Episodes 2 & 5 Question Responses
As I reflected on the video, I couldn’t help but wonder how women were able to endure the hardships and struggles they faced. It is heart-wrenching to think about how women have always had to fight for their right to participate in society and yet, were still treated as inferior beings. The video left a lasting impact on me as I watched how even pregnant women were forced to work hard, leading to a high rate of stillbirths and leaving them unable to care for their children like white women. It was shocking to see how society has spread harmful stereotypes to defend white men who rape black women.
Despite the progress made, power imbalances are still prevalent, and one of the ways to address this is through black resistance and the refusal to conform to white expectations. Education and sharing stories of lived experiences are powerful tools in reducing these power imbalances. However, there are still struggles in the black community, particularly in the treatment of women during childbirth. Due to the racist attitudes of some doctors, black women giving birth to twins are treated differently based on their race, resulting in tragic outcomes.
Learning about the past, it’s difficult to comprehend the atrocities committed against black people, particularly the forced breeding of slave men and women, regardless of their marital status or consent. This disregard for basic human rights and dignity is harrowing, and it’s concerning that society has normalized the rape of black women.
The video evoked strong emotions in me, and I felt a deep sense of shock and sadness as I processed the immense pain and suffering that black people have experienced. It’s difficult to imagine the pain of losing a child before they are even born or being treated as mere machines to produce more slaves. The video frames these atrocities through the lens of feminism and the language of the past, highlighting the mistreatment of women throughout history.
As I watched the video, I was struck by the fact that, despite the passage of time, black people are still viewed and treated as inferior. It’s a painful reminder that, even in modern times, we still have a long way to go in achieving true equality and justice for all.
Episode 5:
I was left wondering why this was happening and how laws were allowing such atrocities to occur under the guise of fear and threat. The amount of violence being inflicted upon black people was overwhelming. Social media was portraying black people in a negative light, which was something I had seen before coming to the United States. However, upon arriving, I noticed that this portrayal was completely opposite to reality.
In the community, violence was predominantly being perpetrated by white police officers who viewed black people as a threat to their safety. Black people were being mistreated and were constantly being oppressed. To address this issue, I believe there should be a law in place that protects black people and limits the actions of white police officers.
The number of violent incidents and deaths among black men had led many to believe that black men are more under threat than black women. Both genders, however, are subject to police brutality and are killed simply because they look dangerous. The reason why some white people view black people as dangerous is rooted in history, where black people were believed to have been planning to attack their owners.
The amount of violence that black people have endured, and continue to endure, has left me feeling a mix of sadness and anger. It is disheartening to see that humanity does not seem to extend to black people. If I were there, I would fight and resist, even if it meant putting my own life on the line.
I like how you put yourself in their shoes and really tried to feel how they feel to understand the topic more