Just based off the title of the unit I wanted to hear more. Throughout my entire life I heard people specifically in America being classified by race. Without any question I accepted race as an existing concept that has been proven by scientist. Upon reading our first documents I learned that race itself was a construct. Scientists used race to classify people making it easier to results in data. Race only appears real when consequences and benefits of being a specific “race’ are evident in your day to day life. We see it come to life in the way black people are treated compared to whites. In recent times police brutality amongst people of African descent compared to those of european descent is night and day. The people of African descent are treated with more force and suspected of wrongdoing based solely off appearance. I have learned that theories such as the Degenerate Theory and Pre-Adamite Theory have solidified the use of race into real life. Words from respected scientist at the time were used by politicians, and other people in power to justify the treatment and laws put onto people who were not white. This unit in particular made me realize that everyone has a personal motive and will do whatever is necessary to achieve such outcomes. Sophomores who will learn this information need to truly understand that words from hundreds of years ago still affect them in many ways. Recognizing our history will allow us to
Just based off the title of the unit I wanted to hear more. Throughout my entire life I heard people specifically in America being classified by race. Without any question I accepted race as an existing concept that has been proven by scientist. Upon reading our first documents I learned that race itself was a construct. Scientists used race to classify people making it easier to results in data. Race only appears real when consequences and benefits of being a specific “race’ are evident in your day to day life. We see it come to life in the way black people are treated compared to whites. In recent times police brutality amongst people of African descent compared to those of european descent is night and day. The people of African descent are treated with more force and suspected of wrongdoing based solely off appearance. I have learned that theories such as the Degenerate Theory and Pre-Adamite Theory have solidified the use of race into real life. Words from respected scientist at the time were used by politicians, and other people in power to justify the treatment and laws put onto people who were not white. This unit in particular made me realize that everyone has a personal motive and will do whatever is necessary to achieve such outcomes. Sophomores who will learn this information need to truly understand that words from hundreds of years ago still affect them in many ways. Recognizing our history will allow us to