Sorry if this is hard to watch but sometimes I want to revisit this part of our history. I watched in horror, sad, afraid, disappointed, but in the end I feel overwhelmingly thankful for where we are today. I don’t want to remember to illicit bitterness. I want to remember to stay grateful.
What emotions did this evoke in you? Big question – is forced integration a good thing in all circumstances? Let’s talk…
#1 by mary gallo at July 9th, 2010
What emotions did this video evoke? sadness to the point of tears, and suspicion too. Sadness especially for the lone black girl. She must have been so afraid yet bravely went on. Sadness that out of so many people gathered, there was only one person who came to her aid. How many of you think that you could have done so?
So many out of town license plates makes me wonder-why were they there? Were there ” professional” agitators and pr people intent on “proving” to the rest of America that integration brings nothing but trouble?
Is forced Segregation/Integration a good thing in all circumstances? Forced anything is usually a bad idea.
#2 by Angela at July 9th, 2010
I know Mary, so sad that this is part of our country’s history. What a brave little girl!
#3 by Ian at July 16th, 2010
That is a video worth watching. Thanks for posting it.
I have just come across this web site and find it interesting.
One thing I noticed in the video is the similarity of dress between the students and the ‘mob’. Clearly the people were rejecting the students based upon nothing more than the color of their skin.
Today things are quite different, where racial biases are based more upon culture and not the color of one’s skin. The President is a fine example of this; his skin is dark but he shows very little of his African, or African American cultural heritage.
I would very like to see more discussion about the topic of race as culture, or ethnicity rather than race as genetics.
Thanks for hosting this site. It really is important.
#4 by admin at July 16th, 2010
Interesting observation about the dress Ian. Yes, this is clearly a race-related incident from our history. Things are different today, but some bias based on skin color does still exist, in my observation. Thanks for commenting.