Ashley Jackson
2/14/10
TED 3380
Race Matters 5 4 3 2 1: Chapters 5-8

5- Cornel West talks about many different things in these chapters. He brings up affirmative action, black-Jewish relations, black sexuality, and ends his book talking about how powerful Malcolm X was and that we need to be more like him in order to change this world. He wants people to not just accept affirmative action but actually take real action to help race issues. Also, we need to be more like Malcolm X who spoke with power and rage.

4- 1.) Page 116: “Without some redistribution of wealth and power, downward mobility and debilitating poverty will continue to drive people into desperate channels.”
2.) Page 119: “Americans are obsessed with sex and fearful of black sexuality.”
3.) Page 131: “Only by living against the grain can we keep alive the possibility that the visceral feelings about black bodies fed by racist myths and promoted by market-driven quests for stimulation do not forever render us obsessed with sexuality and fearful of each other’s humanity.”
4.) Page 151: “Only if we are as willing as Malcolm X to grow and confront the new challenges posed by the black rage of our day will we take the black freedom struggle to a new and higher level.”

3- Realpolitik (page 96) - political realism or practical politics, esp. policy based on power rather than on ideals
Conflate (page 98) - to fuse into one entity; merge
Nadir (page 104) - the lowest point; point of greatest adversity or despair

2- This reading reminded me of the time when I was talking with my friend who did not agree with different race marriages. We talked about it for a while and I began to become really frustrated with her. I did not understand why she thought it was not right to do that. Cornel West talks about how whites see different race marriages as a bad thing and he is true. There are many white people that think that this is not right. I do not understand why it is wrong and will never get why people can be so closed minded. Also, the reading reminded me of when I studied about Jews during the Holocaust. They went through so much and I do not understand how people could treat people that way just because of who they are. African Americans struggled just like the Jews did. They both are still struggling today.

1- What can we do, as teachers, to help our students of different races in our classroom feel comfortable with each other?