Real World Connection Source:
Moyer, Justin. "University of Oklahoma Fraternity Closed after Racist Chant." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2015. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. Summary (brief) of Current Article on Racism: At Oklahoma University, members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity were engaged in a highly offensive racist chant that used the n-word and talked about "hanging from a tree." This chant was captured on a ten second video while on a bus. The fraternity was kicked off of campus and the boys leading the chant apologized publicly.
Story elements that relate to the book—Similarities AND Differences One of the biggest stories in the news recently was the OU fraternity boys singing an extremely offensive racist chant that was captured on video. This story has many connections to the book Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. These connections help bring out the similarities between racism today versus during the Great Depression. In the book Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, the group of men who came after T.J. casually spoke about lynching and made racist remarks. In the book, it said, "Big as that one n* is, an old one might break!" This shows that the men felt comfortable enough with the topic of lynching that they could make jokes about killing a black man. This is similar to how the boys of the SAE fraternity sang a song that included the n-word and lyrics about hanging from a tree. A major difference between the real life SAE incident and the events of Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry is that the men in the book suffered no negative consequences what so ever, while the boys of the fraternity had to deal with many major repercussions. Even the men who tarred and feathered Mr. Tatum weren't punished, mainly because of the time period. But, as for the fraternity boys at Oklahoma University, their actions caused the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity to be closed on the OU campus, and the two boys leading the chant were expelled. Another difference between Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry and this news story is that since they took place during different time periods, social media caused the SAE incident to be blasted into the public eye. During the 1930s, when the book took place, people may know of the racist things you had said or done, but the story would not be widespread. The video that was captured of the OU fraternity boys singing the racist chant was released onto the internet, where it was intercepted by the media, who were able to project this story to the entire nation. The technology we have today allowed those boys to be shamed by millions because of the mistake they had made. This shows that there are similarities and differences between the racism in Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry and racism today.
How has racism changed since the 1930’s?
Racism has changed in many ways since the 1930's. One of these ways is how racism is viewed by the entire world. In the 1930's, it was extremely normal to be racist. Even if a white person treated a black person with kindness and respect, they still believed that the white race was superior to African-Americans. In 2015, however, the majority of people are not racist. There are integrated schools, churches, hospitals, and restaurants, unlike during the Great Depression. Also, racist people are persecuted by other members of their community and the world. It is not "cool" or "the norm" to be a racist, as it was then. If you are involved in a racist event or act, it is likely that it will be spread around. If your name is associated with any event like this, it is possible that it could affect your whole life, preventing you from getting into certain schools and being hired for certain jobs.
Notes (On KKK)
-Ku Klux Klan started social club for Confederate Army Veterans
- first Grand Wizard (name of leader of program) Nathan Bedford Forrest
- dressed in robes and sheets, couldn't be identified
-Original goal from 1869-1871 was to "destroy Congressional Reconstruction by murdering blacks- and some whites- who were either active in Republican politics or educating black children."
-burned black churches, schools, and pushed them out of their homes, lynched black teachers and eduucated blacks
-could not be stopped until 1871; Congress passed the Force Bill
"The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow." PBS. PBS. 2002. Web. 19 March 2015.
Real World Connection
Source:
Moyer, Justin. "University of Oklahoma Fraternity Closed after Racist Chant." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2015. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Summary (brief) of Current Article on Racism: At Oklahoma University, members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity were engaged in a highly offensive racist chant that used the n-word and talked about "hanging from a tree." This chant was captured on a ten second video while on a bus. The fraternity was kicked off of campus and the boys leading the chant apologized publicly.
Story elements that relate to the book—Similarities AND Differences
One of the biggest stories in the news recently was the OU fraternity boys singing an extremely offensive racist chant that was captured on video. This story has many connections to the book Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. These connections help bring out the similarities between racism today versus during the Great Depression. In the book Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, the group of men who came after T.J. casually spoke about lynching and made racist remarks. In the book, it said, "Big as that one n* is, an old one might break!" This shows that the men felt comfortable enough with the topic of lynching that they could make jokes about killing a black man. This is similar to how the boys of the SAE fraternity sang a song that included the n-word and lyrics about hanging from a tree. A major difference between the real life SAE incident and the events of Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry is that the men in the book suffered no negative consequences what so ever, while the boys of the fraternity had to deal with many major repercussions. Even the men who tarred and feathered Mr. Tatum weren't punished, mainly because of the time period. But, as for the fraternity boys at Oklahoma University, their actions caused the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity to be closed on the OU campus, and the two boys leading the chant were expelled. Another difference between Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry and this news story is that since they took place during different time periods, social media caused the SAE incident to be blasted into the public eye. During the 1930s, when the book took place, people may know of the racist things you had said or done, but the story would not be widespread. The video that was captured of the OU fraternity boys singing the racist chant was released onto the internet, where it was intercepted by the media, who were able to project this story to the entire nation. The technology we have today allowed those boys to be shamed by millions because of the mistake they had made. This shows that there are similarities and differences between the racism in Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry and racism today.
How has racism changed since the 1930’s?
Racism has changed in many ways since the 1930's. One of these ways is how racism is viewed by the entire world. In the 1930's, it was extremely normal to be racist. Even if a white person treated a black person with kindness and respect, they still believed that the white race was superior to African-Americans. In 2015, however, the majority of people are not racist. There are integrated schools, churches, hospitals, and restaurants, unlike during the Great Depression. Also, racist people are persecuted by other members of their community and the world. It is not "cool" or "the norm" to be a racist, as it was then. If you are involved in a racist event or act, it is likely that it will be spread around. If your name is associated with any event like this, it is possible that it could affect your whole life, preventing you from getting into certain schools and being hired for certain jobs.
Notes (On KKK)
-Ku Klux Klan started social club for Confederate Army Veterans- first Grand Wizard (name of leader of program) Nathan Bedford Forrest
- dressed in robes and sheets, couldn't be identified
-Original goal from 1869-1871 was to "destroy Congressional Reconstruction by murdering blacks- and some whites- who were either active in Republican politics or educating black children."
-burned black churches, schools, and pushed them out of their homes, lynched black teachers and eduucated blacks
-could not be stopped until 1871; Congress passed the Force Bill
"The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow." PBS. PBS. 2002. Web. 19 March 2015.
Notes (On Lynching)
-a mob punishes someone for wrongdoing by killing them-common in southern states during reconstruction and afterward
-started during slavery, because African Americans were property(whatever you want to do with them, you can)
-
The Reader’s Companion to American History. Ed. Eric Foner and John A. Garraty. Copyright © 1991 by Houghton Mifflin Co.
-
There are "2805 [documented] victims of lynch mobs killed between 1882 and 1930 in ten southern states. Although mobs murdered almost 300 white men and women, the vast majorityóalmost 2,500óof lynch victims were African-American. Of these black victims, 94 percent died in the hands of white lynch mobs. The scale of this carnage means that, on the average, a black man, woman, or child was murdered nearly once a week, every week, between 1882 and 1930 by a hate-driven white mob"
-reasons for lynching: acting suspicious, gambling, quarrelling, adultery, robbery, unpopularity, peeping Tom, voting for wrong party, frightening a white woman, etc.
-History of Lynching in the United States by Jana Evans Braziel on ACLAnet