As mentioned in the Study Guide, history is alive through the connection between historical events and contemporary events that allow us to recognize, reflect, and apply the opportunities or challenges that arise. Throughout the past eight units, we have focused on many different events that bridge that connection and reveal those opportunities or challenges. For our last journal, select one event or person that was addressed in this course that you believe also have a clear connection to or is reflected in current events. Explain about the event or person and show the clear connection to current events. What are the differences and the similarities of the historical event or person and the current connection? What have we, as a society, learned from the historical event or person that can be seen in the current event’s application?
Journal Entry
Slavery has been widely discussed throughout this course and still has clear connections to current events. Slavery was a major socio-pollical issue that marred the debates around human rights and equality until it was abolished in 1865 when the majority concurred that it was inhumane. However, not everybody in the US, particularly Black Americans believes that equality has not been fully achieved and human rights are not well secured. For instance, blacks had to fight for voting rights, running for political office, and the abolition of race-based discrimination even after the abolition of slavery, and there are more they still have to fight for to be fully free.
Currently, there is a movement ‘Black Lives Matter (BLM)’ fighting for equality to eliminate some extant discrimination against blacks. Currently, the Movement for Black Lives is still pushing for the enactment of the BREATHE Act to curb police brutality and killings of back people following a series of killings of Black Americans by white police officers in 2020, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Addressing this issue may require a reflection on the past when Americans were fighting against slavery. Fighting against police killing blacks is different from fighting against slavery. However, just the same way that others did not see slavery as an injustice, some people still fail to see police bias killings of blacks as an injustice. More sensitization, advocacy, and convincing are still needed to rally the majority behind the bill for it to be enacted. History teaches us that the status quo must not be maintained if the general feeling finds it oppressive, hence the need for a continuous fight for betterment.