Rhetorical Analysis and Close Reading Draft

In this paper, I will be analyzing two pieces of cultural media that address the topic of civil unrest. The first is the song by Public Enemy, “Fight the Power”, and the second is the “We the People” illustration, used as the representative image of the Women’s March. I will be comparing and contrasting their similarities and differences. While they are both symbols of civil unrest, “Fight the Power” was made in 1989 and is primarily made in reference to racial injustice. On the other hand, the “We the People” illustration is a contemporary piece of art and is primarily referring to gender inequality and resistance to the Trump administration. I will be detailing what these two pieces have in common, how they are reflective of the times we are living in, as well as their impact on society.

The “We the People” illustration is of a woman wearing a hijab, which is decorated as the American flag. The woman in the portrait is Munira Ahmed, who states that the message of the painting is that she, as a muslim woman, is just as American as anyone else. This statement is made in the context of Trump’s attempted ban on all Muslims from entering the U.S, in an environment of high anti-Islamic attitudes in the U.S since 9/11. This is why it is shown that her hijab is decorated like the American flag. It is a rejection of anti-immigrant sentiment and sentiments against multi-culturalism. It embraces pluralism and is a symbol of taking pride in american diversity. It is a strong statement against those in our country that try to paint a picture of the west and the muslim world of being at odds, forgetting that there are many muslims in our own country. This image represents the people who reject the anti-Muslim attitudes in our country and embrace Muslim-Americans as being equally American. This strong image of the american flag being used as a hijab sends a powerful reminder that freedom of religion is one of the founding principles of our country, and muslims are included in that. It is also particularly pertinent that this image is being used by the Women’s March. The Women’s March was a massive worldwide protest organized in response to statements made by President perceived by many to be mysoginistic and offensive. The Women’s March is the epitome of civil unrest as it involved the largest civil protest in U.S history advocating for policies that would promote women’s rights, reproduction right, immigration reform, etc.

My other example of a cultural piece that reflects the civil unrest in our society is the song by Public Enemy, “Fight the Power.” Although this song was released in 1990, the themes touched on upon are still very relevant to this day. The major theme in the song is that African-Americans need to take a more militant approach against institutional racism in order for the status quo to be changed. There are many references in the song towards Malcolm X and black pride. The title of the song itself is very provocative, and suggests something revolutionary. Public Enemy also touches on the fact that society is unfair towards African-Americans since they do not have the same opportunities provided to them that white America does. In addition to this, the song was made by Public Enemy at the request of Spike Lee for his movie Do the Right Thing, a film that touches on racial issues in America. The song is played prominently throughout the movie, which comments on the racial tension in America. The song is still relevant to this day because these same issues that Public Enemy is talking about are still being tackled by society. This can be seen from the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, which protests the unfair treatment of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement. The same civil unrest is occurring due to these injustices and inequalities between the races.