Charisma, determination, RESILIENCE. These three words were reoccurring themes as I watched this video. When times get tough, the tough gets going. That phrase could not be any more accurate because life is survival of the fittest and if we do not learn to adapt and transform to situations we will always be stagnant. The people of Haiti know this and avoid this state of nothingness. They find life and culture in disaster. They find a way to smile love and live in what many of us would consider Hell. They learn to live as close to their own lifestyle as possible and it is a very noteworthy gesture. It seems to be a cultural thing, many people of color throughout history has demonstrated this ability. I guess it is a learned tactic, a very useful one at that.
When slaves were forced to the Americas from Africa they were forced to live life the ways the European slave masters set for them to live, or so the Europeans thought. They were mandated to eat, sleep, and work on the command of others. They were placed in groups with other Africans who lived a different lifestyle from what they were used to back in their particular country in Africa. They were forced to work and live with people who they could not even communicate with but low and behold they found a way. These American slaves were fed the remains of animals. They turned these discarded parts into delicacies. Who would ever imagine the foot or intestines of pig could be a food many seek to eat. The groups were forced together, the work was mandatory, and the food was given but the way in which they used these things became a way the slaves were able to outthink the much more educated Europeans. They found ways to communicate, they worked, and they made delicious meals from scraps. They found a way to unite and not only endure slavery but contribute largely to this new society.

This behavior is also evident in the blacks in New Orleans. They were citizens of this great nation however they were not given the best support. We showed more vigor to go to war than to go help them, but nothing stopped them. They stood on roofs, waved flags, and helped each other. They resorted to stealing from stores. Many people saw it as barbaric but it was a makeshift tactic to stay alive, to strive until the necessary help arrived.
This is also the case with the Haitians. Pity, sorrow, and regret will get you know where. Help may come but probably too late if you just sit still and wait. Your destiny, your life, your future, your well-being is all in your hands. These Haitians are aware of this and decided to renew their community within this tent city. They are determined to be the strong resilient people they are known to be. No earthquake, war, or poverty will ever be able to change that because those traits are written on their hearts.

“The inmates are ghosts whose dreams have been murdered,”- Jill John. Somehow this quotes sums up how I thought of inmates. I viewed them as dead bodies simply sitting in a jail cell awaiting their death. I never saw them living lives as we live them. I imagined them lifting weights, doing pushups, showering, maybe reading a holy book, and sleeping. Showing compassion? Sympathy? I didn’t expect. This blog shed a whole new light on the way I view the inmates, it allowed me to take a half-mile walk in their shoes. I visually saw every word he spoke, every scenario he played out and realized that they are able to sympathize with others.

This seems to be a very hard question initially asked however when you think about it, it really is not. Yes, all people should be given equal and comprehensive care in hospitals and medical centers. It will be a difficult task but it is possible, many countries have this established. When we visit their countries and become ill we receive medical attention with little to no cost. When they come to visit us, they better hope to never become ill because unfortunately we are not nearly as welcoming and friendly. Our hospitals are a lot more chaotic but what do you expect when our medical system is driven more by money than by the goal to help the people.

Society sees no color or sees no gender. Society creates limits for us all, yes including us males. Men tend to be less open about trying to live up to society’s standard. Women have this belief that men do not face these challenges or these struggles. I believe men have been better at swinging right back at society. For letting society know that they have to accept the variety and men have learned to embrace their true self. Women, have this same potential but the majority of them allow their bodies and lives to be shaped by society. One year society wants skinny girls with small chest and the next year thick girls.

I completely agree, I believe that the outcome will be different for each person. Moreover, I believe that there is not an end goal however an on going process. We walk each day of our lives in an attempt to improve race relation. Some may advance faster than others. We can always learn something new even those in the humanitarian stage. Each encounter with another person gives us the opportunity to become that more educated on the race relations topic. Arriving at the humanitarian stage does not mark the end of your journey, just the start of your journey through a new understanding.

There is always more to the story. Ironically, we rarely get the full story; we are provided with the portions of the story that supports the story teller. For example, when your friend has a discrepancy with someone else. It is not common for your friend to shed light on the whole situation. They allow you to know the side of the story that they hope will create in you a negative view towards the other party. You, completely oblivious, began to do just that.
This is the case with the media. In America, we hear about terrorist and how invasive and wrong they are. We hear about their suicide bombings. We are informed of their ominous threats. We are given the privilege of seeing their mobs and their chants of jihad. This causes negative feelings to surface within us and they become the enemy.
We never wonder what they see? Or thought how they viewed us. We selfishly assumed that they knew that they were wrong and we were right and that they were immoral and inhumane for keeping this going. Sam shed light on this topic and did so very intriguely, if I may add. I knew that he was passionate about the topic it was evident-his attitude, facial expression, and complete demeanor conveyed the sincerity of the topic.
When he informed us to take the role of an Arab or Muslim in the middle east I thought it was going to be another useless mechanism used to try to make a big lecture class feel interactive. To my surprise it was not, it was a very useful tactic that allowed us to take a couple of steps in the shoes of middle easterners- the other side to the story.
While in the role of an Arabic/ Muslim, I viewed the U.S. as the terrorist and the big bullies. I saw the media shape America into the big bad monster. Resentment, scorn, anger, and retaliation all furnished in my small frame. I was appalled at the U.S for their abuse of their power. I felt the pain as I was informed to imagine my friend, my family, or even me being killed.
In peroration, I was truly enlightened. As Sam said, I too understand through the sociological perspective although I do not support this war, the insurgency war, or even hatred against the U.S. I can see why they feel this way. We are both masked from the entire story. As in the example earlier we are both fed parts of the story to make our government, army, and country seem like the “good guys.” Neither group of civilians can be blamed; we are merely acting on what we are fed. We should however begin to become enlightened on the other side of the story and once we are enlightened we can remove our hatred and begin to understand.

The same question lingered in my mind as I watched the class nonchalantly pop the second piece of chocolate in their mouth. I was even more shocked when I watched Sam eat a second piece. It was like an epidemic and when the guy sitting next to me ate it and seemed to enjoy it, I didn’t know how to feel. At that point my friends and I made a truce -a truce to take small steps. Our small step was to give up chocolate (unless it was fair trade). We knew that cocoa is in a lot of things and modern day slavery is rooted in other things and not just cocoa (i.e. clothes, cell phone material) but this is our step.
I was still perplexed as to how others could eat the second piece of chocolate when I left the class. Later on I had a conversation with another one of my friends and she told me she ate the second piece. She expressed that her giving up chocolate would not make a big deal. It is “ too monumental”. “Too monumental”? Wasn’t that the same excuse Americans had about slavery in the south? I am not saying that every one should rule out chocolate, for that is seriously a personal decision. However, we should not use that excuse. Everything monumental was rooted in something small. It was accomplished by the efforts of those at the bottom.
In the beginning of the semester, Sam called me out. He told me I support slavery all because I had a cell phone. I still have that cell phone, and use it and usually not thinking about what Sam said. So who am I to pass judgment on those who ate the second piece of chocolate?
I believe that we have to take steps toward reducing modern day slavery in our own way. If that is cutting back on a cup of coffee, alleviating chocolate from our diet, buying fair trade chocolate, reducing clothe consumption, keeping the same cell phone longer, or educating others. It is our stride to alleviating or controlling modern day slavery and as cliché as it may sound, every little bit counts.
My chocolate is now in my freezer. I strategically put it there so that I can save it. That piece of chocolate reminds me of the video and that video was a turning point for me. Watching the torture of young men my age do things I would probably give up on was extremely appalling. Their hard work, their persistence, and their commitment is noteworthy. The part of the video that keeps reoccurring in my mind is the part when the young man said he had never even tasted chocolate. That he would not have any nice words to say to those who ate chocolate because in essence they are eating his flesh. That piece of chocolate in the freezer represents his flesh, and his flesh I have chosen to preserve.

Dude, you are hilarious but I respect your efforts. I said in another post that our steps to ending slavery should be steps that we decide to take for ourselves and that is exactly what you did you made your efforts personal and genuine. I must admit it is extreme but if you have the discipline to do it, I must take off my hat to you. I am perplexed at why you gave the shirts you had away. I guess it was another personal gesture. To get rid of a lot of the things that reminded you of the sweat shops, the slavery.

Some things he says are absurd, I must admit but overall he is a pretty intelligent guy. I may not have the same view as him but a lot of times the things discussed I his class allows me to think about where I sand on the issue. A lot of times I come to my opinion by disagreement to his statements. I think we have to do exactly what he reiterates time and time again,” to think”. That is all he aims to do. Yes, sometimes he seems a little pushy but as long as you stand firm in what you believe in you will be fine. It is not until one is willing to have an open ear to listen to other views that they will get the true essence of Sam’s lectures.

Sometimes I believe people lose sight of the ways these terms were used. It is especially hard for people of another race to understand. As Sam always say, “people of the white team will never understand what it means to be black because they aren’t black.” This words has roots in the mistreatment of our people and the fact that elders may only think of themselves as Negroes makes it that much worst. It makes it worse because it seems as if they are brainwashed into believing that the word “Negro” is who they are. I think the census people should prove their study about some people only identifying with the term negro and then show them trying to make a effort in to telling them that the terms black and African American are the same thing but less offensive. In the end, who cares about the census? Why is it that important, it is not accurate anyway?