AAS Padlet - Rowen Huggins by Rowen Huggins

"Because racism isn't always loud..."

rowenhuggins — 2025-03-28 05:36:36 UTC

I liked this video (or rather its caption) because it explores ways that racism can be seen or done that most people might not realize. In particular, I liked the comment about how assuming a person of color only got their job because of "diversity hiring" undermines their achievements and diminishes their qualifications. That's something I've seen a lot of in my life.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

rowenhuggins — 2025-03-28 05:46:15 UTC

I recently watched this movie because it was free on YouTube. It's a very nice and sweet movie with a good message of looking past differences and the whole nine yards. But it's still important to touch on the fact that all the African American characters are housemaids, drivers, servants, etc. are portrayed as happy and glad to be serving white people all the time. They never once question it nor show a longing for something better, and it's something often seen in media, especially back in the 1980s, where this film was likely a little more "progressive."

Free State of Jones (2016)

rowenhuggins — 2025-03-28 05:52:06 UTC

I also recently watched this movie. It's rated pretty poorly, and I honestly couldn't tell you why. But anyway, it's based on a true story and the actual history behind it is very interesting to learn about it, as is most stuff about the Civil War. The subplot is the descendant of a black mother and a white father (main characters in the film), trying to prove his marriage is legal with a white woman in court in Mississippi (1950s). One scene in particular that struck me as scarily realistic was when the Confederate army finally convinced three black "fugitives" to come out from hiding, two of which were young children and promises no harm to them if they come and surrender. Only when they do, the army general orders them all to be hanged. It was a sad truth of the time, that these people just wanted to kill because they had hatred towards people of color, and much can be said the same about cops and other institutions in the U.S. currently.

"Racial Segregation and Concentrated Poverty: The History of Housing in Black America"

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 04:32:07 UTC

This video seemed to be a good fit, and what caught my eye (or ears) was one of the first lines, which makes you open your eyes and think how crazy it is that it's true.

Django Unchained (2012)

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 04:36:29 UTC

I watched this movie many years ago, and I think it's interesting that it touches on freedmen and some of the loopholes that allowed black men and women to be free when the law of the land was slavery in the south.

Holding a Black Lives Matter Sign in America's Most Racist Town

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 04:50:20 UTC

This video went pretty viral during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and two moments stood out to me, one at 0:54, which is no different than the mindsets of all the other people. Still, the comfortability being on camera and saying "coon" and asking why their lives matter is absurd to me. The second part is at the very end, where the person gave him the note saying what he was doing was good and he should keep it up. It's insane that he should have to blur her face to protect her from such vulgar hate in that community.

"The Nations Biggest Collection Of Racist Objects Are All In A Michigan College Basement"

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 04:58:13 UTC

This video interests me because I can relate to the founders' statement that this memorabilia is everywhere. I was in Durham last year at a secondhand store, and there was a whole corner in the back full of racist stuff, cups, statues, plates, towels, piggy banks. A paper towel holder was designed to resemble a mami, and it said "yous gots to wash yo hands."

"They owe us each a minimum of 300k."

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 05:05:59 UTC

I found this video randomly on my feed, which was interesting due to its controversy. The comment section is filled with anti-reparation stances, which I am personally on the side of, at least in the way this person wanted. I disagree with financial reparations in the form of giving cash directly to descendants of slaves or even just African Americans in general. I talked about it in the most recent ChatGPT assignment.

"Police investigate after white mother used racist slur at Minnesota park"

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 05:15:39 UTC

It always amazes me that people still hurl this kind of language and spew hateful rhetoric when there is always somebody recording or even just cameras stationary.

12 Years A Slave (2013)

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:01:18 UTC

This was a very moving film and again explores how the country was split down the middle in terms of where Black people were free and where they weren't.

Mississippi Burning (1988)

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:05:58 UTC

Get Out (2017)

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:14:44 UTC

This kind of horror movie is scary for reasons other than jumpscares. When I finished watching this movie, I thought how interesting it was that these people would use black people to reincarnate their family members when they could've just done it to someone more resembling them.

Black Female Stereotypes

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:16:48 UTC

We've touched on this subject directly in class, but I still found this video interesting and it's crazy how there's one of these stereotypes in almost every single show or movie created in the past 10 years that has a black side character.

If she can be Rapunzel

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:20:14 UTC

This video was interesting because the creator's argument is very defensive and purposefully controversial. If people of color can play white characters, it should be the opposite. This sparked a lot of debate in the comments.

Police Shooting

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:23:33 UTC

This TikTok shows a police officer shooting a visibly unarmed black man who was running away from him. The defense by the cop was that he was a threat, even though when the video is paused, you can see no weapon that would make him a danger.

Race AND Gender Paygap

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:26:22 UTC

This video was interesting because although the content and information are old, not much in America has likely changed. The host tells the difference between the average white man's and black man's salary, and the black man's salary is significantly lower. What interests me is that when they talk about black women and white women, not only are their salaries both lower than the men's, but they're very similar. It's interesting how, in this case, gender takes precedence over race in pay.

Mr. Rogers Sits With Black Police Officer

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:28:42 UTC

This piece from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was groundbreaking when it came out because at this time, it was either illegal or not common in most places for Black people and White people to mingle in a public setting like a pool, let alone someone's house. Showing this and showing how they're both just people was important in teaching future generations the importance of equality.

Desegregation Bussing in 1971

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:31:03 UTC

When I first watched this, I didn't read the title entirely, so I assumed this was a video from the 1950s or early 1960s based on the content. I was shocked when I realized it was recorded in 1971, only 53 years ago. To see that it was so recently, only a couple of years before my mom was born, was very eye-opening.

Police Brutality Based on Prior Records

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:32:50 UTC

This video shows police aggressively and violently arresting a man. The police department was sued for this, and their defense was his prior records and how they felt he needed to be handled with extra force. There sparked a debate in the comments and the community asking whether or not having a record means you should be treated with violence and aggression by police.

Black Owned Businesses

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 06:59:20 UTC

This graph shows that black-owned businesses have grown by over a million since 1972. This is likely due to the gradual removal of racism and prejudice in our society over time. I'm interested to see if that number increases or decreases in the coming years due to the current president and his administration.

Black Congress Election in 2022

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:04:43 UTC

In 2022, twenty-eight states elected black members of Congress. Texas and Georgia are the highest. This to me is good news because historically both of those states were very racist and particularly discriminatory towards African Americans.

Black Homeownership in 2023

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:11:22 UTC

This graph shows that Black people own the least amount of homes in the United States by a large margin. There are multiple reasons for this, two of which are discrimination in the housing market. Mortgages are denied at higher rates for Black people and other people of color. The other reason is a lack of opportunity. There is a disproportionate number of African Americans living in poverty who have no chance to put down on a house.

High School Graduation Rates

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:15:00 UTC

Since 1960, graduation rates for Black students have increased steadily, as it has for every race since then, but we can see that by 2012, it is 85% compared to 92% for White students. I would consider this to be a good thing considering the challenges that black students faced in the past and still might face regarding discrimination in schools.

Black Incarceration

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:17:02 UTC

Across all ages, Black men are imprisoned at unbelievably high rates compared to Whites. There are many many factors to this, but namely the disadvantage that Black people and their communities have been put in due to the treatment by the United States government and most White people in the past. This left many communities in disarray, turning many Black men and women to crime as a means to provide for themselves or their families.

Maternal Mortality Rates

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:21:38 UTC

Looking at this graph, we can see that Black women have an unacceptably high rate of Maternal Mortality compared to White and Hispanic women. Mortality rates during birth or due to birth complications are so high in Black women because of their lack of accessible healthcare. The CDC says 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Black women are undervalued in society, and even if they have access to pregnancy monitoring, they are often rushed through and not monitored as thoroughly as other women.

Mortgage Denial Based on Race

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:24:00 UTC

In the United States, out of 100, 9 Black applicants would be denied mortgages compared to 5 out of 100 White People. This is a simple one: racism. Banks discriminate based on stereotypes about Black people and assume they won't be reliable recipients.

Voter Suppression

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:27:59 UTC

As you can see in this graph, voter suppression affects Black voters at a high rate. It improved significantly in the mid-2000s and dropped off again by 2020. During the 2020 election, much of the culture around voting became violent and even dangerous for specific groups. Lack of proper voting material purposefully in some disadvantaged areas of the U.S., and groups of white supremacists guarding ballot drop boxes, even in only a few spots, discouraged thousands from going out and voting, as they feared violence or even death.

Wealth Gap

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:30:56 UTC

Since 1940, the median income between Black and White men has increased, but never have they come close to equaling out. Black men (as specified in this graph) have consistently made less money yearly than White men, and still do in 2025. This happens because of the system that is deeply rooted in our lives. This is done purposefully to keep Black people at a disadvantage, and it still happens to this day.

Institution Trust

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:33:42 UTC

This graph shows that Black adults are less likely to trust various institutions and groups. Groups like doctors and schools are trusted significantly less (therefore used less) by Black families because of the stigma that surrounds them from times past, and even the instances where racism and prejudice still happen in these environments. Of course, the most jarring one is the trust of police, being 30% for African Americans and 72% for White People, because white people have never had to deal with the prejudice that Black people have had to with law enforcement.

The Root

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:44:07 UTC

The Root is interesting because it's a news site about Black News, from the perspective of Black people. This gives a uniquely perceived view of current events that relate to the African American community better than those written and produced by one of the mega corporations in the United States.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:49:52 UTC

The NAACP website looks into what the NAACP does as an organization. It provides gateways to the resources and information that someone wanting to get involved would need. As the name implies, the entire organization provides resources for the advancement of people of color.

BlackPast

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:51:49 UTC

BlackPast is an online encyclopedia for Black history that provides the most extensive database on the internet. It offers information on some of the most important faces in Black history and an insight into those who are changing the scene currently as well.

Blavity

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:53:46 UTC

Blavity is a web community that focuses on forward-thinking Black millennials. The website highlights African Americans' creativity and achievements.

Andscape

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 07:57:33 UTC

Andscape is a black-led website that focuses on highlighting the stories and experiences of blackness. The company has multiple branches within the book industry, film and television, etc.

Colorlines

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:00:10 UTC

Colorlines serves as a political home base for activists who want to expand their knowledge or reach in activism. The website offers accessibility to media that focuses on politics, race, and power.

National Museum of African American History & Culture

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:09:39 UTC

Having personally visited this museum, the building has so much weight. I don't think I appreciated it when I was 14 as much as I think I would now, but there are just floors and floors of rich history of every aspect of African American life and struggle.

Black Enterprise

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:13:10 UTC

Black Enterprise is another news source that reports directly on issues affecting African Americans. Founded in 1970, it is likely one of the first of its kind. One of their main focuses and objectives is to create wealth within the Black community and help encourage it.

African American Policy Forum

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:17:22 UTC

The African American Policy Forum is a place for Black academics, scholars, and innovative thinkers to gather and work to promote social equality, and to dismantle the status quo of inequality. The website provides information on how to join them, who the team is, and scholarship information along with current events pertaining to the program.

Learning for Justice

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:20:43 UTC

Learning for Justice is a Southern-based community education program that focuses on nurturing and educating those affected by Southern U.S. injustices in societal aspects. The program works with children and uses education and knowledge to help dismantle white supremacy and bring about a more equal south.

Black Lives Matter Mural

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:34:18 UTC

This Mural in Washington, D.C. was painted during the height of the George Floyd murder and BLM protests. The mural cost $4 million and was a moving protest. It was a perfect way to say clearly that the protest wasn't going anywhere.

Colin Kaepernick Kneeling

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:34:27 UTC

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the National Anthem in protest against police brutality against people of color. This came with much controversy and caused a nationwide conversation about it. This soon became a form of protest shared across the country.

Emmett Till's Open Casket

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:34:36 UTC

In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally killed by a mob of white people for allegedly whistling at a white woman. When his body was recovered and prepped for funeral service, Emmett's mother requested his casket be open so that people could see the brutality of lynchings and what happened to Black people daily.

George Floyd Mural

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:34:52 UTC

After George Floyd's murder by Police Officer Derek Chauvin, murals went up across the country during the protests against police brutality and BLM. This one in particular was resurrected in the location where he was killed. Thousands of people have visited and left flowers and other memorabilia in honor of him.

Hands up, Don't Shoot!

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:35:02 UTC

The Hands Up, Don't Shoot movement was started in 2014 after the police unlawfully shot Michael Brown in Missouri. It gained so much traction that it became an internet sensation and even turned into multiple meme formats used worldwide. This movement brought a lot of light to the unlawful uses of force used by police every day in America.

I Am A Man

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:35:11 UTC

In 1968, thousands of sanitation workers went on strike as part of the Civil Rights Movement. This protest was so big, the National Guard was called in and attempted to intimidate protesters by threatening uses of force. Shown in the picture, the soldiers aim their weapons towards protestors who are peacefully walking down the road.

Jim Crow Cartoon

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:35:20 UTC

This Jim Crow Cartoon highlights the abuse in the workforce in the United States. It highlights the benefit that employers gain from exploiting cheap and sometimes free labor from minorities. This cartoon writes against it, and could've provided a look into what was happening behind the scenes of the industrial giant that is the U.S.

A Man Was Lynched Yesterday

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:35:28 UTC

In 1936, the NAACP HQ in New York hung this flag outside their window, letting the streets of New York know that a man had been lynched just the day before. In 1936, lynchings were just as common in some areas as they were in the days of slavery. The NAACP protested in this way so as to catch the eyes of passerby and hopefully raise awareness peacefully.

Strange Fruit

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:35:39 UTC

This artwork, showing what is described as "strange fruit," actually shows multiple lynched African Americans. This jarring artwork displays what was a harsh reality for many African Americans all over the country.

The Problem We All Live With

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 08:36:31 UTC

The Problem We All Live With is a painting depicting Federal Marshals escorting 6-year-old Ruby Bridges to the first integrated school in 1960. At six years old to have to be escorted by government agents because her life was in danger just being around so many racist white children is so heartbreaking, but was a step necessary in the right direction.

Maternal Mortality in Black Women

rowenhuggins — 2025-05-07 10:26:23 UTC