prepare its youth not merely to navigate a racist society or an increasingly specialized job market but also to contribute technical expertise to the cause of “national development” wherever in the African world they were called to serve. I truly believe in starting the learning young, and embedding it into them early, so they are better understood later on in life. 
3. Long after the tides of 1960s radicalism had receded, many marginalized 

Americans continued to imagine the schoolhouse as a locus of self-

determination. Education remains an arena of struggle. My question is why does education remain an arena of struggle?

2.) Merritt College offered a new way of thinking through launching the first African American studies program created by and for Black people. They also hired a Black president, pioneer African American educator, Novel Smith. Institutional change begins by elevating voices and diversifying positions of power because it creates accountability and enhances inclusion. Colleges and Universities have been able to accomplish this but why is it so difficult for K-12 to embrace DEI initiatives or hire DEI Directors or Officers? Is because of money?
3.) Amilcar Cabral said "keep in mind that people are not fighting for ideas, for things in anyone’s head. They are fighting for material benefits, to live better and in peace…National liberation will remain meaningless for the people unless it brings a real improvement in conditions of life." This is still so powerful. Especially during an era of CRT fear-mongering.

2) Rickford discusses in chapter 1 (second paragraph on page 18) that “demeaning implications of integrationist practice intensified Black alienation.” The paragraph goes on to discuss how Black kids (not white kids) bear the burden of integration.  For me, this reinforced what we learned in Module 2C which focused on Brown v. Board of Education.

3) I thought it was important that the video about the Black Panthers emphasized that the actions of the Panthers were legal. The media blew up the fact that the Panthers had guns and overlooked the way that the Black Panthers were supporting their community and defending their community against massive unemployment, lack of healthcare, and a broken education system.  Listening to what the Black Panthers were fighting to defend decades ago are things that still need to be fought for today.

2. I am inspired and warmed by the civic society built by the Black Power leaders.  They used the language of the colonizer to fight the colonizer and built a village of pride, carving out a safe and empowering space.  Their creation of “community survival programs” was beautiful.  I never learned about those programs.  I was told “radical” not “Revolutionary Intercommunalism.”  I learned about the anger, not the schools and health care programs.  My primary education was not only lacking, it contained false information.

3. I graduated high school and college between 1980 and 1990 and I can remember the creep of conservativism – I was not sophisticated enough to understand, but I felt the shift toward money and individualism, and away from community and the greater good.  “Self-centeredness leads to lack of self-awareness.”

4. My grandfather and other older white men in my life used to tell me they wouldn’t have children if they were me, because the world was so terrible now.  It made me sad.  I felt like things were getting better, but they felt the good old days were gone. The good old days weren’t good for everyone.  Now I look to the next generation for knowledge - they are so much more informed and ready than I was.  I am so proud of Millennials - they give me hope.

5. Have things changed more than they have stayed the same?  

·         In viewing the Lunch & Learn with Dr. Russell Rickford, the quote that really stuck with me was, “Schools are expressions of the basic values of the larger society.” Thinking about this course, everything we have learned, and everything we have discussed as a learning community, this statement truly sheds light on the importance and influence of education and how it connects to the society we live in. Education has such a responsibility to provide future generations with innovators, healthcare workers, engineers, human rights activists, government officials, and all of the other members of our society to move forward in peace, equality, and hopefully a better world than what we had. 

·         One of the most important aspect of the Merritt College: Home of the Black Panthers video was the reference to learning the law and following the law with their actions of carrying firearms. When talking about equality, this would be a perfect example of showing that they were following the law that was designed for all citizens, especially in a time of racial tension. Although it received a negative view in the media, the video mentions what they were doing was legal and they could not be enforced to remove their guns. The video goes on to mention that they provided “Survival Programs” to assist those in need within their community and that the Black Panthers were more than just self-defense, but also food, healthcare, education, and much more needed to survive. This portrays a view that does not often get shared about in some media about the Black Panthers. 

 

This content also made me question the empowerment of these actions. Why did the white people conform to this idea that an entire race was not deserving of the same human rights. I could not help but think of Hitler. He convinced a nation that a group of people did not deserve to live because of one characteristic. It is genuinely frightening how a people can be convinced of such things and it happens all the time in history and in places around the world. Humans are human. Why is that not a universal thought? They should not be treated as anything else.  

 

It is extremely disheartening to think that over time and now an entire group of people, my black peers, friends, and even family have to walk around in constant defense mode. They can never truly put their guard down. The Black Panthers were always at war just like many others during that time and many are right now. These videos put into perspective how important these groups are for the black revolution. It is so apparent how much is whitewashed in education system. The way I learned about these topics looked so differently than from what I have learned in this course. How can we trust what we learn and what will be taught going forward? I want my son to know about this country’s history, good and bad. I have a hard time trusting his education will do that in a way that tells the real truth. I know I will do my best to paint a holistic picture of history. This course’s core material has definitely helped me in that area. 

—George Jackson, Soledad Brother, 1970

Cultural assimilation is the last line of defense. Although the United States, as a multi-ethnic immigrant country, in order to consolidate the unity of the Union, it is an inevitable result to cultivate a unified culture. However, as non-European white Americans, their native culture and language face the dilemma of not being taught or used.