Mayflower My Reaction to Chapters

¶ … Mayflower

My reaction to chapters 8 through 12 of "Before the Mayflower" and the film "Sarafina" is one work - struggle. African-Americans have had to struggle for every little piece of freedom they have gained since the Civil War, and these chapters point out just how much they have had to struggle. These chapters are more than just a telling of history, they show what the country has done to blacks even after they were supposed to be "free." African-Americans have had to fight for everything they have, and it has been a long and violent fight.

Probably one of the most amazing things these chapters show is the utter hatred that exists in so many people in the South. It seems that they still blame the blacks for the Civil War, and they still want them to pay for it. I had heard about some of the Jim Crow laws, and how blacks were kept away from polling places and things like that. I also knew about the separate facilities for blacks, from bathrooms to water fountains and seats on busses and trains. However, reading about all of this seemed to make it more real somehow, and more amazing. I think it is quite remarkable that blacks took it as long as they did. I realize that there was violence and hatred that led to killing, and I understand the blacks were afraid for their lives and their families. They were free, but they were not really free because they still did not have the same rights as the whites. They may not have served the whites, but they were still at the mercy of the whites, and it took a long time for that to change - too long.

Learning about the early black politicians was very interesting. I had heard of some of them but not others, and I was surprised that so many made it to Washington and their local legislatures before 1901 or so. I did not know that. It seems that the country became more accepting for a little while, until it seemed like the blacks might actually begin to take control or gain some voice in politics and then all hell broke loose. I think that is very sad, because if the people had only been more accepting, blacks may have not had to struggle so much, and their history might have been different and better a lot faster. I know some of that is just being naive, but the history of black America is sad and full of struggle, and it is sad to read.

Sarafina" is another film that shows the struggle of blacks is not just an American phenomenon. In fact, the struggle in South Africa took far longer than it did here in America, which is hard to believe. The acting in this film was powerful, and it helped show that even in the black community there are different ideas and different values. Sarafina and her mother had very different ideas about how to gain their rights, but the film also showed that love and family are still more important than differences between family members. I think the film also gave a very real portrayal of how so many blacks look up to black heroes like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr. And others. It is easy to see why. They work for freedom for everyone, and they both were martyred in their own way. This is just another way that blacks have had to fight for their freedom - from prison and even by giving their lives.

This film also shows the brutality that often happens when blacks try to gain their freedom. It happened in the South after the Civil War and well into the 20th century, and it happened in South Africa when the residents of Soweto stood up for their rights and what they believed in. It is a sad statement about people that such hatred exists only because of skin color, and it is a sad statement that so much of this happened in such recent history. It is clear from this film and from reading this book that the hatred does not go away simply because blacks gained more rights and freedoms. It is still there, simmering under the surface. It is still there in South Africa, and it is still here in America. Blacks still have to fight for education, for equal employment and pay, and for basic rights that whites take for granted. It is not right, but it is the truth. That is the hardest part of learning about black history, I think.

Final Journal think that taking this class has given me a much broader idea of African-American history and what the black people have had to do to get along in America. Their ancestors did not ask to come here, and they did not ask to become enslaved. Blacks did not wake up one day and choose the color of their skin. It should not matter what color a person's skin is, but it does. This class has helped me understand that blacks have had to struggle for an eternity, and that their struggle is not over yet.

Probably the biggest thing I got out of this class was the black heritage, and how proud blacks should be of their history. They have risen up from despair and they have created better lives and hope for their children. There has been so many black entrepreneurs, inventors, patriots, politicians, and historians, and there will be many more. I think it is sad that more black history is not taught in schools, and that part of the Civil War and the fight for civil rights is usually glossed right over. It is an important part of the country's history, and I think it needs more attention.

Before taking this class, I think I thought that minorities did not have that much to complain about today - but now I know that is not true. Blacks have come a long way in America, but they are not done fighting for rights and equality, and I understand more of that, too. I also know that blacks around the world are still fighting, that the African-Americans in our country understand what they are going through, and some try to help them in their own fight for rights and freedom. This is not just an American issue, it is a world issue, and it shows that the people of the world are more alike than maybe they care to admit. I mean, there is a general hatred of people who are "different" in a culture, whether it is their skin color, their religion, or their cultural beliefs. This is worldwide, and it is frightening I think. So much is based on how a person looks, rather than who that person is, and it does not seem to be the right way to make decisions and impact lives.