Mr. Tou's Analysis

First impression are a very big thing in our society. In todays time they can make you break you as a person, people tend to judge you based off of the first encounter they have with you, how you present yourself, the way you dress, and the way you enact with others. Mr. Tou`re introduction was lengthy and allowed you to hear of all his accomplishments. In his introduction they go on to say he is a author of 3 books a criteria, and has been a host to many events. Just hearing about Mr. Tou`re accomplishments makes me view him as a very established, well around man. Listening to the introductor talk I pictured him as a spokes person and a role model for other blacks. When he approached the front he did so with confidence, I also thought he
He had several wise remarks and points that where made throughout the one hour presentation. The message that stood out the most from all the stories he told about his life and up bringing would have to be to "do not let someone else's vision of you, define who you are". This message to me can be very universal and not just apply to racism. For intense I see it as not allowing others to stereotype me for being in nursing school and participating in pageants. For Mr. Tou`re it was not allowing others to stereotype him for being black or in one case not truly "black". I also can tie in affirmative action to his message, see blacks at times are given a free slide just because they are black. This can take away a sense of who you are, you may not be given the chance to really work hard at something to get there just because you are
As humans we are easily influenced by others views. He mentions stereotype threating or other wise known as the looking glass self. This social psychological concept that states that we grow out of what society's perspectives are. Like with Mr. Tou`re he gave up of the idea of the possibility of being the first black president because of a heated disagreement with another student who rejected is inspiration Mr. Jackson of being able to succeed as a president. This distorted his perception of becoming president and settled for political advisor. The looking glass self is a self that chisels away at our self esteem. Although some may not let others opinions influence who they are, if you are more aware of the stereotypes it has the potential to make you more nervous about what the stereotype. He also bought up something I had not every heard of (which is why we need to know of African American studies) and that is the Atlanta child murder. In this incidence many black children where disappearing and turning up dead. They suscepted a black psychotic man who was already charged with two adult killings, they referred to this as the black whistle. Tou`re mentioned that no one discussed the killings as linked together till a year later when they finally started to investigate. I agree that this was a lacking issue and that something should have been done a