During the visit to the MOBOT archives, my group and I thoroughly examined an archival document of the Business Papers/ a letter to John Berry Meachum written by Henry Shaw. The document consisted of significant dates, prices, and information about the loan. Also, in the document my group and I noticed that in the document there were dashes used instead in parenthesis. In the document, Henry Shaw was extending the loan for two years because the Meachum’s were doing very well on their payments. Soon, they were unable to pay the actual house payments, so they paid the interest accrued. In result of the Meachum’s defaulting on their loan, Henry Shaw takes the house as equity. This leads to Meachum’s filing for bankruptcy. Shaw’s voice is the loudest being that he is taking from the disadvantaged. The Meachum’s are not the only individuals who have suffered from the exploitation of Henry Shaw. Not only is Meachum’s voice being silenced, but also others in the community that have encountered this issue with Shaw. Something we can learn from the voices that are being silenced is that there are gaps that we must fill. Keeping an open mind and knowing that not all voices are present is something to keep present. One way we can fill the gaps of silence is when telling this story, we can keep an open mind and acknowledge the Meachum’s voice/story was not told. Telling the story of humanity and handling it with compassion is essential. It is critical we tell the story with intent. Also, not to mention during this period, setting the house payments was very irrational. I feel as if Henry Shaw almost knew what he was doing and had a premeditated intent of exploitation. These are black individuals and obtaining money is not easy being that they are minorities. 

This source provides podcasts and other materials that pertain to the subject of American slavery. The website has many aspects to it, having lesson plans for teachers so they can teach their studens about American slavery. Also, the plans vary by grade, so they are able to teach younger people effeciently as well as older people. The podcast also deals with how to go about teaching about hard subjects, like slavery. Overall, the source seems very reliable and has some great points.

Being at the archives again was a great experience. Being able to go through more things and physically touch them was both helpful and scary. It was helpful in the sense that I could take a better look at some of the documents. It was scary because of the constant fear of them crumbling in my hand, though that would never happen.

The documents overall were mostly statements of the amount of money that Henry Shaw owed. These were usually in the form of a receipt for purchases. One of the letters was one from Henry Shaw’s sister, Caroline. This document was just a general report of what had happened at the house and gardens, and how much money he owed. While Shaw was gone, his sister was to look over the garden. Other documents consisted of newspaper clippings of John and Mary Meachum’s houses being auctioned off. 

The voices that were the loudest inside of these documents were the newspaper companies publishing these stories about the Meachum’s, and Caroline. Although Caroline only had one letter from what I saw in the collection, it still shows a lot of depth. The silence of the Meachum’s was something that I noticed, all of this talk about them but not one word from them in the newspapers. Maybe the newspaper companies just didn’t want to have their statement on their house being auctioned, or they just didn’t want their input at all. I’m not sure how we would be able to fill the silence since the documents are so old and outdated. I’m not sure if It wants us to put what should be in the newspaper from a couple hundred years ago or how we would change it today. If it were today, I would add what happened to the Meachum’s and how they ended up living in the future.

Cullen Krieg

Dr. Jack

CODES

1/17/24

Restorative Justice 

On this website there are some things that I enjoyed. There are hyperlinks within the website that allow the individuals looking to understand more in depth of what they’re looking at. The author is trying to teach individuals what restorative justice is and who the victims are and who the offenders are, along with how it affects the community. 

This source teaches the individual looking at the website what restorative justice is and who and what it affects. It teaches the reader how and what victims feel. It also teaches the reader that the offenders are directly accountable for what happened. It speaks about the community as well and how it bears some responsibility for the members which could be the victim or the offender. 

The audience for this website is really anyone. If an individual wants to learn about restorative justice or find other restorative justice sources. 

This article/website is important to us because in our class we are learning about restorative justice. If we were to look into this article there would be a lot learned and enough information for every individual in the class to understand it. 

All in all, this website has been a very good teaching article about restorative justice.

This website does not seem to go into a lot of detail, but the information provided is sufficient enough for someone just looking for a general definition of reparative justice. The website also provides a lot of links to other references relating to reparative justice. It also gives their past experience with reparative justice as well. I feel that this website is a decent resource and has many available oppourtunities for people exploring it to expand their knowledge on reparative justice.

History of wicked problems

The term “wicked problems” was coined by Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber in the late 1960s to describe complex and persistent problems that resist easy resolution. Unlike “tame” problems that have well-defined boundaries and can be solved through a linear, step-by-step approach, wicked problems are characterized by their complexity. These problems often lack a single, definitive solution and are subject to interpretation and multiple perspectives.Society is an intricate web of interconnected issues, challenges, and opportunities. Some of these issues are straightforward, easily defined, and amenable to traditional problem-solving methods. However, there exists a class of problems known as “wicked problems” that defy conventional solutions and have far-reaching consequences for society. In this essay, we will explore the concept of wicked problems, their characteristics, and the profound impact they have on society. 

Interventions aimed at addressing environmental challenges are crucial in today’s world, where climate change poses a significant threat to society. Environmental interventions include policies and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect natural habitats, and promote sustainable practices. By taking action to mitigate the effects of climate change, society can safeguard the well-being of current and future generations.Intervention is a powerful tool for promoting social justice and equity within society. It can address systemic inequalities, discrimination, and bias. For instance, criminal justice reform initiatives seek to reduce disparities in sentencing and incarceration rates, particularly among minority communities. Additionally, diversity and inclusion programs in workplaces and educational institutions can foster a more equitable society by creating opportunities for underrepresented groups.

Political Polarization:

 The divisive nature of political polarization is a wicked problem that  trust in institutions, inhibits effective governance, and fosters social discord. Finding common ground  is a significant challenge. Urbanization and Infrastructure: Rapid urbanization poses wicked problems related to infrastructure, transportation, and housing. Balancing economic development with environmental sustainability and social equity requires complex decision-making and long-term planning.

Technological Ethical Dilemmas: Advances in technology have introduced wicked problems related to ethics, privacy, and security. Issues such as data privacy, artificial intelligence ethics, and the digital divide have broad societal implications.

Education Gaps:

Educational disparities persist as a wicked problem, impacting individuals and society at large. These disparities affect future workforce skills, economic productivity, and social cohesion.

Education is often considered the cornerstone of societal development. Effective educational interventions can transform the trajectory of individuals and entire communities. One significant example of this is early childhood education programs, which provide children with a strong foundation for learning. These interventions can help bridge the achievement gap between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds, ultimately reducing inequality. Moreover, interventions in education can promote inclusivity by addressing the needs of students with disabilities and those from marginalized communities.

Intervention is a powerful tool for promoting social justice and equity within society. It can address systemic inequalities, discrimination, and bias. For instance, criminal justice reform initiatives seek to reduce disparities in sentencing and incarceration rates, particularly among minority communities. Additionally, diversity and inclusion programs in workplaces and educational institutions can foster a more equitable society by creating opportunities for underrepresented groups.Environmental Sustainability;Interventions aimed at addressing environmental challenges are crucial in today’s world, where climate change poses a significant threat to society.

  Going to the MBG and getting to look into the basement was our next step as a team. My first reaction when we went to the basement was just how small and secluded it was. It really gave a feel to a certain extent of what it could have been like to live or just roam around in the basement in that time period. Seeing the fireplace, the washboard, and the plow for the cattle what was used to farm with was interesting. When I was down there, I pictured myself almost as if I was going back in time and it really gave a sense of the hardship that the slaves went through. In another room there were paintings on the wall portraying the people who might have stayed in that side of the house and what their day-to-day life could have consisted of. One thing that stood out to me was, some people’s faces were blurred out and also not using the real people that were in that position, but instead to use fake or other people. Seeing that really limited some of the observations that me and others had made, which in total really felt a sense of something could be hidden and people did not want to express who the actual slaves were. Once we broke out into groups to go to the different stations, the one that caught my eyes the most was Andrew’s which displayed all the tax documents and other significant figures. Coming from a business major, it really brought intuition on how checks and other tax documents looked back 200+ years ago compared to the more modern 21st century.  Just seeing that along with the other writings and using the magnifying glasses to try and translate into a more modern version of English we use today. I am pleased that we are working with the Archives basically coming from a business major and I feel as if we all can use our intended major and other skills to our advantage when working with Andrew.

Dr. Jack source analysis #5