Reflection of Emmett Till

In retrospect of the event that started the civil rights movement, Emmett Till’s story allows one to gain understanding of how racial tension was represented in the 1940-1960’s. An adolescent male’s behavior was the source behind a brutal murder that awoke the nation that would forever change the course of African-Americans in America. Emmett Till’s story signified how far hatred can rise by the simplest measures of a common gesture used among men when they find women attractive. Emmett Till’s case and story opened the doors to the civil rights movement, but unfortunately he paid a heavy price that is incomprehensible that would allow others their freedom of racism in America. As Emmett’s mother described the graphic torture of her son’s body of mutilation and indescribable treatment towards her son like his body set on fire and thrown into a river, all due to racial segregation and laws that were not constitutional at that time. In the Video, Emmett Till: the untold story, there was a candid approach to how he was a typical teenager to a racial targeted victim. It represented in many ways that segregation was very present at that time, and that not even a teenager was secure to be themselves in front of others who were against African-americans.In the fury of a child’s death, and the concern within the black community, adult white men were praised and cheered on as they were acquitted for a hate crime to remind many that it was prejudicial issue that plagued the nation, yet it was Emmett Till case, that allowed african-americans to stand-up for the hatred to cease. The case allowed these white men to be heroes instead of murderers, in which after the case voices of cries for a change led the nation to Rosa Parks, 100 days later, and Dr. King in the 1960s’. African-American Ultimately, giving a long-awaited voice to those who were degraded, and dehumanized because of their skin color. Emmett Till’s life was shortened by racism and opened doors for a culture, although his untimely death was to make a statement, no human on earth should have suffered at the hands of what this fifteen-year-old teenager was subjected to, and his killers exonerated because of their race in the end, a life was taken, and race was a role inthe murder.

Reflection #16

The Genocide and ethnic cleansing of Darfur, yugslavia, and other countries; this crime has become historical situation that remains present in existing countries today. It started in 1915 with of the Armenians by the Turks, and the current genocide of Darfur. In the center of the ethnocentrism is a direct correlation between these countries. There are children as young as seven years old being murdered over their position of being involved in the genocide of their own culture. Europeans do not treat African descent as equals, as they tend to separate themselves from the Africans, same as the Egyptians’ do not consider themselves Africans either. Europeans degrades against other groups, such as native, Hispanic, and Asian Americans.
Kofi Annan, believes that Rwanda is a prime example of genocide, and in most recent years Darfur has plagued the world with its numerous killings against Kosovo, serbs, and Bosnians. In the ethnic cleansing people lost their homes and belongings because they were forced out by their enemies. “Tens of thousands of women were raped, some of them more than a hundred times, while their sons and husbands were tortured in concentration camps like Omarska and Manjaca”. The current situations of these countries are being compared to the holocaust against the Jewish people, and how the Nazi’s tortured and killed many Jewish people, including the mentally challenged.
The insights that has helped me understand the history and current situations of genocide and ethnic cleansing is,in the history of other countries war has contributed to the genocide and ethnic cleansing of many countries, and it continues to exist in today’s poorest countries; even in the smallest manner there is even ethnocentrism in the American society, which is apart of the prejudice of ethnic groups, one culture thinks that their group is “superior to other cultures”. As it is known the American culture is Macro culture simply because America is diverse by culture allowing many to understand others, or form perceptions of others, but ethnic cleansing and genocide allows Americans appreciate what is in America.

Reflection #15

In one of the most devasting attacks on a culture, the holocaust has remained a cultural tragedy in the history of the world against the human race. However, as the photographs, stories, and numerical markings on the victims presented throughout the decades that they lived to tell their stories; there are those who speculate the holocaust did not occur. As the millions of people suffered at the hands of one man’s cruel idea to wipe out anyone that did not fit-in the blues eyes, blonde hair category; consequently, Adolf Hitler influenced high law enforcement officers, including the Nazi party, and formed an alliance against those who were Jewish, gypsies, and anyone else that were not in his category to callously murder them under various outrageous circumstances. Although the torture of the Jewish culture was in the most staggering numbers of an estimated six million, there were others that were murdered. Ironically, Adolf Hitler did not fit into the category of the blue eyed, blonde hair; which so many wonder why did he posses an enormous amount of hatred towards a certain group of humans? “The Nazis began to put into practice their racial ideology” by 1933 and by 1945 Hitler began to dominate and initialize the order of his prejudices’.
In the understanding behind the holocaust, many people were subjected to prejudice of one man’s hatred, and eagerness to dominate a country; Hitler used his power of government to belittle a culture that he disliked. In those who were apart of this horrific part of history, it was a surreal experience; believing that one man can dominate and destroy a human race, yet for those who believed that this event did not occur allows one to only realizes if it did not occur because it was fabricated their accusations are absurd. The photos and people’s lives, including family members that survived are actual evidence to rationale the holocaust. In the evidence proven to those who do not believe are in denial stage due to their experiences, and their generation of the stories of survival, or the deaths of relatives and friends; in retrospect the history behind the holocaust it is how the story is passed down, and the generation gap in between the times it occurred, it is based on experiences of situation whether one will believe, or deny.