Category: Brice Page 2 of 3

The most intriguing part of this field trip was seeing the hanging tree from Lumpkins Jail.  In history class, you hear about hangings and cartoons of them in textbooks.  Although saddening, we’re either desensitized to it or just don’t take into perspective how terrible this act of execution really was.  The fact that I was standing right next to a tree responsible for hundreds of deaths was very gut wrenching.  It’s even worse to think about when you consider hanging being known as the most cruel/painful form of death at the time it was done. Going on this field trip and seeing the hanging tree connects straight back to Campbells book, Richmond Unhealed History.  Everywhere you go, even if its just passing a tree can tell an entire story about the lives of those oppressed, the oppressors and the history of the city itself.

Chapter 7:

What struck out to me from chapter 7 was how many peoples rights stem from the importance of politics and being able to vote.  In this chapter, it goes into detail as to how politicians would pass defensible laws that would secretly put blacks at a disadvantage voting compared to whites.  For example, it says that blacks had to memorized their answers as to who they voted for while whites were given a pen and paper to fill out their ballet.  This strategy was used in order to stunt the black vote since they made up a great percentage of Richmonds population.  As a result of being unable to vote fairly, white democrats were put into office and passed policy that would virtually segregate and lower the quality of living for Black Americans.  One of the most shocking sections of this chapter was in relation to marriage and the eugenics movement.  Eugenicists had a strong influence on Nazi politics around the same time period which reflects the immense evil that was taking place in Richmonds politics. Many people were sterilized for being criminals which is more focused on the black community.  Due to the laws passed restricting rights, as well as a bias justice system, people of color were more frequently targeted in criminal situations thus putting them at risk for sterilization.

Another moment that caught my attention was at the beginning of the chapter when Richmond built roads over the graveyards that held the remains of many popular blacks and people considered heroes.

Chapter 8:

“Integration, however slight, anywhere in Virginia would be a cancer eating at the very life blood of our public school system.”

It can be seen that education was highly valued, so much to a point that racist politicians believed it had to be restricted from blacks.  This is evident in this quote above because the politicians try to mask their agenda through the good of the public school system.  Instead, they want to prevent blacks from getting higher education.  Education is very important, and it’s reflected later in the chapter when even more black are voted into office.  With greater education, and more knowledge, the blacks were given a chance to take control or have influence in politics.

The colonization of Virginia has a much darker past than I would have imagined.  In this book specifically, the violence between Natives and the English was strongly emphasized.  What shocked me most was how the hatred between differences of one another brought about disunity, murder, and trauma to the people who lived in Virginia.  It makes you consider how different events would have panned out if settlers and natives were able to coexist peacefully or even unite as one. The most intense scene that displayed hatred and tension between both parties was when the Natives scalped hundreds of English settlers.  People weren’t just dying in war by gunshots, but instead the most grueling ways possible, being decapitated, hanged, or tortured.  Something else I thought was interesting were the laws of Henrico. The fact that settlers went against each other and such strict laws were enforced on settlers is hard to wrap my mind around.  Not only were settlers treating Natives poorly but they were also enforcing cruel punishment to each other.

Julie Ellen McConnell:  What role do your students take in running programs such as the PASS docket program?

Bon Aire Atlantic Video:

In this video, juveniles are viewed as teenagers who need rehabilitation rather than punishment.  Although the facility gives juveniles the opportunity to reflect and change their behavior there are many flaws with the facility/program itself.  The first being that the building is outdated and for the most part feels just like a prison.  Leaders of the JDC are looking to renovate and move the facilities closer the juveniles home town rather than far away.  The far distance from home creates another program for juveniles as well as their parents. If centers were closer to home, parents would be able to more frequently participate in workshops and constructing new relationships with their children.  Juveniles take a far different perspective than others may assume.  They are aware of their harsher environments growing up but believe there are too high of expectations for them to behave when brought up in reckless childhoods. They believe they’re not as well understood but are thankful for the opportunity to have a second chance and connect with their families.

Conversation Article:

I’ve taken on a new perspective on juvenile convictions.  It does seem ridiculous to sentence the youth to life in prison when their decision making isn’t fully developed.  As the saying goes, “Time heals all wounds.” Through rehabilitation services and a mixture of jail time, juvenilles will have a better chance of behaving in the future.  Of course the seriousness of the crime plays a crucial role in jail time because being a 17 year old and having 4 years apart from an adult shouldn’t excuse you from serving justice.  For many juvenile cases however, the lack of rehabilitation services is not ideal and should be provided for prisoners despite how long they are sentenced in jail.