Discussion #1 by Olivia Davila
“A Report from Occupied Territory” by James Baldwin is about how African Americans are treated poorly and usually take on menial and degrading jobs that further this prejudice that they are “animals and uneducated”. This essay brushes on the Harlem Six. The Harlem Six were six teens who were wrongfully accused of first-degree murder. They were later sentenced to life terms, but it was eventually revealed that the confessions were coerced. Their names are Wallace Baker, Daniel Hamm, Walter Thomas, Willie Craig, Ronald Felder and Robert Rice.
One major issue of this was the fact that they were black. Before they were convicted, a few of them overturned a fruit stand. If they had been white, they wouldn’t have been as big of a deal and wouldn’t be falsely accused of first-degree murder. This article shows multiple cases of segregation and how white Americans were superior to African Americans. It also shows how White Americans almost have this inherited prejudice by saying the N word and not caring and acting as if they are better than everyone else. Same with white Americans who were police and used police brutality for no reason expect for the fact that they had the power of authority.
A fieldworker might ask
How often are the police in the neighborhood?
Do they often abuse their power?
How do they interact with those living their?
How do they handle situations that involves other races?
A fieldworker might penetrate an insiders perspective by getting to know locals and try to understand their day to days and the events that go on in the neighborhood.
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