EXTRA CREDIT: It's your turn

For this EXTRA CREDIT post, it's your turn to show us an example of a form of resistance or rebellion that you know.  You may post a video clip, a photo, an image of a piece of art (painting, sculpture, graffiti art, mural, etc.), music video/song lyrics---whatever example or form of resistance that you find interesting.  In your post describe your chosen example and discuss the following:  What is the example protesting or rebelling against?  How does it show a form of resistance? Why is this example compelling to you?

Your post must be 2-3 full paragraphs and must you include the web address for the media (image, video clip, blog post, etc) you are analyzing so that I may view it as well.  Failure to include the web address will invalidate your post and you will not receive the extra credit points.  In addition, you may not use films/video clips/images/blog entries we discussed as a group or something that I specifically assigned for the class to read/view, this includes blog entries I’ve listed on this site.  Pick something new!  Please post your comments by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 6th.  Note that you may not use this post as one of your regular blog postings (you should have posted five time prior to this one).

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The Meaning of Resistance: Course Reflection

Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in protest 

of treatment of African Americans in the U.S.  Mexico City, 1968

For the last 9 weeks, we have read and discussed texts that have shown us varied forms of resistance.  We have seen examples of characters and authors who resist oppression in order to fight for justice, who attempt to speak for those without the power to do so, who stand against the social constructs of race, gender and sexuality, who admit that the process towards selfhood is marked by struggle, who find hope even in the most hopeless moments, and who use literature and other art forms to reject the rigid rules of normativity.  Through these texts we ourselves have become witnesses to these courageous acts of resistance, to the enormous risks and sacrifices of these rebels, and even the corruptive force of violent upheaval.  Through our interactions with these texts we have seen  the joys and pains of daily life that seem, at first glance, to be so far removed from our own experience in these seemingly far-off places.  While we may still think that there remains fundamental differences between "us" and "them," I hope that these stories, even in some small way, have inspired and entertained us, given us hope, made us think, and given us new ways to imagine what it means to love ourselves and others.  Ultimately, these texts reveal to us humanity in all of its forms and complications and that to be human is to feel and acknowledge the humanity of another even in our darkest moments and even when that other refuses to see our own humanity.

For this final (regular) blog post, reflect on your own experience of the texts we have read and the course as a whole:  What have you taken away from these texts?  What are the lessons you find the most valuable?  Which of the novels moved you the most and why?  How does this affect the way that you see movements of resistance?  Comments must be 2-3 paragraphs long and must be posted by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, June 3rd.

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Resistance and Humor

Bonus: Check out Dave Chappelle's "Racial Draft"

For this blog post view the videos below of comedians Hari Kondabolu, Emily Heller, W. Kamau Bell, Louis C.K., and Kristina Wong as they make jokes about issues of race and gender.  In 2-3 paragraphs discuss your thought about humor and social protest.  In your post consider the following questions: what role can comedy play in revealing the absurdity of racism and sexism?  Is comedy an effective form of protest?  Why or why not?  How can humor help in opening up discussions about subjects---like racism and gender---that are often fraught and polarizing?  Are the examples below legitimate forms of protest?  Why or why not?  Your responses do not have to answer all of the questions.  Pick one or two to help you formulate your commentary.  Responses must be posted by Wednesday, May 28th by 5:00 pm.

Get More: Comedy Central,Funny Videos,Funny TV Shows

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Race, UCLA and Spoken Word

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at UCLA in 1965

For the past several weeks now, we have been reading and writing about, and discussing the potential of art as a powerful and effective tool for protest and resistance.  Writers, singers and song writers, fine and street artists use their craft to protest against injustice, redefine stereotypes, create spaces for free self expression, and to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Many of you have undoubtedly seen the video below.  If not, it is a video produced and uploaded by fellow UCLA students compelled by their outrage at the low numbers of male African American students at UCLA.  For this blog post, watch the video and think about the various ways in which these students present their cause.  Then in 2-3 paragraphs answer the following questions:  What are the students protesting and how do they stage their protest?  How is spoken word poetry and the internet used as a form of protest?  Do you think that their protest was effective or ineffective? Why or why not?  Responses must be posted Tuesday, May 27th by 5:00 pm to receive credit.

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Fashion and Queer Identity

Through our discussions of Abdellah Taia's Salvation Army, we have begun to confront the ways in which Taia attempts to explore and explode the boundaries of identity, love, gender, and familial relationships.  By re-defining the terms of sexuality for himself, Taia makes it possible to think and be outside of the acceptable norms for a young Moroccan man as he traverses the road towards self acceptance.  In some form or another we all will have to define our own path towards selfhood.  Whether it's through defying figures of authority in order to follow one's passion or filling the original goals we set out for ourselves, this path towards ourselves holds the many joys and pains that comes with living a fruitful life.  

For this blog post, explore the queer website dapperQ.  This site is dedicate to celebrating masculine lesbian identity primarily through fashion in order to, as Taia does in his novel, explore and explode female gender roles.  Fashion has long been one of the way through which we express our identity and dapperQ uses this medium to redefine the accepted terms of feminity---how women should act, think, identify themselves and yes, how they should dress.  As the dapperQ states on their site: 

"dapperQ is a visibility project that celebrates the inner and outer beauty of masculine-presenting lesbians, gender-nonconformists and genderqueers, and transmasculine individuals of all colors, shapes, and sizes. dapperQ does have a fashion focus. But, more importantly, it serves as a vehicle to explore fashion as a social construct, providing our readers and writers with a safe space to document and discuss how gender role expectations, particularly with respect to gender identity and expression, shape who we are as individuals and as a community."

As you explore the site make sure you read some of the features, watch some of their original videos, and look at the fashion featured on the site.  Below you will find some of my own suggestions, but do look over the site yourself, keeping in mind Taia's project of exploring and exploding boundaries.  Once you have sufficiently explored the site, answer the following questions: What are the different ways that dapperQ transgress some of the boundaries of female gender roles?  How can fashion help foster identity and how does dapperQ show use fashion for this purpose.  Your answers should be 2-3 paragraphs long and must be posted on Tuesday, May 20th by 5:00 pm in order to get credit.

Some suggestions:

1) dapperQ's Vimeo page: http://vimeo.com/dapperq/videos

2) Message from the founder of dapperQ: http://www.dapperq.com/2010/01/why-dapperq/

3) Fashion of everyday folks: http://www.dapperq.com/category/video/streetfashion/

4) Features, interviews, etc.: http://www.dapperq.com/category/blog/

5) NOT from dapperQ, but here's a helpful link for LGBT terms and definitions: http://internationalspectrum.umich.edu/life/definitions 

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Resistance Music

In this class, we have continually discussed the role of art, literature in particular, in resistance and political movements.  As a form of expression, the production of literature is intrinsically linked to the process of claiming agency and becomes in itself a form of political and personal resistance.  In our popular culture, we see music occupying a privileged role not only as self-expression, but also as a form of political activism especially during times of conflict.  Music expresses the injustice of our times, our grief, our anger and indignation, and celebrates the self even if that "self" is deemed unworthy of basic human rights.

For this blog post, view/listen to some samples of politicized music from the last 50 or so years and then reflect on what you have seen and heard.  In a 2-3 paragraph response, address the following questions:  How do these artists use music as forms of political activism?  Do you think music is an effective tool to express dissent and enact resistance?  Why or why not?  This post is due Thursday, May 15th by 5:00 pm.

Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'"

Gil Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"

Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name"

M.I.A.'s  "Born Free" (Note: This video contains graphic imagery and violence.  Skip this video if you don't wish to see such images.)

Killer Mike's "Reagan"

James Brown's "I'm Black and I'm Proud"

Lauryn Hill's "That Thing"

The Beatles's "Black Bird"

Bob Marley's "Redemption Song"

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Queer in Morocco

Abdellah Taia's autobiographical work, Salvation Army (2009) is considered the first gay-centered novel from a Moroccan writer.  Most recently, Taia's film adaptation of Salvation Army (2013), the author turned director seemed to have produced the first Arab film featuring a gay male protagonist.  A revolutionary work in the way that it explodes many cultural taboos as it defies literary genre, Salvation  Army, takes us through Taia's joyful, painful, and provocative journey into selfhood.

In preparation for our discussion of Salvation Army, please watch this short video which provides some background information on Morocco and homosexuality.  For this blog post, reflect on the information presented in the video and answer the following questions: What would it mean for you if your identity (sexual, gender, ethnic, etc.) is deemed illegal in the eyes of the law?  In what ways would your life be changed and how would this affect your pursuit of selfhood?

Responses must be 2-3 paragraphs long and be posted on Tuesday, May 13th by 5:00 pm to receive credit.

Bonus:  If you liked the music in this video, here's more from the Algerian artist Idir: http://oneplaylist.fm/playlists/idir

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