EOTO

EOTO Reaction - First African American Leaders and Education.  

What struck me most about this presentation was how education and political representation went hand in hand during Reconstruction. I had never really connected these two pieces before - that while pioneers like Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce were breaking barriers in Congress, educators like Booker T. Washington were simultaneously building the foundation for long-term change through schools like Tuskegee.

The fact that Blanche Bruce went from being a slave to serving a full Senate term really hit me. It shows just how much potential was unleashed when barriers were finally broken down, even temporarily during Reconstruction. I found it interesting that there were 16 African Americans in Congress during this period - that's actually more representation than in many decades that followed.

What I found most compelling was Washington's practical approach at Tuskegee. Instead of just focusing on traditional academics, he emphasized trades and skills that would immediately improve people's economic situations. That strategy of building from the ground up through education makes so much sense - you can't sustain political gains without an educated, economically stable community to support them.

The timing of these schools opening - Howard in 1867, Hampton in 1868, Morehouse in 1867, Spelman in 1881 - shows there was a real movement happening. These weren't isolated efforts but part of a coordinated push to create lasting change through education.

This presentation made me realize how the foundations laid during Reconstruction, especially in education, became the bedrock for the Civil Rights Movement that would come decades later. Those early leaders weren't just breaking barriers for themselves - they were building the institutions that would train future generations of leaders.

Reconstruction

Reconstruction Video:

Why I Loved it!

"The American Experience" is one of the best shows on TV. Right up there with "Frontline." They took Gates' book and made it come alive on screen. I was hooked from the first minute.

What Hit Me Hard

The Civil War was over. But now what? The country was broken. People didn't know what came next. This documentary shows that mess perfectly.

I learned things I never knew. The freed slaves weren't just sitting around waiting. They were fighting for their rights. Building schools. Running for office. Making real change happen.

Connecting to What I Learned in Class

This documentary brought Professor Smith's freedom class to life. Everything we studied suddenly made sense. The 13th Amendment ended slavery. The 14th gave citizenship. The 15th protected voting rights. But watching this show, I saw how hard people fought to make those words real.

The documentary shows the roots of cases like Brown v. Board of Education. The fight for equal education started right here in Reconstruction. The 1st Amendment's promise of free speech? Freed slaves were using it to demand their rights.

Professor Smith always said the Civil War amendments changed everything. Now I get it. This wasn't just law on paper. It was people's lives changing forever.

The Storytelling

This isn't your boring history class. They use real photos and documents. Expert interviews that actually matter. The pacing keeps you watching.

I felt like I was there. Watching America try to put itself back together. Seeing people fight for their freedom in ways I never imagined.

Why You Need to Watch This

History matters. What happened then still affects us now. This documentary makes that connection clear.

PBS nailed it. They made 150-year-old events feel urgent and real. I'm already planning to watch Parts II, III, and IV.

If you care about understanding America, watch this. It's that good.

AI Disclaimer: This blog post was written with assistance from artificial intelligence.

Heat and What We Learned About Freedom and Racism in Class 

After watching Heat for our class, I kept thinking about how it connects to what we've been talking about with freedom and racism. This movie shows these ideas in ways I didn't notice at first.

Different Types of Freedom

In class, we talked about how freedom means different things to different people. Neil McCauley, the thief, thinks he's free because he doesn't have a regular job or family ties. He can leave anywhere in 30 seconds if he needs to. But is he really free? He's always looking over his shoulder and can't have real relationships.

Vincent Hanna, the cop, thinks he's serving justice and protecting people's freedom. But his job controls his whole life. He can't be a good husband or father because he's always chasing criminals. Both men are trapped by their choices, even though they think they're free.

The Racism I Started to See

What really hit me was looking at who gets treated differently in the movie. Most of the main criminals are white guys, and they're shown as smart and professional. But when we see other criminals, especially the Black and Latino characters, they're often shown as more violent or unprofessional.

The police scenes also made me think about what we discussed in class. The cops are mostly white, and they get to be the heroes even when they do questionable things. Meanwhile, the communities they patrol are often portrayed as dangerous places that need to be controlled.

Economic Freedom and Race

In our class discussions about economic freedom, we learned how racism affects who gets opportunities. In Heat, the white criminals have access to big scores and sophisticated plans. They can afford good equipment and safe houses. This reminded me of what we talked about - how systemic racism affects what opportunities people have, even in illegal activities.

The movie doesn't really show us why people turn to crime or what their backgrounds were like. It just assumes we'll understand why these particular men became what they are.

What the Movie Doesn't Show

After our class talks, I noticed what Heat leaves out. We don't see how the criminal justice system affects different communities. We don't see the impact of policing on families and neighborhoods. The movie focuses on these two main characters but ignores the bigger picture of how crime and punishment work in society.

The freedom that both main characters want seems to only be available to them because of their race and gender. They can move through the world in ways that other people can't.

My Takeaway

Heat is a good movie, but our class discussions helped me see its blind spots. It's about two men who think they're free but are actually trapped by their choices. However, it doesn't acknowledge how race affects who gets to make those choices in the first place.

The movie shows us one version of the American dream - the idea that you can be anything you want if you're willing to pay the price. But it doesn't question who gets access to that dream and who doesn't. That's something we need to keep thinking about when we watch movies like this.

Disclaimer AI was used to format my notes based on the notes i took in class

Final project

Talking About Freedom: My Summer Advantage Journey

When I first heard about HPU's Summer Advantage program, I wasn't sure what to expect. A month of intensive learning exploring American history through unconventional methods? Now, looking back on this transformative experience, I can confidently say it reshaped not only how I understand American history but also how I approach learning itself.

First Impressions and Finding My Way

Arriving on campus was a whirlwind of emotions—pure adrenaline mixed with nervous energy. The "honeymoon phase" was real as I spent those first few days running from dorm to dorm, meeting new people and making connections. Everyone was eager to share their backgrounds and life stories, creating an incredible diversity of experiences and perspectives.

Finding my classes on the first day was an adventure in itself. I was completely lost, wandering around campus until our RA stationed by Wanek Hall helped guide confused students like me. It was humbling but also a great ice-breaker—everyone was navigating this new environment together.

Professor Smith: Breaking Stereotypes

I'll admit, I was nervous about meeting my professor, expecting the stereotypical intimidating, distant college instructor. Professor Smith shattered every one of those preconceptions from day one. He turned out to be one of the best teachers I have ever encountered, providing invaluable guidance that extended far beyond American history.

What made Professor Smith's teaching so effective was his interactive approach. He gave us word-for-word definitions during lectures, used diagrams to show connections between events, and actively engaged us in constant dialogue. He didn't just talk at us—he made lectures feel like conversations, creating an environment where we felt comfortable asking questions and sharing thoughts.

Revolutionary Learning Methods

The four historical timelines we studied revealed different perspectives on freedom, helping me relearn topics from high school in a more memorable way. As a visual learner, I was grateful that Professor Smith never just stood and talked without providing visual examples. Topics like slavery and social movements suddenly made sense in ways they never had before.

Documentaries had a huge impact on me and my fellow students. They were way more useful than textbook chapters or regular lectures. While textbooks give you clean, academic information, documentaries threw me right into the raw reality of what actually happened. "Klansville USA" completely changed how I understood the Civil Rights era—I could see actual footage of KKK rallies and hear recorded speeches from Klan leaders. I witnessed the real fear and tension in communities and saw the faces of both perpetrators and victims. This engaged me on both intellectual and emotional levels in ways written accounts simply couldn't match.

Our 13 blog posts throughout the program were another revelation. Instead of lengthy papers, these shorter assignments forced us to distill complex ideas into clear arguments while writing for our classmates as an audience. The format felt relevant to modern communication and helped develop our authentic voices as writers.

Personal Growth and Skills Development 

Mock trials transformed us as both learners and communicators. Everyone became a noticeably better public speaker by the end of the program. We started nervously and hesitantly, but grew more confident with each trial. The role-playing aspect allowed us to step into the shoes of historical figures and truly understand the different periods and moral complexities. Initially, I was hesitant to use AI because, in high school, we were taught that it was cheating. Professor Smith completely changed my perspective, showing me how to use AI effectively for tasks like spell checking, organizing notes, and research assistance while maintaining academic integrity and critical thinking.

Community and Looking Forward

The communal aspect created bonds that will last throughout my college experience. Living together meant academic discussions continued outside class through late-night conversations and organic study groups.

Professor Smith didn't just teach us American history—he taught us how to think, communicate, and engage with complex ideas. His innovative methods made every class session something to look forward to rather than endure. This course set the standard for what education can be when a professor truly invests in student success. 

This reflection represents my personal transformation through HPU's Summer Advantage program. Claude AI was used to organize my notes.

Mock Trial

                                               

                                              Mock Trial 

I've been looking into Louisiana's Separate Car Act from 1890, and honestly, the way they tried to justify segregation is both clever and disgusting at the same time. It's wild how they managed to make racism sound like good business sense.

The Money Argument

So here's how Louisiana tried to spin it: they claimed segregation was actually about protecting the economy. Their basic argument was that white people were the ones buying first-class train tickets, so if you mixed the races, white folks would stop riding the trains altogether.

Think about that logic for a second. They're basically saying, "Look, we know our white customers are racist, so we need to be racist too or we'll lose money." It's like they turned bigotry into a business plan.

They argued that without segregation, there would be boycotts, financial losses, and the whole transportation system would fall apart. It's pretty gross how they made it sound like they were just being practical business people instead of, you know, enforcing white supremacy.

The "Keeping the Peace" Excuse

But wait, it gets worse. Louisiana also claimed they were actually preventing violence by keeping people separated. They said that if Black and white people rode together, there would be fights, property damage, and chaos.

This is the part that really gets to me. They created a system that treated Black people as less than human, and then said they needed to keep that system to prevent trouble. It's like punching someone in the face and then saying you need to keep punching them to prevent them from getting angry.

They called it "police power" - basically saying the state had the right to segregate people to keep order. But whose order? And why was that order more important than treating people equally?

What This Really Was

Looking back at this stuff, it's pretty clear what was happening. Louisiana knew they couldn't just say "we hate Black people and want to keep them down." That wouldn't fly, even in 1890.

So instead, they wrapped up their racism in fancy economic and legal language. They made it sound like segregation was about money, safety, and states' rights instead of what it really was - a way to keep white people in power and Black people oppressed.

Why This Still Matters

The scary thing is how well this worked. When you dress up discrimination as economic policy or public safety, it becomes harder to argue against. People can pretend they're not being racist - they're just being "practical."

I see echoes of this kind of thinking today. Whenever people want to justify unfair treatment, they find ways to make it sound reasonable and necessary. They talk about economics, safety, tradition - anything except admitting they just don't want certain people to have equal rights.

What I Learned

Studying this case taught me that bad policies don't usually announce themselves as evil. They come wrapped up in language that sounds smart and reasonable. Louisiana's lawyers probably thought they were being brilliant by turning segregation into an economic argument.

But at the end of the day, no matter how you dress it up, treating people differently because of their race is wrong. The fact that it took so long to overturn these laws shows how powerful these "reasonable" arguments can be.

It makes me wonder what we're accepting today that future generations will look back on and shake their heads at. What are we calling "practical" or "necessary" that's really just unfair?

Note: I used AI to help organize my thoughts from the mock trial we did in class about this case.

Green Book Movie

What Green Book Taught Me About Friendship and Racism

I just watched Green Book, and honestly, it hit me way harder than I expected. I'm not usually one for feel-good movies about race relations, but this one actually made me think about stuff I hadn't considered before.

The Odd Chemistry That Actually Worked

What I loved most was watching Tony and Dr. Shirley figure each other out. These two guys couldn't be more different - Tony's this rough-around-the-edges driver from the Bronx, and Dr. Shirley is this super sophisticated classical pianist. But somehow they work.

The scenes where Dr. Shirley tries to teach Tony how to eat properly had me cracking up. Here's this worldly musician trying to civilize this guy who probably thinks fancy dining means using a napkin. But then Tony teaches Dr. Shirley about real life, too - like how to write a decent love letter to his wife.

It made me realize how much we can learn from people who are nothing like us. These guys started off barely tolerating each other, but by the end, they're actually friends. Real friends.

The Stuff That Made Me Uncomfortable

But the movie didn't let me just laugh and feel good. There were scenes that really messed with me.

The worst one was when Dr. Shirley finishes performing for this fancy dinner party, and they won't let him eat in the same dining room or even use their bathroom. Think about that - he's good enough to entertain them, but not good enough to be treated like a human being.

Then there's the scene where they get arrested just for being together after dark. Like, literally just sitting in a car talking. That's all they were doing, and suddenly they're criminals.

The bar scene where Dr. Shirley gets attacked really got to me too. Here's this incredibly talented, famous guy, and none of that matters because of his skin color. He's still in danger just for existing in the wrong place.

What This Means to Me

Look, I know some people said this movie was too simple about racism, and maybe they're right. Real life is messier than a feel-good road trip movie. But here's what I took from it:

Sometimes change happens in small ways. Tony wasn't going to become a civil rights activist or anything, but he learned to see Dr. Shirley as a person instead of just a Black guy. And Dr. Shirley learned that not all white people are the same either.

That doesn't fix everything, obviously. But it's something.

Why I'm Glad I Watched It 

The movie reminded me that friendship can happen in the weirdest places. These two guys had every reason to hate each other - different backgrounds, different values, different everything. But they chose to actually listen to each other instead.

I'm not saying watching a movie about the 1960s solves racism or anything like that. But it did make me think about how I treat people who are different from me. Do I actually try to understand them, or do I just write them off?

Green Book isn't perfect, and it definitely doesn't tell the whole story about race in America. But it tells one story pretty well - about how two people can surprise each other if they actually give it a shot.

And honestly, we could probably use more of that these days.

Disclaimer: Claude AI was used to format & put together notes from the movie Green Book.

KKK Documentary

From Klansville to Progress: An Outsider's View of North Carolina

I'm not from North Carolina, but after watching this documentary about "Klansville USA," I've been thinking a lot about how much this state has changed - and what that means for the rest of us.

What I Learned About North Carolina's Dark Past

So here's something I had no idea about: back in the 1960s, North Carolina had the biggest KKK membership in the entire country. We're talking 10,000 to 12,000 people calling themselves Klan members. That's wild to think about, especially since North Carolina was supposed to be one of the more "progressive" Southern states.

The whole thing was basically run by this guy Bob Jones, who was the Grand Dragon. What got to me about him wasn't that he was some cartoon villain. He was just a regular working-class guy who felt like everything was changing too fast and he was getting left behind. These weren't rich people or politicians running the show - they were ordinary folks scared about losing their jobs to Black workers and feeling like nobody cared about them.

The Thing That Really Messed With My Head

The rallies looked like family reunions. I'm serious. Dads showed up in button-down shirts and ties, moms had their hair done nice, and kids were running around everywhere. It was like a church picnic, except it was supporting hate.

That's what really got under my skin - how normal it all looked. When I think of extremism, I picture angry people meeting in secret. But this was happening in broad daylight with families treating it like their weekend social event.

In August 1966, over 5,000 people packed into Raleigh's Memorial Auditorium to support Klan leaders who were being investigated by Congress. Five thousand people showed up publicly to back an organization that Congress was investigating. That shows you how mainstream this had become.

What I See Now.  Here's the thing, though - I've spent time in North Carolina recently, and it's not the same place. Sure, it's not perfect anywhere, but seeing where the state is now compared to where it was in the 1960s is pretty remarkable. I've met people there who are working hard to build something different. I've seen communities that are way more diverse and inclusive than what that documentary showed. The Research Triangle, Charlotte, Asheville - these places feel like they're from a completely different world than "Klansville USA."

Why This Matters to Me as an Outsider

What strikes me most is that change is actually possible. North Carolina went from being the KKK capital of America to a place where people from all over the world come to work and live. That didn't happen overnight, and I'm sure there are still problems, but the progress is real.

It makes me think about my own state and community. If North Carolina could go from having 12,000 Klan members to being a place where diversity is more normal than weird, then other places can change too.

The scary part of that documentary wasn't just the hate - it was how easily regular people got pulled into it when they felt forgotten. But the hopeful part is seeing that those same communities can also choose to build something better.

What I Take From This

As someone looking in from the outside, North Carolina's story gives me hope. Not because everything's perfect now, but because it shows that even when things get really bad, people can still choose to do better.

The families who used to bring their kids to Klan rallies? Their grandkids are probably growing up in a completely different North Carolina. That's the kind of change that makes me think we're not stuck with the worst parts of our history - we can actually move past them.,, 

Disclaimer: used Claude AI to format & put together my notes