Sandra McNair - Let's Talk

Monday, August 6, 2012

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I watch this movie called Band of Angels a few days ago. Think back 1957, slavery, plantations, plantation owner, and the Civil War. The movie has a great cast: Raoul Walsh. Clark Gable, Yvonne De Carlo, Sidney Poitier, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr, Patric Knowles. The movie begins with a little girl (Amantha "Manty" Starr) sitting at the foot of her mother’s grave. The grave is close to the main house. She questions her father (a kindly plantation owner Aaron Starr) about it and he tells her your mother likes it here. Manty wants to know but why not on the hill with the others, in which he tells her never you mind. She is getting ready to go to finishing school. Fast-forward… Manty is home because of the death of her father. She wants to know why is is grave on the hill and not down there with her mother’s? During the funeral, she finds out that her mother was one of her father’s slaves and her father was in debt, in which she is now a slave and to be sold to pay off that debt.

This woman was devastated to find out that she was no longer white, but a slave with nothing. How did I feel when she found out she was a slave? I felt sorry for her. She had been living the life of a norm. She was in finishing school. People respected her, and treated nice, kind and equal. Within a blink of the eye, she become a Negro, with no respect, no nice and kind treatment. She was pushed and shoved just like the other slaves. Her father name meant nothing to anyone.

This movie shows us how we can be one thing today and another tomorrow. If her father had told her the truth about her mother when she was a little girl, she would have never gone to school and lived as the whites did. She did get to see firsthand how it feels to lose it all.

It would be nice to have some of the ancestors who still believe it should be that way, have all of their live pull out from in front of them and have to live the opposite for a while. I do not thing they would last a day. These are my thoughts, just my opinion.

Sandra

Reference

Warner Bros. 1957 Band of Angels, Jul 10, 1957 Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. United States

1 comment:

gregoryubaAugust 6, 2012 at 7:06 PM
I love your statement, "We can be one thing today and another tomorrow." So true. How many people lost their homes when the economy tanked?
Also, did you ever watch White Man's Burden with Belafonte and Travolta?
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Personal Childhood Web

Mom – There is so much to say. She did the one thing that I am so grateful for; she gave birth to me. She is the mom that chose me. She nurtured me, took care of me; I was and still am her angel. My mom made sure I had the best and she stood by my side during by darkest hour (when I was hospitalized). She has taught me about morals and values. My mother is still teaching me every day. She is mom.

Dad - My dad and I were buddies. I was daddy’s girl. I could get anything I wanted from my dad at any time. He was a great dad. He taught me all about morals and values. He worked hard to make sure that we had plenty. My dad and mom were great parents to my two brothers and me. My father passed away June 2001. I miss my dad.

Johnny - My big brother. Johnny has been my best buddy since I can remember. He was away and still there for me. He never would let anyone say anything bad to me and he was always ready to beat up anybody that messed with his baby sister. He this day is still teaching me about life and especially about adjusting to these changes in my life. I know he loves me more than anything. He was there along with my mom when I was sick. He did not work for two weeks, no pay, and has a family too, but chose to stay with me. I was told while I was in ICU he told the doctor not to give me a medicine that the doctors wanted to give me. He said to them “she is in there. I know it. Don’t give it to her. (I was out for 12 days) He is a nurse, so he knew everything they were doing. He is the man.

Mrs. Evelyn Olds, neighbor - Mrs. Olds was the sweetest woman I knew. My mom had to be to work at 6:00a.m. during the week, so she asked Mrs. Olds to check on me and my brothers on own way to school. There were days she would have to redo my hair or change my clothes because my brothers and I had been playing and it looked like I had just got up from bed. I don’t think she ever told my mom. I love her and the wisdom that she would give me as I got older. She always told me to remember what my parents have taught me, to respect others and sometimes it’s good to just listen. She passed away a few years ago. I know God has giving her rest in her soul. I really miss her.

My favorite child book

KidsCooking A Very Slightly Messy Manual by the editors of Klutz Press

I love this book because it let the children get a hands on feel. The book has what we all like to do at some point during the day and that is EAT.

The childen are able to fix their snack or even lunch. The book is well illustrated. The recipes are easy to follow. This activity is helping the children learn so many different things. I like it because it help to get the parent and child together, doing things that some parents may take for grant. When a parent ask for a copy of a recipe or how they can buy the book, to me that is PRICELESS.

Sandra McNair - Let's Talk

Monday, August 6, 2012

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