Black History Unit Opinion Essay

Q: What have you learned from our Black History unit? Have you changed your mind about past and/or current issues? How can you make a difference in eliminating discrimination in our society?

A: I've always known that slavery and discrimination towards blacks used to exist. It's always been a part of me, a part of my knowledge. However, I never realized the seriousness, and the unfairness of the whole affair until we began studying it in depth. That's when I realized how truly awful, disgusting, and terrible the treatment towards blacks were. Since the day Mrs. Ciuffreda did the activity where she separated students, and treated half of the class like superiors, and the other half as inferiors, I have had strong feelings, and some resentment towards how blacks used to be treated. The feelings continued to build within me as we progressed through the unit. And as we progressed through the unit, the lessons that were taught on black history slowly didn't seem like school lessons anymore; it became something much deeper, something much more meaningful. It didn't seem like something I had to learn at school anymore. It seemed like something I wanted to learn. I wanted to know all about black history, and I wanted to know about the unjustified ways people used to treat each other. I gained new empathy, and I really understood and felt the pain that these people endured. The biggest lesson I've learned was that we should all live together in peace and harmony, no matter what skin colour you are. We should never be as prejudiced as to judge people by the colour of their skin. True beauty comes from within, not from appearance. When we unite with one another, and not turn on each other, we can bond together to form a strong alliance that can overcome many obstacles. It should not matter what colour we are. We are all people, inside and outside, and thus we are the same, and are all entitled to equal rights. I'll always remember this unit, and the valuable lessons that I've learned from it. I haven't changed my mind about past and current issues surrounding racism and discrimination, because I've always been against it. However, now my feelings against the issues have grown, and they are much stronger than it was before.

Even though slavery ended about 50 years ago, discrimination still lives on. Black people are always credited as the "gangsters" and such. This