Independent Reading Blog Post

Title: The Color Purple

Author: Alice Walker

Genre: African American Literature

2) Celie is an uneducated girl that lived with her father Alphonso, and he raped her. She writes letters to God, because she cannot tell anyone about the situations she goes through. She is abused by her father and by Mr., her husband. She meets people who help her along the way like Shug Avery who, is a person she is really interested in. The people that help her, are the reasons that she makes it through the situations she goes through.

3) I would recommend this book because this book shows how people can overcome obstacles, and better themselves after a personal struggle in their lives. It is a good story to read and it is very interesting. This isn't a story that many people are expected to relate to, but some people might be able to connect to the idea of a personal struggle. I would say this book appears to target girls, because of the idea of women being abused; it shows how to overcome this struggle, and that is not something that men would relate to as well.

4)http://sierrax3.glogster.com/The-Color-Purple/

Blog Post #3

What I have learned about the incident is that 6 black students, at a highschool in Louisiana were charged with various things, while white students were not charged. This article was mainly talking about the justice system in Jena Louisiana, and the racism that takes place. 6 black teens were charged with the beating of a white student in school. While the day before a white student had beaten up a black students and there were no charges imposed on them. There is evidence of racism because the black students were said to be free in choosing where they sit at school, when in reality there is segregation. The black students sat under the "white tree" and the next day there were 3 nooses hanging from the tree. This represents the hanging of those students, as something you might have seen in the Jim Crow South. This incident does seem to be over the top, because it is a clear case of inequality and injustice. Blacks are being treated differently than whites, and it is something that is very evident. It seems that a case like this could happen many places in the country but not everywhere. To me this seems like it would be more of an issue in the south, where all of the problems initially started. The south has always been where segregation has predominantly been as well as racism. Based on my knowledge i would be able to visualize a school that was segregated, but to imagine that I would be part of that would be impossible to me. I wouldn't say that there are any aspects of our school that are segregated intentionally. People may separate themselves, based on who your friends are. And it so happens to be that people are mostly friends with people of their own race. It is not segregation though, and people are not restricted as to where they sit.

The charges have been reduced to aggravated second degree battery, and conspiracy to commit the crime. Rallies in Louisiana have taken place to stop racial profiling. Race relations today don't seem to be much different. Based on what I have read there have been people that try to stop the racism, but in general Jena, Louisiana will remain the same; predominantly white, Southern town.