Today I made the choice to play a recording of an African American Slave singing a work song. I was a little tentative since I wasn’t sure how the class was going to react. I have 57 students most from Idaho, Utah and only one student that is black (from L.A.). So, I took the plunge and played it. After the song, everyone was quiet. One student said that it had a haunting feeling to it. I said, that he made a good point and that I was hesitant due to not wanting make anyone feel uncomfortable. However, it is our history and it really happened. I am mad that I was even hesitant as Americans should remember the despicable acts for which humans (this includes Americans) are capable.
The truth is innocent Africans died, families destroyed, bodies beaten all to build America. Early Americans were terrorists as they pushed the American Indians off their land, and forced West Africans to make make them rich. Why deny it? Most of the students in my class were not taught about African American history in school, or at least not in detail. Hardly anyone raised their hands when I asked them if they had learned about the Jim Crow law in High School.
Which leads me to another frustration. How do people think that this is God’s country? What gives us the right to go in and bomb Iraq bully countries whose religion and culture is nothing like ours. What is this war against terror, when our America was built by terrorists. Is it because our God is right? The sooner we can give up fanatical Gods the sooner our world can have peace. Not only does this go for American religions but all over the world. The sooner we can give up our animalistic tribal nature can we as a species live in peace with our fellow man.
