"Roundtable Discussion" Response
Please respond to the "Roundtable Discussion" article by 7:00 am on Friday morning.
1. Your responses should be at least 200 words.
2. You may respond any way you choose, but you might consider these questions:
To what extent does the discussion help the students understand each other? (Does it help them understand each other better?) Give examples why or why not.
What does the discussion suggest about the role adults played in the events at Central High?
How do you think the white students might have acted if the adults had been less involved?
1. Your responses should be at least 200 words.
2. You may respond any way you choose, but you might consider these questions:
To what extent does the discussion help the students understand each other? (Does it help them understand each other better?) Give examples why or why not.
What does the discussion suggest about the role adults played in the events at Central High?
How do you think the white students might have acted if the adults had been less involved?
I think the discussion helped a lot with these students. I felt that in this environment they were able to voice their opinions and hear the other side of the story. I think the white kids were mostly going off of what their parents told them. Sammie was definitely going off of what his parents told him and that’s why he kept resisting what Ernest and Minnijean had to say. I think the parents played a very big role in Little Rock and the continuation of the violence. Most of the information the kids were getting was coming from a dad or a mom. I think that if it wasn’t for the parents the kids wouldn’t have resisted the black kids for very long. You can tell this because at the end of the interview even Sammie is agreeing with Ernest and Minnijean. The other three white students don’t seem to be concerned by having black kids go to their school. It was the parents that kept the narrative going about black people being lesser to white people. The kids didn’t know any better, and the first time they interact with a black person away from their parents they get along just fine. They work out their differences and then their fine. I think if the parents had just let the students figure it out, the fighting would not have lasted as long. There would have been some resistance for the first month but it wouldn’t have continued after Christmas break.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTad, I think you're right about a lot of prejudice these segregationists had was fueled by their parents. Although, I'm not quite sure if I agree that Sammie was going entirely off of what his parents told him. I think that a lot of segregationists, deep down, truly believed in what they were doing. And that truth is chilling and ultimately wrong.
DeleteThat is true Jordan but I feel a lot of it is the parents and there influence they have on their kids. Kids also have to know that they can make decisions for themselves and most of them learn this as they get older. This is just mt opinion though.
DeleteI think the discussion allowed the white students to understand that the black students were not very different from them. One thing I think they both could relate to was feeling afraid. Because of the white students discomfort with the presence of the troops, they were able to understand more what the black students experienced everyday as a result of the daily harassment. Another thing they both agreed on is that they all are, “of the same thoughts”. Minnijean is able to explain to Sammie how despite the skin color their thinking is the same. One thing these two related to was missing their sweethearts in the military. Lastly, at the end of the discussion everyone agreed they were all equal.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that surprised me was how open minded the segregationists seemed to be coming into the conversation, especially Kay and Robin. I think one thing that everyone felt empathy towards was the situation Elizabeth was put into. I think looking back at that event, the segregationists were able to see the damage their racist mindset caused. Robin especially seemed to feel really guilty as she was, “ashamed” at the evilness she saw in her and her friends. This discussion did not go at all as I had imagined–I had assumed it would be filled with closed minds and racist comments. I think discussions like this where you get to hear the perspective of someone else is very helpful. I think it is easy to create an image about the “enemy” that makes it easier to be cruel to them. Bur, once you have to face they are human and just like you, your thinking has to change. It is easy to believe what you are told such as that black people aren’t part of the human race or are different when you haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to one or know one. Once the segregationists saw the black students thought the same way, felt the same emotions, and wanted similar things, it was easier to be more accepting and empathetic towards them.
Hanna, I really like how you mentioned the use of fear here. This discussion really made me consider the white privilege these segregationists were granted, and appreciate the courage Ernest and Minnijean had in order to confront the "enemy" as you said. I think that you're also right in that perspective plays a lot into this.
DeleteFrom Seraphyn:
DeleteI agreed with many of the points you made in your post. I definitely felt like both groups were afraid and Sammie and Minnijean being able to bond over their boys in the military helped to bridge the gaps set between them. I appreciated how you brought up the idea that, “it is easy to create an image about the “enemy” that makes it easier to be cruel to them” because I feel like you see this play out a lot in history. It’s easy to hate something you don’t understand and easy to hurt something if you don’t associate human emotions towards it, which many white people did not do for any minority, not just black people.
In my opinion, the discussion gave insight into a lot of the prejudices that the segregationists had about the Little Rock Nine. For instance, Sammie begins the discussion with the topic of freedom. He claims that him and the other segregationists are "fighting for freedom," and he confronts this issue as though this is not a right he has already been granted. Segregationists like Sammie disregarded the advantages their white privilege granted them and used these said advantages to justify their hatred for African American people. Ernest Green responds to Sammie's comment with a point about how the troops were sent in for their protection as African American students were being targeted. Because segregationists like Sammie are white, they can hold their opinions and demonstrate their "freedom" at any time. But African Americans like Ernest Green are not held to the same standard. Instead, Ernest's "freedom" provokes threats and multiple accounts of harassment and violence simply for going to school. This roundtable discussion gave few members of the Little Rock Nine, such as Ernest Green and Minijean Brown, a chance to speak without the immediate threat of violence. It’s shamefully unfortunate and disturbing that segregationists like Sammie could speak their opinions anytime they wanted, without fear of a violent and horrific retaliation.
ReplyDeleteI liked your opinion on the whole discussion and how you brought up that not only did none of the white students acknowledge their privilege, but this was the first place for the black children to speak without fear of violence. I think that many, if not all, of the white children forgot that their freedom was given to them at birth.
DeleteThe above was from Seraphyn and not Fred.
DeleteJordan,
DeleteI think that your line "Segregationists like Sammie disregarded the advantages their white privilege granted them and used these said advantages to justify their hatred for African American people." is correct and especially so in 1950s Little Rock. It is really awful that such a thing could be true though. Not only did these kids take advantage of their privilege, they also used the privilege as a justification of harm and hatred for those who could not have it, could they have done anything worse?
who is fred
DeleteI do not believe that Eison, Sammy, and all the boys and girls who harassed Melba would become civilized with the sudden absence of their parents. So I believe Joe to be a bit ignorant in saying this. At a certain point in childhood his statement holds true; I think that at the age of five the children of Little Rock, AK would not have been malicious and intent on harming people from a different community than their own. They would have just wanted to play tag. However, as the children grew up, and certainly by the time they entered Central, they became more aware, for better and for worse. Many realized the struggle for integration and equal rights in Little Rock. While some of them may have respected this, a majority of the white community did not. The actions they took to demonstrate their disrespect and hatred were violent and completely their own. By high school times the Little Rock-ian teenagers were their own selves. No matter how much influence their parents had on them (which is doubtless), their actions were independent. There is also the issue of the mob of angry mothers waiting outside Central High, did they influence the dilemma at hand? Of course! They certainly only made it worse, but as Melba describes nothing more vividly and abundantly than the violence inflicted by her peers, I am led to believe that the white students had the most harmful impact on the Nine. They were the greatest problem, and the situation could not be solved by the simple removal of the parents, instead the abolition of racism in Central’s student body.
ReplyDeleteThe discussion held between the children helped them to learn where everyone was coming from. Minnijean and Sammie could bond over the fact that they both had loved ones serving overseas. Minnijean tells Sammie, “I’m brown, you are white. What’s the difference? You’re thinking about your boy… I’m thinking about mine”. Many of the children hadn’t bothered to learn about the black children's lives. They hadn’t bothered to learn about their feelings or their hopes, or even why they were at the school in the first place. All the children probably felt as though they had no freedom, which I think is a pretty reasonable feeling for all the children to feel. I’m guessing that many of them felt out of control. Their lives were changing and they had no say in what would happen, which probably played a huge part in their aggression. Their parents also probably pushed a lot of their views onto their kids. Sammie says, “It’s about race mixing… marrying each other”, which I think is a view her mother pushed upon her because I doubt many highschool students are thinking about marriage. I know that Little Rock 9 were not thinking about marrying any of the Central students. They just wanted an education and equality. I feel like without the adult interaction, everything would have been less escalated. The mob outside fueled the hatred inside the school and influenced the children. They may have felt differently about integration on the inside but we will never know how any of them truly felt.
ReplyDelete---from Seraphyn Payne
Seraphyn,
DeleteI agree with your statement, I do think that this discussion helped the Little Rock students understand one another. You also said that a parent (her mother) would have told Sammy the things she said in the conference, and I think you are very right. Where her language might have come from did not even occur to me when I was writing. I wish I had added a bit more about this to my own piece!
I think the decisions between the students helped them understand each other. They all different opinions on it so they got to voice those and all have a common sense with it. I thought it was interesting when they were talking about freedom in the beginning and the troops. Ernest asked her why she doesn't have any freedom and she mentions that the troops being there isn't freedom. I just think they all has there thoughts on it and it was interesting to hear that each of them had to say. I don't really understand where the marriage and race thing comes into play..I think there was something more to it when the asked why they didn't want to go to school with negros. She said race but the whole marriage thing does'nt really tie into it. I wonder if she was going to say something else but didn't want to be mean or offend them. It also makes me kind of sad that the other white kids didn't make an effort to get to know the other kids before the interview and that is what there life was like at school. I wonder if after the interview if they saw each other again or even talked. I think its a good thing that they had this interview because you get everyones view and not just the kids in the Little Rock 9 group. It helps you understand what these whit kids thoughts were and they were able to just say it out loud for a lot of people to hear. If the adults were less involved the kids would of been to say a lot more than they did and maybe have a more in depth conversation really letting them know what they thought. It hard because you want to say what your thinking but you also wanna make your parents happy at the same time so I imagine they were put in a hard situation.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I think that the discussion was helpful. It brought up issues and I believe helped both sides to better understand what the other was thinking even if they all didn't end on exactly the same page. I think they each got a chance to see from another's perspective (wear their shoes). At the beginning when Sammy is talking about why he doesn't believe that the whole situation can be worked "out on a more sensible basis than violent demonstration. Sammy says "No" which was kind of a wow moment to me that he doesn't even think that it could be worked out any other way. He says "And we don't have any freedom any more" this also made me go like what. But I feel like when Ernie comes back with a well thought out response he actually makes an impression and shows them what his point of view and daily life are like. Later in the discussion Minnejean brings up how everyone's the same "Hold your hand up. I'm brown, you are white, what's the difference? We are all of the same thoughts." Sammy responds "I'll have to agree with you there." Which I feel shows that the discussion is helpful. I don't think this made anything change school wide but I do believe that it helps change a handful of people and sometimes that's all you can do.
ReplyDeleteI strongly think that this discussion benefited the students a lot. I think it gave everyone a better understanding of what their goal was and what they were trying to achieve. It also made people realize that just because of their color it doesn’t make them unequal, which I think is very important. Color doesn’t change anything, in the big picture everyone is human and everyone should have the same rights. I also think that many of them made very valid points. Sammie talked about what “freedom” is and I think what he said was a really big eye opener to some people. “Do you call those troops freedom? I don’t. And I also do not call it free when you are being escorted into the school every morning” I really like this part of what he said. People think that because of the nine black students going to Central High that they now have freedom, but really they don’t. Everyday they have to be escorted into school and they can’t be at school feeling safe. Everyday that they attend Central high they live in fear, worrying about if they will make it out of school alive, and that’s what I don’t call “freedom”.
ReplyDelete-Ellen V^^^
DeleteI feel that the discussion will have a very large impact on everyone that was involved. It gave the children a chance to state their opinions and hear opinions of others. The white children got to learn that the black children weren't as different as they thought. All of the kids seem to be scared in one way or another and for different reasons, this makes it hard for them to express their feelings, this is why the roundtable was such a good idea. Something that is really big that I took away from the discussion is what Joe said. “If parents would just stay out of it and let the children of Central High figure it out for themselves, I think it would be a whole lot better.” This line is such an important one because a lot of it was the parents instigating and feeding lies to their children. A student who really stood out to me was Robin, what she said actually felt sincere and truly sorry. I was ashamed, I felt like crying, this shows that she made a decision. She decided that what was happening was wrong and inhumane. The only problem is that you can't always appeal to everyone and some people will always feel threatened by things that they feel are different.
ReplyDeletegood post Chris <3
DeleteI think it would help to make the other kid's try and understand that if they integrate then life can just move foword and the faster they accepted intogration then it will help them see that at the end of the day they are all one thing, people.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this discussion has helped the students understand each other because both sides of the story are being told like how it felt to walk and have a mob behind you yelling at you and what it was like walking with the mob. They were also in a place where they all could voice their opinions. Both sides were able to show each other their views and I think that had a big impact on the way they thought about each other. They explain how both races have the same thoughts and the only difference was skin color. It shows that most of the adults were the main reason why the schools could not integrate. Most of the stuff they heard about the other races came from their families and friends. Like one of the kids said if the adults were less involved with this event some of the white kids would be more supportive of integration, but there would still be some kids that would not want integration.
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