Prompt 2:

My first experience with race was when I was in my U.S History Class. We were learning about the southern laws and racism. I started to look more in-depth at segregation laws in the 1950s. I read that races are divided in schools. African Americans and Caucasians were put into different schools. Is this happening right now? Yes. I did my research and realized that this problem is still going on. It just seems normal and no one does anything. Why are white people always at higher and richer schools than people of color? Even if there's 10% of people of color. Why so low? It made me mad and sad when I read all the data from different schools. America will continue doing this. Even if we get a stable job, and put our kids in private schools. Racism can happen and our kids will face it. I started to look at my surroundings that day. Saw violence, poverty, and no sign of help or justice. However, it has changed my worldview for the better. As we grow, we experience bias situations. I realized that it's no one's fault for not knowing their history and making a change. Not all parents take the time to educate their kids about sexuality, race, religion; instead, they say things they don't mean. Therefore, I am here in this course to educate myself. 

Prompt 3: Someone who has a negative or positive view of themselves will affect how they view their ethnic identity. Our problems begin at home or in society. No matter how much you back up your beliefs, someone will disagree and drain you with ignorance. Someone who has a negative view of themselves can't have a positive sense of their ethnic identity. When you are uncomfortable with yourself, then you don't like anything that surrounds you. You don't enjoy your environment. You may wish your parent's beliefs could change, but they won't because they are stuck to their rules from way back. Someone who identifies positively with African American Psychology has a stronger sense of self and ethnic identity. People who are educated about their history. They grow wiser instead of creating hatred and spreading it to the next generations. 

I passed the other stages was accepting my identity and learning about my family's roots. It would trigger me when people would say "oh because they're Mexican." Like it that means something. It wo

Resource: I decided to pick this article because of my culture. Hispanic Heritage month was in October and I am not aware of the significance and how we can celebrate it. I learned the difference between Latino and Hispanic. This article connects with me because of my race and the struggles people experience. Like Africans and African American, I wasn't aware of the difference and how they have a connection at the end.

The strengths of Black neighborhoods and communities are understanding one another. The social and discrimination African Americans have faced they have supported one another and collaborated solutions for the community. For example, they look out for their children. As they face struggles, they know how to prevent and keep an eye out. I believe when someone becomes resilient like African Americans especially throughout America’s racism. Their emotional experience has grown better. 

2. WEAKNESSES: What are the weaknesses of Black neighborhoods and communities and state one solution to an issue you have raised?
A weakness of Black neighborhoods and communities is the household income. It is proven that African Americans earn less than White people. Some families (not all) struggle to find jobs. A solution would be as a community, everyone needs to work hard and look everywhere. When individuals don’t work it reflects on the city they live in. You can’t offer anything back to your community due to financial issues. Everyone prospers when they have their own money and provide for themselves. 

3. OPPORTUNITIES: What are three ways in which Black neighborhoods and communities could play a role in the progressive movement of the Black community?
Three ways the Black neighborhoods and communities can play a role in the progressive movement is having rights. African Americans' education will use these rights like voting. These rights will let individuals project their voices in political movements. Another example would be discrimination against each other. It is proven by many social issues that hate crimes against the same race occur. If we want to improve and progress, then we can’t cause damage to each other because we know the struggles of being of color in America. Last, give individuals the opportunity to start a new life without having to carry ancestors’ “slavery” term. Giving them the chance to work and live in a nice neighborhood and now be able to get loans. 

4. TREATS: What is three ways in which Black neighborhoods and communities could have a detrimental effect on the progressive movement of the Black community? 
Treats Black neighborhoods live in a community where stereotypes are allowed. Due to the person doing something bad, it affects everyone. Inequality plays a role too. For instance, people refer to them as “ghetto”. It's a slang term that all communities are the same. African American families lack resources where their city takes place. They don’t have educational and employment opportunities. This affects their progressive movement because they can’t pursue higher education and increase finances. Last, family and community behavior are affected because all the hatred on traumas can be reflected in family members such as anger. 

5. I picked this article because it gave me a better understanding of the Progressive era. I wasn’t sure what African Americans experienced during that time and what actions they took. This article points out important people who fought for rights and equality. It gave me the definition of the Progressive era. For example, the segregation African Americans had to go through and how some cases were unconstitutional after taking it to the supreme court. 

6. Something I learned in this Unit was the importance of the progressive movement. I found the redlining law interesting because it is still happening today. People are being segregated but in reality, it is reflected in people’s opportunities.  For example, Latino struggle to get the same educational and employment opportunities because they’re immigrants and get racial comments. Redlining is stopping individuals' goals to prosper in their community and home. 

The most important thing that I learned in this unit reading and caught my eye was interpersonal attraction. I always wonder how we are attracted to others or what we look into. I didn’t know there were two types of attraction: Proximity and Similarity. I believe this is important because we express our emotions and preferences. My attraction is proximity because I tend to like people who live around me, they don't need to have the same beliefs and opinions as me. It has deepened my understanding of Black male and female interpersonal and close relationships because the top characteristic of mates is important. The chart shows the difference between males’ and females’ desires which is completely different. One can look into a relationship that has different goals or perspectives. It can also affect marriages for instance no one is providing in the house and having different goals can challenge one another. For instance, a partner can be interested in their education yet the other doesn’t believe in “education '' to bring something good. 

2.  How do long-standing stereotypes in the media of African American females being portrayed as property (i.e. in rap videos etc.) affect the psyche of those seeing these images and the African American woman's dating prospects?

The stereotypes in media of African American females portrayed in different properties can affect the psyche of those seeing those images because they believe all women will do that and aren't “loyal” to their partners. In reality, they don’t know the reason why they’re doing that. Some use them for their finances. Most people see them differently as “sexual” things. This can affect African American women dating prospects because they can get scared of being hurt or not taken seriously by their partner. 

3. What factors are contributing to the rising number of single Black unmarried females?

Some factors are not marrying someone outside their group (race). They are most likely to marry men who are outside of their education. Some are scared to have kids because they face double jeopardy and face challenges in the labor market because of race.  

4. Why is there a stigma in the African American community against the LGBTQ community?

There’s a stigma in the African American community against the LGBTQ community because society makes them look different than everyone else. For example, in school counselors and teachers aren’t open about sexuality and can bash students without even knowing their students. They don’t make the subject important and walk students in their preferences. Another example would be religion. Some individuals grow with the idea of liking the same gender as a “sin” which stops them from coming out. 

5. Find one resource that helps you understand these themes and post it to your padlet. State the resources' significance to this unit's material. 

I picked this article because it focuses on the struggle LGBTQ African American families face. It’s sad how family rejection and social isolation keep increasing, instead of having family’s support their members. In this article, I learned that American Americans lack social support and rely on the acceptance of parents, religion, communities, and schools.  I learned that families reject and don’t accept because they grow up with the mindset that it’s not okay. They rather walk away and now know anything from an LGBTQ family member. This affects individuals because they’re not happy and society continues to discriminate against them.

2. The theme I chose affects the African American community because Black single motherhood means less stability to grow and less wealth. For instance, they are so young they don’t have a job or parents may not support them. Some drop out of school and don’t receive their education to pursue a career. It can also affect mothers' health.  

3. A strategy that can be used to improve my selected theme is to have mental and physical support from family and school. African American and other groups don’t get the education they need when it comes to sexual activity. There has been lack of support for teenagers. 

4.The resource I found for my theme is significant to this unit material because it highlights the struggles black and Hispanic girls' pregnancies more than white girls before they leave adolescence. It revealed that these girls utilize the  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They also point out that teens don’t get sex education, which can prevent pregnancy in adolescence. 

5. One thing that I learned in this unit is that African Americans have a higher rate in drug arrest. It means that drug is affecting African communities. When an individual consumes alcohol or drugs, it can lead to family problems, financial problems, and lack of education.

2.Older African Americans attend Black Protestant churches because they are part of the Silent generation in which they identify Black denominations while black millennials had a lower percentage. However, Black millennials are still more religious than any other group, and they at least pray and attend religious services daily. 

3. Attending church can help African Americans’ mental health. It is proven by the Pew Research Center, which states that individuals who attend church regularly seek help and guidance in their problems. They seek spiritual help and personal problems from the clergy. This helps them stress and find peace with their religion. 

4. The article I chose because it goes beyond on African Americans attending church. It explains why Africans Americans attend religious services and how it helps them. I learned that it helps grow their faith and hope in their lives. By praying, they find answers and look at solutions on the racial issues they face. They also attend black congregations 

5. One thing that stood out to me in the Unit was the religious difference between African Americans and other racial groups. Respectfully, I didn’t think African Americans had a higher commitment than Hispanics. I attend church every week and I see my surroundings. I had assumed all this time African Americans don’t attend church as much. However, this lesson and readings have taught me I was wrong and they are involved after all. 

3. One program that has helped millions of people in the United States is Obama Care. This program has helped families with low income have health care, even if they're immigrants. Another strategy would be to lower the cost of medicine. The government should partner up with medical systems and lower the cost because many families can't afford the medicine that's prescribed. The last strategy would be hiring potential doctors who know their job. Cities are divided into high or lower income, but it shouldn't justify putting doctors with no experience to serve patients. 
4. This article highlights that African Americans are most likely to fear and mistrust their clinics due to them experimenting on them. Also, these issues happen to poor communities. White people don't face challenges with "experimentations" because of their race. 
5. One thing I learned in this unit was the corruption and fear people of color face in medical systems in the United States. I learned about the two sisters who were taken advantage of and sterilized. It's cruel and awful how people hurt others to experiment. I can imagine those poor babies getting drugged and without their consent. Yet, the clinic believes they won't fight back because of their race and social class. This case stood out to me because I've seen discrimination against people of color in medical systems. People of color struggle to get health care because it can be too expensive or clinics won't accept them at all.