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Michael Hall
Freshman Inquiry
Profesor Marie Lo
9/30/15
REFLECTION
Hello, my name is Michael Hall, I am from Long Beach California and Eighteen
years old. I am ultimately going to Portland State University because my girlfriend from
my High School is going here on a soccer scholarship and I love her very much. Apart
from having a girlfriend who goes here, Portland offers me an amazing amount of life
experience, adventures, and fun. Opposed to if I were to go to school in Long Beach. I
am and have been actively pursuing a career as A firefighter. Without a doubt that is
what I want to do with my life and I am extremely passionate about the job. When I was
in the sixth grade I watched a documentary on National Geo graphics called 9/11 The
Firemens story during this documentary, veteran firefighters of the FDNY explained
what their rescue operations were on that day as well as the job in general and what it
takes to be a Fireman physically and mentally. As I was watching, I got a weird feeling in
my chest and stomach and began to get goosebumps. I knew from that day forward that
I was going to become a Firefighter. I was meant to become one! And the universe
knew I was meant to be one as well because the day after that experience I had, my
Family had dinner with another family we had known for the longest time. The father of
that family just so happened to be a Captain with the Long Beach Fire Department, so I
told him about the experience I had and my new found interest in the fire service. Than
the next meant to be event occurred, he told me that the following day he was working

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at the fire station a block away from my house and invited me to ride along with him. I
went that day and many other days preceding that and met many new firefighters from
different stations around the city and got to know them on a friendly and professional
level and had the privilege to ride out with them on a regular basis at the busier stations
in the city. Once I turned 15 years old, I joined the Fire exploring organization for
teenagers called Long Beach Search and Rescue, where I learned hands on fire and
public safety training taught by firefighters and police officers. I also made contacts with
a Los Angeles City Fireman who helped get me into the Los Angeles City Fire
Department Cadet program. Learning from some of our nations best Firefighters, and
over the summer I got to do more training with the LAFD and I was able to get into four
fires as well as perform roof operations with an LAFD truck company. Now that I have
moved up here I am trying hard to continue gaining knowledge of the fire service as well
as make connections with Portland Fire & Rescue. I have already put in my application
to become a Portland Fire Cadet and will Find out soon if I have made it into the
program.

I am taking this Race and Social Justice class because I am very

interested in racial and social activism and the attempt to make the world we live in a
better place for us all. As a mixed race male (African American and White) I have
experienced forms of racism and prejudice on all different levels. Mainly for my African
American appearance. Such as being called a Nigger, being watched and followed
while shopping, and cars being locked multiple times while I'm simply sitting in my front
yard. And I think joining this class will help give me an understanding and insight on how
to deal with that and to help teach the people doing the stereotyping. However, I do not

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only experience racism from white people but from black people as well. Because I am
not as dark as full blacks, many black people will often times label me as not even
black or even completely calling me white I have learned how to deal with that sort of
downpression through a man who has gone through the same tribulations as me for the
same racial reasons. This man is Bob Marley, whose father was a white man just as
mine is. He has taught me to not jump on neither the white man or black mans side but
to come together as one people. One Love! I have been following the philosophies and
lifestyles of Rastafari since the tenth grade and have found my true self within it. And
part of being a Rasta means spreading love and doing positive work for the benefit of all
people. Which brings me to what I hope to gain from this class over the year. What I
really hope to gain from this class is the ability to start a foundation of racial positivity for
the future work I plan on doing. Once I am a Fireman I would like to work as a
community activist in my spare time and first start off by mentoring young black kids and
helping to rid young black people of their victimized mentality and to teach them that in
order to see a change in the way we are treated we must first change the way we
present ourselves and be better people ourselves, first. Because we cannot expect
people to treat us right if we don't treat ourselves and each other right. I will not stop
with only African Americans though, because it is One Love! My ultimate plan is to bring
kids from all walks of life together and to teach them about how to live a coexisting and
positive life with everyone around them and how to beat the negative down to extinction!
Which is 100% possible! I hope to get some amazing discussions with like minded
people and learn many different things about the race and social justice area with
people of my generation, we are the future, and we must make the difference.