Deanna colon

Ap Lit
3/23/2019

Slavery is a very sensitive topic whether we want to speak on it or not. We

cannot ignore the simple fact that it did happened and it started something we
call today racism. The way us Americans portray racism and slavery is not okay.
Slavery did happen, and it is something that needs to be noticed and not brushed
to the side. Maybe some Americans are ashamed by it and dont want to speak
on the topic but it's in us to pay the respect for those who did go through slavery.
For Americans to also think it is okay to teach and educate these young students
about slavery the wrong way is not okay it is just making racism more known and
okay. The fact the a white new york teacher thought it was okay to teach her
class about slavery in having a “ Mock slave auction” with a white student biting
on a african american student. If you cannot teach slavery the right way and feel
the need to make it into an act because your students are too young to
understand then you should not be teaching it. If they are too young to
understand you should be teaching these kids when they are able to understand
the effect on slavery and the depth of it. By teaching this to these kids it's keeping
racism alive and teaching them that it's okay to teach children and people of color
that way. Another teacher we spoke about in our paideia was play a game where
the white students had to run and catch the African American students. This is
the education we are teaching our kids that this is what slavery was like as if it
was a game. We should not portray this as if it was a joke and as if it was okay it
was a horrible event that put an effect on the united states that is with us to this
day.
In the book beloved both Paul D and Sethe wanted to forget about their slavery
days and wanted to move on from the past. I can see why they wanted to forget
those horrible memories because they actually went through it but for us to forget
it and not bring the importance to it shows as a country what we are. Slavery may
not exist how it use to but it definitely still has an affect on us to this day with the
amount of racism that happens, the amount of black lives taken from us due to
racism is making us look bad as a country because we have not put an end to
this and it is continuing to happen and get worse, we are teaching this next
generation that this is okay and it's something that can be forgotten because it
happened so long ago but how can we forget what started racism. Slavery still
happens today with prostitution and people selling other human beings for
money. You can say that slavery is in the past and it has ended but has it really?
Have we really gotten over the fact that African Americans are not treated equally
to this day? The fact that a country cannot face their problems and make
changes for it. We are all human beings there is no different in the color of your
skin we all have a brain, a heart, 10 toes, 10 fingers, and a reason to all be here.
Racism can be stopped if we stop teaching these kids that it's okay to portray
slavery this way and make a game out of it. Like I said if you cannot teach a
major topic like this the right way and in depth to the major things that actually
occurred then we should not be teaching them until you can teach it the right way
and not have to make a game out of it. As for me I feel I learned so much about
slavery I did not know about and I feel I look at slavery so much different that I
can speak on the topic and say that there is so much wrong about it and it needs
to be brought to our attention as a country.