2nd EOTO reflection post

The EOTO presentations were centered around the Reconstruction Era. The truth behind the statement 40 acres and a mule and a more in depth look into the Ku Klux Klan piqued my interest. These two items stuck out to me the most, because I always heard about the 40 acres and a mule phrase, but actually finding out the true purpose was shocking to say the least. It was shocking that everytime the country was in need, black people were called upon to provide assistance or leadership then swept aside once the issue(s) were handled.

The sad fact that black people were made promises that no one was able to keep plays into the sad truth that no one cares to help increase the wellbeing of Black people. The 40 acres and a mule is not only a forsaken promise, but it is a reminder that when you get your hopes up that the government can let them come crashing down. The 40 acres and a mule was proposed by General Sherman, he would give freed slaves 40 acres of their own land and a mule to help aid the land. The deal was never fulfilled by Sherman. 

The second event that was discussed was the rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan. The first branch of the KKK was formed in Tennessee in 1865. The first members of the terrorist group were former confederate veterans that planned to destroy the efforts of the Reconstruction Era. The victims of the KKK were women, people of color, children, and white Republicans. 

In closing, I feel that these two EOTO presentations were the most impactful, because they were the most controversial and they had an impact on the lives of Black people. The KKK was a notorious terrorist organization that harmed thousands of people all because of hatred. In regard to the 40 acres and a mule, it goes back to the previous statement that it symbolizes broken promises and false hope that the government feeds to Black people to appease them.