Social Justice Project

ELA Social Justice Project

By Gus Miller, 802

Newspaper Article: Citation: Bosman, Julie; Eckholm, Erik; et al. “Ferguson Grand Jury Faced Mass of Evidence in Decision, Much of it Conflicting.” New York Times 25 November 2014. Web.

In this article, the authors discuss a colossal load of evidence presented before the indictment of Officer Wilson. Many witnesses have made many claims involving every aspect of the event. I think this article deals with injustice since people are discussing evidence that could determine the fate of a white man who killed a black teen. It seems obvious that racism is present in this conflict, and that anyone would try to defend the behaviors of Wilson is outrageous. People that are trying to advocate for the acquittal demonstrate clearly that structural racism still plagues this country. This connects with my everyday life and everyone else’s, since throughout society black people are still suffering from bias and ingrained inequality that should have been abolished along with slavery 140 years ago. It makes me think about the painful reality of white privilege today, and how everyone needs to work towards real equality.

Everyday Injustices:

-Homophobia, “gay” used as an insult

-Structural racism

-Structural sexism

-Poverty

-Bullying

-Jokes about serious matters like the Holocaust

-People casually calling each other “retarded”

-Casual use of racial slurs

-White privilege

-Stereotyping

Something that really bothers me almost every day is homophobia. At school, people will casually call each other gay, and in popular music, movies, books, and TV shows, people are usually shown as straight couples. People still seem to be very afraid of homosexuality, and constantly I read about debates over gay marriage where rich white people are complaining about how being gay is a sin. The worst part is the idea itself of homophobia, though. People are trying to control who others are allowed to officially join in marriage even though it doesn’t affect them in any way. In Russia, being openly gay is a criminal offense. It’s really sad how people in power try to control so many aspects of other people’s lives. Gay and lesbian people get a lot of hate, and it seems like everywhere there are people who just detest the idea of same sex relationships. People sometimes try to justify themselves with religion or other beliefs, but just as often people that are openly homosexual are verbally assaulted by bigoted people who have no good reason to hate them. Throughout society, homosexuality is considered odd at best and cause for open hatred at worst, and people are constantly trying to control who others love.

Movie/TV Show: One popular TV show I watch often is Family Guy. In this show, the main characters are the Griffins, a white, well off family. In the show, most teens are likewise depicted as white, and well off, living in a house ranging from being nice to being a lavish mansion. The popular teens are all skinny, blonde cheerleader girls and big, tough jocks who are obsessed with physical, competitive sports. Obviously these are gross stereotypes, and the truth couldn’t be further. The most realistically portrayed characters are the nerdy boys with square glasses and the brown haired girls who aren’t tall, skinny, and visually flawless, although even these are a far cry from reality. The stereotypes are so exaggerated it’s funny, but it also makes me think of the teens never shown on Family Guy: The poor, timid children with financial difficulties, the ones with mental difficulties, the homeless ones. It’s disturbing how all of popular culture portrays all the people anyone would want to be as the flawless straight white people who are successful and rich and famous. There are so many stereotypes being portrayed that it almost blocks out the ideas of people who have difficult lives. But it just makes me think more about the teens who aren’t models or superstars, and how unjust the world is.

Poem Analysis:

To be twenty again,

believing with such fervor,

sure of the way,

committed unto death if need be.

Willing to offer myself without reservation,

to share my talents and hopes

without equivocation.

To be twenty again,

believing change is possible

because I have changed,

believing barriers can be lifted,

distrust transcended

because I have known friendship

across the color line, deep friendship.

To be twenty again

and to know the power

of a social movement

that transforms its participants

as well as the world,

to know I've found a place, a way of life that allows love of God

and commitment to justice

to flourish side by side.

To fall in love again and again

with life and idealism as it manifests

first in one and then another

young man's eyes.

I lived so intensely,

believed so absolutely,

felt so acutely.

I had the energy to do so

and lacked the experience

to feel afraid or use caution.

I grew outside the bounds

of my white, middle class upbringing.

I grew outside the experience

of my professors at college.

There were times of connection

and transcendence,

times of anger

and fear of losing all we'd worked for.

There were times of trust

and times the trust shriveled

in the light of a sharp afternoon.

Oh, to be twenty again

and refuse compromise.

To believe justice is attainable.

That love will replace greed.

To believe people can live

and work in mutual respect for one another.

To be twenty again

and believe it is all possible.

Citation: Allen, Chude Pam. To Be Twenty Again. Chude Allen, 1994. Web.

This poem embodies the true nature of the civil rights movement to me. It shows the vigor and courage but also naiveté that young people have and how they believe they can change everything, spurred on by friendships and smaller victories. It illustrates the hope that good human traits can drive out bad human nature, and implies at the somber realization of the difficulty involved in defeating bigotry and greed. It hints at how wonderful a completely segregation-free world would be but also at the difficulty in attaining such a world. The author uses the ideas of smaller changes pushing bigger ones forward and how the transitions experienced during young adulthood inspire people. This poem shows the author’s experiences as a twenty-year old  and how they affected her and motivated her. Throughout the piece, there is a feeling of melancholy as she implies that she was less wise and more inspired when she was younger, believing in things that couldn’t happen as easily as she thought. This shows how difficult racism is to combat, since some people simply want to be better, and it’s not something that can just be driven out of their heads. It embodies the feelings that combat racism, like love, friendship, and acceptance. This poem  deeply describes some of the most crucial parts of the civil rights movement.

Interview:

My dad’s response to the question “What is your opinion about what is fair and unfair in this world? Why do you think this?”:

“It's hard to say what's good without stepping on someone's toes. What's good to me might be evil to someone else! But I do believe that love is good, and things that come from love—like generosity, compassion, empathy, working for equality—are all good, and make up much of what is good in our lives. Unfortunately I don't see much that is fair. In anything, the rule of our world is unfair: sexism, racism, even "ageism" are all ways to be unfair that have been part of human culture for as long as we know. They are part of the structure of civilization, so deep that sometimes we aren't even aware of them, since they are built into our language, our assumptions, even our attempts to be fair. So, in my opinion, a big part of being good is working (hard!) to look out for structural iniquity, whether it's racism, sexism, or some other way to draw a line between groups of people so as to make one group out as better than the other.”

This answer talks about how what’s good counteracts what’s unfair. I think it touches down on how human nature itself has unfairness so deeply ingrained into it so as to be inextricable to a certain extent. Humans work together and strive to grow, but their basic instincts call for them to do “bad” things to benefit themselves more often than not. People are certainly capable of doing good things, but it’s easier and sometimes more beneficial to themselves to act unfairly. I think the goodness comes from not doing the bad things and working to help others besides yourself. Unfairness similarly stems from people trying to elevate themselves above others. I agree with the idea of bringing everyone to the same level as being a core aspect of being good, and it’s vital to work together and to be above the basic instincts of superiority that lead to inequality.

News Response:

Citation: Botti, David, and Strasser, Franz. “Ferguson Shooting: What do Mothers Tell Their Children?” Online Video Clip. BBC News. 26 November 2014. Web. 27 Nov, 2014.

This video was very interesting to watch. I wouldn’t have any idea about what to do if I were a parent of a child in Ferguson, and seeing how these people so afflicted by racism reacted to help their children was actually quite inspiring. Having to take care of young children in such a chaotic and dangerous situation would be very difficult and require an astounding amount of judgement to do the right thing. Racism and death are both very tough topics to introduce to little kids, and in this case, when it’s so hard to dodge around the issue, it would be an extraordinarily impressive feat to successfully tell the truth without causing too much stress. It’s crucial to find a balance that will sate the curiosity of the child without causing too much stress, which is why these mothers are so strong and admirable.

World-Changing Person Interview:

My mom works at CUNY every day as a librarian to provide services and resources to students in New York City, many of whom are from low income families. She gives them access to calm, quiet learning environments that aren’t normally available to them. She also helps let them use books and important information resources for free that would normally cost more than they could afford. There are librarians to help teach them to do research and develop skills they might not have normally picked up. She enjoys this work since she’s interested in helping students in need get college degrees so they can be able to get good jobs and be successful. This work makes her feel fulfilled since she can cause big improvements in people’s lives and help get them better lives.