The Heard Museum exhibit “Remembering Our Indian School Days” reflects on the effects of conforming to an unknown culture without a choice. The American way of teaching and learning slowly forces a trend in Native American history to become farther away from their original culture. In Native American communities their traditional form of educational value didn’t amount to the White American idea of a quality education. The establishment of boarding schools forces the students to attend school and live in the same area. White Americans perspective on boarding schools for Native Americans began to create ideological uniformity. As the Native American students adapted to an American lifestyle their own personal heritage from home didn’t
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“Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass” edifies the meaning of obtaining an education as an African American during slavery. Even though Douglass escapes the bounds of slavery yet his wisdom raises perplexity that an African American can have the ability to learn the same or more than their White American counterparts. The privilege of having an education in the 1800s and beyond for African Americans is nearly impossible to obtain or problematic to White Americans. In spite of the social norm that African Americans deserve to maintain illiteracy to prevent an uprising against the dehumanizing governmental system, Frederick Douglass demolishes the pattern of defeat, “I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out. In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity, I have often wished myself a beast,”(Douglass, 343). When Frederick Douglass began to understand the reality of slavery he couldn’t accept the idea of remaining a slave forever. The White Americans intentions for protecting slavery in the south meant that having the ability to see through the darkness would result in an uprising. Frederick analyzes the societal pressure to maintain his status as a slave in order to sustain white superiority. The adversity Frederick Douglass faces proves the many hindrances preventing him from having a choice to learn or to not, “Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that is was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read,” (Douglass, 338). The urge to uphold the system of white supremacy forces the idea that another able human
“Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass” edifies the meaning of obtaining an education as an African American during slavery. Even though Douglass escapes the bounds of slavery yet his wisdom raises perplexity that an African American can have the ability to learn the same or more than their White American counterparts. The privilege of having an education in the 1800s and beyond for African Americans is nearly impossible to obtain or problematic to White Americans. In spite of the social norm that African Americans deserve to maintain illiteracy to prevent an uprising against the dehumanizing governmental system, Frederick Douglass demolishes the pattern of defeat, “I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out. In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity, I have often wished myself a beast,”(Douglass, 343). When Frederick Douglass began to understand the reality of slavery he couldn’t accept the idea of remaining a slave forever. The White Americans intentions for protecting slavery in the south meant that having the ability to see through the darkness would result in an uprising. Frederick analyzes the societal pressure to maintain his status as a slave in order to sustain white superiority. The adversity Frederick Douglass faces proves the many hindrances preventing him from having a choice to learn or to not, “Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that is was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read,” (Douglass, 338). The urge to uphold the system of white supremacy forces the idea that another able human