Reacting to the Past, a role-play, game-centered History class appropriate for all levels, fulfills the Historical and Philosophical Perspectives General Education requirement. For more information, visit history.illinois.edu
all fun in games until a black female has to 'put on the shoes' of a white slave owning man. I understand the intentions but I am so uncomfortable playing a role supporting a racist and speaking this out loud in a speech.
I have made it a point to cast across gender and race in all of my games, especially in the Frederick Douglass game. It is very helpful to the class dynamics. No one really seeks the power of a slave master when roles are being assigned, but with non-traditional casting, people cannot forget for a second that the individual is making an effort for a role, not their real feelings when the lead characters in the status quo-defending side don't look like the original power welders. In the post-game break down of the Frederick Douglass game, I loved one black female student saying she loved having the authority of a former Vice President. She indicated that she believed she had the authority of that white male for the first time, and enjoyed it. She not only did a great job, she went on to lead the Black Student Union very effectively.
@@elizabethhovey5154 Good for her??? but for me I was uncomfortable playing a racist. I was also annoyed having white people laugh ( also play as the enslaved people's master) like this did not really happen and if black people do not experience racism today. I go to a Southern school where racism is still very prevalent even on campus. It just did not sit well to my stomach and I became overwhelmed with emotions. I am black and felt this near to my heart because of what my family, me , and other black people have experienced. This game may have been different, but the one played in our classroom had no black "characters" and it was not an experience I was comfortable with. Honestly, if you are not black you have no say in the matter if this game would make us uncomfortable. I talked to my professor and he APOLOGIZED and AGREED with me. He said he would tell other professor on the campus about the particular reenactment game and would look at different ones.
@@taylorlaunterlover12 Dear KK, It certainly sounds awful, and I could not dream to imagine what that was like, but I am also really, really shocked that there were not black roles. I am very, very glad you talked to your professor and I hope that it never, ever is the case that POC are obliged to defend slavery without a range of other roles being distributed to challenge it, by people who also don't look like their roles.
