Humanities Homework Help
UCLA Black Americans What Does the Constitution Say About Enslavement Article Discussion
1. “WHAT DOES THE CONSTITUTION SAY ABOUT ENSLAVEMENT?” – ARTICLE
This is the Preamble to the United States Constitution:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (The underlining is mine.)
The words “slave” or “slavery” were not used in the original Constitution, but the African American historian, Barbara Fields said the Constitution was signed with the snake of slavery under the table.
a. Name and describe the 3 parts of the U.S. Constitution that PROTECTED the institution of slavery. At least 6 sentences
b. Tell me about the 13th Amendment and why it didn’t really end slavery. At least 2 sentences
c. This is a critical thinking question. Use your own critical thinking, the assigned article and our textbook, to tell me how the South benefitted and is still benefitting from the way in which the Constitution was written. (Think the U.S. Senate, the Electoral College, etc.) At least 3 sentences.
I’ll give you a hint, 12 of the first 16 U.S. Presidents were from the Southern states and also owners of enslaved people? (FYI: a total of 18 U.S. Presidents owned enslaved people.)
2. THE U.S. MEDICAL SYSTEM IS STILL HAUNTED BY SLAVERY – Video – 9 Minutes
The dreadful, unforgivably high Black infant mortality rates and Black maternal mortality rates are just a couple of the effects of institutionalized racism in medical care. The Black infection rates and death rates from Covid 19 are further evidence of that systemic racism, as is the relatively low Covid 19 vaccination rate among African Americans.
a. While trying to not cry, scream or vomit, briefly describe the work of Dr. J. Marion Sims. At least 4 sentences
b. Define “iatrophobia” and discuss why it exists. At least 3 sentences
c. What were self-justifications, rationalizations for the victimization of enslaved persons in medical research and medical treatment? At least 4 sentences
d. What was a “Mississippi Appendectomy” ? At least 2 sentences
e. How did the law ending the importation of enslaved people and the eugenics movement influence the “reproductive rights” of enslaved women? At least 4 sentences
3. PREVIEW/TRAILER DOCUMENTARY “BELLY OF THE BEAST” – Video – 3 Minutes
a. What is the film about and who are the victims? At least 2 sentences
b. Critical thinking question: This film about unethical medical practices in the California women’s prison system was released in 2020, how could it possibly be happening in this day and age? At least 2 sentences
– Jennifer Eberhardt – 15 minutes
“Jennifer Eberhardt received a B.A. (1987) from the University of Cincinnati, an A.M. (1990) and Ph.D. (1993) from Harvard University. From 1995 to 1998 she taught at Yale University in the Departments of Psychology and African and African American Studies. She joined the Stanford faculty in 1998, and is currently a professor in the Department of Psychology and co-director of SPARQ
, a university initiative to use social psychological research to address pressing social problems.”
a. At the beginning of the video she relates an incident on a plane with her 5 year old son, much later in the video she discusses how her 16 year old son has learned to act in an elevator. Describe both situations in detail. At least 6 sentences.
b. How does bias affect the actions of police and sentencing in the court system? At least 4 sentences
c. What does research say about how is bias affects the behavior of teachers? At least 3 sentences
d. What are the steps that “Next Door” initiated to reduce racial profiling and how effective were the changes? At least 4 sentences
e. Describe the steps Oakland Police Department took to reduce the effects of bias and discuss the effectiveness of those changes? At least 4 sentences
