KING/NY TIMES BLOG

Jordan Persad

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King/Ny Times

When the constitution stated that all men were created equal, African Americans were not included. From the excerpts chosen from King’s Chaos or Community he says “The Negro was only 60 percent of a person" (6). King goes on to state that the rate of infant mortality among African-Americans is double that of whites, that twice as many African-Americans fought in Vietnam (and that twice as many died), that black elementary schools lagged three years behind white schools, and that 1/20 as many African-Americans attended college as white Americans. King reports that 50% of white Americans would not want a "Negro as a neighbor." In other words king is pointing out the inequalities and injustices blacks faced in America.

The information given clearly points out that in all facets of life African Americans get the short end of the stick. King uses statistics such as infant mortality rate being double for African Americans that white Americans or that 1/20 as many black American students attended college compared to white students. In the New York Times article Whites account for under half of births in the US” they state that “The United States has a spotty record educating minority youth” which leads to the questions where educations will go from here. Will minority education improve? If not will that lead to the down fall of our nation because of an influx and majority of un-education people will the majority. These are questions that arise and need to be addressed in the immediate future. What hasn’t changed since 1967 is that African Americans still get the short end of the stick in terms of basic necessities. Black babies still die more than white babies and there are more blacks in jail than whites and fewer blacks in college than whites. What has changed is that there are more races facing similar problems as blacks in this country with the large influx of Hispanics into America since 1967. 

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BLOG #2

            The main function of the Wagner achieves at LaGuardia is to collect, maintain and preserve primary sources of New York’s history. During my visit to the LaGuardia achieves me and my fellow class mates where given the opportunity to view personal items previously owned by former Mayor Beane, Wagner, and LaGuardia. We saw an autographed boxing glove dedicated to mayor Beane from Muhammad Ali. We were privy to see a personal rifle of Mayor LaGuardia from his time serving in the military. A New York Met’s baseball jacket giving to Mayor Wagner after, he threw out the first pitch of the season. During our time at the Wagner achieves, we also discussed and read through a speech made my Mayor Wagner right after the 1964 Harlem Riot.  In this speech the former Mayor talks about basically about the affect how he felt there was a large section of the Black community that didn’t want the riot to take place. Wagner directly says “I am convinced that the overwhelming majority of those who live in the Harlem community neither participated, no appreciated the violence and disorder.” He also says that the police are able to use whatever force they see fit to subdue any intension situation. Wagner says “the mandate to maintain law and order is absolute unconditional and unqualified”. In my opinion he is justifying the police in their actions and in a way defending officer Gillian. Gilliam is the office who shot James Powell a young unarmed African American boy and this led to the Harlem riot, which in turn led to Mayor Wagner’s speech. Personally I feel that Wagner was attempting to play both sides of the fence. He didn’t want to further anger or push away African Americans. At the same time he didn’t want to condemn or put down the police force, probably for the sake of upholding the appearance of the law and not looking like a supporter of the radical black movement to his white constituents. I also find it ironic that Wagner had to rush back from making a speech about unemployment in Switzerland when unemployment was a major proponent in sparking the riot.

Jordan Persad

            Have you ever had the unfortunate experience of being around a parent abusing there child? Not simply disciplining them but, outright abusing them for no just cause or real reason.  I have not seen this up-close but I could imagine it is a horror to watch. Child abuse has a strange an ire resemblance to 1960’s America. Again I wasn’t there to witness this time period up-close but I can imagine and from stories from what I learned it was not a site I would wanted to see. America being the parent and the Negro in America being the child, the child could fight back and when they do it could turn into an explosive situation. In an interview “We are Living in a Police State” Malcolm X speaks about how police feel they can abuse Negros, take whatever measures necessary to sub-due the Negro and keep them in check. These actions are causing Negros to harbor animosity for the police whom are supposed to be protecting them and keeping them safe. In another speech “There’s a Worldwide Revolution Going On’ Malcom X speaks about him trying to enter France and being turned away. He talks about the linking of varios colored people. And that it’s not just in America is all over, it’s not just fighting the American power structure but the whole western system of oppression.

NOTES

-finish summary

-main idea next: oppression revolution or fear

Paragraph  2 tie main idea to thesis. Elaborate continue 

blog 1 introduction summary

In this blog I will discuss the introduction to the novel The Chain Gang by Walter Mosley. In the introduction Mosley, Is setting the scene for the rest of the novel. He discusses a variety of problems faced by the people of America. Mosley  specifically touches on  the plight or struggles of the African American in America, he compares it to the vast improvements of technology and during this time and how the progress of the Afro-American has been at a standstill. Also Mosley discusses the struggles of   human race in general, Mosely says that even though people are still on this earth and so much time has passed and we’ve lived through so much people are still killing and suffering and how this is inhumane or cruel. Mosley says “The economic system, the system that rules so much of our lives, does not, probably cannot value human labor above any other commodity or resource” (Mosley.12). This is directed at the capitalist system and how it has corrupted American society and turned people into nothing more than items to be bartered with. He is also saying that to negate and compact all of this we must rebel and fight back. And feel that he believes that combating and revolting against the tide is his way of saying the only way to attack violence is with violence, maybe not physical violence specifically, but the violence of oppression and degradation.  One word to sum up the entire introduction would be disconnected. The people one tier above are disconnected to the problems of the people below them.  The people who are rich are not worried that the average citizen is viewed as commodity because it doesn’t affect them. The middle class white male doesn’t care that the black struggle has been at a standstill for decades.