Multimedia Blog #3

For my last Multimedia selection, I chose Ibram X. Kendi (@ibramxk on Instagram). Ibram is a national book award-winning author of many books for adults and even children including nine New York Times bestsellers five of which made it to #1 on the bestsellers list. He is a professor at Boston University and works for Antiracist research. Dr. Kendi rights important books on racist ideas and isn't afraid to call out racist policies. His books highlight many different things some being the history of Black student activists, children's books on antiracism, and adult books on How to be an Antiracist. This idea on antiracism is to stop allowing people to be neutral in situations of injustice, there really is no neutrality on racism, you partake or allow it to happen, denying it's happening (racism) or are against it and take part in solving the issue (antiracism). Even in his children's books, he believes it is important to start teaching children even in kindergarten about racism and the hateful ideology that is behind it to build a better future. In this century many people want to be quiet about racism, many think if they aren't actively partaking in racism that it's not nonexistent or to deny their racism, Kendi wants these conversations to keep happening on a discussion of antiracism and how to do so.

Ibram X Kendi's book Antiracist Baby made national attention after Ted Cruze questioned Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson. Ted Cruze being a Republican criticized critical race theory. The book itself Antiracist Baby is a children's book on racism, which is something children are taught at a young age. Ted Cruze used it to ask the Judge if babies were racist and the ideas behind teaching critical race theory. After this event, the book hit the top-selling children's books on Amazon.

Image: Amazon

The content he posts on his Instagram pertains to this dark and long history of the bad treatment of black people around the world as well as current events going on that actively affect the black community. He pushed to educate the public on racial history that might be "whitewashed" to try to hide the racism that took place. He's talked about important things like the SAT being started by a eugenist who thought the test would substantiate black intellectual inferiority and highlight white intellectual superiority. History like this that isn't talked about but still affects people today is important in the talk about affirmative action or keeping race on the application.

When learning about the work Ibram X Kendi does I think back to the article we read by Don Apollon "Don't Call Them "Post-Racial." Millenials Say Race Matters to Them". In this article, the discussion of whether race still important is discussed and frankly, many young people say "Yes, race is still important today" including racism and how people view others that don't look like them. Ibram X Kendi continues the conversation by saying everyone should learn about race, racism, and critical race theory even children because it matters.

Ibram's work also relates to Peggy McIntosh through the article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Peggy says she was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group." While Peggy's point of view differs from Ibram's because she was a white woman the conversation of how racism takes form stays the same between both of them. Peggy continues her article by saying she wasn't taught to see herself as an oppressor, as an advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture. I have included a Ted talk from Ibram X Kendi about the idea of antiracism especially at the height of the BLM movement in 2020. It's quite long but to highlight some major points Ibram talks about the system in place that continues to let racism go.

Overall, I enjoy keeping up with Ibram's Instagram as he highlights important things to know about going on in the U.S. and history that is often hidden from us due to its severe nature of ill-treatment of black people.

Image: New York Times

Multimedia Entry #2

For my second multimedia selection of a movie, I chose Everything Everywhere All At Once. This movie is based on Chinese immigrants and an adventure to save existence by exploring and fighting a figure in other universes and connecting with the lives she could have lived if she had chosen other paths. This movie takes the idea of the multiverse and makes a beautiful piece of artwork out of it with a deeper message about trauma and how the cycle continues if you don't change. We see a fight between the main character's inner being wishing she has made different decisions in life, issues with her husband, disconnect from her daughter, and the trauma she lived through.

Having watched the Oscars recap and seeing this movie win many awards, I was able to make connections between the speeches of the actors to one of the readings we looked at in class. Michelle Yeoh having been the first Asian lead actress winner says in her speech "For all the little boys and girls that look like me watching tonight, this is the beacon of hope and possibilities." This connects to the topic we discuss in class about representation by Suken & Cartwright. Representation is important as I've spoken about previously because it shows others that their dreams are possible and they could one day be doing what people like Michelle Yeoh has been able to do.

In the article we read Origin Myths: A Short and Incomplete History of Godzilla we know that from 1990 until the middle of the decade there was a shift of individuals committed to supporting art by Asian Americans by having conversations about Asian Americans in art. I recall James Hong delivering a speech during the SAG Awards talking about how back in his day Asian characters were played by white people with their eyes taped up to resemble the eyes of Asians and that Asians were not good enough or box office. I have included his speech as well.

I recall looking at the article in class Cloud Atlas Attacked Over 'Yellowface' Make-Up where this movie had actors dressup as Asian characters instead of having real Asian people play these characters, which perpetuates sterotypes like "yellow-face" and the stereotypical characteristics of Asians. I think this movie also represents Asians in other ways that the media hasn't before. In the past Asians in movies have been shown as Kung Fu fighters, sidekicks or secondary actors as well as over sexualizing of women as we learned from the video Slaying the Dragon https://youtu.be/N3Ka_xIPsHE whereas this movie I think paves the way for different types of artistic work that represent Asians.

Overall, I loved this movie from the representation of trauma cycles to the artistic take of multiverses. If you haven't seen this movie you should!

Photo: Wikipedia

Multimedia Journal Entry #1

For my first Multimedia entry I decided to do it on the Netflix show Dear White People. This was written and directed by Justin Simien and the show while funny talks about serious issues of race relations, issues of racism specifically black face as well, and other aspects of racial politics at a predominantly white college. This show primarily follows a group of minority students as they navigate life at Winchester University. In this show, Samantha White is the host of a radio show called Dear White People which is a show geared towards speaking to minority students on issues they find relatable such as being asked where you from, being told they look ethnic, and a bunch of other things they often get told from white people.

In regards to racial identity as we talked about in this class this show brings forward important talks about racial issues many are often afraid to talk about. I recall the lecture where we talk about the beginning of blackface and how "Jim Crow" appeared in sheet music written by Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rich who was one of the first performers to wear blackface makeup appearing in the early 19th century. The beginning of show Dear White People starts off with a party hosted by a student magazine group hosted by white students called a "Dear Black People" party in response to the Dear White People radio show. In this scene, we see white kids dressed up in blackface imitating people like Nicki Minaj and Serena Williams.

Another reading we cover by Deborah Willis is Picture Us. This reading highlights the importance of feeling represented in literature but also in other aspects of life. Deborah describes the feeling of seeing someone that looked like her in the book by saying "I was excited to see the photographs: it was the first book I had ever seen with "colored" people in it- people that I recognized, people that reminded me of my own family." All people deserve to see others that look like them in the media and to feel like they aren't alone. The truth remains that "colored" people are still not fully represented in media, this issue is also discussed in Dear White People. Being a part of a small marginalized community is hard, especially in a space where black people weren't able to be in for so long. It was important for these students to feel a sense of community amongst themselves and have an outlet like the radio show.

I also think back to the assigned video Kiri Davis: A Girl Like Me which interviews black girls and recreated the famous doll experiment of the 1940s where children have to choose between a black or white baby doll. Back when this was done in the 1940's most babies chose the white doll, having done this experiment many years later a lot of children were still choosing the white doll as the nice doll and the one they wanted to play with. This not only shows how stereotypes are still being reinforced but also how even black children as taught white are the better option of the two. Right off the bat the beginning of the show Dear White People narrator says "Hello the writers of this program are depending on my ethnic but non-threatening voice to explain things they are too lazy to set up traditionally." Which sets up an understanding of the racial stereotypes many people still believe.

I was able to find an interview with some characters from the origional movie (that would later become the show) Tessa Thompson and Teyonah Parris. They get asked how they feel about the show and they both talk about the feeling of representation and how these are important topics to bring up as this nation has had problems with racism and equality. We can see from the way the actors talk about the show that these are real topics other people of color have faced in their life symbolizing that this movie provides representation.

https://youtu.be/rCCiFWC6EiM

5:01

Image: Rotten Tomatoes