Quickwrite #1 (4/6/16)

I read this poem a few years ago in a lit course over the summer and remember truly loving the work of Langston Hughes. This poem, amongst other good works, struck me deeply. It is simple yet profound and although that is a typical description, it is accurate.
Hughes' poem questions the manner in which a dream is deferred and how it affects its holder. I believe that when a dream is deferred, it lingers and hangs silently on the shoulder of the beholder. It remains waiting but disappearing slowly. It changed the way a person sees life because they cannot see the optimistic future that they had hoped for. It takes away drive and motivation as it is deferred.  It is easy for people to give up on the dream that they so deeply long for because it appears to difficult, or near impossible to achieve.

quickwrite #7

So, what do you think? Considering that many of you will be attending your own school’s prom, how do you feel about the first racially integrated prom detailed in the 2009 documentary Prom Night in Mississippi? Did you know that, despite integration, there were still “separate, but equal” segregated proms for black students and white students? Do you think it’s okay if some (white) families pay for and host their own (white only) prom, separate from the school? Explain.

I personally believe that even is a white-only prom is funded by parents entirely, it is not "okay". Racism, to the extreme of physical segregation, is never "okay". The idea that a person has the right to do this is mislead and in many ways unconstitutional. The backbone of this country is dependent on the idea of freedom and inequality. How could that exist within any society when a high school prom is restricted by race? In the interest of equality and progression, it is only fair to discontinue this practice, even if it would be privately funded. The idea of "separate but equal" only pertains to the idea of separate culture and experience, not restrictive nature.  Besides, most of high schoolers now have more progressive rules than their parents, and would like a different thing than their ignorant/racist parents. 

quickwrite #6

So, what do you think? Based on the texts by Chopin, Cleaver, King, Newton, and Tan, the documentary The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, and your experience/observation, how do you define the twentieth/twenty-first century definition of the American Dream in light of the minority American experience?

I think that the minority experience and "American Dream" are in many ways similar but adopted differently in a modern atmosphere. Many desire the ability to thrive and gain success in America. However, restrictions and hurdles remain in place. The difference is now, many people ignore these hardships and continue to feed the perception that everything is fine. Police brutality, poverty, and oppression continue to be large issues faced by minority groups. This undoubtably affects the "American Dream". I think that the American Dream is different for different people, particularly for minority groups. For many upper-class and white Americans, they American dream is do own a nice house, have a nice family, a good education, and a high-paying job. However, for many minority groups, the American Dream is more to find security and equality, a better future.  Particularly in the late 60's, many of these people wanted a revolutionary shift in American Society. This previously unattainable freedom was still somewhat out of reach because of the power imbalance. Police brutality and the corruption of the government and judicial systems seemed to keep the minority power and freedom at bay despite their desperate desire. There is still a large criminalization of most to all minority groups in the U.S. The black community is deemed as thugs and low-life criminals, Hispanics and the Latino community are seen as thugs as well with a focus on free-loading immigration, and Muslims and middle easterners are seen as terrorists out to destroy America. Each of these groups, and more, experience unique struggles with achieving equality an the "American Dream". For many, I would assume as I cannot speak for any of these groups, that a sense of equality and respect is the most important. Without this, many will remain in the lower class and continue to struggle as a result of this injustice and inequality.

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.