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The University of San Diego strives to help students find their horizons through collaboration and education.\u00a0 At first, the content in African American History was foreign to me as teachers did not expose me to this sensitive information about racial matters in high school or elementary school.\u00a0 This course and this project, in particular, have allowed me to delve further into the material presented in this course and outside resources that vocalize the struggles endured by African Americans.\u00a0 My commitment and attention to this court allowed me to sympathize with and understand the work of African Americans in history.\u00a0 The repulsive, inhumane exploitation of African Americans left me speechless and disappointed as I look back at the ‘magnificent’ achievements America claims to have achieved without the help of African Americans.\u00a0 “We Want Revolution,” a talk performed by Cathy J. Cohen at the University of San Diego, identified modern-day racial matters and proposed practical solutions with hopes of defusing the conflicts.<\/span><\/p>\n Cathy J. Cohen is the author of two award-winning books: “The Boundaries of Blackness AIDS” and “The Breakdown of Black Politics by the University of Chicago.”\u00a0 In addition to this, she is the recipient of numerous major research grants, including awards from the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.\u00a0 Cohen’s articles have been outsourced to many journals and edited in volumes.\u00a0 “We Want Revolution” highlights critical racial matters in society and eliminates racial stereotypes by proposing alternative viewpoints.\u00a0 Cohen compares race in politics with Barack Obama and his election as the first black president of the United States.\u00a0 Politics continues to be a complex topic of discussion in public environments as individuals stand by their beliefs with passion.\u00a0 Cohen addresses, “Now we know from the work of scholars such as Michael Tesler and John Sides that for many white Americans, including, yes, young white Americans.\u00a0 The election of Barack Obama in 2008 had important symbolism” (Cohen, 11:58).\u00a0 This insight and its reference to other authors is vital to digest as we begin to draw parallels between topics in “We Want Revolution” and “Freedom on My Mind” by Deborah Gray White.<\/span><\/p>\n “Freedom on My Mind” by Deborah Gray White was the coursebook used for the course: African American History.\u00a0 This text introduced me to new terminology and expanded my knowledge of significant historical events correlated with African American culture.\u00a0 The content that resonated with me the most in this course were the ideology, culture, and global racism showcased in the film “Roots.”\u00a0 “Roots,” a movie based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Roots” by Alex Haley, told the story of Kunta Kinte, a courageous warrior in an African American family that faced racism for the first time.\u00a0 Furthermore, the film displays the transition for African Americans from colonialism to reconstruction and its effects on their families.\u00a0 This emotional masterpiece moved the families who watched the movie and inspired individuals to speak against racism by promoting a healthy, friendly society.\u00a0 Kunta Kinte had to be trained at a young age to defend himself from his enemies who intended to kidnap him and trade him for an enslaved person.\u00a0 Many of Kunta\u2019s ‘brothers’ were abducting victims – this anger, frustration, and resentment pushed him to his edge.\u00a0 No human should be a victim of harassment or racial badgering; everyone is exceptional by design and creation made by the hands of God.\u00a0 In history, white Christians and Catholics alike fueled the growth of racism through their insensitive actions. Although, their religious backbone is the golden rule, “Treat others as you want to be treated.”<\/span><\/p>\n Religion and politics come hand in hand when viewing Barack Obama and his presidency.\u00a0 Cohen speaks about how his election symbolizes “the possibility of a post-racial colorblind America promising, if not an end, to at least an answer to the racial discourse and demands from people of color” (Cohen, 12:12).\u00a0 African Americans viewed his election as a win and progress towards an America without racism.\u00a0 However, as Cohen briefly remarks, on the other side of this temporary ‘victory’ lays a brutal barrage of unfaithful comradery directed by whites against African Americans.\u00a0 As whites ran most of the workforce, whites robbed African Americans of their jobs and culture and the last \u201cdomain of supremacy.\u201d\u00a0 This resistance by the whites is often referred to as “whitelash” by historians.\u00a0 Cohen addresses how this ‘white lash’ ensues after the “expansion of rights and power for people of color.”\u00a0 In chapter seventeen, “African Americans in the Twenty-First Century,” of “Freedom on My Mind,” there are multiple occasions where Deborah Gray White writes about Obama and his administration.<\/span><\/p>\n For instance, in the section titled “Racism Confronts Obama in His First Term,” White writes, “When he spoke his mind about racial disparity, he was accused of being a black partisan, unrepresentative of all Americans.\u00a0 When he did not address racial issues…, he was criticized for being so transcendent as to have forgotten how hard it was to be black in America” (White, p. 1049).\u00a0 Barack Obama could not satisfy either audience, which led to tentative speeches, careful word choice, and public backlash.\u00a0 The audiences were not the only problem either; racial profiling by police had Henry Louis Gates Jr. outraged after he was accused of ‘burglary’ while trying to unjam his front door.\u00a0 White writes, “Gates was angry at what he took to be an incident of racial profiling – the use of race, rather than specific evidence, to determine how a person should be treated” (White, p. 1049).\u00a0 This idea, in particular, should not be a worry for any human.\u00a0 You should not wake up and be concerned about your every move because of your race.\u00a0 Your race does not identify you; your personality, status, or religion.<\/span><\/p>\n Cohen goes the extra mile to describe how Donald Trump’s successful election was because of his ability to ‘tap into the white working class’s economic fear, anger, and vulnerability.\u00a0 During this time, America was not at a financial peak, making the economic fear even more influential.\u00a0 Wealthy, affluent Americans did everything to promote Donald Trump and his ideals with hopes that Trump would be able to undo the country’s economic problems.\u00a0 Above is a prime example of how the white working class, as explained before, used their financial status to change the tide of the election.\u00a0 Moreover, Cohen explains that while white Americans struggled with the Obama presidency and their perceived vulnerability – the African Americans were reminded of their physical and political vulnerability.\u00a0 Their perspective on the police influenced this view on vulnerability.\u00a0 Cohen says, “through what seemed and seems like an endless stream of black people being killed by the police, being killed while in police custody…” (Cohen, 14:34).\u00a0 The article “Freedom is a Constant Struggle” by Thomas C. Holt relates his text to this point of how constant brutality inspired societal fear and anxiety.\u00a0 Thomas C. Holt is a professor of American and African American History at the University of Chicago and a scholar of black heritage and descendants of the African diaspora.\u00a0 In Thomas Holt’s analysis of the protect song “Freedom Is A Constant Struggle,” he writes, “And yet a deeper examination of the movement reveals a resistance less driven by heroic male leaders showing the way than simply the accumulated grievances of ordinary citizens…” (Holt, 1).\u00a0 Holt describes how even heroic male leaders experience burnout and frustration, and this is when ordinary citizens must persevere together to make a difference in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n African American History has not only expanded my knowledge of monumental historical events that involved African Americans but also uncovered racism’s unremovable stain on American history.\u00a0 The integration of outside disciplines has made this project more meaningful as I have been able to draw connections between foreign topics and familiar subjects. The insights I have gained through this project have allowed me to formulate a compelling argument that dismantles racism and displays the significance of freedom.\u00a0 Racism and political controversy will continue to be a problem if society fails to change; do your part and make a difference by treating others with respect.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Works Cited Page<\/span><\/p>\n Cohen Ph.D., Cathy, \u201cWe Want Revolution,\u201d \u201cAfrican American Young Adults and the\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>Politics\u00a0 <\/span>of Vulnerability,\u201d Illume Knapp, April 19th, 2022, Illume Knapp \/\/ We\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Want Revolution – Cathy J. Cohen, Ph.D. (panopto.com)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Deborah Gray White, et al. <\/span>Freedom on My Mind: A History of African Americans, with\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/i>Documents. Volume 2 since 1865<\/span><\/i>. Boston, New York Bedford\/St. Martins,\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>2017.<\/span><\/p>\n Holt, Thomas. \u201cFreedom Is a Constant Struggle.\u201d <\/span>AMERICAN HERITAGE<\/span><\/i>, American\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>Heritage, 2021, www.americanheritage.com\/freedom-constant-struggle.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>Accessed 13 May 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Black History at USD Project Seek Your Horizon through Unity John Dusel Dr. Miller HIST-128 May 13, 2022 The University of San Diego strives to help students find their horizons through collaboration and education.\u00a0 At first, the content in Continue reading