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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21st Century Revolution

Tahrir Square, Egypt

For the past few weeks we have been reading about and discussing the possibilities and failures of revolutions.  The video below is a TED talk by Egyptian activist Wael Ghonim, who in 2011 used social media as a way to inform and build solidarity for the Egyptian Revolution.  A tech savvy Google executive living in Dubai, Ghonim started a Facebook page called "We Are Khaled Said" in support of Khaled Said who was tortured and killed by Egyptian police.  From this page, he published invitations and locations of protest sites, which he coordinated with protest organizers in Egypt.  In January 2011 he left Google Dubai to join the protests on the ground but he disappeared on the 27th of January.  After various social media campaigns, including blog posts demanding Ghonim's whereabouts, he was finally released after 11 days of detention.

Today, Ghonim through his activism via social media, is recognized as one of the catalysts for the protests that grew into the revolution that deposed Hosni Mubarak from his 30-year reign as president.  He was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential in 2011 for his social media activism and in this Ted Talk, he discusses the power of social media as a tool for revolution.  

In your blog post, discuss your thoughts about Ghonim's talk and the effectiveness of social media in activism and inciting revolutionary movements.  Consider the following questions as you respond to the post:  Are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media outlets viable places for activism?  Why or why not?  How can social media be used effectively in activism?  Do you think social media is an effective tool for inciting change?  Why or why not? (Note: you do not need to answer all of these questions.  Pick one or two to respond to on your post.)  

This post must be 2-3 paragraphs long and must be posted by April 29th at 5:00 pm to receive credit.

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The Boxer Rebellion

View the short video outlining China's Boxer Rebellion during 1900 and read the interview of Boxers and Saints author Gene Luen Yang.  For this blog post, write about your initial thoughts on Yang's graphic novel in light of the history of the rebellion and the interview.  In your response, answer the following questions: 1) Were the Boxer Rebels justified in their fight against foreigners and foreign missionaries?  Why or why not?  2) How does Yang connect his Asian-American upbringing with these graphic novels?  3) What are some of your predictions about what the second volume, Saints, will be about?

Responses must be 2-3 paragraphs long and must be posted by Tuesday, April 29th at 5:00 pm.

Excerpt from documentary on the Boxer Rebellion:

Fore the interview of Gene Luen Yang from Newsarama, click here.

Bonus!  If you would like to view a more comprehensive history of the Boxer Rebellion, watch this.

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Oppressed Brown Girls from Tumblr

The Tumblr blog Oppressed Brown Girls Doing Things is a tongue-and-cheek exploration of images of women of color from all over the world.  Through these photos, the site attempts to offer images of women of color from South Asia, the Near (Middle) East, Africa and even the United States as they do fun, extraordinary, courageous, silly, and artistic things in their daily lives.  In this way, the site provides a counter-narrative to the images of women of color, especially women who chose to wear veils, that depict them as oppressed by their country/religion, dejected, in poverty, and lacking any sort of agency.

For this blog post, explore the website Oppressed Brown Girl Doing Things.  Look at the images, read the posts and comments, watch the videos and think about the prevailing images that are produced by the media (and your own brain) about women who live in these parts of the world. Then, once you think you have fully explored the site, answer the following questions: 1) What do you think of the site's name and what does is it trying to convey? 2) What prevailing stereotypes about women of color, veiled women specifically is the site trying to counter? 3) Do you think the site is successful in providing a counter-narrative to these stereotypes?

Your comment must be at least two paragraphs long and must be posted on Tuesday, April 15th by 5:00 pm to receive credit.

Source

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Edward Said's Orientalism

   During our class sessions this past week, we talked about "Western" (Europe, United States) perceptions of the Iran and the Middle East.  These perceptions are shaped by the images produced by modern-day media (news, films, television shows, etc.) but in many ways these images are rooted in the long history of western European colonial domination.  To justify the colonization of large parts of the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Americas---which included not only the appropriation of land and natural resources, but the enslavement of millions of Africans for the trans-Atlantic slave trade---the colonizers invented a hierarchy which cast the people they have colonized as less than human and therefore in need of "civilizing" and European domination.

     Among the tools that colonizers used to ensure the subjugation of their colonies, violence and forced conversion to Christianity were their best weapons.  European artists---painters and writers---however, played a substantial role in ensuring the colonial agenda.  French, British and other western European artists did so by depicting Africans, Pacific Islanders, Asians and Arabs in their poetry, novels and paintings as they imagined them to be: depraved, uncivilized, savage, sexually deviant, and violent.  Edward Said most famously coined the term Orientalism for the genre of art, produced at the height of European colonial power in the 18th and 19th centuries, depicting the colonized Other.  Said writes: 

Unlike the Americans, the French and the British—less so the Germans, Russians, Spanish, Portuguese, Italians, and Swiss—have had a long tradition of what I shall be calling Orientalism, a way of coming to terms with the Orient that is based on the Orient's special place in European Western experience. The Orient is not only adjacent to Europe; it is also the place of Europe's greatest and richest and oldest colonies, the source of its civilizations and languages, its cultural contestant, and one of its deepest and most recurring images of the Other. In addition, the Orient has helped to define Europe (or the West) as its contrasting image, idea, personality, experience. Yet none of this Orient is merely imaginative. The Orient is an integral part of European material civilization and culture. (Said, 1-2)

Here, he argues that the "West" has imagined an image of the "East" based on its interests in the region as colonizers.  In so doing, this imagination of the East not defines the identity of the colonized but that it also defines the identity of Europe as something that is opposed and indeed better than (more civilized, more educated, more enlightened) the people they have come to conquer.

     Below, are images from French painters that orientalize the Middle East.  For your blog post, look closely at these images and answer the following questions: 1) what is ideas about the "East" do these paintings convey? 2) how do the orientalized images from these paintings affect our current perception of Iran and the Middle East?

     Your response must be at least two paragraphs long and you must post your response by 5:00 pm on Sunday, April 6th to receive credit.

Eugene Delacriox's "The Women of Algiers" (1834)

Antoine-Jean Gros's "Bonaparte Visits the Plague Stricken in Jaffa" (1804) 

Jean-Leon Gerome's "The Snake Charmer" (1870)

Francois-Gabriel Lepaulle's "The Pasha and His Harem" (mid-1800s)

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