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?
As far as the film goes, I’m not surprised or shocked at what I saw. It has been the story we have been told for many years now. How the irony of the events that occurred in the past as we see it know shows the ignorance of the actions that occurred. The story we told back then was to see everything the same even though we were putting others of a different color below us. I think that race is a concept that can be destroyed, we just need to figure out how.
The significance of the episode’s title, is tell us the true story of race. We all have our own idea of it and things were taught to us in class throughout our lives. But in this episode we are able to put all what we learned from growing up as well as our own ideas together. It explains where race came from, how long it has been around and who it effected in the United States. In the episode, I learned that whites believe themselves to be superior. Even the poor white people were seen as being superior because of the color of their skin. Whites looked down on other races. Some whites believe that black people were born to be ruled. They believed that some people were born to rule and some were born to be ruled. In this case it was the blacks. They also tried to do the same with the Native Americans and the Mexicans. The whites even went as far as chasing Natives off their land and taking over. I usually tell stories about slavery and how it still effects some people till today. This episode didn’t change the way I think about these race stories but it did enlighten me more on it.
What an interesting title, “The Story we Tell,” it definitely makes you question yourself about what is really true. In American schools we are taught about slavery and American history at a very young age. I attended Academy of American Studies high school in Long Island city in which we specialized in learning American history. Therefore, nothing in the film was new to me. We studies about slavery and Native Americans very closely. I’m pretty sure learning about American history in a different country would have a different view of American history as we know it. We are thought about the history of our country from a bias view, for instance we were taught that America is a hero nation that helped several countries to gain their independence. I remember learning about “the white man’s burden,” The Underground Railroad and much more. The United States of America contradicted themselves in the constitution with slavery and women rights. Our nation was ruled and dominated by narrow-minded white men. Even when slavery was abolished they refused to acknowledge African Americans as citizens with rights. They used every power in believing that others were not humans with rights. The filmed reopened my mind about how inhuman and narrow-minded our country was towards people of a different “race.” They were rejected rights and declared “uncivilized.”
The “story we tell” is exactly that. The story that the US has told us in class, history books etc. That we did what we did because “they are not civilized” , we made this country better. The video clearly explains that the whites believed they are superior to any other race, that they will do anything to keep that status. They took over land and forced the native Americans off their land. They fought off the Mexicans and took over their land and told the people that the Mexicans were barbarians and an inferior race. The video is great and really tell the story of how america muscled their way to becoming a super power.
The significance behind the title, “The story we tell” focuses significant events within our contry such as slavery. This story is told in the way these events occurred within history.
The story has played a huge role within the U.S. I feel as though this story made racism exactly what it is today. The story made the white culture superior and all others inferior. This is an issue that the world still struggles with to this very day.
The story that I tell is exactly the same as the film that we watched. The way the whites treated the African Americans and the native Americans was absolutely unfair and unjust. Whites chose the lands that they wanted and then forced all others out. The film focused on information that I have already heard previous to watching. My thoughts were the same before the film as well as now. I believe the way the whites treated the African Americans and the native Americans was absolutely unfair. No culture should be treated so poorly because we as human beings are all equal to one another.
The significance of the episodes title, “The story we tell” reminds us the biggest problem in our society which is racism and also tells us the different events where racism was playing the key role. The story played an important role in USA, since this problem is the biggest concern for us to maintain the balance between the White and Blacks. to create a equal society. i didn’t go high school in USA so i didn’t learned that much. But I took couple of psychology and sociology classes and what I learned was exactly the replication of the film.
The significance of the episode title “The Story we Tell”, is telling the viewers that they would tell their version of the story. Once watching the video we see a different view of how race was viewed back in 1780’s. The discrimination not only what African Americans have been facing, but Native Americans how badly they were kicked out of their own homes. The function that the story has played in the U.S is that race has always been a issue here in the U.S. The video refers back to The Declaration of Independence, where the founding fathers wrote “All men are created equal” what did they really mean where white men, excluding Africans and Native Americans. While growing up I read and learned about the history about Native Americans it has always been harsh for myself to hear how these people faced discrimination and also how their population has been striking throughout the years. The film did change my view on president Andrew Jackson, in my eyes he was one of the worst and a racist president the United States has had. How could a president have the trail of tears happen kicking out most of the Native Americans from their own home. When learning about the history about Native American I always learn something new and how Americans forced them change their cultural to make them more “civilized” forcing them to follow the Christian religion and wear the clothing society wanted them to wear. The way Americans treated Native Americans would always not be acceptable, they should just been left them alone and let them make their own decisions if they wanted to join society.
The significance of the title was to show a comparison of how we as people tell the story of race and what it really is. The story in itself shaped the U.S many centuries ago because it was what was being followed. The whites viewed everyone who was a shade darker then they were as inferior individuals. From the Natives to the Mexicans to the Africans, they were all bullied because of the idea that everyone is different according to the shade of their skin. Before slavery race wasn’t a issue because the poor whites were being shunned; but now its every other racial group that doesn’t have a European background.
I don’t tell stories about race. I view them from different perspectives. At times i catch myself telling ignorant people that no matter who they think they are or what they are everyone is one race. The stories I’ve been told about race only open my eyes and make me want to learn more. Everything from the Native Americans being chased away and the Africans being dehumanized. This episode didn’t change my perspective of anything, it more like confirmed any uncertainties i may have had about certain race events that i heard of.
The significance of the title was to show how race has been spread in our society and how it has transmitted through many different events. The story played a very important role in US where Black and White conflections is always true and it divides classification between the society. What I learned about race in my other class is similar to this movie. The one thing is new in the movie, it shows the transmission of race from period to period. It describes how race concept has developed and how the classification of whites and blacks are determined.
I believe the “The Story We Tell” signifies a voice telling of the hardship and poor treatment that people who were not white endured during and immediately after the times of slavery. Racism was dominant in the 19th through 20th centuries. It was apparent that, if a person was not white they would be insignificant or of lesser value to society. Surprisingly though, even whites of other origins such as the Indians also was a subject of reject and poor treatment.
The story created an atmosphere where in, whites believe they are superior to all races and should be in charge of the so called non-whites or unaccepted whites, such as, the white Indians. Whereas the blacks in particular, many accepted to be of lesser value to society and tend to continue living and acting in that manner. On the other hand, most other blacks are willing to fight for equality and to prove that the whites are not more significant than they are. This causes tremendous attention on racism in U.S.A. with an effort of change and equality.
I can relate to racial prejudice based of what is happening in America even today. White people are given greater preferences over other classes of people in all aspects of society. Healthcare, jobs and general wellbeing requirements are barriers between the whites and blacks are observations in this situation. I believe all human are equal in society. In every class of people there are different levels of skillsets and abilities, so there should be no segregation called race. There are many stories about racism and how one race is treated with less respect, humanity and dignity than another. It is often told that black people are inferior to whites and should look-up to the whites as their superiors in society. This I bet to differ, and will never support this claim or perception.
After watching the film, I became more adamant about equality of all human being. It is past the time for racial abuse by the whites. It was unbelievable to see that black people were not the only victims of this type of abuse by the whites. The native Indians also suffered under their hands. I now think also, that, the whites are bullies to all other humans and are fearful of losing their power, preferences and standards of living should equality of all classes exist.
This episode focus on how race really came about in this world, also how blacks and any other race were treated, another is how whites came and took a land that was free for people to live on and turn it into something for profit. How peoples freedom were taken away from them and the hardship they face for looking different or how some were killed for their home, all just because a few deemed them inferior. The story played a major role here in the U.S. by keeping everyone divided, also having one group believe they are superior to every other, still to this day some “white Americans” believe the same thing. Every single thing in this episode I have studied in my African American History class before, read about, and watch other films, so this is not the first i have heard about any of this. Since I practically know everything in this episode, nothing has change for me after watching it, the only thing that has came to light for me is that this country were I was born, is were the word race came about. With all my studies that is the only thing I had not known. I always thought since slavery been about before this country was discovered, the word race has been around.
The significance of the episode title basiclly means the story we all been learning readying watching since the start of this country. I believe this movie shows the truth of what actually happen in greater detail in the past with slaves the start of race and even touches on how greed was already a factor. The fucntion this story has played on U.S history is that it shaped they way we are living today. From things that lasted and did not last. For example race. Race is something we still use now a days to identiy people and group them based soly on looks. Other things like slavery did not last and we learned from our mistakes and saw how wrong it was. Most of the movie was not new news to me because its is what we have been told and taught in history classes. One thing that i did now know was that slavery was the start of race being put into circulation. Race was an excuse to deem the black people infirior. They said that the blacks where put in this world to be slaves and this is how they introduced them to the people in the U.S. The movie didnt make me change the way i see things just opened my eyes to some new information about race and how it came about
I think the significance of the episode title “The Story We Tell” was telling the audience that hey we are going to tell you a store about what they are presenting. The fiction that the story played in the US was that it showed that how when the European come here what was happening to their lifestyle and how they cope up with it and managed a way to survive. I knew this from before in several history films and books about how the colonial people at that time have fought the red Indians and took over the land and drove them far west. The red Indians was viewed as a different type of people which was not considered part of society. So the colonial people tried to educate them and teach them culture which was more realistic. Though the video which I have watch was telling the story in much greater details. I don’t think the film changed my point of view of this portion of history. Because this is a well knows history and almost everyone knows about this, of how the red Indians used to live here and Columbus came to this land and how everything took place.
The episode`s title, “The Story We Tell”, is significance because people`s view on race is based on what they hear or saw. The function of that story played in the U.S. is that it shows how poorly Americans treated with Africans and Native Americans because they believe that they are superior to them. The film did not really change the way I think about those stories because I already knew it from previous history class.
The episode’s title is a preview of how the country and its population perceive race. The movie portrayed a side of U.S. history of which I was unaware. The fact that a scientist tried to prove that negro men are inferior to the white men is excessive. This experiment was performed for the sake of justifying the unjustifiable: enslaving human beings. After the civil war, our views have changed, and continue to change in response to current events that shape our perspectives. Race is a social construct, which was created for the sole purpose of classifying people. This classification generates stereotypes that go hand-in-hand with prejudice and discrimination. My views were largely impacted by my exposure to stereotypes, especially since they cannot be proved. Throughout the years, I was introduced to different people from distinct backgrounds, and I gained a broader understanding of the stereotypes and racial judgments that dominate our country; however, people should be perceived on the basis of their personalities and not their skin color. This movie represented everything that I have already learned while growing up in the United States, but it exposed me to new information about race and its negative impact on society.
I think the significance of the episode’s title “The Story We Tell” is telling us what we should already know, the real story. Racism has been a huge issue for many years. Whites believed they were superior than others and forced them out of America, and due to this inequality that was only supported by the presidents, it has continued on until today. From what I can remember, I have not told stories about race. I attended a high school that was predominantly blacks and Hispanics, and there was always a playful war between the two. They always made fun of one another, I guess only to pass the time. But the topic of race always came up and I always wondered why they all assumed African Americans were the only ones who suffered in American history. This film didn’t change the way I think, but it definitely gave me more information.
The significance of the episode title “The story we tell”, is based on the story we as “citizens” have been told to believe to cover up the truth and reality about racism. Race just didn’t focus on harming African Americans as we saw in class, it also affected the Native Americans. The story played a huge role in the United States, because it shows the way how problems with race affected negatively in the past as it does now. As whites always thought that they were superior it affected different groups to be inferior. The Declaration of Independence also played a huge role in the United States as it declared “All Men are Created Equal”. Perhaps the meaning of the statement made sense, but the real meaning from the perspective of the Whites was different. It eliminated those male that were other than white such as both groups African and Native Americans. It wasn’t something new to learn about, especially the westward movement of the Native Americans and the cause of Trail of Tears because of the result of kicking them off from their own property. Such as I can relate today, race is a big issue in the United States, coming from Mexican parents, the situation isn’t easy thinking that any day a problem related to the past can affect the union between my family born in Mexico and my cousins, sister, and I born in the U.S.
This episode shows us the reality in which non white poor people live in this contry, something that has been the same for years; groups of rich people dealing, take poor’s properties, and in many cases using them as slaves.
The function of this story is demostrate that Black, latinos, and minorities have always been in the back of the chain of the social hierarchy and the acces to a good life’s style, health, opportunities for growing up, and all kind of benefits that assure a better life. I think that this story represent the real situation that we had hear for years about the disparity of american’s life.
As years are coming and going I have realized about the hidden truths about the rich nations and the people that are begin of them. They say and keep an speach in from of us, but they plan and execute differents actions, meaning that rich people always would do all possible in order that the poors remain in the misery, because they live using that for take benefits appearing be the main characters in poor’s life, with some donations and help.
That particular episode called “The story we tell”, shows the real true history of racism and prejudgment in the US. It portarys the US as a country that was build on tears and blood of slaved and conquered nations. That episode tells the cruel American history, which often has been pictured differently at schools and universities. Majority of times the “US school history” presents Native Americans, Afro-Americans, and Mexicans as bad and primitive people. People, who were unable to socialize and assimilate, thus they had to be segregated and called the inferior race. The inferior race, compared to the superior race, which included any white person. That move shows the negative motives and behavior of white people, who tried to create own “white” order of society. It Shows minority as a fighters of own culture and believes.
The significance of the title “The Story We Tell” is referring to the story we were told from a young age and growing up always having that picture in our head. This story is that Whites have the superior and every other race falls below them. This was story that was though to me since the 7th Grade. Whites took advantage not only with African American also Native Americans, by ruling them out of their own land.
This film has really thought me a lot about race, and how people use Race to achieve their political goal. It was really upsetting to see how they used science to prove that whites are more intellectually higher than blacks and how black people are considered to be an inferior race. I was also particularly surprised when they tried to justify their right to own slaves by using Thomas Jefferson’s quote in the declaration of independence by trying to prove that blacks where of a different species hence they could not be considered as “humans”, so they cannot be treated equally as whites. It was not just blacks that where considered inferior, the Indians who first occupied America where considered savages and where forced to abandon their culture and values to become more “civilized” so they could live among the whites. They forced the Indians into farmers from hunters and gathers so their lands were made vacant so white settlers could occupy them this was very upsetting. I can only imagine how they felt being forced out of their home and land because their values and culture were considered not good enough.
I was told how a black person had to live his sit in a bus that he was riding to a white person. that person was sent to the back of the bus. the film teaches us how racism started and how it still exist. white people believe they’re superior blacks and blacks were born to be slave. the white chase the Indian to take over their land. even though slavery was abolished in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln were in power but, blacks still didn’t have any right to vote. the movie educates me more about racism. to me racism will always exist.
The story we tell about racism is not truly accurate. Race is a constructed idea. However, the film tries to bring light to some of the research done on race and the new findings. I’ve heard that someone can tell your race just by looking at you at you. The film has allowed me to understand that we are more similar to distant races than we’d like to believe.
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?
After this video my personality about race has changed. Race is still happening right now in the United States. For example in white neighborhood they always get a better quality for living. They get better playground for the kids, better schools, and better medical compared with another race communities. The film didn’t change most about my thinking about race. I heard a lot about race about in the United States and I did not believe that. However when I live over here it was so true about racism. Even in the film they give very true story about racial. Very much the film did not change my mind about racism after I live in the United States.