Finally, we are all done with this ENG2150 class on race and justice. One thing that I will always remember is that this is the first time I have taken an english class that is solely focused on one topic/theme. Race and justice is actually a really interesting and debatable topic, so everyone had his/her own thoughts on it.
Out of everything that I have read and learned, I find that Churchill’s Let’s Spread the Fun Around had the biggest impact on me. After reading his work, I realized that it is the image that people put out there that keeps people prejudiced and having that ONE image of a certain race. There is a word that we mentioned, in class one day when we were going over tropes, that described an image that keeps on reoccurring and represents another meaning. For example, the statue of liberty stands for freedom and liberty. Whenever we see that image, we get a sense of America. Moreover, in Churchill’s writing, he mentions that football teams have these images of the Red Skins having an image of a Native American with red painted skin and a feather sticking up from the side of his head. I believe that this image just shows other people what to think of the Native Americans. We should criticize these images and names more, not only for African Americans but also for other races.
This course has taught me a lot that I cannot just write in one blog. It was an experience that I will not forget because there were so many discussions about controversial topics that keep me (and possibly everyone else) engaged in our classroom. I think the level of the maturity in this class definitely helped me realize I should be on top of my game and make sure I have every material prepared, even if the professor has not mentioned it. That is something that I will have to keep doing for the rest of my college and work career.
