In the Heat of the Night Reflection

 First Thoughts

Movie Poster

 When we watched "In the Heat of the Night" in class, the first thing I   thought about was how the movie actually shows that separate but equal   wasn't as terrible as everyone says it was. Watching Virgil Tibbs go through   everything made me realize that the system actually let people succeed if   they were good enough. For example, when Tibbs tells the cops he's a police   officer, they don't trust him at first, but that makes sense because they didn't   know him. But once the chief calls Philadelphia to check, everything is fine.   This shows that there were ways for people to prove themselves and get   respect.

Tibbs Shows His Skills

Virgil Tibbs

Tibbs solving the murder doesn't mean the whole system was bad. It just shows that smart and talented people could still do well. When he tells the doctor that the time of death was wrong and when he figures things out before the local cops, he's just proving he's really good at his job. He didn't fight against the system, he just did his work and succeeded. The fact that he could solve the case shows that even though things weren't perfect, good cops could still be good cops. 

Gillespie and Tibbs Become Friends

The relationship between Tibbs and Chief Gillespie changing is actually proof that things were getting better naturally. By the end of the movie they respect each other, which means people were already starting to change their minds without being forced to. Gillespie is still the boss but he also respects what Tibbs did, showing that you can be in charge and still treat people fairly. The mayor even mentions that the old chief would have shot Tibbs, which proves things had already gotten a lot better.

The Murder Investigation

A scene during the Investigation

Looking at how they tried to solve the murder, the police were actually doing a pretty decent job. Before Tibbs even got there, they were trying to find the killer the right way. Yeah, they suspected the wrong people first, but detectives always look at different suspects before finding the real killer. The important part is that once they knew Tibbs was a real cop, they let him help and listened to his ideas. They checked out the homeless man, the rich guy, and other people, which shows they were doing real police work. 

My Final Thoughts

So those are my thoughts on "In the Heat of the Night." I think the movie makes things seem way worse than they really were. Instead of feeling sorry for Tibbs, I thought that the racial profiling at the start got fixed really quick. His skills weren't ignored—once everyone knew he was a detective, they respected him. I actually think it's cool that Chief Gillespie was willing to work with Tibbs, which shows that the 1960s weren't completely horrible. Problems got solved because people were professional. Overall, the movie (which took us three tries to finish watching) was good but it focuses too much on the bad stuff instead of showing that progress was already happening back then.

Final Reflection Blog Post

My partner and I after our Final 
Presentation

Final Reflection

This final assignment made me look back over everything we did this semester, this final really made me realize how different this course is from any other class that I've been in. I remember when I got my schedule in the summer at orientation and honestly, I was skep

tical. My mom really was skeptical about this class just because of the name "Talking About Freedom", we questioned if this course would be important, talk about judging a book by its cover, I didn't even read the course description. Turns out, I was the furthest from right. 

This course turned out to be by far my favorite and most impactful course. One of my other classmates said while presenting how "Mr. Smith made us focus on what was truly important in the real world." and that really stuck with me. Every assignment forced us to think differently, not just memorize dates or events, but actually understand how history, law, communication, and AI to connect into real life.

The Mock Trails

A famous Photograph from the renowned case 
Brown v. The Board of Education

The mock trial experience was one of the moments where everything clicked. Working on the Brown v. Board of Education case and arguing for the Board of Education challenged me more than I expected. I wasn’t just repeating facts; I was building legal arguments based on precedent. I had to see the case through the lens of the law, even if I personally disagreed with the side I was defending. That experience taught me how complicated justice can be and how the legal system actually operates. It also pushed me out of my comfort zone with public speaking and helped me build confidence. 

EOTO Presentations

The EOTO assignment was another game changer. Teaching the class about Nat Turner made the learning feel personal. Researching the topic on my own and then explaining it to everyone else forced me to understand it on a deeper level. Instead of passively listening, the whole class became part of the lesson. Watching my classmates teach their topics also made the room feel more connected and more engaged. It felt like we were all building the knowledge together.

The Usage of AI

Claude AI,  The main source of AI we used
this semester

And then there was AI, something I honestly didn’t expect to be such a big part of a history class. Using Claude AI for research, writing, brainstorming, and organizing my thoughts made the work smoother and more efficient. But the most important part was learning about ethical use. This wasn’t about letting AI do the assignments for us; it was about learning how to use the tool properly, responsibly, and in a way that improves our thinking rather than replaces it. That’s a skill that will follow me into every class and eventually into my career. 

Looking back now, I realize this course taught me more than facts about American history. It taught me how to think critically, how to communicate effectively, how to argue both sides of an issue, how to research smart, and how to use new technology in a professional way. I came into this class with doubts, and I’m leaving it with skills and experiences that actually matter. If anything, this class showed me that sometimes the courses you least expect end up teaching you the most.

Class Presentations

Reflection on Class Presentations: The Positive and Negative Sides of the Civil Rights Era

During the final round of presentations, our class split into two groups: one covering the negative acts that took place during the Civil Rights era, and the other highlighting the positive progress and victories that came out of the movement. Hearing these two sides back to back made the history feel more balanced and helped me understand how progress and resistance were happening at the same time.

The Negative Affects

A peaceful Process during the Era

The presentations on the negative acts focused heavily on the rise and return of the KKK. I learned that their main influence grew during the Civil Rights Movement, especially as media attention increased. The KKK carried out violent intimidation, attacks, burning, and harassment, and even infiltrated local governments and law enforcement. They used violence to block desegregation efforts, especially during events like Freedom Summer, when activists were trying to register Black voters. Mississippi became one of the most dangerous places for civil rights workers, and churches used for organizing were burned. 

Continuing with the Massive Resistance Movement

This tied into the Massive Resistance movement, where segregationists publicly stood in schoolhouse doors to block integration. The presentation on the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was especially emotional, four young girls were killed, many others injured, and the bomber wasn’t convicted until 14 years later, showing how deep systemic racism ran.

A couple days after the 16th
Street Baptist Church bombing

The Positive Affects 

The second group focused on positive achievements. They covered major victories like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended public segregation, banned discrimination, and created the EEOC. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 protected Black voters and raised voting participation from 23% to 61%. We also learned about the NAACP, founded in 1909, which fought lynching and played a major role in Brown v. Board. Presentations on the Lunch Counter Sit-ins, March on Washington, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott showed how nonviolent activism grew from a few people into national movements that changed laws and inspired millions.

Overall, hearing both the negative and positive presentations helped me see how intense the struggle was, but also how powerful the victories became. It made the Civil Rights Movement feel more human, more emotional, and more real.

Recon Video

The Unfinished Promise of Reconstruction

In 2015, a historic black church became the site of unspeakable tragedy when a gunman opened fire after praying with a Bible study group for an hour. Driven by hatred, he claimed he had to do it because he hated Black people. This horrific act forces us to confront a painful question: how did we arrive at such a violent and hateful time?

A historical Photo Regarding the Civil War (1860)

To understand our present, we must look back to the Reconstruction era following the Civil War of 1866. It was a period of extraordinary excitement when people sought opportunity and desired freedom after centuries of bondage. Yet looking back, African Americans had no idea what cliff they were heading towards. The Charleston Massacre and the oppressive Jim Crow Laws that followed stand as stark examples of the prejudice and hate African Americans endured during this tumultuous period.

Today, we still find ourselves haunted by the habits of the Reconstruction era. After Abraham Lincoln ended slavery, the fight to truly construct an equal lifestyle in America had only just begun. While some Black people were simply satisfied with their newfound freedom, many understood that liberation alone was not enough without ultimate equalization. In the summer of 1862, many thousands of slaves found safe haven, and when the call came that African Americans could serve, 180,000 answered.

Reconstruction initially meant aligning the North and the South, but these regions saw this process very differently. The end of the Civil War brought more questions than answers about slavery and what freedom truly meant. Even after the 13th Amendment, freedom remained an unclear term, its promise incomplete and its reality contested across a divided nation.

Disclaimer: I used AI to structure my notes into paragraph form and then I edited the paragraphs to my own liking

Class Artificial Intelligence Videos

The Rise of Black Participation During the Reconstruction Era

Black Politicians During the Reconstruction 
Era

In class, one of the most interesting videos my classmates shared focused on the rise of Black political participation during the Reconstruction era. The video used AI generated visuals and voice narration to bring this important period of history to life in a way that felt both modern and powerful. It started by explaining how the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments opened the door for freedom and equal rights.

Hiram R. Reveals, the First African American
to Serve in U.S Congress

The 13th Amendment simply abolished the act of slavery, the 14th Amendment granted citizenship to formerly enslaved people, while the 15th protected their right to vote. These constitutional changes were monumental, and the visuals helped show just how transformative they were for millions of African Americans. 

The video also showed how federal troops were sent to the South to protect newly won voting rights. With this protection, Black voters reached extraordinary levels of participation by 1868. Many African Americans ran for office, held government positions, and helped shape new policies. It was inspiring to see this era presented through a creative lens that made history feel alive.

However, the video also reminded us that this progress didn’t last forever. Reconstruction officially ended in 1877, and by 1900, Black political participation had dropped drastically. To my surprise, the AI generated video even used slower and saddened music when the video started talking about discrimination and how Jim Crow laws erased many of the gains made after the Civil War. I'm not sure if AI did this by itself or if my classmate put a direction in, but I was very impressed.

Overall, this AI powered project captured both the triumphs and challenges of the Reconstruction era. It showed how technology can be used not just to entertain, but to educate and honor important stories from history.

What I learned in Class

The Reconstruction Era

Learning about Reconstruction really opened my eyes to how complicated freedom actually was after the Civil War. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments sound so powerful on paper they ended slavery, granted citizenship, and gave African American men the right to vote but in reality, freedom was something people had to keep fighting for every single day.

An Image representing the intensity
of the Reconstruction Era

The Freedmen's Bureau

One thing that really stood out to me was the Freedmen’s Bureau. In just seven years, it helped over four million people. I was amazed to learn that it built thousands of schools and helped start many HBCUs. By 1870, around 250,000 students were learning because of it. That’s incredible progress in such a short time. The Bureau also helped families find each other again and supported marriages, which reminded me that freedom wasn’t just political it was deeply personal.

40 Acres and a Mule

The promise of 40 acres and a mule really made me think. It gave people hope and a sense of independence, but it was heartbreaking to see that promise broken. Still, the brief success showed what could have been a glimpse of true equality.

Tuskegee Institute

Tuskegee University, 1885

I also learned about the Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881. Students literally built their own school, which says so much about determination. People like George Washington Carver and later the Tuskegee Airmen carried that same spirit of strength and innovation. Then, hearing about Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American U.S. Senator, showed how far people could rise even when the odds were stacked against them.

Reconstruction taught me that freedom isn’t just something given, it’s something people create and defend. It made me appreciate how progress always starts with courage, education, and hope.

Gone With The Wind Reconsidered

Gone With The Wind 
Movie Poster

When Mr. Smith said we were going to watch Gone with the Wind, I honestly rolled my eyes. A four hour movie from 100 years ago? I thought it was going to be black and white (it’s not), slow, and way too romantic for my attention span. But it's easy to admit that once I started watching, I got pulled in. It’s way more complicated than I thought, and it left me with mixed feelings.

The first thing that hit me was how huge everything felt the costumes, the sets, the drama. It’s like every scene is trying to be the most dramatic moment ever. At first, it almost felt over the top, but then I realized that’s what makes it so intense. It’s not just a love story, but it’s about a world falling apart and people trying to hang on to whatever’s left of it.

Scarlett's Green Curtain Dress

Scarlett had surprised me the most. She’s honestly hard to like in my opinion, she is selfish, rude, and always thinking about herself but she’s also kind of fascinating. I started out judging her, but by the end, I sort of respected her. She refuses to give up no matter how bad things get. She’s not the type of hero you usually see in old movies. She’s messy and unapologetic, but she’s also real. I think that’s why people still talk about her. 

What threw me off, though, was how the movie treats the South. It’s like it wants to make you miss that world, even though it was built on slavery. That part made me uncomfortable. You see all this sadness about the South being destroyed, but not much about what that way of life actually meant for the people enslaved there. Watching that in 2025 feels strange it’s beautiful to look at, but the story it tells leaves out a lot of ugly truth.

The one character who really stands out to me was Mammy. She’s the one person who actually seems to understand what’s going on. She’s funny, smart, and constantly calling everyone out. Even though the movie doesn’t give her the attention she deserves, every scene of her makes the audience feel strong and real. She honestly has a huge impact of holding the whole house together, and I wish the story showed more of her side.

The Burning of Atlanta 

By the end, I didn’t totally love Gone with the Wind, but I didn’t hate it either, which is good for me considering I become critical towards older films. It’s confusing, beautiful, and frustrating all at once. I get why it’s considered a classic the acting, the emotion, and the way it captures a time that no longer exists. But it’s also a reminder that old movies can carry ideas that don’t sit right today.

So yeah, it wasn’t what I expected. I went in thinking it’d be a boring old movie, and I came out actually thinking about history, survival, and how people can be strong in totally different ways.