The Story We Tell: Post-viewing Activity

Following our viewing of Episode Two: The Story We Tell, please respond to the following question:

> What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell? What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?

24 thoughts on “The Story We Tell: Post-viewing Activity

  1. The title is significant because the film tells the stories of what people portrayed as race. It talks about how some African Americans were on displayed as savages in zoos. I don’t tell stories about race because I feel it’s a sensitive subject and I don’t quite understand it too well.

  2. The significance of episode two’s title is that it emphasizes the fact that the idea of race is a “story”. That is to say that it is based upon a fiction that people made up. It is an artificial social construct. The function that the story played in the U.S. was to oppress people of color and create a division of social and economic status. They used the name of science and race to exploit people who looked different and weren’t white. These people were used for labor, to take lands from, and to be made inferior. I don’t think I really tell much stories about race aside from silly stereotypes that people joke about. The stories I hear from other people usually pertain to how dangerous an area is. For example, Harlem or Corona, where there are mostly African Americans or Hispanic people. People would say to be careful if you’re alone at night. The film didn’t really change the way I think about those stories as they are high crime rate areas and it’s always a danger for a person to walk alone at night in low socioeconomic areas. However, it did open my eyes to how the idea of race was constructed and how unfortunate that these ideas are still around even though people should know better by now since science has advanced so far. They can no longer trick people into thinking that people are biologically different based on race alone and yet the idea of race is still strong in people’s minds. Race is so ingrained into everyone, even those who are exploited. Although people are fighting harder for equality, they use the idea of race to fight it instead of throwing away the notion altogether. One must wonder if there will ever be a day where humans are simply humans.

  3. The significance of the title “The story we tell” is that it brings the idea that there is no such thing as race, It was created to distinguish a certain group of people from others. According to the article it is a social construct that was created by society. The function the story has played in the U.S. was to create some sort of divide between groups of people and to promote to the idea of economic status. I have never told stories about race since I like to keep an open mind and make my own decision, but I have come across people who tell their own stories about race. I used to go to a school upstate and there were a number of groups of people who believe African Americans shouldn’t be in this country and also have similar thoughts for different groups of people. The story hasn’t really changed the way I think about those stories since I had a good amount of knowledge into the film.

  4. The significance of the episode’s titles ” The story we tell” is telling us that race is not real and its a made up story from decades ago it have past on from people to people.The function the story has play in the U.S was to created division and social economic status because they used science and race to identify people that had looked different and that wasn’t white. Also those people were used for labor like farming and other. I had never tell a story about race because I feel it is not right to talk about other race around you because you can hurt their feeling even if you don’t mean it. The films didn’t really change the way i think but however it make me realize how race really started and how now days race is still going on, i feel that everyone now day should know better because the generation have change.

  5. The significance of this episode’s title is that it shows how people are just spreading false information about race. Even if a little of it is true but if mixed with false information it will mislead others so if you’re unsure whether the information is true or not maybe it’s better to keep it to yourself before spreading it. The function that story played in U.S. was basically separating the people of different color and labeling the all other race inferior to the white skin people. White skin people forced others to work for them. I don’t believe I told any stories about race even if I did maybe it was something not too serious among friends. I hear lots of stories about race from parents and relatives but I don’t really attention to it because I know it’s just a bunch of “bullshit” and I feel like people who came to U.S. when they very little and grew up here think differently about race. The film didn’t really change the way I think because I believe people are people no matter what skin color they are

  6. The significance of the title is important because it deals with America’s history of racism and racist attitudes towards non-white people. That story has shaped America’s history in big ways, especially when it came to westward expansion. Specifically, “civilizing” Native Americans and forcing them to move west. I myself know of the systematic racism that plagues our society but I have no personal stories about me encountering serious racism growing up. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very diverse neighborhood where I interacted with all different types of people who look different and similar to me. Middle school was the first time I have heard stories about racism in America through my American history class. The topic of slavery came up and my teacher, who was Italian American, said that just because he was “white” doesn’t mean that he encountered a form of racism when he was growing up. He mentioned that Italians were treated poorly and also seen as inferior when he was a boy, by other so-called white people. The film didn’t really change the way I thought about these stories, but more confirmed my initial beliefs and the little I knew about the rise of racist values in America. It confirmed that racism was a real idea that influenced many of America’s major moves throughout its history. Thomas Jefferson’s story really intrigued me because he declared that all men are created equal but still owned hundreds of African slaves. The founding fathers were racists, and their values pass on still to this day unfortunately.

  7. When I think of the title “The Story We Tell” I think about a child who did something wrong and fabricated a story to tell his/her parents to weasel his/her out of trouble. The more the child tells this story the more he/she starts to believe it to the point that this story becomes an accepted truth even though it is based on a lie used to get out of trouble. That is what was done early on in this country to justify the enslavement of human beings. In early settlements there was no notion of race being either black or white, people were divided based on their socioeconomic standing. You were either high society or low society. It wasn’t until slaves started to come from Africa that the divide between being black or white began to happen.

    White people at the time began to try and justify slavery by telling the same stories over and over and over again. Stories about how blacks were inferior or blacks aren’t really men. They began invoking faux science and hailed it as fact. All good scientific practices went out the window when if came to explaining the difference between a white man and a black man. And just like the child trying to get out of trouble with his parents, these bullshit facts were repeated so often and so loud that they became an established, scientific truth. These purveyors of racist science then passed these concepts on to the next generation who then passed it on the generation after until their origins were no longer clear and they were just accepted “facts” of the world. “Facts” that would be accepted as truth for an embarrassingly long time.

  8. What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”?
    “The Story We Tell,” is an appropriate title to this video. The significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell” is about the story we tell later in life after we have been treated bad, felt the effects of stress or illness because of racial discrimination.
    What function has that story played in the U.S.?
    The function the story played in the U.S. was to inform recipients of the effects of racial discrimination still existing even today and how it affects our health.

    What are the stories about race that you tell?
    My stories are many. In this country, I have been treated with avoidance, played less attention or ignored. I have family members who would be qualified for a job but did not get it. I have know of people who are less educated getting similar jobs but not qualified for it. I have noticed that there are some stores or facilities in some areas and not others based on the race of people living there.
    What are the stories you have heard?
    The stories I have heard are very sad even though we are more educated on many topics.
    Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?
    The more I watch these videos the more I cringe. These events are very very sad. All so inhumane. It is very sad to know, see and watch one human being treat another in a very harsh, debased manner. This video was very informative. There was a lot of information that was new to me that I have heard for the first time. I was born in a different country and I am not aware of these things. I are now finding out or experiencing similar actions of race ill-treatments myself. And coming from a 3rd world country has its issues. Many people are poor and usually come to America to get a better life. And many immigrants are willing to work any job to live. So after coming to America I was jolted to reality by racial discrimination. But from life’s experience I have realized that in the fight for survival, humans will kill in order to live.

  9. I think the significance of the title is that it has one of those “read in between the lines” meanings. People have a certain idea about slavery and race in America, but many people don’t actually know its origins. And it’s certainly not something you would read about in a textbook at school. “The Story We Tell” couldn’t be farther from the story that is commonly taught to people.
    The story has literally shaped the way we think about race and the human species in America. It has also shaped the way laws were passed and who they pertained to. Not only that, but it has shaped the way we think of each other, which is probably the biggest impact it has had.
    I’m not one to tell stories about race, personally. And as far as stories I have heard, they would mostly be the stereotypes that I would assume most people know.
    The film actually made me much more aware about America and how messed up our origins are. We literally mercilessly took over Indian land and searched for excuses to allow slavery. Things that I knew to some extent, but not only did it put it more into perspective, but that the government facilitated this is something I really didn’t fully grasp until now.

  10. I think the message that the title of episode 2 is trying to convey is that race is socially constructed. The episode discussed how the idea of race first came about and how it evolved throughout history. Many individuals within the video shared their differing ideas regarding race and how throughout history the idea of race began to evolve. Differentiation or division began with religion and social status. Eventually there were other divisions such as physical characteristics, then white and black, then culturally such as native (savages) and white (civilized), etc. These ideas were then shared and institutionalize and became a norm where people would follow because it was established by people that were considered expert. Thomas Jefferson believed that all men are created equal; however, the video made it clear that we are not because we were constructing a concept known as race when we start categorized various groups of people. After these various groups of people were categorized, they were then conquered by white men due to white men’s belief that they were superior and that it was their manifest destiny to expand and conquer others (blacks, natives, Mexico’s territories, Philippine) whether it was westward or as a new world power. America contradicted their own declaration of independence that we are all created equal when in fact throughout the course of history of America, they illustrated that it was not true.
    I try to avoid telling stories about race because everyone differs from one another and you really shouldn’t judge anyone unless you got the chance to know or learn about the person. Some stories I have heard involved stereotype usually from the media, class discussion, or friends. The film did not change the way I think about those stories. I prefer personal impression over generalization.

  11. “The Story We Tell” is a significant title because the idea about race is indeed just a story. It was constructed just to segregate people who looked different from themselves. If you were not white you were not good enough. This story contributed to events such as the slavery of African Americans. I do not ever recall telling any stories of race. I have heard stories of racial discrimination on the news and was taught in school about it. The film did not change the way I think about the stories. I knew majority of the information the film talked about but I did learn new information as well.

  12. > What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell? What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?

    The significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell” is it tells the idea of race in America. America created a story of race. The function that story played in the U.S. is the story shape how race is viewed, how it developed and progress. Society was constructed for those of an economic and social status. This society is composed of majority whites leading to the support of white superiority. Indentured servants were replaced with Africans for their ideal labor source. Africans then grew as slaves. Indians were recognize close to whites, but deemed inferior because they were savages. Lands were taken from the Indians. Gradually whites began trying to give meaning to their superiority through science and find faults in the other races. I don’t tell stories about race. I have heard stories about race, although majority are stereotypes I have heard in classroom or discussions such as Asians are good with math. No, the film have not changed the way I have think about those stories.

  13. “The Story We Tell” gives the story of the race in North America. How different races served living in America. It highlights the social and economic status to differentiate people which led to slavery. Living in NYC, different races have stories in every situation. Slavery is still present in the United States. There are people who get paid less than the minimum wage. So this film actually didn’t change the way I think of race in the society.

  14. What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell? What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?

    The episode’s title is a reference to the story of how racism evolved, and is evolving in the U.S. The function of the story is that it isn’t very well known. Many people might possibly reconsider their views, or at the very least know when people started to think a certain way. I don’t say anything about race, especially today when society is very politically correct. And the stories I’ve heard are basically used as either a crutch, or as an excuse to act like a jerk to a specific member of a race, Black to White, White to Black, Asian to Hispanic, I’ve heard it all. The film didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t know from U.S. history courses, museums, and popular media, it was interesting to see some reactions though.

  15. hat is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell? What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?
    This is really a story that we keep on telling many years ago. Ancient people stigmatized people based on custom, language,religion but not on physical characteristics. USA takes this ideas on a different level into their slave system, added that all slaves share common physical traits and ancestry. They categorized black based on their socio-economical status and I realize black are always in the labor class no matter how much effort they put into to progress. I never talk about race but as a mother of three i usually tell my children to take extra attention in society we live in especially with police brutality and how they portray our skin color. White people assimilate this concept as birthright and it is in their genes. Because of this birthright aspect of white supremacy, the practice knows no economic, social or educational boundaries. this mean as long as you are a black person doesn’t matter of your class, you are exposed to some type of discrimination. All men are created equal as Thomas Jefferson said but for white people if we are created equal , economically and sociologically we should be equal for this conceptual idea they cannot be on the ultimate level to govern the world. The social polity in America has become increasingly harsh towards the black poor and the growing alarm about income inequality, the economic desk are stacked against both the poor of all races and ehnicities
    It might not be manifested in the same way at the time of slavery but in reality it is still there. Things never change, they still look at us as slave, their property and whatever they ask for we should abide to it. It’s like we, as blacks condemned to certain situations, remain in the lowest position or level regardless of our educational background. They were born as racists ,they will die as racists. Unless the government applied remedies to change the white racist genetic code, things might change, but black should take a certain ways in society to accomplish our goals whether they accept it or not, strive to be well . the film did not change the way i think about the stories.

  16. The significance of the episode’s tile, “The Story We Tell” is that it tell a story about the idea of race in the united stated. The function that the story played in the U.S is that the idea of the race was the reason used to enslave the African American. The idea of race then evolve as it is used is as the reason to take Native American land from them. I am not the type to tell stories. The stories about the race I heard it typical stereotype racism. The film didn’t change the way I think about those stories because I already know most of it from the U.S History class.

  17. > What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell? What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?

    The significance of the episode’s title is to literally tell the story of our history of how race is throughout history. The function of the stories played in the U.S. is to show that how we as humans, separate each other into different categories based on color. Some of the race story that I tell? How can I? Most people see Asians as disrespectful, easy to pick on and bully, just tell them what to do and they will do it, and much more. Only the Asians can relate to other Asians, if I were to be with another race, I do not know what race stories I can tell them. I have heard a lot, like I have said before, Asians being this being that. There is a lot of fire in me trying to correct it, but how can I without being beaten up or yelled at vulgarly? There is too much stereotypes built upon us, and most of them are true when they are in China, but it is acceptable there, but super wrong when in the Americas. The film did not change much of the way I think of the stories because I did learn most of these already.

  18. The story we tell talks about how groups of people were categorized based on their color.
    During that time, people were forced to work for others solely based on the perception that they were considered an inferior race. The film plays an important function and informs us about how the idea of race started. From the history i know of, I’ve heard facts such as how scientists used to measure the skulls to categorize people into groups; however, i never knew that the actual government had influenced science a lot that research was actually aimed at proving something, rather than disproving it. Today, it shows how the science from back then has changed so much over the years. The film strengthens my belief that race is nothing but an illusion that would take years to fix. I think it’s an important lesson, because a lot of people wouldn’t know unless they watched the film, it feels like sometimes people a racist towards others, but yet they don’t even know how it started many years ago before anyone was born. I feel like there are so many things left to know like the details, but yet at the end the whole idea is there. As time passes by we are seeing how race is changing in our society and the outcome is yet to be seen.

  19. The title “The Story We Tell” shows that race has different perspectives and a lot of information in these stories involving race have been left out. The function the story played is telling how race started and how it was skewed and biased to deem non-whites inferior and less civilized. I personally don’t have any race stories i believe i tell. The stories about the race I heard are through stereotypes and prejudices. The film gave me more insight into these stories and a better background understanding of certain aspects of racial development.

  20. What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell?
    What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?
    The story we tell portrays the origin of the race concept in North America, the 19th century science that legitimated it and, and how it came to be held intensely in the western imagination. In this episode, race is used to justify social inequalities among Americans as normal. This concept of race was used to enslave Africans and to commit a lot of injustice. One painful race story I know well is the one perpetrated towards the Jewish by Hitler.The film did give me a better understanding of certain aspects of racial development in North America.

  21. What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell? What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?

    The title’s significance is that its the story of how race came about in America. This “story” has made up most of America’s history and has made America what it is today. The things of race that I’ve heard are stereotypes that were told to me by my parents and friends. The film has definitely opened my eyes about American history and race. I look back on it and view it completely differently.

  22. What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell? What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?

    It focuses on the social and economic statuses of differentiate people that relate to slavery. “The Story We Tell” gives the story of race in North America. How different races work living in America. Slavery is still present in the United States and we all see it in one way or another. There are people who get paid less than the minimum wage based on their race and immigration status. Different races have their stories in every situation living in the United States. This film actually didn’t change the way I think of race in society now a days.

  23. What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell? What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?

    – The significance of the title, “The Story We Tell”, is the fact that many have there own experiences with racism in the US. Race has a huge function in the US and always has. The United States at one point had slavery, and though it was abolished by president Lincoln, the US still found ways to keep them restricted and “enslaved” with the Jim Crow laws, racial discrimination, and lower work wages. The film didn’t really change my views of the stories more as the film gave me a better understanding of those stories.

  24. > What is the significance of the episode’s title, “The Story We Tell”? What function has that story played in the U.S.? What are the stories about race that you tell? What are the stories you have heard? Did the film change the way you think about those stories? If so, how?

    The significance of the title is that people of different backgrounds and races where treated very differently. Race always played a huge part in the United States history and it even was one of the aspects that led to a civil war. Personally I do not tell stories about racism. They are not worth the negativity that follows. As far as the stories I have heard, they do not extend past what most would find in an American History textbook. The Movie didn’t change how I felt about those stories rather give a more detailed explanation of them.

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