In the America we live in today we are facing an economic crisis that is tearing down our government and putting a lot of people out work. In all the time we was on top of every country in which now we have been pushed to second-class in many peoples views. America is importing more than exporting in which we are selling our assets and taking on massive debts that sustain living that we can not afford anymore. With all this going on it is putting our international competitors to control us and make us rely on them for foreign production, innovation, and financing. America is losing its national security, self sufficiency, and leverage in which gives our foreign affairs to suffer greatly. We fail to acknowledge predatory foreign trade practices laying out the U.S. industry. With this causes problems in which we encourage U.S. manufacturers to design, engineer, and produce for third world markets in China and Mexico.

With our tax systems have unnecessarily raised domestic costs on businesses, in which the main cause of this is three decades of extreme detrimental U.S. trade and globalization policies. We rely on other countries to have faith in our policies that will hold themselves to our standards in the areas such as labor, environment, and competition policy. We are pretty much just giving away money to other countries then wondering where is all our money going then it is too late to fix anything. Our markets are some of the most important factors that keep our country strong and moving at a steady pace. We have handed rights to foreign markets to international bodies for instance The World Trade Organization and are committed to tearing down our country piece by piece. The U.S. is in a dramatically different position with the rising low wage markets. These markets have everything to gain and also as the ability to loose everything. The policies we have in the U.S. should protect our wealth and resources instead of providing lower consumer cost benefits that has a big impact on industries plus the workers in them. The main in this economic struggle is making a change for the better and protecting our policies in really putting them in affect and make them known that we will stand strong to our people. When we promote open markets and economic growth it will not alone rebalance America’s trade accounts and industrial collapse. with our industries being disarmed and dismantled that we lack knowledge, capacity, and the investment to a better industrial setup.

We have got to get back to our basics of what our country was upon and that was standing tall in our rights to not let nobody ruin our market polices or trade rights. It could make our economic struggle go away in a minute but it starts with making our policies enforced and putting the fear of God into other countries to know not to mess with us. We are one of the strongest countries in the world we just have got to get back to what we know best and make this country a whole again.

photo essay

https://blogs.memphis.edu/dirtysouth/files/2013/11/photo-essay-1obef9g.docx

Child welfare case managers wear many different hats and have different responsibilities.  Being a front line case manager you must have a true passion for helping children and families.  The main responsibility of a case manager is overseeing that children grow in a safe and loving family environment where he or she can thrive and flourish. It is the case manager’s duty to protect children, strengthen families, and ensure that support is provided to properly care for children.  Case managers must enter communities; involve schools, courts, faith-based agencies, and volunteers to effectively attain an established goal.   Working as a team, listening to diverse views, putting forth customer service skills, being responsive, and maintaining accountability is significant to a solid resolution.

            The Department of Children Services main responsibilities regarding Child Protective Services are investigating any allegations and referrals of child abuse or neglect, making an assessment of issues that lead to the mistreatment, setting an intervention in motion to reduce the risks of mistreatment, evaluating the outcome of services, and closing the case or reuniting the child/children with their families.  The Department of Children Services also has an obligation to educate children, parents/ guardians on reporting abuse of any kind to the nationwide child abuse hotline.

            Another essential responsibility that the Department of Children Services has regarding the Juvenile Justice Division is to assist youth that have been sentenced by the juvenile courts for delinquent offenses.  Case managers have to make sure that all the children’s needs are met with services from probation, supervision, and secure residential placements.  DCS must monitor day-to-day services throughout the division, and provide treatment and rehabilitation to children and adolescents that were placed into state’s custody.  DCS has Youth Development Centers for males and G4S Services for females.

            Providing temporary or foster care for children is another essential component of the Department of Children Services.  Children that need these services are in homes with parents/guardians that are unable or unwilling to provide a safe and stable environment. In the event that these services are needed, DCS must recruit foster families that provide stable and supportive homes.  Children need to know that they are loved to ensure emotional, physical, and social growth. Foster care is a temporary service but if parents/guardians do not create a safe and nurturing environment for the return of the child/children, then permanent options such as adoption or independent living arrangements will be made according to the child/children ages.

            I have an interest in pursuing a career in child welfare because I know that I can make a difference in individuals’ lives.  I am compassionate about all people but those that are in need of assistance have a special place in my heart.  Although working for the Department of Children Services will present varying challenges and privileges; I am ready to face them.  I want to share and provide knowledge and experiences that will assist in motivating parents and children in the surmounting of obstacles. Becoming a case manager would be an excellent opportunity as I am striving to obtain a meaningful and fulfilling occupation, not simply a job. It would truly be a pleasure and an honor to join the DCS family.

Becoming an effective child welfare worker will take continuous exposure, growth, and development in all areas as I believe that practice makes perfect in every situation.  My previous psychological studies have embedded knowledge that I look forward to applying and further developing upon with prospect opportunities. I believe that internships and shadowing fellow child welfare workers are abundant methods of full exposure, growth, and development as a student.

In class we talked about the Tuskegee Experiment. After taking two African American courses, it was hard to believe that this was the first time I was hearing about this unethical experiment the was done to African American  males back in nineteen hundreds .The public health service used humans as guinea pigs to conduct a study on Syphilis and it’s side effects. The study was conducted to determine from autopsies what the disease does to human body. As much as I want to say I cannot believe that the government would do such a thing, I have to say, I am not surprised at all that we as a nation would use other humans as study subjects. History has proven that, in some cases, human life is worth nothing and if we can gain new knowledge for science, it seems not to matter at what cost. During the time of the Tuskegee Experiment, the doctors had no objection to using African Americanmales for their research. Upon seeking more knowledgeabout this particular study, I read that there were over six-hundred case studies. These men were told that they had “bad blood” when in fact they were infected with syphilis. This took place in Macon County and lasted over four decades, and probably would have lasted even longer if someone had not leak it to the news media.  Now, what in fact was actually hard for me to believe was that before the story was leaked someone said, “wait maybe this is wrong”, however, the law makers justified it as being ethical because no one was being harmed because they did in fact sign up for the study and were receiving the benefits of a free meal and a free trip to see the “good oledoctor” that was helping these men with their “bad blood”.  No one was being harmed!!  As long as no one was being harmed, Okay did I miss something? It wasn’t harmful tosend these men home to their wives knowing dang well that they had syphilis? That it is a sexually transmitted disease. The main reason for joining the study in the first place was for these men to help provide for their families,which is now being placed in harm’s way, but I guess it was okay because it was not hurting the ones who actually signed up for the program. That is just crazy to think that a human life was played with in this type of way.  I cannot help but to wonder if this same type of unethical practice isstill being used right now. AIDS, for example, is there really a cure?  Is it being sold to the highest paying client or is it that all of the side effects are unclear so more study time is needed? Why would they treat people in this way and think no harm is being done.

All over the country food is an important piece to people”s culture and can be a part of traditions past through a family. It could be argued that it is even more than that in the South. Food is a way of life, obviously food is essential for one to live, but in the south we believe that great food is essential to human life. For us it does so much more than nourish our bodies, it soothes the soul, it brings friends and family together, and if done right it can knock your socks off. The tradition of certain foods being passes down from generation to generation in southern families keeping many types of food very popular and relevant in the southeast region. Foods that one can only get in the south, well get right in the south. Food is just on a entirely different level here than anywhere else.

The south s the fattest region in the nation and most likely world. I believe that is because it is just that easy to gain weight in the south. Lets face it all of the food that we consider to be good are not very good for you. I am speaking to our love for “Soul Food” and our knack to fry anything that will fit in said fryer. While the fact that a good number of southerners put on their excessive weight by living on the McDonald’s diet, many others did it in a delicious and rich way. The fact that we crave these fried pieces of gold is not our fault it is in our blood.

I know that I am not the only one that grew up going to grandma’s house for a meal that would satisfy not only the body but also the soul. These foods have been passed down for generations and kept alive for yeas and years, and with luck the generations to follow will keep these family traditions alive. Such foods are not just prevalent in families but in this region. Many of the foods people have come to love were the product of hard times that fell on our ancestors. When these hard times it many found cheap ways to give food flavoring, and with tweaking of recipes over the years one could not live without these delicious foods and spices. Again, while they are not the healthiest things for you, i can assure it tastes much better than salad. Speaking of vegetables, the south has of course made it possible for vegetable not only be great tasting but also terrible for your arteries. Yes, I am talking about frying veggies, fried okra, fried cauliflower, fried zucchini, and friend squash. All at one point were healthy and bland, on trip to the south and they are covered in fried breading and irresistible.

For other parts of the country and world what makes them stand out are things like landscapes and shopping centers. We have all of those things plus much, much more. We have food that can not be rivaled ( unless you are a vegan or suffered some terrible injury that has left you without the sense of smell and taste bud).  It has put us on the maps across the globe and the reason why we can not seem to stay on a diet for more than three weeks. It is something that brings people together and causes joy from you first bite to the last and gives you something to crave until the next time that family member decides to spoil the family with again. Food is a corner stone that makes the south awesome, and possibly the best place to live in the world.

During the 1950s northern factory owners faced a problem. They were loosing money and workers. Unions, taxes, and education had started to eat away at their pockets. They were forces to move, but where to? As the owner of a major factory one has to always try to maximize profits. There are a host of things to consider when expanding your business. Factors such as location, worker skill, amount of labor, and unions. We have to find a place that can fulfill these factors. The American South sounds like a winner to me. Their is a abundance of rural land that can be developed into a powerful factory. We can do two options with the location. We can build the factory in the center of the land and make the rest of the land into a small town that we provide everything. We can build a grocery store, drug store, and maybe a bowling alley to give the workers something to do. We will also build housing that we will provide “free” of charge. We can send their most of their “checks” directly to the stores we provide so that they can get the things they need. This potentially can keep crime right low because people will not carry around a lot of cash. Option two is to build the factory near a city and have people drive to the job. We will have to pay them more because of the commute.

The South has a work force that is a owner’s dream. Everyone is desperate to work so we can offer low wages and they will accept. Their is a large population so placement will not be a issue. Many workers are illiterate so production will be slow in the beginning because of job training. The positive side of this is that we can turn these people into specialize for the company limiting their skills so they can depend on us. When we limit their skills to just fit our job requirements we also decrease the risk of strikes. Factory owners have a huge advantage over the workers. The workers in this area are not use to these type of labor. The South’s main labor was agriculture. The factory environment is a totally different from fielding the lands. The work conditions was horrible and dangerous, but southerners did not know the difference. They were not given benefits and children were also sought out to work.

Unions are the biggest factor when running a factory. We do not like Unions! I repeat we do not like Unions! Unions are a deal breaker. They have so many demands and try to turn workers against owners. Unions ask for too many benefits and try to add rules to the factory. If we can not agree to terms they organize strikes costing the company money. The factory can not function well with a union in place.

The South is a paradise for opening and running a productive factory. The rural area offers acres of room to build and develop factory. If the factory is built in the center factory owners can create small towns for its workers to reside. If the factory is built near a town the jobs will pay more to get you to travel to and from work. The workforce is huge and has low education, owners can mold them in the way they want. No Unions they are deal busters! They cause to many problems.

The U.S. South has had a significant influence on the rest of the world especially Global South. As things have progressed in the U.S. South they have steadily made their way around the rest of the world and influenced both its industries and societies. One major thing that has occurred throughout history is slavery. Particularly the U.S. and U.S. South have been known for their enslavement of African Americans. However through an ongoing process of civil rights movements, equality laws, and formation of unions U.S. enslavement and unfair workers’ rights have legally been abolished. So this must mean that companies are treating employees fairly right? Or there is no more slavery? Well not quite….

With the laws in place, rather than companies complying with them, they have simply moved to other countries where they can have cheap labor and employees willing to do it. In these countries companies pay an unmanageable salary, put kids in the workplace, force them work in completely unhealthy conditions and excessive hours with no benefits. Thus reforming what was unethical in the U.S. South and expanding it into the Global South where they can get away with it. These companies then send the products and goods back to the U.S. where we, the consumers can then purchase them.

Majority of all the items we acquire as people from clothes and food to electronics at the end of the day come from somewhere else, from cheap labor, from a slave.  So essentially although we do not consciously support slavery and unfair rights in the U.S., with the products we purchase every day we are supporting slavery and the companies who own and taking advantage of people in other countries. But we sure do love the cheap prices right?

Is there a way to change this? Is it worth the cheap prices? Are consumers willing to pay a higher price for goods or does it not concern us because it is not in our country? I think this does need our attention and awareness. Often as consumers we do not pay attention to such things because it’s not something that is a concern in our everyday life. It’s not us or our children having to work in such conditions. We only reap the benefits without ever having to face the realities of situation.

Although the South (U.S. South) may not be rising again, the Global South is pushing on strong with its inequality and ethnicity. A major problem of this opposed to the U.S. South is that it is not something that we are forced to face in our everyday lives; meaning that concern and awareness of such actions is down and so nothing is being done to change it.

I found this website that can somewhat give us an idea of the way we are supporting slavery. It is a quick survey about your personal lifestyle (the items you use, the things you own, ect.) that will end by add all the variables of how many slaves you would own. My number was 63 slaves.

HOW MANY SLAVES DO YOU OWN? www.slaveryfootprint.org

   “Making Easy Money Pimpin Hoes In Style” is what Memphis “Ten-a-ki” is suppose to stand for. Oh, my bad. What is “Ten-a-ki” you say? Besides standing for Tennessee, it also the supposed ten thousand dollar price per kilogram if purchased in Memphis. Which is not true because the going price for a kilo of coke is about $36,000. Well, that’s what I heard it cost. There is no way for me to possibly know that, cough cough. But on a more serious note, living in a city whose name is an acronym for prostitution and drug dealing, sounds like a very serious problem. There is a known hip hop artist from New York city who liked the name so much he claimed it as his own, Memphis Bleek. I guess he is no different than every other out- of- towner that came and stole from our home grown culture. From what I understand the word pimpin does not necessarily mean prostitution. Pimpin can be used as a general term such as, gaining something for a little of nothing. There is a more positive meaning, like when one is in a situation and they are being treated wrong or unjust and instead of behaving abruptly, they “keep it pimpin” which means keeping emotions intact and under control. Although pimpin is a way of life for some, I have always felt it may have originated in the South as far as African Americans are concerned.

  Okay, this is how I see it. During the Great Migration, when about 6 million blacks left the rural South and headed North, West, East, etc.,not everybody was able to find jobs. Therefore, one of the oldest profession was in service. I know I am reaching right now but by the way Bishop Don Magic Juan dresses….he gotta be from the South. Country is, what country does. With that being said, we have Oscar Award winning Three 6 “Hard Out Here For a Pimp”, Hustle and Flow movie, and must I not forget, the local legendary King of Clubs Danny Owens. There is no proof for what I am writing but it kind of makes since if you think about it.

  Not everybody knows those street terms of the representation of M.E.M.P.H.I.S mean but for those that do, do you think that name has a correct meaning? I do not personally know any pimps or prostitutes, nor drug dealer, so I guess that does not represent my Memphis. I sometimes wonder if these type names have put a curse on the city. If life and death is in the power of the tongue, “I rebuke the dark cloud over my city”. Martin Luther King was assassinated, Elvis Presley over dosed here, Nathan Bedford Forest is celebrated here, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr lost their title here, but that is still not enough gloom to shut the city down.  While poverty rules here, high crime rates sky rocket, well I WAS suppose to be uplifting the city so on that note, Memphis is known for more Rich history than it is truley given. And  although I just put alot of not so good news out there, it’s all about how you look at it.  Just understand that just every city, town or countryside wants to be known for something. Whether it be a shameful reminder or one to brag on, everybody wants to be heard.

The term “Southern Hospitality” is something that people all over the country use to describe the warm, friendly feeling you get in the South when you interact with most strangers. Everywhere I go people hold doors open for others without a second thought. We are taught to use good manners when dealing with people in our everyday lives. I know that as a young girl I was taught to always say “Yes, ma’am” and “No, sir” when speaking to adults. This small piece of instruction instilled in me as a youngster has stayed with me throughout my entire life. Even now, when I interact with men or women (whether they are older than me or not) I always address them as ma’am or sir. I have also noticed that many of my friends and relatives have the same manners. I have cousins who were born and raised in Chicago, and they do not speak with the same manners as my brother and I do. I never really noticed the difference in our mannerisms until last Christmas break when we all went out for dinner and my brother and I addressed the waitress with a polite “Yes, ma’am” while our male cousin was very short and somewhat rude to our waiter. He also made a comment about how he thought it was strange that my brother held the door open for the people entering the restaurant before us. I thought it was very interesting that even though we are closely related, we had very different ideas about the types of manners that were appropriate in this restaurant situation. I love the fact that whenever I am walking around campus and enter a building behind someone, they automatically hold the door until I reach out to hold it myself. I always say thank you. It is just an implied interaction that pretty much everyone follows as normal. When I went to New York for Christmas a few years ago, I was quite displeased with the lack of community feel. It didn’t seem like anyone cared about anyone else. No one held a door for me or anything else that I was used to from back home. I love the way that at home in the South, everyone seems to be a part of a real community instead of just a bunch of people living in the same area. I love that one of the things we are known for is our “Southern Hospitality”. A lot of my family is from the North and I know that they all think of the South as a friendly place and love to visit us down here. I am definitely going to raise my children with the idea of Southern Hospitality instilled in them. I want my children to be incredibly polite and know how to navigate the world. I think that the tradition of “Yes, ma’am” will continue in the South as long as people continue to raise their children in this tradition. One of my favorite sayings is, Say what you will about the South, but nobody retires and moves up North.

I never thought I had very much of a southern accent until recently. Living in San Francisco this past summer was a huge learning experience for me and one of the many things that I learned was that I do, in fact, have a pretty prominent Southern accent. This was made known to me by almost every new person I met. I could not count on both of my hands and feet how many times I heard some form of the phrase, ” I love your accent, it’s so cute!”  At first, I took these comments as compliments, and then it got old. The more I began to think about what these people were saying the more aggravated I  got. I have heard this narrative from many other people in their descriptions of travels they have had outside of the South. Many people outside of the South view it almost like a child, as if we can not take care of ourselves and need to be cared for. Maybe it is silly, but I feel that by saying a person’s southern accent is cute, it is almost as if they are equating that person with being child-like.  To me, this compliment became more and more of an insult every time I heard it.  I would prefer to hear anything other than cute, when it comes to my southern accent.

This narrative speaks to a bigger problem in our society and that is the dumbing down of southern people in popular culture. More often than not you will hear about the South in some sort of negative light. Duck Dynasty for example, a show on A&E , is about a family who made their fortune off of selling duck calls. Instead of being portrayed as intelligent businessmen and women, they are portrayed as backwoods rednecks who do not have any sense. While the Robertson family has been able to expand their brand with this television show, I believe that it does them a great disservice.  Another show that plays up to the “dumb Southern” stereotype is Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, a show about a family from the rural Georgia. If you have ever seen the show, you know exactly what I am talking about. This family seems to be completely uncivilized and just down right stupid. While the show is definitely entertaining, it only furthers the stereotype that southerners are slow and stupid.  This stereotype is not all bad, there are many people out there who have been able to build their brand around the stereotype, however, the image of the south should also include its positive attributes.

Being Southern is something that I have always been proud of. I feel that as southerners we do ourselves a great disservice by just thanking people when they tell us we have cute accents. Granted I’m  not quite sure what else we would say, but the point is that there needs to be more positive conversation about the amazing things that are happening in the South.