Quickwrite #5

So, what do you think? Comment on the documentary The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution.

Like we said in class, not much has changed in the light of racial prejudice and injustice. There aren't laws that explicitely target a minority, but it is perhaps more dangerous not too. There is no solid, written, legislative actions but there are so many instances where the judicial and law enforcement systems target minorities unjustly. It is harder to combat a hidden monster because so many believe it all ended in the 60's during the Civil Rights Movement. There is a huge issue with criminalization of minorities that leads to police brutality and mass incarceration that negatively impacts an entire race and community. These injustices are not written as laws but are still so heavily prevalent. These things apply to a lot of different minority groups, not just African-Americans, so now these issues are widespread. 

Quickwrite #4

So, what do you think? In the episode “All Prologue” from the TV series The Wire, during a prison book club meeting on The Great Gatsby, the convicted gang member D’Angelo Barksdale says:
He’s saying that the past is always with us, and where we come from, what we go through, how we go through it, all this [stuff] matters… It's like you can change up, right, you can say you somebody new, you can give yourself a whole new story. But, what came first is who you really are and what happened before is what really happened. And it don't matter that some fool say he different cuz the only thing that make you different is what you really do, what you really go through…

So, what do you think? Do you agree or disagree with D’Angelo’s analysis of Jay Gatsby? Why or why not? Explain.

I agree with it. Jay Gatsby remains stuck in the ideals of his past and feeds upon them. His whole outwardly persona relies on these desires and troubles. The idea that his difference from others is entirely in what he does and not what he feels/thinks is also true. We can only perceive the actions of others, not their thoughts. Jay Gatsby gave himself a new story because he was unsatisfied with the one he had, the problem was that he simultaneously relied on this "old story" and the old actions and stories of his past rather than acting in result of  the present.

Quickwrite #3

I love both the song and video for "Formation" while also recognizing it doesn't speak to/for me. I Can recognize the beauty in it and seeing the message it puts across.  In the image of Beyonce on the flooded police car in New Orleans, I think it sends the message that the police don't "protect and serve" the black community. The overarching theme of the video is about the black experience, particularly in the south and in relation to police brutality. The little boy dancing in front of the police wall in riot gear is particularly powerful because it shows the imbalance of power and unnecessary force. The hoodie could relate to the case of Trayvon Martin and also the many other cases of racial profiling that ended in the death of many innocent people from fatal shots fired by the police. Same story withe the image if the graffiti that says 'Stop Shooting Us'. In the video and in the half time performance, she wears and performs in a way that refers to the black panthers and how that relates to the black lives matter movement. Down to the lyrics, I think 'Formation' is an incredibly powerful song.

Quickwrite #2

I think the adaptation of the Great Gatsby was very accurate to not only the details of the plot, but also the overall tone and feel of the novel. I loved the portrayal of pretty much all of the characters and the setting. I think the movie brought a lot of the imagery to life from the novel. I noticed in some of the scenes that the dialogue was almost if not exactly the same as what was in the novel. The true encapsulation of Gatsby is what impressed me the most because the film captured his ambition and spirit. I also felt that Tom and Daisy were played well in accordance to their nature from the novel. My only complaint was some of the way it was edited and shot. There was a lot of added in overlays and things that both distracted from the idea and also added to it. At times I felt it was unnecessary but some of the party scenes could have used the elaborate editing but meh.