My view of affirmative action also changed after I watched the lecture. I was completely against it because I think that only the most qualified candidates should get the job. I still think that, but I realize now that's not always the case. Nepotism is very common, and I've never really heard much about it until this lesson. It's basically the same thing as affirmative action, so why don't people find faults with it? Nepotism benefits us and we perceive ourselves to be superior to others, so we can "justify" it. Well, that is just feeding the flame of social inequality. I agree with you that affirmative action is a good start to combating this problem, but there is definitely a lot more work to be done.

At the beginning of the lecture, Sam asked the question, “What plans would you pursue to bring about greater social equality?” After watching the lecture, I’m not sure I can answer that question, but I do have a better perspective on some important issues that need to be resolved.

The most interesting part of the lecture to me was the video, “Trading Schools”. It’s so crazy how some schools can have so many resources, and other schools don’t even really have the necessities for their students. It’s even crazier that those two schools were only an hour away from each other. I think an important step for social equality would be to start with giving everyone the same educational opportunities. Public schools were created to give students equal opportunities, but that video, along with test score statistics, prove that all schools are not created equal. I know that public schools are paid for with taxes, so I’m not sure how there would really be a fair way to divide up the money. I feel like people in affluent neighborhoods wouldn’t want to give their children less resources to help those in poorer neighborhoods. It’s all confusing to me. I don’t know how to fix it, I just know it needs to be fixed.

Since the beginning of this class, I’ve taken an interest in affirmative action. My husband and I have had many discussions about it and we both agreed that affirmative action was completely bad. Now that I’ve watched the lecture, my opinion has changed a bit. I was surprised to learn that only ten percent of jobs, college admissions, etc. occur because of some kind of connection to an affirmative action program. I always had the idea that affirmative action programs were keeping qualified people from getting jobs, and giving those jobs to unqualified people, just because of skin color, but now I realize I was wrong. While it’s possible that happens sometimes, I don’t think it happens as often as I originally thought.

We also learned that most beneficiaries of affirmative action are straight, white women, which in turn helps white men, therefore aiding white supremacy. It turns out that affirmative action isn’t as bad as I thought it was, well at least not in the way I thought. Affirmative action does seem to have its problems, but I think that it could be helpful if it was used the right way.

I’m actually still having some trouble deciding whether or not I support affirmative action. I really don’t like the government interfering in people’s lives, but I really do want people to have equal opportunities for success in life. I’m sure discrimination will always be an issue, but it would be really good to do something to begin moving toward social equality. I just don’t know exactly what that something should be.

I also feel like the topic of immigration can be difficult to discuss, and like you, I'm not quite sure where I stand. I do think it's good that illegal immigrants work the jobs that Americans don't like working, but it seems unfair for them to take jobs that Americans want because they get less pay. I feel like I should be taking a stance on either side (for immigration or against it), but I really can't make up my mind. You also mention that you don't ever think illegal immigration will stop,and I have to agree with you on that. It has just been going on for so long and I think it will continue, no matter what kind of plan the government comes up with.

I completely agree with you when it comes to LGBT families and adoptions. LGBT families are just as capable as rearing children as straight families. In fact, in some cases, the child will be in better hands if he or she is adopted by LGBTs. At the very least, people should consider the fact that gays and lesbians can't just accidentally have a baby, which means that when they decide to adopt a child, and they go through all of the hassle and paperwork to do it, they really want a child to love and give a good home to. That can't be said for all straight couples. I think that every state needs to get on board with LGBT adoption!

This week’s lectures for lesson 12 were very informative and insightful. I was particularly interested in the part about LGBT issues. At first I was wondering how LGBT issues have anything to do with race and ethnic relations, but after hearing the lecture, I am beginning to see that the LGBT community shares some of the same struggles as the people of color we have previously discussed. I think that shedding some light on LGBTs was a very good part of this class.

At the beginning of the lecture, Sam, told the class to put God out of their minds, and to listen to the lecture without thinking about their own personal religion. I feel that this was a great way to start the class. Although I have my own religious beliefs, I felt that “abandoning” God for that short amount of time helped me to see things with more of an open mind, even though I have always believed that gays should have the same rights as everyone else. They’re people too!

Something that really called out to me in the lecture was the part about LGBTs and adoption. I’ve never given the subject much thought before, and I just assumed that lesbian and gay couples were allowed to adopt children. It turns out I was completely wrong. My jaw nearly dropped to the ground when Sam said that only four states allow LGBT adoptions—four! That just seems completely ridiculous to me! There are lots of kids out there that need loving families, and it seems to me that state governments are denying those children homes by not allowing LGBT adoptions. What’s the big deal, really?

Some people may say that a child needs a mother and a father to have the best chance at succeeding in life. While I agree that having a mom and a dad can have certain advantages, I don’t think that LGBTs are any less qualified to raise children. In fact, I think that in many cases, a child will be better off in an LGBT family. Let me give an example. A child is put up for adoption and spends his life bouncing around foster homes and group homes, but is never adopted. This can cause the child to feel unwanted and unloved, which are hard feelings to get over. Now, a child is adopted by an LGBT family that truly wanted a child. Chances are, that child is going to bond with his new parents, he’s going to feel wanted and loved, and he’s going to turn out just as well as any other child in a loving home. If there are willing, capable, and loving people out there wanting to adopt a child, I say let them do it. Give the adults a chance to be parents, and give the kids a chance at having a family.

I was also really shocked at the results of the doll test. Like you, I thought that the children would want to play with the dolls that looked more like them. It was very upsetting to me when I saw that they were choosing the white doll because the black doll was "bad." This video got me to think about the dolls I played with when I was a little girl. I always played with white dolls because I was white and I wanted my "baby" to look like me. I thought it was the same for everyone. Now I'm wondering what would've happened had I wanted to play with a black or brown doll instead. Would my parents have allowed that? Would I have had experiences with race earlier in life? This lecture has given me a lot to consider!

Something I found to be very interesting about the Lesson 10 lectures, is how different the racial identity stages are for people of color than the stages for white people. I want to specifically talk about the “pre-awakening” and “awakening” stages, because those are the ones I can most closely relate to.

I am a white person, and before I took this class, I was definitely in the “pre-awakening” stage, but now I find myself to be somewhere between the “awakening” and “revisioning” stages. I’m twenty-three years old and it has taken me this long to begin considering what it means to be white, and to realize that there are racial issues that are still very prevalent in our society today.

I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but after hearing the part of the lecture that dealt with the first two stages for people of color, I was pretty surprised to find that the majority of the people of color did not have an experience like mine when it came to going through the stages of racial identity. I was stuck in the “pre-awakening” stage for nearly all of my life, so it was interesting for me to see that people of color get out that that stage and enter the “awakening” stage when they’re so young.

In the video with the children choosing which doll they liked best, I was honestly surprised that more of the children didn’t choose the doll of color. I thought that they would naturally want to play with the doll that looked most like them. Then, when they were asked to point out the doll that was bad, and they pointed to the black doll, I was shocked, and then I just felt really sad. It really saddens me to think that there are children out there that are struggling with accepting their race, especially at such an early age.

Something else that I thought was interesting, was when Sam asked everyone whether they thought Penn State was “too white,” or “not white enough.” I couldn’t answer that question about Penn State because I’m a world campus student, but it did get me to start thinking about where I grew up and the places I’ve been, and whether they were too white or not white enough. I grew up in a smallish town in Texas that consisted mostly of middle class white people. The surrounding cities had quite a few Mexicans, but I spent most of my life dealing with white people. Then, when I was 19, I moved to Brooklyn, where it seemed that everyone had a different background. I visually noticed the difference, but there was nothing inside of me saying “I’m so white.” Now that I think about it, I can easily say that the town I grew up in is “too white.” But, I can’t say that Brooklyn wasn’t white enough because I really enjoyed the diversity. I think this experience helps to understand why people from different places experience Penn State differently.

I don't think that white people are just sat down as children and told, "don't talk about race because we're all supposed to be equal." I think it's more of just a learned behavior from never hearing people talk about it. White people are also afraid of being labeled as a "racist" if they say something about race, so even if they want to say something, they remain silent. It's easier to be "politically correct" than to say the wrong thing and become a racist. What that wrong thing is depends on who you're talking to, which is another reason white people don't talk about race. You never know how people are going to react to your comments.

The lecture for lesson nine was a great continuation of the previous lecture. It was interesting and thought-provoking, but it also left me a little confused. When I watched the previous lecture, I was certain that I had been in the “pre-awakening” stage and had moved into the “awakening” stage, but now I’m not so sure. After hearing this week’s lecture, I think it’s possible that I am now in the “revisioning” stage, or at least on my way there.

In this lecture, Professor Sam talked a lot about guilt, and more specifically, white guilt. This is what made me think I may be in the “revisioning” stage. Before I heard the lecture, I wasn’t exactly sure what white guilt was. I had heard the term before, but I’d always think to myself, “Why would anyone feel guilty for being white? We don’t get to choose our skin color.” While this may be true, I have learned that skin color plays a big role in many aspects of our lives—good and bad.

I thought it was helpful that Professor Sam started out by defining the word “guilt” for us before explaining “white guilt”. It’s a word that most people know, but it helped me to have a better understanding of what white guilt is. After the lecture, I did some thinking, and I realized that I have some white guilt. I mostly feel bad for being so blind to racial issues before taking this class, but I also feel bad for all of the people of color that are not treated equal to whites. Although I can’t remember any specific events, I am certain that my whiteness has given me benefits and privileges that I would not have had if I had a different skin color. The fact that our skin color plays such a big part in how people view us, and what we get out of life, is so angering to me.

I also thought that the fourth stage, “reversal,” was a very interesting part of the lecture. I think that a lot of white people fall into this stage and get stuck. In fact, I’m pretty sure that most of my family members have been trapped in this stage for quite some time. I guess I never paid much attention to them before, but I can now remember hearing my parents say things like, “We shouldn’t have to put up with these people,” and “They are just as racist as the white people,” when I was growing up. They know they’re being racist, but they think they can justify it because they aren’t the only ones. Well, I don’t think they can. There are racist people of every race, but that doesn’t make it okay for white people. It doesn’t make it okay for anyone.

I think that your statement, "White people do not feel their whiteness," is right on the money when it comes to most white people. I have always known I'm white, but I have never consciously thought about my whiteness until after hearing the lecture. I think it's really interesting that you were able to identify with Sam's experience working with the 5 year old black kids, because I couldn't identify with that at all. In my 23 years, I was never sat down and told "you're white...expect these things to happen." I'm sure this is due mostly to the fact that, like me, none of my family members have ever really thought about what it means to be white.