Author: EMANUEL HAKIMI

While reading the article “A Legacy of Incoherence” by Amira Rose Davis, my jaw dropped when the author explains how Kobe Bryant raped a 19-year-old woman in 2003. Before reading this article, I did not even know the events that occurred. I was left wondering why I never heard of it. I wonder if it was because I was so young in 2003, as the events unfolded. Then I began to consider if it was just swept under the rug because Kobe was one of the biggest basketball stars of all time. Another portion of this article that stood out to me was that when Kobe retired from basketball it was not considered the time to talk about the rape case. The reasoning behind it was because it was meant to be a time of celebration. I disagree with this idea. Even though Kobe should be celebrated for his success in basketball, the woman he raped does not get to pick and choose when she thinks about the events. Instead, she is likely plagued with trauma every day. Why should Kobe be given the luxury to refuse to talk about it or think about it? Another piece of information presented in this article that I was unaware of was that Black Mamba was created as a direct response to the sexual assault case. Since I did not know this information, I wonder if those who posted about the Black Mamba on social media in the aftermath of his death knew this. 

In this video, Ta-Nehisi Coates is speaking to the House in response to Republican Senator and House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s statement “America should not be held liable for something that happened 150 years ago, since none of us currently alive are responsible.” Coates argues that our country upholds treaties that were made hundreds of years ago and still pay pensions to the families of Civil War soldiers, even though no one is still alive. He also makes a point that enslavement has shaped the economy and politics of America. Ultimately, America would not be what it is today without slavery. Based on the points that Coates makes, I think his argument is valid. When pondering the question, “can something be not your fault, but still your responsibility”, I would answer this by saying yes. Even though the people alive today did not own slaves and were not enslaved people, they still face the repercussions for hundreds of years ago. Whites in America are not at a disadvantage because their ancestors were not slaves. Instead, their ancestors were the slave owners. On the other hand, people of color are at a disadvantage because their ancestors were enslaved, discriminated against, and faced segregation. The side effects are still seen today. For example, there are health disparities that people of color face. They are also paid lesser wages than white people and are more likely to be arrested. Therefore, slavery may not be the fault of the people who are alive today. But, it is still their responsibility to be held liable for something that happened 150 years ago because they are at an advantage based on what occurred.

In the article “The Case of Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, the author makes his case in sections IV, V, and VI. Section IV highlights how the men who founded the United States wanted to create a country that was dedicated to freedom and equality. This was rather hypocritical because of their beliefs in the slavery. Coates referred to how the founders of the nation held slaves or were willing to join together with others who had slaves. In section V, Coates explains that even people who did not own slaves wanted to own them. He provided an example of how homeowners in today’s society will discuss adding on a patio or painting their living room. The same type of nonchalant conversation happened among slaveholders. They traded tips regarding breeding workers, exacting labor, and punishing slaves. Furthermore, there were journals slave owners could subscribe to. This is similar to how someone would subscribe to The New York Times today. Section VI of the reading focuses on the shift in housing. He writes about how in the old black ghetto, doctors and lawyers lived among meatpackers and steelworkers. Prostitutes and the unemployed lived by as well. No matter what your occupation, those who called the old ghetto home were exposed to unfair living conditions like rats and arson. Furthermore, this environment denied black people privileges which white people had the opportunity to take advantage of. Even though actions were taken to try and integrate neighborhoods, white homeowners eventually fled the area. On the other hand, white home owners who stayed behind were effected by decreased property value due to racism and segregation.

For my assignment, the topic that I would like to focus on is cyberbullying. My preliminary research question is: what is cyberbullying and what effects does it have on the youth of today?

I know that cyberbullying is a rather new type of bullying that incorporates the use of electronic communication. With the frequent use of smartphones, apps, and computers it is easy to contact peers outside of school. These sources of technology can be used for good and evil. Cyberbullying is an example of this evil. At the beginning of my paper, I will define the term cyberbullying. Next, I will focus on how frequently cyberbullying occurs in society. I will then expand my paper to include different types of cyberbullying. Examples include nude photo sharing, lies and false accusations, false identity profiles (catfishing), encouraging self-harm or suicide, and jealous bullying. Then I will look into what warning signs parents and teachers should be aware of. These warning signs can point to a child being a victim of cyberbullying. Afterward I will explore the adverse effects that cyberbullying has on the victim. Then I will highlight the adverse consequences that the bully can experience when engaging in the act of cyberbullying. I intend to explore websites to gather information for my paper, such as StopBullying.gov. This is a website that was created by the United States government. The purpose of the website is to discuss the difference between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Furthermore, it emphasizes prevention techniques that can be applied.

 

 

In the introduction to The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, the author wrote “we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” Alexander explained that in today’s society it is legal to discriminate against criminals in almost all of the ways that it was legal to discriminate against African Americans in the past. My understanding of this quote is that a racial caste system still exists in the United States, even though the Jim Crow Laws and segregation were outlawed decades ago. Rather than targeting African Americans, this caste system targets criminals. Even though the caste system targets criminals, the majority of the people in our nation are incarcerated. Therefore, it is simply just a redesigned caste system that still targets people of color. 

Alexander uses research to back up this statement, which sets us up to read the rest of her book. One piece of information the author incorporates into her research is that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. It surpasses Russia, China, Iran, and Germany. This demonstrates how overall there are far too many inmates in our nation. Furthermore, she points out that the United States imprisons a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of the apartheid. By providing this piece of information, Alexander shows just how many blacks are incarcerated. She also mentioned that in Washington D.C. it is estimated that three out of four young black men can expect to serve time in prison. This information can be used to explain how in one city, an extremely high percentage of black men go to prison.

 

Reflecting back on the reading, “The Racial Triangulation of Asian Americans” by Claire Jean Kim, one particular quote stood out to me. This quote is: “Before the civil rights era, racial triangulation occurred open, in cultural-racial terms; during the post-civil rights era, racial triangulation has occurred in a coded fashion, in cultural terms decoupled from overtly racial claims.” Looking at this quote, before the Civil Rights Era, Americas openly participated in racial triangulation. There was no need to hide it and deny that it was happening. This is because of all the other acceptable racial ideas that occurred at the time. Ultimately, it was acceptable for people to be racist and discriminate against other racial or ethnic groups. As time moved forward, these behaviors and thought processes were no longer acceptable. This is due to the new normal that came to be in our nation. No longer was it acceptable to deny Blacks the use of a water fountain or subject them to sitting on the back of the bus. Therefore, it prevented racial triangulation from occurring openly. Just because racial triangulation did not occur openly, it does not mean that it went away completely. Instead, during the post- Civil Rights Era the racial triangulation occurred in a “coded fashion”. You had to really look closely to see if racial triangulation was taking place because people tried to hide it since it was no longer aligning with the norms of the time. Similarly, people were no longer overtly racist due to the changes that occurred over time. 

A music video that speaks to me is “You Need to Calm Down” by Taylor Swift. The music video begins with Taylor Swift waking up in her trailer home, but it is decorated in a very glamours way. At the 0:26 second mark, Swift throws her phone onto her bed and it lights on fire. This stood out to me because it shows how Swift no longer cares what the media says about her. Even though people have their own opinion of her and voice it on the internet, she could care less. This is part of the message of the video, to not care about what others think about you. This message is reinforced again in the video at the 1:10 mark. Here, a man is dancing like no one is watching. He does not care if his neighbors look on, he is dancing for himself. 

Then at the 1:30 mark, a gay couple is getting married in front of their loved ones. They do not care that second prior there were people holding up hate signs. The couple is getting married because they love one another, not because they need approval from society. These protestors with hate signs are seen again at 2:12, but none of the characters even look at them. They are too busy celebrating themselves and working on their tans. Both of these scenes in the video have a historical connection. It was not until recently that gay marriages were legalized in the United States. Despite the fact that gay couples can be married, there are still Americans who boycott this right and believe marriage should solely be between a man and woman.

At the 3:19 mark, Swift is seen with fellow artist Katy Perry. This element represents a historical context. It was always said in the media that there was a feud between Swift and Perry because Perry stole her back up dancers for a tour. By including Perry in her video, Swift showed that there is no feud. Instead, they are dressed up as French fries and a cheeseburger. The two embraced in the video and are surrounded by a heart, showing that they love one another. Perry’s incorporation into the video furthers the message too. The two do not care what others think about them or the rumors that are being spread, in the end they are friends.

Reflecting back on the video, the genre would be satire. It uses sarcasm and irony in order to expose other people. In particular, Swift is exposing members of the media and the general public who believes rumors that are being spread about her. In addition, Swift is exposing people who do not support gay marriage. The intended audience for this video would be known people who have an issue with Swift, such as Kanye West. He is being told to “calm down”. People who criticize Swift are also part of the intended audience. She wants them to know that she does not care what they have to say about her. 

Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkk9gvTmCXY