Dress Codes

How can we revise dress codes to fair and relevant to everyone? A huge problem that many students in the U.S. can relate to is unfair dress codes. If you view a public school code distinguished between male and female clothing articles, there is a huge differences. Codes can be biased toward races or cultures as well as between those established for male or female students. The dress codes should be revised to fit a fair outline. I am not requesting that we are allowed to wear revealing clothing or anything really irrational; I am requesting that they are fair between different circumstances.

RAFT blog

Defining points of the Civil Rights movement
-May 17, 1954: The U.S. Supreme Court decides that segregation in public schools is a violation of the Constitution in the Brown V. Board of Education case.

-December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks kicks off the Montgomery bus boycott by refusing to give up her seat on a public bus. Rosa was already involved in politics and was chosen to be the face of the revolution.

-September 25, 1957: Federal troops are sent to Central High School in Little Rock under order of President Eisenhower. They were sent to establish a desegregation order because the schools were not following it.

-February 1, 1960: A group of 4 black college students spark sit-in protests at a lunch counter in Greensboro.

-April 3, 1963: The protests at Birmingham start

-August 28, 1963: A crowd of 250,000 people march for freedom in Washington D.C., and MLK gives his iconic "I have a Dream" speech.

-July 2, 1964: The Civil Rights act of 1964 is signed into law by President Johnson

-August 6, 1965: The Voting Rights act is passed

-April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated

The Running Dream

The most transformational book I have ever read is called The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen. The book depicts the struggles of a 16 year old amputee with a passion for running. The Running Dream not only shows the success usually displayed in fictional books and shows like this, but also the reality of loosing a limb. This book transformed me by teaching me that in order to fulfill your dreams, you must face the challenges that have been put in front of you. The main protagonist, Jessica, displays a strong desire to run again after she looses her leg. She never expects for this to happen, but she goes along and takes care of herself until she can try to accomplish her dream again, never giving up. Her actions as a fictional character have transformed me more than any other character in books I have read.

The New Deal's Impacts

The new deal impacted many people all over America, and some of the terms are still in use today. A good example of this is how the New Deal affected the poor. It created many projects that allowed poor or unemployed people to have many opportunities. This still happens today, constantly people are working on new projects, allowing them to support themselves and their families. The people working on these projects also became happier, because they were proud to improve the US. The poor were also supplied with unemployment insurance as well as social security. This reduced poverty, but there are still many unemployed and poor people in the US. 

Another example is how the new deal affected farmers. The government supplied farmers with loans, and allowed them to hire less and less farm workers. Many farm hands lost their jobs, worsening the poverty in rural areas. In light of this, many farms got electricity, allowing people to live comfortably on their farms. 

It also affected businesses and workers. The supreme court deemed the NRA unconstitutional, saying that it had too many powers. Congress then passed the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, and it allowed workers the right to join unions and ask of improved conditions and better wages. The NLRB is meant to solve problems between workers and employers, and it still exists today to help. 

Even though most new deal programs had ended by 1939, President Roosevelt's actions after the depression affected the USA government. The president recognised the importance of helping citizens in need. 

Family First

My grandmother is my biggest inspiration in life. She is incredibly hard working and full of energy. She taught me as early as I can remember to maintain a good sense of humour even when times can be tough and her bold actions inspire everyone around her every day. She was raised with twelve other siblings, so she was never encouraged to attend college. She got married at eighteen years old, had her first child at nineteen and was a stay at home mom for fifteen years. My grandfather was in the army for a few of these years, and sent money home.
When she was thirty-five, my Grandmother made the decision to go back to work full time. Without a college education or much experience, she landed a job as a Wells Fargo teller. She wanted my uncles and my mom to have the best life they could. She worked for five years and eventually she became the vice president of her location and moved to a nicer neighborhood with her family. Though her transition from not working at all to working full time was hard on her and her family, she made the right decision that greatly benefited them financially. Her decision allowed her to support her family and provide them everything they needed to thrive and more. Her actions have wordlessly taught me to always think my decisions through. At first glance, going back to working full time must have seemed like a horrible idea to leave her family, but as she thought it through, she found what she needed to do to support her family. After working for twenty-nine years at Wells Fargo, She retired and had fulfilled everything she had ever wanted for her family; accomplished all with her dedication and hard work. Growing up with twelve siblings brought her family to her consideration when she thought about her future, and though I do not have twelve siblings, her actions inspire me to always think about my family before making large decisions.

Her decision was in the back of my mind when moving. I did not want to relocate two hours away in the middle of jr. high, but it was all worth it to see my grandparents more. My family is a huge part of my life. I could not even imagine what type of person I would be without my grandmother’s influence. I was hesitant and unhappy to move from a huge city to a small town, but I always knew that I would see my grandparents more. Sure enough, we went from seeing my grandparents only during breaks, to seeing them a few times a week. My bond with them is closer than ever, and it is the reason I was willing to move.

My Time at the Museum of Tolerance

The bright colors of Los Angeles faded as we walked in through the museum's doors. The lobby was pristine, and though I expected to see more about the holocaust, it was almost empty besides a few shelving units. Our tour guide greeted us with a solemn stare and warned us about what was going to be witnessed when we followed him to the exhibit. The spiral we ventured down represented the time between the present and World War II, and everything in-between. The spiral was a piece of architecture I had never witnessed previously, and it was decorated with photo after photo of holocaust survivors. I could not even imagine what their eyes had seen. The museum started off very subtle and informative, and then it came to incredibly intense exhibits and even buildings that were specific to the time period, including a gas chamber.

Being informed about history is very important. Teaching millennials about what truly happened can prevent racist mindsets to resurface in violent ways. We should teach them to not be weakened by wars or poverty, and to not give into figures of power promising violence toward anyone. As our tour guide said, history repeats itself, but informing can help prevent it.

Civil War RAFT

Black Union Soldier

His Children/Mother

Friendly Letter

“My Thoughts on the Civil War”

My Mother, 

The civil war has stolen my comrades lives. Their families live in suffering, though as we began to fight for our freedom we knew the consequences would be deadly. They die of sickness and of wounds. Though some wounds may be small to view, I am forced to watch The Union die during ineffective surgeries. I may wish that the war was not taking place all together, but I will fight for my freedom and my family's, and the new generations'.  The battlefield is a gruesome place, I have to fight and run around and beside bodies of fallen soldiers. A fellow black solider has been teaching me many things between battles, such as proper grammar. Though, I don't believe that I will ever have a use for it, sadly. When I fled to the South, I underestimated the horror of war. But when the battle took my brother, that was it. I was tired of the war, but I will get you freedom, even if it costs me my life. 

Love,

Your son. 

RAFT #1

Reader = Slave
Audience = American President
Format = Persuasive Letter
T = Slavery should NOT be allowed to expand West because..

Mr. President Millard Fillmore, 
Please don't allow slavery to expand West. Slavery is a plague, that spreads horrific consequences to those who comply. Slavery is a violation of my rights. Half of the country is already contaminated by the idea that slavery is somehow appropriate. Mr. President, please walk a mile in my shoes a bit. How would you feel if greedy strangers trying to begin a new country ripped you from everything you knew previously, and took you away from your family and your life. Slavery should not exist as is, and spreading it could ruin the lives of so many more  people like me. Everything you are for as a country is contradicted by the actions of slave owners. 
                    Sincerely, 
                          Me, a slave since 1850