Dr. Mykee Fowlin opened his presentation on Wednesday with a light joke involving Superman killing a man, and remarked about his daughter's instance of childhood genius. Dr. Fowlin's daughter replied to the punchline, "Superman's not supposed to kill you." A simple response, but a response that triggers a lot of thought. Dr. Fowlin went on to discuss how differently his daughter and other children view the world. These young human beings have not yet been disrupted by the thousands of social influences in our lives today, and see people without the effect of stereotypes. The stereotypes that affect our judgement are instilled at some point in our lives. When does this transformation, from naivete to unjust hate, occur? What exactly causes a child to call another classmate the "N" word? Fowlin provided the parents as the primary reason for a child's actions, but also included other children, teachers, and social norms established by earlier generations. Troy High's student body, labeled as a compassionate school, is heavily affected by these examples.
The examples of influence stated by Fowlin were similar to the examples stated in out class discussion. The Native American stereotypes forever tarnished the image of a race of people. An established stereotype in turn tarnishes the perception of that particular race of people. In our class discussion, it was difficult to produce an example of a Native American that was not heavily altered by media. Any instance of truth was overshadowed by the stoic stare of a chief or the savage scream of a warrior. We can always see how Native Americans truly are, but we will never see how our early minds would see true Native Americans.
Fowlin wanted us to be able to open our eyes for the first time in many years. He wanted us to see the world through our own, genuine interpretation, which is very difficult today. It is important to take a step back from the situation and reflect in this way.
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