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Reaction 1
The video ‘A passion for Justice’ by Ida B Wells sheds light on the forms of injustice that African Americans were forced to endure as a result of racism, social class and gender. When describing the events that occurred after the abolition of slavery, the narrator comments on how African American men were allowed to vote two years after the abolition. Despite being human beings that deserve equal rights, African American men were still regarded a more important than women and this demonstrates the extent in which race and social class prevented African American women from enjoying their rights and freedoms. The exclusion of women from the right to vote is similar to how the contribution of African American women in the fight for equal rights is often left out or forgotten when documenting history. Lack of acknowledging the role that African American play in society contributed to the lack of information regarding African American women contributions in women black women studies as mentioned by Barbara Smith and Gloria T Hull.
Reaction 2
Another point that is worth noting is the way the whites reacted after the decline in the economy following the abolition of slavery. Since there was no free labor to do all the work, the economy took a negative hit and the whites accused the poor state of the economy on the African Americans. The whites were of the opinion that African Americans were a genetically inferior race and that, if let free, they would result to violence and other acts that could be responsible for the decline in the economy. Rather than admitting that boosting the economy would require whites doing some of the work, the whites considered themselves too superior and that the poor economy was a matter of race rather than lack of workers to produce products that would later be sold to consumers. The negative stereotype is similar to the misconception that whites and some African American males had reached a new level of emotional control. According to Wells, the belief that people from a specific race or gender were superior to others greatly contributes to the existence of stereotypes that discriminate against others in the community especially African American women.
Reaction 3
Lastly, the part in the video regarding the idea of marriage between African Americans and whites was interesting as it exposed the way in which whites view people from other races. Despite the abolition of slavery and the fight for equal rights for African Americans, whites were outraged by the meagre suggestion of marriages between African American men and white women. On a racial basis, it exposed the negative way in which whites viewed African Americans. In relation to gender, it exposed the different treatment that African American men and women receive despite belonging to the same ethnic group. Similar to Barnett’s argument that women failed to get recognition for their contributions due to their gender and social class, the video further shed light on how African American women were treaded as inferior to even their male counterparts. The discrimination against women made it difficult for researchers and writers to document achievements from African American women because their contributions, despite the impact they had, were often considered irrelevant. African American men were given some sense of recognition depending on their achievement and position held in society and thus became the focus for publications about African American’s fight for equality.
