Reading Amiri Baraka’s “Expressive Language” made me realize how words and jargon define, shape, and reflect the culture of a certain place in a time period. New York City has always been a place of constant social and political change which can be see through certain words or phrases that reflect what events occurred.
I thought of the most recent sociopolitical occurrance of Occupy Wallstreet and how that event, which lasted for a couple of months, shaped the way we now use the phrase “the 1 percent.” By calling someone part of “the 1 percent” or referring to “the 1 percent”, it gives an association of someone wealthy as if having wealth also leads to connotations of being greedy, selfish, and uncaring of those less fortunate. The use of the phrase “the 1 percent” also gives those who are financially struggling or less fortunate a means by which they can use to combat their feelings of oppression from the rich. This reminds me of poets such as Baraka, Hughes, and Lorde who emphasized the importance of using words and phrases to promote social change and stand up to those who oppressed them as well.
A word or a few words have the power to ignite action that changes the course of events in society. In “Expressive Language” Baraka writes, “After the first generations of Afro Americans mastered this language, they invented white people called abolitionists.” In this sentence, Baraka implies how the power of language can establish a connection between two seemingly opposing sides and form a common goal. I thought of how slavery was something socially controversial in history and nowadays, especially with NYC being such a liberal city, we are shaping new history by challenging the socially controversial topic of gender. For example, commonly used phrases such as “that’s gay” or “no homo” are now being challenged as socially offensive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sUN33U8ZCk
What other changes do you see going on around you in society that relates to words being redefined or used to initiate action?
