Tuesday, April 29, 201

Everyone

"April 29th, 1992.

There was a riot on the streets.

 Tell me, where were you?"

Often times I think about what I remember from my childhood, why I remember it, and how it impacts me (I also think about whether or not I remember things "correctly" or not, but that's a different discussion). When I think back, I have a few memories from before I was five, but nothing sticks out too much. However, I remember this date in 1992. I was seven. The date stands out clearly in my mind, much like 9/11. I remember where I was, I remember seeing the video tape of Rodney King being beaten, I remember hearing words like racist, nigger, and brutality being used by adults in every aspect of my life, from my school teacher to my dad and his friends. Mostly, though, I remember the argument my parents had the next morning that woke me up from an otherwise normal night of sleep. It's one of the clearest moments of my childhood.

At the time, my dad was a thirty-seven year-old, white truck driver. He had worked for a company that hauled sand and gravel for a long time until the company was sold and he found a job hauling produce. He hauled grapes, broccoli, and other produce from Santa Maria to South Central Los Angeles. He made the same run almost every day. He picked up produce early in the morning and set out for LA, then returned home in the evening. On April 29th he had already left Los Angeles by the time the riots had broken out, but he had to return to the next day to make his delivery. It was, after all, his job and our family was struggling financially at the time. When he arrived home, it was just as the video tape of a white, middle-aged truck driver being dragged from his semi-truck, kicked and beaten, and hit in the head with a brick by several black men aired on TV (as a side note, the role TV played in this entire situation was critical). The man was rescued by four bystanders. However, from the video being played, there was no way to tell that it wasn't my dad being beaten. I remember being scared and nervous, and I remember not understanding what was happening.

Now, as an adult, I mostly suppress my feelings about that day, and many other days just like it. I block out the arguments my parents had. But, sometimes, those memories come to the surface. There's little I can do about it. I think it's important to note, though, that my perception of the riots has changed from the time I was seven to now, 21 years later. I was scared then. Scared of "that" happening "here." Things like police brutality don't mean anything to a seven-year-old, but seeing a guy who looks similar to your dad being hit in the head with a brick on TV leaves an impression on a young mind.

So, as days pass and memories come and go, don't be afraid to examine them, talk about them, remember them, Think about how you remember things, and why you remember them. As a seven-year-old, I remember wanting my parents to stop arguing, and for my dad to be safe. I've learned a lot about the 1992 riots in the time since then. They have come to symbolize outrage, violence, and injustice. In reality, racial tension in society was already heightened, but the verdict that came from that Ventura County Courthouse sparked days of riots, thousands of injuries, and several deaths. It disrupted daily life for hundreds of thousands of people, and gave me the first glimpse of my parent's crumbling marriage. Like the riots, my parent's marriage ended. They both left lasting memories. They both left scars. They are both learning experiences. Hopefully we've all learned something from them.
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*** I hear kids use the term racism about 1,000 times a day. You call someone a racist every 15 seconds. You think everything someone does to you is because they are a racist. Maybe, just maybe, you should consider what the term actually means. In the wake of the comments by Clippers owner Donald Sterling, racism in LA is once again thrust to the forefront. It's still a problem. It's still very, very real. However, there is no single, determining factor in how someone treats you. Don't fool yourself. Don't simply blame others for something that you have (at least) partial control over.***

• Also, your notebooks will be due this Friday, so please make sure to get them updated as the week goes on.
• SBAC (Smarter Balance Testing) is going on this week. You may miss a day of class.... it's your job to keep up with what you missed (that's why I write here).
• Student Projects: Several of your projects do not have the proper share settings enabled. All projects should be available to everyone on the internet, and should allow them to "comment" not "view." YOU need to check on your project by the end of Wednesday and see that you have enabled the proper share settings.
• Keep in touch. 

Click here to see the update to yesterday's WGOITP

Modern World History

Quick-write #17:

Explain the purpose of the above text. What did it do to the people of England? How might that impact the larger population in the short-term? In the long-term?

Objectives:

• Use evidence to formulate and substantiate a claim.
• Analyze the response of governments to the problem created by the Industrial Revolution.

AP World History

Quick-write #17:

Objectives:

• Use evidence to formulate and substantiate a claim.
• Develop a review guide for the Post-Classical Era.