Ferguson Student Center Observation

It is interesting to note that, if a white person is lacking whiteness, the society will not point out the flaws of the person. However, if a person of color lacks whiteness, they are automatically put in an imaginary enclosed box, where we (Americans) judge or punish them for not being like us. It could all be because of fear, so our automatic reaction could be to fight back, distance ourselves and start using discriminatory practices against them. As long as Americans hold onto these biases and create this imaginary box for people of color, we are allowing millions of people to be in danger in our name.

Civil rights groups are not a new thing in the United States, but after the disputed case of Trayvon Martin who was killed by George Zimmerman, the movement has been growing tumultuously. After Martin’s death, hundreds of high school teens began protesting, demanding both Zimmerman and chief police be fired. With the help of social media, Umi Selah and other activists were able to organize a forty-mile march from Daytona Beach to the headquarters of Sanford Police Department (the department that dealt with Martin and Zimmerman’s case.) The march lasted four days and ended in a five-hour blockade of the Sanford Police Department’s door. This organized protest was just the beginning of what quickly became the Black Lives Matter movement (McClain 2016).

After taking my daughter to visit the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, I knew that this was the topic of choice. During this visit, they allowed the parents to ask open questions about the school and voice their concerns. The main subject of the questions was all about August 2017. August 11-12, 2017 the University of Virginia and the town of Charlottesville was visited by a group of protestors at the Unite the Right Rally which

On February 7th, 1960, a week after the Greensboro sit-ins, The Nashville Student Movement had begun their first real sit-in. The objective of these sit-ins was to desegregate lunch counters in downtown Nashville. Book 1 goes into detail about the preparation for these sit-ins. Months before this

In the first presentation, I noticed an event called the Greensboro Sit-ins. This was a single event that sparked a nationwide movement and flood of support for the civil rights movement and the issue of business owners withholding service from those who were not white. On February 1st, 1960, 4 students of the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University sat at a whites-only lunch table, requested service, and were then denied and asked to leave. When they left, they went to tell campus leaders what had happened and as a result gained people that wanted to participate in the sit-in. It is said that “the next morning twenty-nine neatly dressed male and female [NCATSU] students sat at the Woolworth’s lunch counter,” the same counter where those first four students sat (NorthCarolinaHistory.org). After this happened, protests occurred each week and hundreds of students were showing up at Woolworth’s. Following this, more and more students from around the US were staging sit ins at segregated lunch counters as a form of non-violent protest against discrimination.

How did the response of the Black community change, especially after students began being arrested? How did this response reinforce the action of the students?

Since the 1970s the black population of Ferguson, Missouri has been met with prejudice, racism, and injustice. The area has been defined by zoning that made up ghetto boundaries, segregated public housing, and government subsidized development for whites only. This has been going on for 40 years and the tension between the black population and the law enforcement has never been higher. Nicole Bolden who was arrested for several warrants, however these warrants were nothing significant they were failing to appear in court. Nicole did not show up to court for a speeding ticket because she could not afford to pay it.(Placeholder cite) She is a hard working woman trying to raise her kids, work, and go to school. This is a common issue that has

Integration for black and white students wasn’t easy. On September 4, 1957, Governor Faubus sent the National Guard to the school saying that it was for “the student’s own protection” (History). The nine students, Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba

Attending The Charles H. Wright African American Institution, the largest, made me elated. This was my initial feeling because I have been wanting to go but always procrastinated. The reason for my procrastination was due to me thinking I learned everything about the African American history in high school. As I entered the building, I noticed the ceiling, the floor, and the flags. The ceiling being high, transparent, and resembling a round house gave the building a sparkle. The floor had a story behind every image that was seen, prosperity and bloodshed. The flags reminded us of where we come from and escaped to. A sense of excitement and relief filled my body! Excited because I have never been there. Relieved because I was finally going to

The University of Mississippi has its share of racial issues, which result in bad media coverage and lessening the number of diverse students even more. The University of Mississippi has recently had an incident involving race which ended with a protest and the voluntary withdrawal of a student. The use of the peaceful protest made the University become aware of the severity of the racial comment. The use of protests are to demand that colleges be aware and to demand punishment for the racial crime committed. Peaceful Protest usage seem to result in positive outcomes such as within the situation at the University of Missouri. This situation involved “racial inequality and the lack of action from university authorities” (Rhoden). The unfair treatment of a minority and lack of punishment for the racial matter caused the students to begin protesting. Regular students began protesting but with

Racism is a controversial point that has been taking place in the United States since early times. This same point was affecting students in the University of Missouri since several months ago. The Missouri University’s president Timothy Wolfe has been accused of not taking action against the persistent racial epithets and actions in the university. After the biased demise of Michael Brown, by a white police officer, an abundant number of students and faculty members were inspired by this incident and held demonstrations and protests against segregation. However, the crucial impact that cause Wolfe’s retirement of his responsibilities as a President of the University was the Football boycott. The country’s most dominant college football league

It took one gunshot to put a city into an uneasy frenzy throughout the day, and utter chaos at nightfall. It began with policemen standing side by side and protesters ready to strike; came face to face. All around there were Ferguson citizens, each standing tall defending his or her respective sides. Protesters were holding signs with powerful words like “Black Lives Matter.” In a split second, havoc was reached, and in a blink of an eye, everyone was encircled by the fog from tear gas and flipped police cars. With the sound of sirens echoing through the streets and fires set all around, no one was safe in the city of Ferguson.

Supporting the success for diverse students on campus is just the beginning to make their experience as equal to that of the white community. Without positive campus attitude and without the recognition of what diversity brings to a school and a classroom, the system would not thrive and those of a different ethnic background will not be inclined to attend. The conclusion to Espinosa’s, Gaertner, and Orfields article is that college and university leaders

The next segment during Diversity Day would have counselors running groups in order to educate students to stand up for others and also hear first-hand stories from other students that have been treated differently for being different. Counselors will facilitate students in discussing past stories of witnessing or receiving discrimination and have the students discuss what they have heard. For students that have witnessed these acts, they can discuss how they felt when they decided to stop the act of discrimination. Additionally, they can also discuss with the student how they felt when they decided to not stop the act of discrimination. For the students that have suffered from acts of discrimination they can explain how they felt when someone stepped in to help them. Additionally, students can explain how it felt when no one stepped in and just watched as they suffered from discrimination. The purpose of this activity is to educate the students on how the victims feel when someone helps them compared to someone who does not. Additionally, it will educate students on how people felt when they helped someone in need compared to someone who watched the incident without intervening.

My first day of observations had finally arrived. Filled with excitement, I opened the doors to Pleasant Ridge Elementary School, and walked into the front office to sign in as a guest for the day. I made my way to the second grade wing to do my first observation for my field experience report. The second grade instructor greeted me as I entered her classroom, with a big bright smile I found made her classroom warm and inviting.