These structures they referred to are very similar to many of the institutional aspects of race we have examined in both our writing course and the complimentary AMST 274 classes. All the speakers, specifically Johan Ferenandez who is a professor of 20th century US History of social movements, examined the impact of race, labor, laws, and law enforcement and how the perpetuate racial inequalities. They discussed how laws like stop and frisk are evidence of the imperfections of democracy and how racial groups can be left out. People of ethnic background had very little say in the institution of this law, however they are the one's who see its effects daily. Stop and frisk, and other laws that allow for racial profiling, allow for police officers to abuse the laws at the expanse of ethnic individuals. While stop and frisk is a major issue in the United States, there was similar police racial profiling in South Africa in what amounted to the Marikana Massacre. This event was brought up during the discussion and the panel decided that this was simply an act of the government allowing officers to get away with mass murder of black employees. The event started when South African miners went on strike and it ended in the history books as the most lethal use of force in South Africa's history. The panel compared the Marikana massacre to structures in US society that create a rift in equalities not only of race, but also between the government and its people.
To make the connection between the US, New York, and Johannesburg the panel examined the racial murders in South Africa and the prison system in the United States. Jean Grae said the prison system in the United States is extremely unequal to races and she used the example of how stop and frisk policies brings a "prison to a neighborhood near you." Of course, prisons will not be coming to the white neighborhoods, but rather the ethnic inner cities. She furthered her statements by illustrating how there is an extreme gap in the United States between perceived and given freedoms.
The panel of thinkers all disucssed how they were introduced to the racial ineqaulties of both South Africa and the United States. They all were ethnic individuals and were made aware of the societal workings of race through public figures like Muhammed Ali, books such as "Huckleberry Finn," and through schooling and political action groups. Although the panel had diverse upbringing it resembled the panels examined in A5 for ineffectiveness: there was not enough racial variation in order to have a productive discussion about race. However, it was useful because this panel was not comprised by a News Station to illustrate racial events in society to the public, but rather to educate curious students, so in that sense it worked.
This event was very well put together and was very closely connected to many themes we have discussed in both classes throughout the years. They centered the discussion around the workings of institutions in society such as race, labor, and laws and how they continue to create a rift in racial inequality in society. The troubling part is that these structures are created by the government showing the gap between perceived freedoms and actual freedoms felt in society.
