one of the most definite roles that he ever plays. It is his serene power, intellectual assurance and upright character which render Tibbs an engaging character and make him unwilling to be undermined by the bigotry which surrounds him. Even the silent strength of dignity before injustice is a wonderful depiction by Poitier who achieved in his role a hero of struggle, a hero of the truth.

The bottom line is that In the Heat of the Night does not rely on the plot of mystery to provide a scathing critique of race, power and the human condition. Through the analysis of racism in the law enforcement and the society as a whole, it brings perennial questions about justice and equality. The sincerity and bravery of the film in treating these issues have made it not only a masterpiece in cinema but also a permanent reminder as to the need to be empathetic, progressive and collaborative in fighting the evil of prejudice.

Recon Vid

 The Unfinished Promise of Reconstruction

In 2015, a historic Black church became the scene of a devastating tragedy when a gunman opened fire after joining a Bible study group in prayer for nearly an hour. Motivated by deep-seated racism, he later claimed his actions were driven by hatred toward Black people. This horrific event compels us to ask a difficult question: how did our nation reach such a point of violence and intolerance?

      

A historical Photo Regarding the Civil War (1860)

A historical Photo Regarding the Civil War (1860)

To understand the challenges of our present, we must look back to the Reconstruction era that followed the Civil War in 1866. It was a time filled with hope and ambition, as newly freed people sought opportunity and the true meaning of freedom after centuries of enslavement. Yet in hindsight, many African Americans could not have foreseen the obstacles ahead. The Charleston Massacre and the harsh Jim Crow laws that followed stand as enduring reminders of the deep-rooted prejudice and violence that emerged during this turbulent chapter in American history.  

Even today, our nation remains haunted by the unfinished work of Reconstruction. Although Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery, the struggle to build a genuinely equal society had only just begun. While some freedmen were grateful simply for their liberty, others recognized that freedom without equality was incomplete. In the summer of 1862, countless enslaved people sought refuge behind Union lines, and when the Union finally called for Black soldiers to serve, nearly 180,000 answered with courage and conviction.  

Reconstruction was intended to reunite the North and the South, yet both regions viewed its purpose through vastly different lenses. The end of the Civil War raised more questions than answers about what freedom truly meant and how it should be realized. Even after the ratification of the 13th Amendment, the meaning of liberty remained uncertain—its promise unfulfilled and its practice deeply contested across a divided nation.

Disclaimer: I used Ai to structure my notes into paragraph form and thebn i edited the paragraphs to my own liking.