"In The Heat of the Night" Reflection

In class, another movie we watched was "In the Heat of the Night". Since I love mystery movies, I was slightly interested in the film, but wasn't sure how realistic it would seem given the time period it was made. I was also wondering why Professor Smith chose to watch a murder mystery in a law/history based class, but the film made the answer to that question obvious. The murder mystery helped me see how racism existed in Southern legal systems.  

Virgil Tibbs

The character who seemed the most impactful to me was Virgil Tibbs. He was arrested at a train station simply for having money while being a Black man. Despite constantly facing racism in his own job as a detective, he maintains his composure and doesn't let it affect his professionalism. It's clear that Tibbs is very intelligent, but was forced to prove himself over and over again because of being Black. 

Virgil Tibbs & the Chief

I found the relationship between Tibbs and the Chief to be one of the more compelling parts of the film. At the beginning, the Chief was visibly uncomfortable by Tibbs' presence, and was very dismissive towards him compared to his own detectives.  As the film progresses, the Chief begins to see Tibbs for more than the color of his skin, an intelligent detective who may be the only one able to solve this case in a timely manner. 

Endicott & Virgil Tibbs greenhouse slap scene

Additionally I really liked the scene where Tibbs fought back after being slapped by Endicott. This bold move shows both Endicott and the audience that Tibbs is refusing to be treated as anything less than human.

The film itself was more interesting than I initially thought, especially when looking at it from a race perspective. In the Heat of the Night feels relevant even to this day, which is sad but real. This is definitely one of those movies that's message stays with you: true equality stems from refusal to accept what is seen as normal.

"Gone With the Wind" Reflection

"Gone with the Wind" movie poster featuring Scarlett & Rhett

Prior to this class, I had never watched the movie Gone with the Wind before. I usually enjoy both old and modern movies, but I wasn't sure what to expect. The movie started off a little boring, but as it went on, I'll admit it became more interesting and did well showing parts of American history such as the Civil War, slavery, and Reconstruction.

Scarlett & Ashley (left) - Rhett & Scarlett (right)

The film begins as the South was heading into the Civil War, and focuses on a character named Scarlett O'Hara. From my point of view, Scarlett is a spoiled brat who is used to getting anything she wants. This is made clear through her continued interest in a married man, Ashley Wilkes, even though she keeps rejecting her better match Rhett Butler. 

I'd say one of the most compelling parts of the film is how the antebellum South is portrayed in the film. Since the film is centered around Scarlett, we see more of her side through living on a plantation, which is more graceful than it actually was for the slaves. 

Scarlett & slave Prissy

Another interesting part of the film was how Scarlett's character developed during both the war and Reconstruction. I got to see her turn from a spoiled young girl to a young woman both having to and willing to do physical labor for her own survival, which exemplified how the war truly changed her for the better.

The burning of Atlanta scene

I was also impressed by the scene where Atlanta was burning, considering the time period in which the movie was filmed. I'm very into mystery movies and thrillers, so I've seen many effects in the modern world of CGI and those sorts of things. Knowing that at the time of the film was mostly in 1939, what the filmmakers were able to achieve with their limitations was truly amazing.

Overall, Gone with the Wind is a very impactful film when looking at American history. The engaging story along with the technical achievements for the time were very impressive. I'm glad I had the chance to watch this film for my class, especially since it helped me understand different perspectives and roles during the time periods we learned about in our lessons. 

Final Post - Use of Ai to Enhance Learning

At the beginning of the semester, I was pretty skeptical about using AI. I thought it would give me wrong answers, & I was worried about whether I was "cheating" or using it wrong. I didn't really know what to ask for or how to get good results, so I rarely used it.

Then I started experimenting with it in small ways. I'd use it to explain confusing concepts, and I realized quickly that it was more like having a study buddy. The big lesson was learning that bad prompts give you bad results. Once I figured out how to ask better questions, everything clicked.

Now I'm more comfortable with it. I'll ask AI to help me brainstorm ideas or organize my thoughts when I'm working on assignments. I've learned when it's actually useful versus when I need to just do the work myself. And now I can spot when it's making stuff up or being too generic, which is a skill I didn't have at the start of the semester.

Before using AI, I'd spend a lot of time skimming through tons of articles trying to figure out which ones were relevant to my assignment. With AI, I could summarize articles in minutes & find necessary information. This alone saved me a few hours per assignment on just the initial research. For our blog posts this semester, AI helped me take all my quick notes & turn them into structured sentences. For the mock trials, it was super helpful for researching cases quickly & preparing arguments. 

I still had to read the actual sources because AI summaries could miss important parts. It's best for getting unstuck and moving forward, but not for replacing your own thinking. Realistically, I probably saved 3-4 hours per each assignment overall, which is pretty nice.

I learned that AI is a tool, not a replacement for your own thinking. The quality of what you get depends entirely on how you use it. And it's best for getting started on something, not for finishing it. 

I'll definitely keep using AI for brainstorming when I'm stuck, breaking down difficult topics, & checking my work to see if there are gaps or unclear arguments. It's become part of my education in a healthy way. But I also learned what to not use it for. I won't use it to actually write my assignments, because it doesn't help the process of actually learning material.

EOTO: Civil Rights Act of 1964 & Voting Rights Act of 1965

March on Washington - August 28th, 1963

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 represents the most comprehensive civil rights legislation in American history. President Johnson signed this act into law on July 2nd, 1964, exactly one decade after the Supreme Court issued its decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

President Johnson shaking MLK's hand after signing Civil Rights Act

The timing of this law is important. Even though the Supreme Court had said 10 years earlier that segregating students by race in public schools was unconstitutional, not much had actually changed in that time. Southern states employed various strategies to avoid the ruling, including resistance campaigns, the establishment of private segregated academies, & delays in desegregation plans. The Civil Rights Act provided the federal government with concrete tools to address this resistance.

The act prohibited discrimination in public accommodations, including restaurants, hotels, theaters, & other establishments serving the general public. This provision addressed the daily humiliations that African Americans faced when traveling or conducting business, where they were routinely denied service based on their race.

It also authorized the federal government to file lawsuits to desegregate schools & provided financial assistance to school districts undertaking desegregation. This law was a direct response to the fact that Brown v. Board wasn’t fully carried out. Instead of waiting for private citizens to file lawsuits, the federal government could now step in & take action itself.

The act also said that any program or organization that receives federal money cannot discriminate. This gave the government a lot of power, because it could take away funding from places that kept discriminating. For schools, hospitals, & other groups that rely on federal money, this made it very important to follow desegregation rules.

It also made it illegal for employers to discriminate based on race, religion, or sex & created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to handle complaints & make sure the law was followed. This expanded civil rights protections into the workplace & helped address economic inequality.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6th, 1965, just thirteen months after the Civil Rights Act.

President Johnson signing Voting Rights Act

While Brown v. Board of Education dealt with equal education, voting was another area where African Americans were systematically excluded. Even though the Fifteenth Amendment (1870) said voting rights could not be denied because of race, Southern states had created many ways to get around this rule.

Bloody Sunday - March 7th, 1965

The immediate push for the Voting Rights Act came from the violence in Selma, Alabama, on March 7th, 1965, known as Bloody Sunday. State troopers attacked peaceful marchers demanding voting rights, and the televised images caused national outrage. This helped build strong political support for a new voting rights law.

The Act directly challenged the tactics that had kept Black Americans from voting. It banned literacy tests, which had been unfairly used against Black applicants, as well as poll taxes and other financial barriers. It also outlawed intimidation and threats used to stop African Americans from registering or voting.

The law went beyond banning discrimination, it created strong enforcement tools. Section 5 required states and counties with histories of discrimination to get federal approval (called preclearance) before changing any voting laws. This stopped them from inventing new discriminatory rules to replace the old ones.

MLK casting his vote

The Act also allowed the federal government to send officials to register voters in places where discrimination was happening and to send observers to monitor elections. This ensured that voting rights were protected in real life, not just on paper.

The effects were quick and significant. Across the South, Black voter registration increased from 23% to 61% within 4 years. This increase in political participation reshaped American democracy and finally gave African Americans a powerful voice in the political system.

Brown v. Board - Mock Trial Case

Mother & Daughter sit on steps holding newspaper "High Court Bans Segregation in Public Schools"

In class we watched a mock trial of Brown v. Board of Education. This was an actual consolidation case involving Mrs. Brown from Topeka, Kansas, where parents sued under the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, arguing that segregated schools violated their children's rights. The whole experience of taking notes as if it were an actual trial truly put into perspective how important this was was/is for American history.

Young boy during Doll Test

The arguments from Brown's side were extremely convincing. They pointed out that the United States has lived under "separate but equal" for 60 years, and the fight to end segregation wasn't anything new at this point. Courts had already agreed that segregation in colleges and law schools wasn't actually equal when separate. In my opinion, one of the most compelling pieces of evidence brought up was the Doll Test performed by Dr. Kenneth Clark. This test showed that black children were psychologically harmed by segregation, viewing themselves as less than those of other backgrounds. The argument was that separate has never truly meant equal, and they weren't wrong.

The moral arguments were strong as well. They quoted "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" and argued that the 14th amendment guarantees equal protection under the law. Segregation automatically stamped young black children with a "badge of inferiority". If we're all supposed to be equal under the law, why were people being treated differently? They also heavily implied that segregation shouldn't remain just because it's a part of our history. The case of Plessy v. Ferguson was referenced to emphasize how separate has never been equal. Black schools had broken windows, no heating, and handed-down textbooks while white schools got much better resources. America has never succeeded by sticking to the past, but only by growing and progressing forward.

The economic arguments were mind-blowing. The government was spending $179 per white student, but only $3-4 per black student, which visually to me looks insane. Black unemployment was also twice as high as white unemployment, and Dr. Gunner calculated segregation was costing the United States billions of dollars due to needing two of everything to maintain separation. Education is the gateway to becoming a well-off working citizen, so keeping black students in subpar schools was just continuing the cycle of poverty.

However, the Board of Education also had to make their arguments. It was interesting to hear their perspective, even though I disagreed completely disagreed with them. They argued that facilities were supposed to made equal for both sides, and the Equal Protection clause doesn't guarantee mixing of races in public settings. They also claimed that one's feeling of inferiority isn't caused by the law itself, and that state legislators should be able to choose if they want these rules.

Their tradition argument was that laws established separate schools for decades, and long-standing systems create stability. They even added religion to their argument, saying that the Bible supports separation and that God created different regions to keep cultures separate as their own. Although I see where they were coming from, that seemed like a stretch to me.

As far as their economic arguments, they focused on how expensive immediate integration would be. Reconstruction would bring high costs that school boards may not be able to afford. They worried that wealthy families may switch to private schools, leaving fewer resources for public schools, and for that many teachers would be left jobless. 

After hearing both sides, the arguments on Brown's side made more sense. You can't claim anything is equal when one group is getting over $100 per student and the other is getting less than $5 per student.  You can't overlook the phycological harm done to those children. And you cannot cover up basic human rights behind tradition and economics. This mock trial really showed me how important Brown v. Board of Education was for changing America, even though the fight for actual equality still exists in some schools to this day.

Raw Video Notes - Struggle for Freedom After Civil War

Civil War

When the Civil War ended in 1865, everyone thought slavery was finally over. The 13th Amendment officially ended it, and things were gradually going to become better for Black Americans... or so we thought. Freedom didn't exactly mean equality yet, and what came next was almost as horrible as what came before.

After Lincoln was assassinated on April 14th, 1865 at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth, his whole Reconstruction vision fell apart. He was a heavy advocate for getting African Americans the right to vote, especially those who served in the Civil War. When Andrew Johnson became president after Lincoln's death, he was quickly impeached.

Southern states passed Black Codes, which were designed to maintain segregation and stop freed slaves from becoming equal. After this came sharecropping, which was pretty much a new word for slavery. It was supposed to be seen as a compromise, but ended up trapping people in poverty for generations. Here's how it worked: landowners divided their land into smaller plots and rented them to sharecroppers, who were mostly African Americans. The sharecroppers had to buy all their supplies from the landowners at crazy interest rates. They'd work all year long and somehow still be in debt by the end of the farming season. It was an inescapable cycle. African Americans also couldn't elect officials who would support them, so there was no political escape either. Sharecropping meant that slavery existed for another 100 years after being said to be abolished. It sadly didn't end until after World War II.

Between 1865 and 1877, African Americans gained the right to vote and hold office during the Reconstruction Era. The 14th and 15th Amendments opened the door for political participation, and 16 African Americans served in Congress. They also served as sheriffs and city council members in local governments across the South. This was huge progress, but it only lasted until Reconstruction ended in 1877. After this time, everything got worse with constant threats of violence and the Jim Crow Laws.

Booker T. Washington

This is where people like Booker T. Washington come in. At 16, he worked at Hampton Institute as a janitor just to pay for his own education. He then founded the Tuskegee Institute which grew to 800 students and 30 buildings. He even advised Presidents Roosevelt and Taft. His autobiography, "Up From Slavery", told his inspiring story. Even though W.E.B. Du Bois argued against a few of Washington's methods, he was still a major figure in Black education and growth during this period.

Between 1916 and 1970, African Americans decided they had enough, and around 6 million of them left the South for the North, which was then called The Great Migration. In 1900, 90% of African Americans lived in the South, but by 1916, hundreds of thousands took trains to New York, Chicago, Detroit, and other Northern cities to escape the harsh Jim Crow Laws and violence threats in the South.

The end of slavery didn't mean the end of racial oppression. It just took different acts and people to keep fighting until actual equality was shown.

Video Reaction #2 - Lincoln Assassination

Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the Untied States

John Wilkes Booth

When we think of important people in American history who were assassinated, it's very common knowledge that Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was assassinated,  but the circumstances surrounding his death are often not as looked into as the initial cause of his death is. On April 14th, 1865, days after the Civil War had ended, John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. It's very interesting to think how different American history may have been if Lincoln had survived this attack and was able to see through with his future plans for the country's reconstruction

Lincoln had been heavily instilling the "10% plan" for bringing the Southern states back into the Union. Lincoln preferred forgiveness and reconciliation instead of punishment. He heavily advocated for healing the country and moving forward together, which speaks heavily on his character considering the South had spend four years fighting against the Union. In Lincoln's final speech before his death, he spoke about extending voting rights to African Americans, especially those who fought for the Union during the Civil War.

African Americans working in unfair labor conditions 

After his death, his vision for equality in society fell apart. Southern states started passing laws called Black Codes, which were designed to maintain segregation, and prevent real equality. It's horrible since the whole point of the war was supposed to be about ending slavery, but these laws fought to keep the oppression. They restricted where Black people could work, limited their movement, and aimed to recreate slavery.

The government eventually enforced the Reconstruction Acts, which divided the South into military districts to enforce new rules and protect the rights of freed slaves. This was definitely more of an aggressive approach than Lincoln would've taken, but something had to be done regarding the Black Codes and the resistance to change in the South.

Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's VP

Andrew Johnson, vice president who took office after Lincoln's assassination, ended up being impeached by Congress. He was more sympathetic towards the South than Lincoln had been, and kept trying to block Reconstruction efforts. Tension became extremely noticeable between Johnson and Congress, which showed how difficult the Reconstruction era was.

Lincoln's assassination changed the course of American history in ways in which we are still dealing with today. His approach to Reconstruction may have been more successful at actually healing the country and protecting the rights of freed slaves. Instead, we got decades of Jim Crow laws and continued racial inequality. It makes you wonder how different things could have been if Booth hadn't pulled that trigger at Ford's Theatre. The period after the Civil War was supposed to be about rebuilding our union, but Lincoln's death truly left a void that nobody like-minded was able to fill.