Video Reaction 2

Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington

Growing up, I learned about the big names in American history—the presidents, the generals, the inventors. But the more I dive into our past, the more I focus on the people who pushed forward through impossible circumstances. One of them is Booker T. Washington. Born into slavery, he taught himself to read against every barrier designed to keep him down. He eventually made his way to Hampton Institute, even working as a janitor just to afford his education. His success didn’t stop with himself—he went on to lead the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, a school built around teaching real skills and the importance of hard work. Washington believed that by becoming skilled and economically independent, Black Americans could gain respect in a country that refused to give it freely. In 1901, he even became the first Black leader to dine at the White House—an historic moment, even if equality was still far away.

Lincolns Assassination

Abrham Lincoln

Reconstruction after the Civil War should have been a turning point. Abraham Lincoln pushed for the 14th and 15th Amendments, giving citizenship and voting rights to formerly enslaved people. But after Lincoln was assassinated—by John Wilkes Booth—Andrew Johnson took over, and things changed. Johnson turned land back to white owners, leaving newly freed people with nowhere to go. Sharecropping became a new form of slavery, trapping families in endless debt while working someone else’s land. By 1870, only around 30,000 Black Americans owned land in the South—out of 4 million who had just gained freedom. And anyone who dared challenge the system risked being murdered.

Jim Crow Era

Still, during Reconstruction (1865–1877), Black Americans voted for the first time in U.S. history, and even held office. It was a glimpse of what could have been—maybe what would have been if Lincoln had lived.

Jim Crow Laws

But as Jim Crow laws spread across the South, segregation crushed those early gains. By 1900, 90% of Black Americans still lived in the South under these oppressive rules. Eventually, people decided they had to leave. Between 1916 and 1917, the Great Migration began—millions moving north and west searching for dignity, jobs, and a future.

This history shows the strength of those who kept pushing forward. They didn’t just survive—they laid the foundation for the rights we continue to fight for today.

AI Disclosure: I put all my notes into Claude and then had it write me a blog post. I then edited it, added images, subheadings and captions.

Mock Trial Plessy V. Ferguson Reaction

Plessy V. Ferguson Separate but Equal

Case Thoughts

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). It’s honestly shocking how a case built around such a clear violation of equal rights could shape racial segregation for decades. 

So, the story starts with Homer Plessy, a man who was only 1/8 Black, what they called an “octoroon” at the time. He bought a first-class train ticket in Louisiana — completely legal — but because of a state law that required segregated train cars, he was told to move. His refusal triggered a lawsuit based on the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. These history overviews by both sides were really informative making it clear to understand what was going on at this time. 

Equal Protection Clause Under 14th A.

Constitutional Fight 

From the very beginning, the law was violating its own principles: white only and Black only accommodations were clearly not equal. 

The state defended segregation by saying the facilities were equal and that this was a “legitimate exercise to promote the comfort of its people.” Which is a valid supported statement throughout this period. They argued that the law treated both races the same — just separately — and therefore didn’t break the Constitution . But how can anyone claim a group has equal rights while forcing them into a lesser space? 

Religion

Some people even tried to justify segregation through religion and ethics. They pointed out teachings like “God created man equal” or “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” yet still allowed racism to dictate public policy — a complete contradiction. Personally, I thought Plessy's argument about religion was really strong, proving the points, she needed to prove that targeted the state well. 

Economic POV.

Economically, segregation hurt society too. Louisiana risked losing skilled Black professionals — doctors, lawyers, business owners — which could damage international business and the state economy. Still, lawmakers insisted they had to cater to the comfort of white customers to avoid backlash. 

Robert V. City Of Boston

What makes this ruling even worse is that earlier cases like Roberts v. City of Boston had already upheld segregated schools, setting the stage for this disaster. I thought when the state brought up this argument, it was really powerful and persuasive. It was all about “stabilizing society” instead of forcing real integration. 

Plessy v. Ferguson didn’t just maintain racial separation — it legitimized inequality under the fake label of fairness. It shows how dangerous the law can become when society protects comfort over justice. And even today, its legacy still echoes — reminding us why equality can never be conditional. 

AI Disclosure: I had AI put my bullet point notes into sentences, then added my own thoughts, images and subheadings.

Reconstruction Video Reaction

General Robert E. Lee Surrendering

Reconstruction Period

The period of Reconstruction following the American Civil War represented one of the most ambitious attempts to rebuild a divided nation. When Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865 — Palm Sunday — celebrations erupted as approximately four million enslaved people anticipated new lives in freedom Former enslaved Americans had long contributed to their own liberation; by the summer of 1862, many sought refuge in Union-controlled areas, while thousands of Black men enlisted in the U.S. military to fight for the Union cause. 

Reconstruction immediately faced critical questions: What would freedom look like for newly emancipated people? Which rights—education, land ownership, voting, and economic security—would define this “new America”?  

Freedmen's Bureau

To address these challenges, the U.S. government established the Freedmen’s Bureau, led by General Oliver O. Howard, which at one point controlled 850,000 acres of land intended for redistribution to formerly enslaved families — popularly remembered as “40 acres and a mule”. This initiative offered a blueprint for economic independence. 

Forty Acres and a Mule 

However, the effort to build a just post-slavery society quickly met resistance. Only days after advocating publicly for limited Black suffrage, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. His successor, Southern Democrat Andrew Johnson, swiftly shifted policy. Though the Freedmen’s Bureau had begun granting land to freed people, Johnson reversed these gains by issuing pardons to former Confederates and ordering that confiscated land be returned to white owners. Frederick Douglass, among many, expressed concern about Johnson’s priorities, recognizing that the president’s leniency threatened hard-won progress. 

Reconstruction Push Back

Johnson’s approach empowered Southern legislatures to impose the Black Codes beginning in late 1865 — restrictive laws meant to acknowledge the end of slavery while eliminating meaningful freedom. Violence accompanied this backlash. Paramilitary groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, founded in Tennessee in 1866, continued the terror tactics earlier used by slave patrols. Disorder escalated: the Memphis massacre required federal troops three days to suppress and left 48 people — all but two of them Black — dead; a similar massacre in New Orleans followed only months later. These events demonstrated that legal freedom did not equate to security. 

Republicans in Congress responded forcefully. Using their majority, they refused to seat prominent ex-Confederate leaders and advanced civil rights legislation that established birthright citizenship and defined formerly enslaved people as full American citizens under the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and later the Fourteenth Amendment. These measures became foundational to constitutional equality and remain pivotal today.

By 1867, Radical Republicans were firmly in control of Reconstruction policy. Military Reconstruction Acts expanded Black political participation dramatically: in the beginning of the year fewer than 1% of Black men in the South could vote, but by year’s end more than 80% participated in elections. African Americans often traveled armed and in large groups to polling locations for protection against violence. Ultimately, roughly half a million Black men cast ballots, playing a pivotal role in electing Ulysses S. Grant to the presidency in 1868 and helping send dozens of Black leaders into public office. 

Jim Crow Era

This surge of political representation and civic engagement symbolized the promise of Reconstruction — a revitalized America defined by possibility, diversity, and democratic inclusion. Yet, as history shows, the achievements of Reconstruction provoked a fierce and lasting backlash. Later segregation laws, known as Jim Crow, emerged from that resentment, embedding racial inequality for generations. 

Jim Crow Protest Sign

Even in contemporary times, tragedies such as the Charleston church massacre remind us that the violence and resistance to equality that began in Reconstruction still echo in modern America. The struggle of Reconstruction — one of progress met by opposition — remains an essential chapter in the ongoing pursuit of civil rights and racial justice. 

AI Disclosure: I took all my notes from the video, poured them into Claude Ai to have it write me this, where I then edited the text slightly to make sure my main points came across. I then added images with captions and subheadings.

Starting of The KKK

 

KKK Meeting in Nashville, Tn

The Founding of the Ku Klux Klan: Origins and Early Development 

The Ku Klux Klan emerged during the Reconstruction era as one of the most significant manifestations of white supremacist violence in American history. Understanding its origins requires examination of the social and political conditions that characterized the post-Civil War South, as well as the specific circumstances surrounding its founding in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1865-1866. 

Historical Context 

The conclusion of the Civil War in 1865 initiated profound transformation in the American South. The abolition of slavery through the Thirteenth Amendment and the subsequent political empowerment of formerly enslaved African Americans through Congressional Reconstruction legislation fundamentally challenged existing racial hierarchies. The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 imposed military governance on former Confederate states and mandated Black male suffrage, leading to the election of African American officials and biracial governments throughout the South. This political revolution created conditions in which violent resistance movements could flourish among white Southerners committed to restoring antebellum racial order. 

Burning of Tennessee Flag and Cross

The Founding 

The Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee, in late 1865 or early 1866 by six Confederate veterans: John C. Lester, James R. Crowe, John D. Kennedy, Calvin Jones, Richard R. Reed, and Frank O. McCord. Historical accounts indicate that the organization initially began as a social club for young men seeking fraternal association in the aftermath of war. The name "Ku Klux Klan" was derived from the Greek word "kuklos," meaning circle, combined with "Klan" to emphasize the Scottish-Irish heritage common among its founders. The early Klan adopted elaborate rituals and costume regalia—most notably white robes and hoods—that served to conceal members' identities during nighttime activities. 

Transformation and Violence 

By 1867, the Klan had transformed from a social fraternity into a coordinated instrument of political terrorism. Local chapters proliferated rapidly throughout Tennessee and adjacent states, operating with considerable autonomy while sharing common objectives of restoring white Democratic control and suppressing African American civil rights. In 1867, former Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest was appointed the organization's first "Grand Wizard," lending military expertise to the movement. 

The Klan's operational methods were characterized by coordinated nighttime raids conducted by masked riders who targeted African American homes, schools, and churches, as well as white Republicans and Freedmen's Bureau agents. Violence served multiple purposes: discouraging political participation by African Americans, enforcing labor discipline, and reasserting white social dominance through ritualized terror. Congressional testimony from 1871-1872 provides extensive evidence of systematic campaigns of whipping, torture, and murder directed at politically active African Americans and anyone perceived as challenging white supremacy. 

Second Coming of the KKK

Federal Response and Legacy 

Escalating violence prompted federal intervention through the Force Acts of 1870-1871, which authorized President Ulysses S. Grant to deploy federal troops and suspend habeas corpus in counties where the Klan operated. Federal prosecutions led to the formal dissolution of the first Klan by 1872, though localized violence continued. Despite its brief formal existence, the Klan achieved many objectives through sustained terrorism, contributing significantly to the suppression of Black political participation and the eventual abandonment of Reconstruction by federal authorities. The legacy of this period established patterns of organized white supremacist violence that would recur in subsequent iterations and influence American race relations for generations. 

AI Disclosure- I used Claude ai to give me scholarly sources and write an outline for my blog post. I then went in adding subheadings to break the text up with pictures and captions. Through this I also edited the text down.

Gone with the Wind

Cover of the movie "Gone with the Wind"

Honest Opinion

We just watched gone with the Wind, and I’ll be honest it was boring. It was a tough watch with slow pacing and sweeping music felt more like watching paint dry. That said, I’m glad I watched it. Through that time, there were moments and characters that stood out and made me think. 

The film’s setting Civil War-era Georgia is grand and romanticized, but the story itself often felt like it was winding. There were long stretches where I wasn’t sure what the point was, and some scenes seemed to go on forever. Still, every now and then, something would snap me back into attention. One of those moments was Mammy. She’s easily the most compelling character in the film. Mammy sees everyone’s nonsense and isn’t afraid to say what needs to be said. 

Scarlett O'Hara

The center of it all is Scarlett O’Hara. Scarlett is vain, manipulative, or cruel. I remember the early scenes where she fixates Ashley Wilkes, angry that he’s marrying Melanie, and determined to have her way. Her impulsive marriage, strategically as it may have been, feels like a tantrum. Even her immaturity there is something deeper, an instinct for survival that, as the unfolding of the war shows, will become much more pronounced. 

Malanie Hamilton

Another character who slowly unveils her strength is Melanie Hamilton. On the surface, she appears too gentle and too passive. But as the war begins to affect their lives more directly, Melanie’s quiet courage begins to reveal itself. Her kindness is not weakness, it is intentional, and it becomes a pillar of strength to those around her. I admired her more in this part than any other, particularly in contrast to Scarlett’s passionate defiance. 

Some of the most compelling scenes in the first part of the series occur in Atlanta. Scarlett has become a widow, is living with Melanie, and must deal with the war's consequences. The scene in which she helps Melanie give birth to a child while the city is burning is unforgettable. It is intimate, chaotic, and terrifying. This is the beginning of Scarlett’s transformation. She is no longer passive—she is making important decisions and doing what has to be done. 

Rhett Butler

The arrival of Rhett Butler changes things around a little bit. He is charming and he is hands on. He is not considered a noble person and does not romanticize war. He is in a class of his own. I think the relationship with Scarlett is charged with electricity and tension. Rhett understands Scarlett’s true nature, and he does not agree with her most of the time, yet he respects her for it. 

Final Reaction

Watching the first half again sets a reason, among many, that this film is endlessly disregarded. It is doubly stylized, lost in the romance of the narrative, and the harsh reality of slavery is simply set aside, as if it is of no importance. But even in that layer of cliche and sad ideology of slavery, there are more cliche points of nailed frustration on women. I might watch the second half say I finished it and see how it works out. 

Summary I used to refresh my mind.