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Please remember, though, at the end of the semester, you must have a portfolio of 6000 words with some audio or video or graphic display, all on an electronic file, separate and independent from this blog.  So make a copy of all your writings and keep a file from which you can build your portfolio.  We will be discussing the next larger project soon.  Remember, the portfolio is your work, writing and images and audio, and you will have quite a bit of freedom to build it as you see fit.

What do you think about Wilentz’s concept of “relentless unforeseen,”  that we do not know what our actions will lead to, and that throughout the 1776 period and the 1865 period, people white and black did not know that slavery would be abolished.  Yet it was.

Question:  do we have the power as human beings to make history, or does it just happen to us enforced by fate?

 

Cheyenne writes:

“After reading Hannah-Jone’s views on slavery in “The 1619 Project”, and expanding my knowledge of other writers’ views by reading Wilentz’, ” American Slavery and the Relentless Unforeseen” I was able to see both sides main points. Wilentz makes a point that it was not Inevitable that slavery would be abolished. He made it clear that it was a great fight between abolitionists and antiabolitionists due to their differing views to reach an end of slavery.”

I commented in reply to her:

”

Excellent overview. It’s possible to build a historical context of the world around us and though both Hannah-Jones and Wilentz have an important point of view, it is slightly different to look at history from the point of view of “relentless unforeseen.”

Today as well we are making history, and we do not know how it will turn out.

This is a valuable perspective in academia and in life. It does however require some “book learning.” Otherwise, how will we know what happened in the past? How will we evaluate differing versions of history?

History is a narrative too. And yes Hannah-Jones is 100% right to bring front and center the action and agency of African Americans in the ongoing history of the United States of A.”

I read most of your reflections.  You have a view of Hannah-Jones’ main point.

Before you write your next post, by Wednesday, around class time–it’s ok if it’s later that day– please take the time to read some of your classmates’ reflections.

Of course, you may agree or disagree and you can discuss that, politely, please.  But more importantly, as you’re reading the other students’ blog posts, ask yourself, what makes a more effective post?

This “genre” of writing is now very common, electronic web display, and I think we can focus on how to improve our writing on a website, blog, email, etc.

The first thing we notice, is that if you break up your post by skipping a line, the reader can follow your sequence and flow of thoughts better.  Look closely at how other writers do this, and try it yourself.

Perhaps it’s best to think about the visual display of the written text.  Spacing.  Graphics.  Use your visual sense to get your point across.

Next, how can you bring to the front, shine light on, or simply state your point as affirmatively as possible?

Yes, you may want to qualify it, limit what you want to say, and bring up exceptions, but nevertheless, an effective communication needs to make clear your message.  This can be fun and it is always intellectually stimulating.

It’s not necessary to be offensive, or use vulgar language.

Sometimes however it is necessary to say what you are for, and also say what you are against.  Even if you may change your mind later.

This week we are getting oriented online and will have to make some adjustments.

If you don’t have your Wilentz reflection post, that’s ok.  Try to post it by next Monday.

Because of scheduling conflicts, I will hold the next live blog on next Monday at 8:45 to 9:45am, approximately our class time.  It’s early, at least you have no other classes during that period, as it was our period.

You aren’t required to be on the live blog.  It’s just a time to reach me live if you need to.

You can post anytime to the blog or email me.

I do expect two posts per week, Monday and Wednesday, around class time.  If you get it in later, that’s ok

 

Please post or comment or email me at jwu@citytech.cuny.edu and I will respond.  Please be patient and write your comments efficiently for this type and genre of writing.  Also be respectful of other students.

In Hannah-Jones, “1619”,she talks about how her how her African American Father proudly has an American flag in their yard. Hannah-Jones felt as if African American have this need to to do what told of them by the United States no matter if enforced to or not as if they are still somewhat tied to the bonds of slavery. Hannah-Jones doesn’t understand why a person of color would continue to respect and serve a country that has done nothing but repeatedly treat them unjust and unfair.I mean The United Stated of America was built from the foundation and or roots of slavery and what slavery contributed to our history as a nation even if that history is not very positive. Some people might believe that the United States “in its DNA”  is an evil, unjust, racist society. I personally don’t think that the  all people of the United States are evil, unjust, racist in their “DNA”. Though there is still a racism in the world I don’t think racist and evil people  are just born like that but are  instead created through experience and the type of environment that a person is raised in.Their is no denying that there are road blocks that make it harder for a person of color to achieve the so called “American Dream”.  Those road blocks are always going to be there because of the color of their skin and the history that they’re ancestor endured. Hannah-Jones states that until the all opportunity of our founding ideas are open to Black people we can never really say that we a nation of Truth, justice and liberty. The United States when it was first being built was not for the African American people. It was built to serve white man as they try to create this structured way of living of more so this dream.It was not made to benefit anyone else because the thinking if the founding father were of themselves and how it would benefit them in the future of this new nation. And because of these facts I do feel that the United States is unfair. I will always have to prove my self ten times more because of the invisible  restriction placed on people of color. It is because of this that I know I will never truly be able to be accepted by the world no matter what I achieve because of the history of ancestors who were never given a choice to begin with

In the article titled “The 1619 Project” Nikole Hannah jones discusses her views on slavery in the United States. She talks about how United States was the place that created slavery. She discusses how it is important to learn about slavery and the history of the United States. She mostly discusses the 1619 project because that’s when most of the slaves arrived to the United States. She talks about the reasons why the American Civil War was fought in her essay. In response to a question, “was the civil war fought in response to slavery?” she says that it was just to get to get their independence from British for American colonists to keep slavery alive. In the article from American Institute for Economic research it states that, “One of the primary reasons the colonists decided to declare their independence from Britain was because they wanted to protect the institution of slavery.” Meaning that the colonists just didn’t declare slavery because they wanted to end slavery but they did that to keep slavery. Even though Thomas Jefferson wrote and revised the constitution, it was known that he also owned slaves. In comparison to today we can make a claim that everything depends on profit. Even today, as of now. Most of the people are still going to work even though the corona virus breakout throughout the world. It is all because of profit. Back then, during the slavery days those slave owners didn’t want to end slavery because they were making a lot of profit with slaves. Today, when we go on the train and we see a homeless person on the train, we tend to ignore them or not care about them. It’s not that we don’t care about them it’s that we are trying to protect ourselves from getting sick because nobody knows what kind of sickness those people have. In my opinion, I personally discriminate those type of people because I know everyone goes through hardships and life is not easy. But I don’t think those people are slaves because they are just people that doesn’t have any resources to live a happy life like everybody else. But we do ignore or stay away from them because we are trying to protect ourselves from getting sick.

In the article “1619 Project”, the author Nikole Hannah Jones has point out that African Americans do not get the equality and freedom they deserve in the United States and they have to face unjust treatments. One hundred years ago, African Americans were facing the problem of segregation. At that time, the racial discrimination happened, the white man treated African Americans as low class. African Americans can not go to the same school as white Americans, can not eat at the same time, can not sit in the front of the bus, etc. In addition, African Americans do not have the right to vote and most of them are working in the factory with low income and long working hours. African Americans think that they did not have the freedom and equality that they should have, and they start the civil rights movement to fight for their equality and freedom.
This article not just relates to African American, it is also related to immigrants. I am also an immigrant, I have seen how Americans discriminate other people, and we did not have an equal right. The declaration of independence shows that “all men are created equal”, but Americans have their racial superiority, they think that other people are evil and they should not come to the United States. For instance, the coronavirus that happens right now, Americans treat our Asian as the virus spreader, and I have seen much news about how Americans discriminate Asians because they wear the mask and Americans commit a hate crime. When I see this news and see how Americans racist, it makes me feel unfair about the society. “All men are created equal”, I did not feel we as immigrants to get the equal right that Americans have. The United States is a democratic country, but it is not possible for everyone with equality because of racism. In their point of view, different skin and different race represent we are not the same, it is like two different discourse community, why would you have the same right as we did if you just join in our discourse community. Racism has separated the country into different groups, because of that, we as the immigrants are hard to have the equality we suppose to have. As the constitution said “All men are created equal”, we should have human rights and treat other races as the same.

1.  Was abolition of slavery inevitable according to Wilentz?  “Inevitable”–means it had to happen and could not have not happened.   What does he mean by “relentless unforeseen?”  Does this agree or disagree with Hannah-Jones?   When we look back at history, how do we see the events vs. how did the people at the time experience them?
2. One main difference between Wilentz and Hannah-Jones is that Wilentz does not tell the story of the role of the African-American in liberation from enlsavement.  On the other hand. Hannah-Jones’ thesis is that the African-American contribution to abolition of slavery and the continued struggle for equality for all is of the utmost importance in American history.
3. Wilentz’s main point is that is was not known at the time that slavery would be abolished.  There was a great struggle between proslavery and antislavery world views among the white population.
4. In paragraph 3, Wilentz references the 1740-1750s “explosive consciousness of man’s freedom to shape the world in accordance with his own will and reason.”  In general, this refers to the “enlightenment.”  Hannah-Jones will be quick to point out that this “universal freedom” was not extended to the enslaved, and slavery did exist at that time.  Wilentz is arguing that the moral rejection of slavery was advanced by “scrutinizing inequality, personal sovereignty, national sovereignty and servititue of every kind” (paragraph 4).
5. In paragraph 5, he says that though slavery had always existed, “the struggle to abolish it came abruptly.”  He sees the American Revolution as part of this process, that there was an anti-slavery movement in the Declaration of Independence, but it was violently opposed by the proslavery forces that existed based on feudal and ancient world view of conquest of peoples and social hierarchy.
6. Write your own reflection on the first 19 paragraphs of Wilentz.  Compare it to Hannah-Jones.
7. Write your own reflection (400-600words) on the first 19 paragraphs of Wilentz.  Compare it to Hannah-Jones.  Post it by Monday 1pm.
8. Note: I will make comments on your previous Hannah-Jones posts by Monday 1pm.

The next reading is the Wilentz, “American Slavery and the Relentless Unforeseen.”

https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2019/11/19/american-slavery-and-the-relentless-unforeseen/

This is a long piece and will take you some time to read it.  I would have a notebook at my side and as I read take a few notes to set up for my comment. Even if you don’t understand every word of the article, read through it and capture the main sequence of ideas, argument, narration etc.

I will have some comments on Wilentz by Friday 1pm.

Post your reflection on Wilentz by Monday, class time.

What is his concept of “Relentless Unforeseen?”  How is that a critique of Hannah Jones or modification of her thesis?

Research the latest New York Times statement on 1619 Project.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/magazine/an-update-to-the-1619-project.html

How would you state Hannah-Jones’s thesis?  Write a one or 2 paragraph comment.  Save it on a separate file so you can use it in your next paper, which we will discuss soon.  To put it briefly, you will be writing a full review of Hannah-Jones and Wilentz and one or two other articles that you select.

Remember you must create a 6000 word portfolio by the end of the semester, so begin to organize your writings into a file.  Reflect on how you are expanding your knowledge and understanding of the topics we have covered and the process of thinking about new ideas and how you have changed some of your old ideas.  You can always insert a short reflection into your portfolio, commenting on what you’ve done.