The New Caste System
After listening to the interview, the main takeaway that I experienced was that in America we are not apologizing for the many wrongdoings and injustice that was done to African Americans here. Bryan Stevenson gives the examples of how in South Africa there is an apartheid museum depicting the injustices that were created. A similar example was brought up in Germany how, “you can’t go 200 meters without seeing markers and stones placed next to the homes of Jewish families that were abducted during the Holocaust” (Stevenson). The reason this was brought up was because Stevenson was validating the point that other countries are trying to change these past injustices through their narrative. The narrative being how the current world views what happened in the past, and to try and make amends for that. Prior to hearing this podcast, I had never really known that there were never any memorials for those that had suffered these racial injustices in our own country. But yet there is memorabilia of the Confederacy, people who defended slavery. I think it is empowering that Stevenson decided to do something about this injustice and open up The Legacy Museum. But yet, we still face this issue today with the School-to-Prison Pipeline. It is very difficult for African American children to finish school if they are experiencing racial injustices on a daily basis.
To Stevenson, freedom means justice. This is a point he discusses very adamantly. He says that when the 13th Amendment was passed, this was not the true end of slavery: “But it doesn’t say anything about ending this narrative of racial difference. And because of that, I don’t think slavery ended in 1865. I think it evolved” (Stevenson). In my opinion, slavery did just evolve. Since there was no such thing as owning slaves, white Americans started to cause racial injustice by imprisoning African Americans. This also became clear through segregation and the issues discussed through the short video on the School-to-Prison Pipeline. The main reason that Stevenson believes that justice is what freedom truly is is because of his work. When working with people on death row, he understands that many of them have been dealt unjust cards in their lives. Such as what happened with Walter McMillian. After reading that chapter, it was clear that he was not the one who committed the murders of the 2 people in his hometown, investigators knew this as well and there was substantial evidence agreeing with this. But yet Walter still found himself guilty due to the fact that they needed to have a suspect to put the public at ease and everyone believed him to be a hostile man due to having an affair with a white woman. People at my community partner are most likely seen as undocumented citizens in this country just due to the fact that there is a higher prevalence in this community. Due to the presence of ICE that could occur at any time, on the back of volunteer name badges, is a number to call that will have someone come out and make sure that ICE is told to leave in simplest terms. This is one of the injustices that students at Canal Alliance must be ready for if a situation like this were to ever occur.
A key portion of the book reading that stuck out to me was when Stevenson was giving a presentation to a smaller group of African Americans and he shared his experience of racial injustice, when he was brisked for just sitting in his car near his house. A man in a wheelchair came up to him and told him to, “Beat the drum for justice” (Just Mercy, 46). I thought this was very moving and inspiring. This is how Stevenson wants to redefine what it means to be a person of color: by beating the drum for justice. He is doing this by helping these men on death row who have experienced enough racial injustice. Just like Henry who had his handcuffs “on too tight” just for going past the time limit and was “pushed towards the door”, barely able to walk and stumbling (Just Mercy, 11). The only way that freedom can be obtained is through justice. And this can only be received in court for these inmates on death row.
What is known about social structures is that they are unfair. It is unfair that illegal immigrants come to our country for a better life or due to fear from their home country. Then must live in fear of being deported after they have already established lives here. These people did not have a choice in where they were born or where they grew up. All they desire is to have equal opportunities, such as the opportunities that we have in the United States. It is true that you can not really understand what people go through unless you become close to them and they share their personal experiences with you. This is the same as with nursing. You can not fully comprehend or grasp a disease and the effect it has on a patient till you actually see someone going through it themselves. It is not enough just to know about it but to actually experience what is happening to the patient, or to the racial injustice in America. This is the case for working with the students at Canal Alliance.
It is hard to actually understand what they are going through without actually talking to them about their issues or the injustices they face. To see the students interacting with each other and helping each other to achieve the same goal is amazing to me. When one doesn’t understand a problem or wants to know how that student got to that answer, the other will explain it or show how to get to the answer. As I’ve continued volunteering at Canal Alliance, the students know me by name now and especially the students that I have been working with and seeing consistently, have asked for my opinion on multiple homework assignments. They have asked me to proofread their papers and they just want my opinion or to talk things out with them. I really enjoy spending time with these students. It is hard to understand the issues that face a current population without really spending time with the same group of people.
