The story Nightjohn is a brutal one. This story covers the intense conditions that slaves experienced throughout every day, whether it be the smoldering heat, the tightly packed rooms in which they lived or their treatment like animals. All are terrible. This story tells about real accounts of slaves trying to escape and what would happen if they were caught. Some incidents include being torn apart by dogs and just left to die. However this story singles in on one slave in general, his name in the story is John. John is not your average slave, first let me mention that not only has he escaped, but he has also come back to work. That is unheard of! But continuing on this story show the importance of the abilities to read and write, for John gives that his only reason in returning was to teach slaves these abilities. These skills prove to be very useful, and even though John risks his life to do so he does it.
The story mascot is a very different story, then the other ones that I have heard of during this time period. Most stories I hear are about the rude accounts and just over all crude behaviors towards Africans during this time period. Although this story deals with this, it is unique. This story is about Malcolm X. This story is about a young boy who grows up with mostly no trouble doing with racial issues. Although he was sent to a juvenile place to live, the people that lived there were white, and they absolutely loved Malcolm. While his time at this house he did amazing at school, and had a job at a diner, he had a pretty good life for an African people would say. However this all changed, when Malcolm was asked by his teacher what he wanted to be when he grew up. He responded that he wanted to be a lawyer. The teacher’s response was laughter, and told him to go for something that was more realistic for someone with his skin color. At this moment Malcolm realized the inequality, and then started taking more offense to the “N” word. And because of this he eventually ended up moving to Massachusetts with his Mom. This story, even though it doesn’t show the crude behaviors towards Africans, still shows that they were not viewed the same.
All of these stories have at least one thing in common; this of course is the terrible treatment of Africans and the inequality. Much like Nightjohn, in the movie The Great Debaters, you hear about lynchings and the harsh treatments that took place. In The Great Debaters the three students and their teacher Mr. Tulson witness a lynch mob and all the horrors associated with it when they realized their lives were at stake. In The story Mascot, much like in The Great Debaters, it shows the how Africans are truly uncomfortable with hearing and being called the “N” word. All three of these examples show you that Africans were always looked down upon, and are never thought of as equal. These stories truly show the horrible treatment of Africans, which gladly has gotten better over the ages.
