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MY HUMN 200 EXPERIENCE

Coming into this class, I was terrified. I thought I was going to be the only white girl in this class and I assumed everyone was going to hate me. I pictured myself sitting in the very back, not speaking ever and praying for an A. Shame on me for thinking that. I assumed I was going into a very close-minded space, but I am so happy that I was wrong.

Ms. Jennifer, I never thought I would ever have a teacher like you, much less in a class discussing such touchy subjects. You made the classroom feel like such a safe environment, threw out some things that many people were hesitant to say, kept everything in line, and always listened fully to everything that everyone had to say. I cannot picture anyone else ever teaching that class the way you did. I truly mean that, not just because you are in charge of my grade (LOL). Honestly, you were so amazing and the things you said and your overall outlook really helped to change and shape my outlook on the world.

My classmates were unbelievable. I did not think I was going to be surrounded by such understanding, kind, open-minded people. I love hearing everyone’s opinions and stories and I love that I was able to ask questions about things that I did not understand and not feel judged. This class was such a good space for people to learn about each other and different upbringings. It is so much easier to think about and discuss a “touchy” subject when you do not feel like you will be attacked or ridiculed at any moment for not understanding something.

I came into this class with all of the wrong ideas and expectations about what would happen, but that is okay. This class proved me wrong in the best way possible. I am so happy to have been able to be around such great people and to hear such deep and personal stories. This class helped me further my knowledge and better my understanding on topics and issues that I would have never been able to otherwise discuss in a classroom setting.

I hope that other students get to have the opportunity that we did, but if not, it is up to this class to make the difference. I will forever cherish the things I have learned in this class, the people I have met, and the opportunity I was given to be myself.

-E’Llise

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Lil Boosie

I literally love this man. All jokes aside, he is my go-to for getting ready in the morning, driving to work, and anything else that I need to be hyped up for. I think he is hilarious. AND HE IS FROM LOUISIANA!! How many other rappers do you know that have made a zydeco song??? He is iconic. He dropped a WHOLE ALBUM from prison. #RESOURCEFUL. He is just great. He loves his mama and his kids, ya can’t ask for too much more. #FamilyMan. He played a concert in JEANERETTE, LA. Who would have ever thought to do that?? You can’t tell me that “Devils” does not make you feel unstoppable. And we ALLLLLLLLL sing his part on the Wipe Me Down remix, don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Basically, I think he’s great. If he ran for president, he’d have my vote. No, he is not perfect, probably isn’t your ideal “role-model,” but he’s real, he makes dope music, he loves Louisiana and his mom seems to think he’s pretty great.

-E’Llise

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Malcolm X is so bold and strong and raw. I love the way he speaks & calls things exactly as they are. He was never politically correct, nor did he ever silence himself in order to avoid hurting feelings. He wasn’t mean, he was bold and outspoken. This quote of his is no different. Honestly, what is freedom? What is peace? Is freedom being able to go anywhere/say anything you please? Yes, partially, but there is more to it than that. Let’s unpack it. In America, we pride ourselves on being free. We have free speech, we have freedom to pray and worship as we want, freedom to walk or drive or fly anywhere we want to. And most of us have the freedom to work or live anywhere we want. There are really no rules or restrictions on the American people, legally. However, we really are not this free in terms of society. You can say whatever you want, but you will receive backlash if it goes against the social norm. You can work wherever you want, but you’ll receive criticism if it doesn’t meet everyone’s standard or what is acceptable or unacceptable work. You are free to love whoever you want to, but everyone will have an input or an opinion about said relationship. So we are really only as free as society allows us. Sure, many of us are comfortable and we don’t worry about pleasing everyone around us, but, it makes a difference. It does. No matter how self-confident you are, the thought at least crosses your mind when you go against the grain of what normal is. The same with peace. How “at peace” can you feel if you know everyone is against you? Of course, God’s opinion is the only one we realllllly need to be concerned with, but society and friends and family have an effect on us. If we didn’t just talk & post about being soooo accepting and ACTUALLY accepted people for all that they are - flaws, blemishes, mistakes, accomplishments, setbacks, dreams, laughs, tears, all of it - then we would know freedom. Only then would we be able to live completely and fully at peace. Obviously, this is not a perfect world & nothing that anyone does will ever bring this world to complete peace (only Jesus can do that). But, we can work together as a society, as a population as a whole, and make this world and this life as peaceful and as free as humanly possible.

-E’Llise

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Change

Change is good. Change is a part of life. It’s natural. So, why are some people so afraid of it? I think that it is not “change” so much that people fear, but more so what can come of that change. For example, if we changed the stereotypes of African-Americans and end the stigma, what would happen? Perhaps, there would be a lot less hate and violence in the world, if we agreed to treat each other equally, as human beings. But when people think of change, they do not think of the positive effects that it will have, only the possibilities of what may go wrong. For example, the racist, old, white businessman might just think that accepting a black person at his company would “lower the value” of it, or maybe “take jobs from someone more deserving.” *eye roll* BUT, what if.... bear with me..... we looked at people FOR WHO THEY REALLY ARE. If we conducted job interviews, school applications, etc. based on only facts & speaking with an individual, with NO IDEA what they look like, the entire world would be  lot more honest and fair. Qualified people would have the jobs, deserving students would get the scholarship, and we would never have to question why they are there. Deserving people getting great opportunities, less hatred and violence based only on skin tone or stereotype, people being themselves fully and whole-heartedly - these are all things that this world is beyond capable of achieving, but it all begins with a change. A change of mind, change of heart, change of social norms, change of what is accepted as “okay.” It is beyond possible. We are beyond capable of making this change, but change starts from within.

-E’Llise

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I think that it is completely disgusting and insane that there are still so many people today that do things like this and even think like this. Like it was said in class, black people are looked at as a “playground” for others to have a little fun and then return home to their normal lives. That is unacceptable. This happens in a lot of situations, but is discussed mostly in reference to white men and black females. The idea of something so “forbidden” or “exciting” crosses their mind and selfish behaviors completely take over. People are PEOPLE, gender and skin tone irrelevant. The fact that a person can look at a HUMAN BEING, and only think of things to do to oppress or objectify them truly saddens me. It is not fair to a black woman, or any woman, to have to experience this kind of hurtful behavior. A woman can be successful, intelligent, kind, caring, loving, etc., but still be treated so poorly because of skin tone alone. I think these white men need to OPEN THEIR EYES and realize that showing feelings for someone, and then ripping that away just because it is not the “ideal family image” is unfair. They are wasting these women’s time, and keeping them away from people who will show them the real, OUT IN THE OPEN kind of love that they deserve. This whole mindset of using someone for something “fun” or as an “experiment” GOTTTTTSSS TO GO!!

-E’Llise

“Eating the Other” by Bell Hooks Thougts

I would like to dive straight into the section that discusses “the other” as being nonwhite people, in reference to sexual encounters.  Upon reading this section, I realized something disturbing.  I realized that, I, myself have been placed into the category of “the other” quit a few times.  For example, my first heart break was by a white boy who expressed his love for me behind closed doors, but could never acknowledged it in public because I was a “black girl” and his parents told him he could not date me.  More recently, I am currently dealing with a (white) guy who has pursed me for years, all the while having a white girlfriend at home.  When I ask him why he is still with a girl he doesn’t want, he has no answer for me.  But I know the answer.  The answer is that I don’t fit into the image he, and his family, expects to have.  He expects the white wife, white children, white dog, all living happily in a white neighborhood, yet he yearns to experience me, the other.  

P.S. For anyone wondering, no, I do not give that guy the time of day, but he is still always in my messages.  I respect myself too much to play with that!

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If we avoid talking about issues for the sake of “political correctness,” we will never be able to change them. Change begins with communication.

-E’Llise

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-E’Llise

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The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house.

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WHITEFACE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

SO, here we have a whiteface Halloween costume. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty pissed when I first saw this picture. It is not even the fact that their faces are chalk-white that gets me, but rather it is the motive and the message behind it. This is not a white character or artist, it is a stereotype of all white people, more specifically, white men. Before I begin, let me say that I know that blackface is much more hurtful and that it comes from years of making fun of African-American people. I also know that African-Americans were severely oppressed and discriminated against all throughout history, so the idea of making a costume that pokes fun at the oppression goes far beyond “it’s just a costume.” HOWEVER, I must ask, why fight fire with fire? Why repay hatefulness with hatefulness? Now, not every white person has dressed in blackface, and most people know how to act right, and not every African-American has participated in this whiteface trend, so I do not tend to generalize either groups of people. Blackface or whiteface is not okay, no matter what the reason is. It is possible to dress like your favorite actor, singer, writer, WHATEVER, without changing your skin tone. These boys dressed as the most stereotypical white man, more so in the south. We have the khaki pants, button up shirts tucked into the pants, trump hats, and even glasses; one even has the belt-loop cell phone clip. I do not know the intentions of these boys. Maybe they said it was “just a costume,” or maybe they just thought it would be funny, whatever the reason, they knew it would cause an uproar. One response to the picture was “if we do not want people dressing in blackface, why are we dressing in whiteface?” And I agree, to an extent. On one hand, I was mad and thought “not every white person dresses or acts like that,” but then it clicked. African-Americans must think the same exact thing whenever they see white people dressed in blackface. So maybe these boys tried to make a statement or to prove a point. Maybe they’re sucky people, maybe they’re really nice. I do not know. What I do know is that this costume, while it annoyed me for a little while, truly opened my eyes. I always said that I didn’t think I would be mad if the roles were reversed and someone dressed like a “white person” for a costume, but I have also never experienced it. This costume does not ring pain or hurt or bad memories to me, as blackface would to some African-Americans, but it did make me feel some type of way, and through that it gave me a small glimpse of understanding.

-E’Llise 

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I totally love the part of this where Troy says “there is only one race - the human race.” I agree 200%. Instead of trying to separate ourselves on the basis of nothing but appearance, we should come together as one united race (humans). We need to learn to love and accept one another exactly as we are. Skin tone, hair style, body type, etc. are all irrelevant at this point. I believe that God made everyone to be equal and we are all made in His image; we need to act as such. The idea of “race” is contributing to the segregation that this country is still seeing today. There is a difference between knowing your heritage & background & embracing your culture and looking for things to create barriers between yourself and other humans.

-E’Llise

‘Race’: Why I Believe We Shouldn’t Use This Word

White people have always tried to make themselves seem superior to all other people since the beginning of this country’s founding. One of the many ways they done this was to use “science” to explain the actual differences between people of different ethnicities. 

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Dear White People, season 1: episode 5

     The first season of Dear White People ends with Reggie and his friend group at a predominately white party. The host of the party and Reggie become friends and start to bond throughout this scene. They are playing a game together, drinking together and just hanging out. A song comes on that is repeatedly throwing out the “n word.” This WHITE party host is dancing right next to Reggie and he is singing along with the music. Reggie simply said “don’t say that” to the boy, and then it all goes down from there.

    This white character gets highly offended. He begins to say that he is not a racist and that it is no big deal. Reggie tells the character that no one is saying that he is racist, he is just uncomfortable with him using the word. They go back and forth for a while, and then a friend of the white boy walks up and revs up the situation. He is being rude and making racist remarks, and then the white boy tells Reggie something along the lines of “you are in MY house, at MY party, drinking MY booze, we are friends, and you know that I am not meaning any harm.” Reggie explains to the character, once again, that it is a respect factor and that he would prefer the boy not use the word. Something happens to where Reggie ends up being pushed into the white character, this leads to Reggie and this character getting into an altercation.  Right as this is going on, the police barge into the party because of a noise complaint. Automatically, they (all white police officers) target Reggie. They ask him if he is a student and are already speaking to him as if he were a criminal. Reggie says that he is a student and the police ask to see his ID. Reggie asks why they need to see his ID specifically and why they are targeting him, at this point the white character is trying to defend him and say that he is a student and that he was invited to this event, but the police are ignoring him. The officer then pulls his gun out and points it at Reggie and demands that he show him his ID. Reggie complies, the party ends, and the scene ends with Reggie sitting on the floor, crying in his bedroom.

    These few minutes were so packed and intense and it worked to show the message that the director was trying to send out. I think the police officer pulling out his gun right after the argument about using the n word was so powerful because the white character treated it as if it were just a word and that it is no big deal. This scene showed exactly why using the word IS A BIG DEAL. This showed that the word is more than just a word, it showed the intensity of the word, and the mindset of those who use the word in a negative context. Racism still exists, and the police officer proved that by ignoring everyone else at the party, and pointing a GUN at a young, black man, only to view his identification. The word is DANGEROUS. People die every single day JUST FOR BEING BLACK. The word hold such hurt and anger and oppression, so to hear it being said by someone who has no idea of the history and the hurt that the word brings, obviously will make some people upset.

    I love the way that this scene was set up, the way it was played out and the message that it brought. It showed a real life example of how the word really does have an effect, and how it can bring emotional and sometimes even physical harm. At that moment, Reggie had come to the realization that there is an actual separation, a barrier, a line drawn between two tiers of people – simply for the fact of color. This scene was hard to watch, and it almost takes your breath away and leaves you completely speechless. This scene was raw and emotional, and it is exactly what this world needed/needs to see to understand the severity of these situations that are “no big deal.”

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POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

The stigma behind being “politically correct” every time you open your mouth to speak is absolutely ridiculous. Obviously, there is a time and a place for everything, and some of these heated topics cannot be addressed in some places. However, if you are avoiding a specific topic simply because you are scared to “rub someone the wrong way,” that is the issue that needs to be discussed. In order to start a movement and to have changes come into play, we NEED to have these uncomfortable conversations. There is a time to be quiet and there is a time to stop being polite, stop being politically correct, and say what needs to be said.

-E’Llise

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Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter

The BLM movement has become a popular and trending topic recently. There is no surprise that this has caused controversy and a divide has been formed. Shortly after #BlackLivesMatter started trending, people began saying #AllLivesMatter. Now, clearly, ALL lives DO matter, but that should have already been established as a norm, not as a response to the BLM movement. I think that BLM came to become a trend because of all of the police brutality going on at the time (and some still now), as well as the way society was headed. BLM was not brought about to say that black lives are more important than white lives, it was actually the opposite. This became a movement whenever the African-American community came together to try and end the killings and harming of their people. Now, I do not agree with the destruction of property, burning of things, and completely ruining some people's business and livelihoods, but I understand the anger. Being quiet and peaceful does not always get a point across. The fact that a movement had to be created, a trending hashtag was formed, just to show the importance of life, no matter the age or race, is very disappointing. If it is said that "ALL Lives Matter,"and if that is the response to "Black Lives Matter," then we, a society as a whole, need to act in such a way.

-E'Llise

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-E'Llise

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There is always something a little funny in our disasters, if one can face the disaster

James Baldwin, “Uses of the Blues”

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SCHOOL DAZE

               The film School Daze, directed by Spike Lee, is one that most would consider to be very controversial. This is the type of film that you cannot watch and NOT feel some type of way. The director uses bold language, uncut dialect, and focuses on some very touchy subjects that most would not even consider. This film conveys a powerful message, but is lightened by the constant singing (and sometimes dancing). This bothered me for two main reasons. The first reason, I hate musicals. But this post is not about me, I just needed to mention that. The second reason that the singing bothered me so much is because I think it took away from a moment or a scene that could be so powerful and so moving, and made it almost into a joke. I also have to consider if that is maybe exactly what Spike Lee wanted to do. Maybe he did not want his whole film to be so powerful and emotional, and maybe he wanted to address the topic at hand, but also show that things have and can be overcome.

               Now, this film had several scenes that literally made me drop my jaw. I do not know if Spike Lee is crazy, or if he is a genius. Or maybe he is both. The first scene of this film that really WOWED me was the hair scene. This scene shows the Gamites, a group of women who all have straight hair, light skin, fancy jewelry, nice clothing, and sassy attitudes, walking down the hall and running into another group of women, who wear their hair short and natural, dress more traditionally, and are not so prestige. The two groups come face to face and you have your typical mean girl movie situation. They go back and forth for a little while, there is name calling and shade being thrown. At one point, a girl with long straight, blonde hair and blue eyes refers to the other girl with natural hair and dark skin as a “jiggaboo,” to which the girl responds that she is a “wanna-be-white-girl” and mentions that she was not even born with that eye color. These groups are both all-female, all African-Americans, and all at the same college. The scene then shifts to all of the women in a hair salon, singing about having “good hair” and “bad hair.” These women had such a hatred for each other based solely on hairstyle and the tone of their skin. This was interesting to watch because these groups of women should be working together, empowering each other and encouraging each other to grow, but instead they were bashing each other for being different. I also had to stop and consider who exactly these Gamites were trying to impersonate with their straight hair and light eye color. Is it to model after a “typical” white woman? Or was it what they considered style? Also, if they were modeling after a white woman, why are they dragging down other women of their own race? This scene opened a lot of questions to me. It was almost funny, just because there was so much drama and shade; but also upsetting because it made me realize that this is something that actually goes on. Not to mention, I never realized how big of a deal hair and skin tone ere within the African-American community.

               The girls with the flat hair and the light skin looked at the girls with natural hair and darker skin as below them. They acted as if you and you worth are defined by the way you style your hair or by the amount of melanin in your skin. You have to wonder why someone would feel the need to drag someone, who is just like them, down, in order to feel some sort of worth or importance. Although it is just a scene in a movie, I really is not. This is something that really goes on in the world, and even though people are changing and growing and shifting from this mindset, the mindset is still there in some people. All women, of all colors, shapes, sizes, and hair styles are strong, beautiful and powerful. All women should stick together, because #girlcode, but African-American women should especially stick together; they should be bringing each other up, and constantly reminding each other of their beauty, without makeup, fancy clothing, or nice jewelry. Black is beautiful, no matter the shade, no matter the hair, no matter what.

-E’Llise