Blood White and Blue

          For the Latin America Revolutions lesson, the Essential Questions were: why is it necessary to acknowledge human value regardless of race? How are the events in the Latin American Revolutions evidence of this social imperative? This is a very important question to discuss because of all the racism, oppression, discrimination, and persecution that still exists today and will continue to exist in at least the near future. To go about answering the proposed question, we turned to pie. This pie came in the form of a chart. In a pie chart we assigned sectors to the different races that made up Latin America in the years before the revolutions occurred. Then we looked at the social structure. The conclusion after looking at these together was that Latin America had a minority given privileges over the majority. The lesson continued after the class broke into groups to learn about a specific revolution. The revolutions we studied occurred in Mexico, Gran Colombia, and Brazil. Eventually we all learned about these revolutions by regrouping so each group included an "expert" on each revolution. After comparing the timelines that we created, we worked together to answer the essential question. 

Comparing the revolutions, we found commonalities and differences. These similarities were first, each revolution ended around 1830 and second, all the revolts ended with declared independence and a constitution. One difference was that the revolution in Brazil started in the last 1700s, when the other two did not begin to spark until the turn of the century. Another difference noted was that even with their close proximity, all revolts were fought against different oppressors. In response to why it is imperative to acknowledge rights regardless of race, it was obvious. Suppressing people is not a permanent solution. People, especially those repressed, desire representation in their government and the majority, if not everyone, desire to have their basic rights acknowledged. Repressed people do not stay repressed! The three revolutions were fought for the shared goal of independence. After the Brazil revolution, the new Emperor, Pedro, did not have an easy reign. People were suspicious of him, the main reason being that he was not born in Brazil, but instead, he was born in Portugal. Brazilian people wanted a Brazilian Emperor. In Gran Columbia and Mexico the rebels hoped to create their own country, separate from their mother colony, which would allow their people, of their race, to run their own country. The majority requires representation, and in the system depicted by the Casta paintings, representation in government is not attainable for everyone. 

          Racism is still an issue today. Just yesterday, the 24th of November, the news came in that the Police Officer that shot unarmed Michael Brown, six times in total and twice in the head, will not be indicted. Now anger directed at the jury's decision is ravishing the town. People are setting fire to buildings. People are throwing rocks. People are breaking into stores. People are rioting. People are protesting, some peacefully and some violently. Some people are doing nothing. There is tear gas in the air. There is a heavy police presence, including the National Guard. I believe that stereotyping is the problem with these cops shooting and killing these citizens. That is why the new saying is "Hands Up, Don't Shoot". Most people, unfortunately including cops too, see black people as more threatening than white people. In extreme cases, this suspicion leads to unnecessary deaths. Yes, race is still an issue because although these are extreme cases, they still happen, they have happened and they will happen. They are happening now! People deserve to live in a place where they are not constantly worrying for their own safety, fearing for their lives. 

"The problem is not a Ferguson problem; it is an American problem." -Barrack Obama