#social anxiety might have to take a break. we turn into Lear today? I think we turn into Lear today cause godamn ntohing is getting done | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bryanklawiter · 6 years

Text

Multicultural America Final Project

All in the Family - Television Show

All in the family was a TV show that aired in the late 70’s. While many of the episodes were about racial awareness and visibility, it was viewed as entertainment in my household. In a way, the blue-collar families that resided in my home were very similar to the Archie Bunker household. There were many characters in the show, but the most animated and opinionated were Archie and his son in law Michael. Their beliefs were very different on many things including race, sex, sexual orientation, and religion. I was a young child when this show aired, and it was my first experience with racial tension in American, but I was too young to understand what the point of it was. All I knew is that it made my father laugh, so it must be a great show. In many ways our house could have been the Bunker resident. It was a blue-collar household with parents that worked really hard to provide for their family. There were other similarities as well, we immediately jumped out of our dad’s chair when he got home from work. Racial jokes were a common event and probably the biggest thing was that when our Dad came home from work that was his time. Life as we had known for the last 8 hours had changed. It was a different time period.

The reputation that Archie Bunker often had was that he was ignorant. His character was definitely racist, but many characters on the show poked fun at him because of his lack of knowledge on any given subject. His Son in Law Michael knew how to push his buttons.

As I grew older and researched this show more, it was apparent that director Normal Leer was not a racist at all. He was a pioneer in bringing racial relations to American televisions in the 70’s and 80’s. He was able to get people talking about race and was able to break some of the racial barriers that existed at that time.

White Mans Burden - Movie

I remember watching White Man’s Burden when I was dating my wife in the mid 90′s. The movie starring John Travolta did not do well at the box office, but I remember the theme of the movie having a big impact on me. In our class we are asked to reflect on our white privilege. One of the best ways to be challenged on this is what if the roles were reversed. This movie is based on that premise. African Americans have the elite social status and whites are the minority.

I remember as a child when Jesse Jackson was running for president. An adult made a comment that if Jesse Jackson wins, we will be in the fields picking corn. That statement stuck with me for my entire life. It confused me why a person who seemed like a good candidate for president was disqualified because of his race. As I got older I understood better, but definitely didn’t agree. The thought of being the minority race as very frightening. I think it is frightening because of the hatred I see every day. I am being selfish when I say I would not want to switch sides. It is to bad that this movie didn’t do better at the box office because it did a good job of changing the perspective of how minorities are viewed. It also forced people to see what life would look like if things were reversed. It is a punch in the gut for white privilege and people should self-reflect when they watch a movie like this to ensure they are treating everybody with kindness because you never know when the tides might change.

One final point about this movie without giving the plot away is that many of the actions that the white person did (Travolta) were due to desperation and fear. I discovered this in my time as a Correctional Officer. So many crimes are committed out of desperation and if given the choice, they probably would not commit the crime. Many times, people are trying to provide and protect their families which was the case in this movie.

Embrace Race - Blog

Embrace Race is a blog that focuses around race and is meant for parents, teachers and experts. The Embrace Race blog is only one part of the website, but I thought some of the blog entries were interesting and very beneficial with all the topics that are presented to children today. When I grew up, racial topics were never taught in school or brought up. Today race is on the minds of everybody. It is in the news, on the playground, on the internet. I think it is good that parents and officials are taking the time to engage with their children about these topics. The days of ignoring the issues like they did when I grew up are hopefully over. The “Black Lives Matter” picture about was drawn by a white child with white parents. This child is lucky because her parents embrace that viewpoint, but all you have to do is spend some time on Facebook and many others don’t take that stance. The racial divide in this country is all around us.

The title of the blog with the girl above is called “An end to DACA: Helping children manage stress and Anxiety. I think many Americans get their heads shoved so far up their politics that they don’t realize the consequences of their actions. I am glad that blogs like this exist, but at the same time it is a shame that our youth today would have to stress about this. Nothing has changed since the turn of the century when Takaki told the story of “El Norte” After reading through some of these blogs it helps me understand the challenges that are still occurring when it comes to children. I am glad I don’t have children because I could not imagine having to try to explain to them DACA and other events that are going on today.

1. Post(Television):

All in the Family (1971-1979 ), CBS

Created by Norman Lear. Executive Producer: Don Nicholl.

Starring: Jean Stapleton, Caroll O Conner, and Rob Reiner

2. Film

White Man’s Burden (1995)

Directed by Desmond Nakano

Production Companies: Rysher Entertainment

Distribution Company: unknown at this time.

Starring: John Travolta, Harry Bellefonte

3. Social Media/Internet

Embrace Race - Blog

https://medium.com/embrace-race

Photo Credits

https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/48158/all-in-the-family-the-complete-ninth-season/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114928/mediaviewer/rm1897963264

https://www.embracerace.org/

0 notes