Facing History & Myself: A "CHI" PA's Journey: 2008

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Reflections on the film, "Defiance"

Honoring the Defiant
by: Sonjanita L. Moore

Defiance…
A word that on its surface seems to hold a negative connotation
That invokes thoughts of rambunctious children of weary parents
Now takes on a different meaning –
A means of survival, of living, of thriving
Of beating the odds stacked against you like bricks
A bold offensive against a towering enemy
A vehicle into the eternal walls of collective memory
I, here, invoke the name as the ancient elders of an African village would do…
BIELSKI
My African ancestors would’ve immortalized them in the griot’s song
My indigenous fathers would have asked the 4 winds to bless their movements
My generation would pour out libations in their honor
We would create colorful “burners” on city wall that would become a visual representation of their struggle – graffiti for the great
Ancient Kemites would chisel their names in immortal glyphs on pyramid walls
Shakespeare would compose sonnets that live longer than any monuments that men could build
Their defiance defied the laws of man but upheld the laws of God
To live on in the face of adversity is the highest reflection of faith
May we all be strong enough to face life’s tests with such dignity and grace.

The World Was Watching

The World Was Watching
By: Sonja Moore

The world was watching -
In times of crisis they always do

What happens when individuals and leaders make choices that cause violence to ensue?
Negative events spark a change
In relationships around the nation
Controversial events cause changes
In one’s universe of obligation
Which one takes precedence – federal rights or the state’s?
How is it that racial hatred led to a desire to litigate?
Why was there such uproar to the call for integration?
Would the world really be turned upside down with the end of segregation?
How did innocent children become the dreaded enemies of a community?
Why did mothers work as agents of hate rather than agents of unity?
Lynch mobs and militia formed a barrier to academic success
Now, they are immortalized as perpetrators of civic unrest

The world watched as Little Rock showed its ugly side
It’s unfortunate that those hard lessons seem to have now been tossed aside
They seem to be forgotten in the annals of history
Why the world stopped watching remains a mystery.

December 12, 2008
Inspired by a Choices in Little Rock seminar session led by Steve Becton.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Review of I Promised I Would Tell by Sonia Weitz

“Their cries of longing and our screams of terror formed a chorus of inhuman sounds that filled the universe, but no one heard those awful sounds, except for us. I know this is true because no one answered. We had been abandoned by the world.”
- Sonia Weitz

If one were to read “The Hangman,” they would think that no one else could write something that would express the negative effect bystanders have in violent situations. Watching “Schindler’s List”, one might think that nowhere else could they see or visualize the horrors committed by the Nazis upon the Jewish people. In both the audience is drawn to inevitably hate the perpetrators and bystanders, while sympathizing with the victims. I Promised I Would Tell evokes a different kind of sensory experience. While Weitz does write of the atrocities committed and her experiences in a labor & death camps (no doubt interacting with some of the so-called, “Schindler Jews”), her words urge you to feel pity for the extreme levels of inhumanity and immorality that the perpetrators sank to. It is a similar sentiment one might have when considering the moral decay of slave masters of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade as detailed by Harriet Beecher Stowe and others.

I marvel at how life’s simplest pleasures brought moments of joy and reprieve from the insanity of life under the Nazis - the ability to fall in love, write in one’s diary, listen to music, and dance with someone you love. Weitz, even in the prose sections of her book, finds a way to make everyday experiences lyrical, lovable and memorable. In this way, they live on for her, those that survived it with her and for those of us lucky enough to read about it.

Although her words now serve as evidence of a horrible crime against humanity, Sonia’s diary no longer exists. She burned it while in camp after reading passages to her fellow inmates, but it was not done so in vain. This “record of her young life” has been resurrected from the ashes, like a mighty phoenix, in the publishing of this book. In the camp, her diary provided emotional, spiritual and ultimately, physical warmth for all her heard it. We are privileged to be able to have a semblance of that experience today.

Like a scientist witnessing the results of an experiment gone terribly wrong, Sonia Weitz carefully observed the horrors afflicting her family, her friends and her people. In light of the ban on writing supplies to Jews, she recorded these observations in the recesses of her mind - her subconscious. Over time, she recalled these horrific events back into the present as one would call up details from a computer’s memory. She promised her mother that she would tell and she has – poignantly, powerfully and poetically.

Weitz, in considering the inhumanity towards the Jews asks – “How dehumanized can we become? Is there no limit to the depth of our misery?” These are questions that still go unanswered as we look at world history since the Holocaust and see more senseless genocides.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Ghetto resources available from FH

Eyes on the Prize "growing up in the ghetto"
http://www2.facinghistory.org/Campus/reslib.nsf/7800cc6709203e5285256f7100617eca/4918bdc35103b5d485256f8900771f06/$FILE/14_BackToTheMovement_1979-1985.pdf

Ghetto Fighters' Museum in Israel
http://gfh.org.il/eng/

ghetto life 101
http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/publications/ghetto-life-101

http://www2.facinghistory.org/Campus/reslib.nsf/llbooks/Our%2BAmerica%3A%2BLife%2Band%2BDeath%2Bon%2Bthe%2BSouth%2BSide%2Bof%2BChicago?OpenDocument

warsaw ghetto memorial
http://www2.facinghistory.org/Campus/Memorials.nsf/PrintView/228CB4C57015402B85256E970070ADCF?OpenDocument

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/warsawtoc.html

schindler's list
http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/publications/schindlers-list

Where Were the Jewish Ghettoes?

Online Resources from USHMM - Jewish ghettoes

US Holocaust Memorial Museum (online resources)

Ghettoeshttp://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005059

Types of Ghettoeshttp://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10007445

Where were the ghettoes?http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_nm.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005059&MediaId=356

Ghetto Bibliographyhttp://www.ushmm.org/research/library/bibliography/index.php?content=ghettos

Personal Testimonieshttp://www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/nesse/

Voices from the Lodz Ghettohttp://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/lodz/

Ghettoization: Personal Historieshttp://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/phistories/index.php?content=phi_ghettos_ghettoization_uu.htm

Ghetto Conditions : Personal Historieshttp://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/phistories/index.php?content=phi_ghettos_conditions_uu.htm

Ghetto Massacres: Personal Historieshttp://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/phistories/index.php?content=phi_ghettos_massacres_uu.htm

Ghetto Roundups: Personal Historieshttp://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/phistories/index.php?content=phi_ghettos_roundups_uu.htm

Resistance in Smaller Ghettoes of Europehttp://www.ushmm.org/research/center/presentations/features/details/2006-08-01/

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Actual Case Study Project (as of 12/3/08)

* More detailed information on my project is available at http://sonjacasestudyproject.ning.com/

Areas of Inquiry (Essential Questions)

How do we explore the ghettoization of Jews during WWII?
How has the issue of ghettoization been explored creatively - through poetry and music?

Case Study Rationale (Introduction)

"...So with eager confidence I breathe life through parch and penQuill and ink of good intent can quell feuds and arguments...Breathing life into my penIn great traditions, now and then,Truth begins to make amends for mistakes made by the leaders of menWordsLike glyphs, stand for all timeNot even the guns of Alexander, Napoleon or Hitler could stifle these linesWillie Shakespeare said it onceOscar Wilde posed it, too -Ars longa, vita breveSo long lives this, immortality for youThe life brought to my pen is of heavenly decreeSo, these words and thoughts aren't really of me"
- excerpted from "In the Beginning" by Sonja Moore, 2006

There is the notion of life mirroring art or is it the other way around? When the content evokes painful or difficult memories or emotions, it is easy to deny the truth of what an original piece suggests. If, however, "life is but a stage and we are all players" how can the "playwright" be at fault? I submit that the artists, writers, poets and musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries have had the burden of seeing what others may have long since forgotten. They are the griots, the djelis, the bards, the storytellers charged with immortalizing the causes and effects of cultures of violence and decay. It is through their work that we can begin to deconstruct our past, present and future understanding of our life experiences.
This site seeks to look at how we have defined, explored and learned from the life experiences of Jews in the ghettoes of Poland. The purpose here is two-fold: to honor the lives and legacies of the Polish ghettoes and to compare-contrast their experiences to those in the African American ghettoes of the 20th century to the present. I intend to accomplish this by looking at how we define and use the word "ghetto" (past & present connotations) and what kinds of ghettoes existed then and now. Furthermore, I wish to archive a number of poems, songs (lyrics, audio files, video files) that relate to Jewish and African American ghettoes.

Questions for Further Study (based on Scope & Sequence)

For further study by teachers or PA's....

1. How is identity formed or affected by life in the ghetto?
2. Who were the inhabitants of the ghettoes?
3. How does society view ghetto inhabitants?
4. What kinds of ghettoes existed in Poland during WWII?
5. To what extent did the Jewish ghettoes affect the development of contemporary ghettoes?
6. What are the social, emotional, political and economic ramifications of ghetto life to its inhabitants?
7. What has been their contribution to society?
8. To what extent do/did ghetto inhabitants proactive citizens?

http://sonjacasestudyproject.ning.com/

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Initial Idea for New PA Case Study Project (12/1/08)

Art & Freedom of Expression in Democratic & Non-Democratic Societies

Research Questions

How do art produced in a democracy compare to & contrast with art produced in a non-democratic climate?
How does having (or not having) the right to freely express oneself affect the type of art produced in a society?
How are these art forms depicted or made available to the public?
Which artistic mediums are authentically engaging to students?

Defining Terms

For the purposes of this project the following definition of art is implied:
Art is any original or creative product based on real or imagined events or experiences. It is a product that can be expressed in a written, oral, visual, kinesthetic and/or multimedia format and that can be used as a vehicle for introspection, social commentary, propaganda and/or social justice. It can, therefore, be interpreted as a positive or negative form, depending on the audience.

Related Facing History Resources (for those interested in further study)

“Weimar Republic” Online Module
Holocaust & Human Behavior (specifically, Chapters 3 & 5)
I Promised I Would Tell
Blessed is the Match (video & guide)
Painted in Words
Jews of Poland, “Hatred” by W.S.
Stitching Truth
“Be the Change” (Arn Chorn’s on music)

Other (Non-FH) Related Resources (resources I've used over in the past)

Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by: Art Spieglemann
Maus II: And Here My Troubles Begin by: Art Spieglemann
Spertus Museum of Judaica (exhibitions, online resources & Asher Library)
US Holocaust Memorial Museum (online)
Arts with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen
SurveyMonkey.com, “Learning about the Holocaust Survey”
Origins & Uses of the Word, 'ghetto' " ( a unit exploring past & present connotations of the word & writing associated with those connotations)

Monday, December 1, 2008

Comments on The Sunflower

victim: a person against whom a crime has been committed;a person who suffers from some adverse circumstance; a person who is tricked or swindled

perpetrator: a person who allegedly committed a crime, victimized or attacked others; a direct or indirect participant in the killing of the Jews

Is a victim obligated to forgive his/her perpetrator? If so, is the obligation of a spiritual or religious basis (does God require it of them)? There are, of course, several groups of that can identify with the narrator's dilemma. As I see it, there are two major dilemmas being discussed.

Was the narrator required as a Jew to forgive the Nazi since atonement is a major tenet of the Jewish faith - even if his faith was wavering?
Was the narraror obliged to grant the last wish of a dying man who was a stranger to him? Is that a human obligation?

The first dilemma is difficult to answer because the narrator was questioning his faith at the time and so, in a way he wasn't the best candidate to repent to....or was he? Perhaps, one could see this as a test of the narrator's faith..a challenge that he failed in the eyes of God. The consequence of that failure was being plagued with constant memories of the soldier. Could it be that the narrator found some peace in visiting the soldier's mother? Or did that aggravate things? It seems that not only did the narrator not forgive the soldier, but in the end he hasn't forgiven himself for holding back his blessing.

This is a problem that plagues the mind of victims of horrible crimes and their descendants until someone in the chain forgives the perpetrator. It's a hard thing to do and I can't say that I would be able to do it either. I would not have forgiven the soldier, but unlike the narrator, I would've freely expressed my reasons to the soldier before I left his bedside. I would not forgive him on behalf of "my people"because I am not an official representative of them, but as an individual he wouldn't receive my full forgiveness either. I would not be able to forget the suffering his people inflicted on mine. I would merely wish him well in the hereafter adn remind him that only God can judge and forgive him.

As far as the 2nd dilemma, in times of war, can people really be held to norms held in times of peace? I wouldn't feel obliged to grant his wish because I would have no connection to him. I would urge him to seek out a nurse, doctor or priest - those whose earthly duty it is to save, comfort or heal. The narrator shouldn't be held accountable for obliging this dying wish because the soldier committed acts that could only be attributed to an animal or a monster.What moral obligation does man have to forgive an animal?

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Choices Orientation Reflection
By: Sonjanita L. Moore
Friday, October 24, 2008

I was nervous about how things would go in the Choices Orientation today, but things went smoothly. The majority of the teachers were there on time. They had great rapport with each other and with me, Chuck and Nomi. The space was great – modern, welcoming, spacious. The orientation was very fluid – I think Chuck and I work well together. I had great individual conversations with a few teachers…

One teacher talked about her PhD work in which she is using Warriors Don’t Cry. She also referenced the “legacy” theme of this year’s CPS history fair. She is immediately looking for Chicago connections to Choices (eyes on the prize).

Another teacher wanted to know more about resources for immigration unit that is new for them this year and was inquiring about accessing more copies of Warriors Don’t Cry.

I spoke with a teacher about The Giver and its impact on her classes, but we also spoke of various titles on the resource table and talked about connections to other FH resources. She referenced her attempts to balance her principal’s insistence on moving away from Basil reader to using only novels. I was able to give her film and lit suggestions. We also talked in general about the state of schooling in Chicago for African American students, in particular males. She spoke of friends who have encouraged her to come to FH for the last year. She left very excited.

Two teachers from a local (spanish) bilingual school are looking forward to getting resources in Spanish or having digital copies so that they can have time to translate materials prior to student use. Ironically, they are working with reps from YWLCS in the development of outcomes and are interested in having further conversations with me about outcomes and FH connections.

Three teachers from the same school were glad that they were all able to attend and are going to “push” their principal to let them all attend the December session together all 3 days – rather than splitting them between Jan and Dec and urging them to only miss 1 day of instruction.

Moving forward I think the following should be taken into consideration:

1. Move the start time/agenda up 30 minutes – the beginning felt very rushed since library opened at 9, we all arrived earlier than 9 with materials and were standing outside and food arrives at 9. There’s no time to mingle and welcome when we have to rush through setting everything up and getting started.

2. Plan ahead to have at least 1 Choices teacher present for 10-15 min Q & A – Laura was unable to come today which was fine but in lieu of comment cards I think it would be helpful

3.Plan ahead to distribute Road to Brown or send out an email to new teachers to check with previous Choices teachers as to the location of the DVDs given last year

Sunday, October 12, 2008

The "Choices" that Warriors Make

In watching Central: 50 Years Later, it was clear to me that Minnijean Brown's pain and agony at seeing a segregated classroom today was troubling. Was it more troubling that the students self-segregate and see nothing wrong with it? That the teacher would allow such segregation? That African American students seem to be tracked in lower classes? Or was it troubling to think that all her sacrifices had been for naught? My heart aches for her and all of our Civil Rights warriors who look at the state of affairs with today's youth.

Revisiting the whole issue of integration and the Civil Rights Movement brings up painful, lingering questions that I'd struggled with in my academic career and personal life. The most prominent question or issue has been - Do the advantages and benefits of integration outweigh the disadvantages and detriments to the African American community? It's a hard question to answer as I ride down Chicago's once thriving African American neighborhoods and look at what could once be described as the "Black Metropolis."

The "metropolis" has declined into a segregated ghetto on the verge of "progress" by way of gentrification. A byproduct of integration and the opening of city and suburban areas to upper middle class and upper class Black families in the 1960's and beyond. What is to become of Black youth whose daily role models are those that thrive on a life of crime and quick money? Gone are the throngs of educated entrepreneurs and businessmen/businesswomen that were a consistent visible sign of the benefits to hard work and cooperative economics.

When I think about the modern educational system and my own experiences in it, similar sentiments arise, but also other questions. Would it have ever been possible to develop a "separate but equal" system? Would that have been wrong? I think about the hundreds of Blacks that sacrificed personal safety to gain an education and advanced degrees in segregated institutions, but I also think about the thousands that earned degrees in historically Black colleges and universities. Up to the 1960's, maybe even late 1970's, the bulk of these scholars returned to their communities as educators, activists, politicians or entrepreneurs dedicated to uplifting the race in any way possible. How many of today's African American scholars have the same drive or dedication? E.W. Blyden worried about such a phenomenon in the late 1900's- "All educated Negroes suffer from a kind of slavery in many ways far more subversive of the real welfare of the race than the ancient physical fetters. The slavery of the mind is far more destructive..." Has education just become a means to acquire material wealth in the hopes that you will be able to get out of the old neighborhood rather than a means to come back & improve that neighborhood?

What about those youth that don't even make it to college? What do integrated schools have to offer them? What is authentically engaging to these Black youth - so consumed with pop culture and materialism? Could the smaller schools with dedicated teachers and community support of old be a better way of keeping them enrolled? I wonder what would have happened if segregated Black schools would have had the same books, resources,etc. How well would the students have done? Many did well with less. What's the problem today? Do the numbers indicate that more children of color drop out or don't graduate today than before integration?

I don't know the answers to all of these questions. I know that we will never go back to segregation legally, but I also recognize that economically, segregation does exist in our urban centers. I recognize, too, the value of small, independent schools aiming at culturally education alongside academics such as, the Betty Shabazz Charter School in Chicago, Sankofa Shule in Lansing, Blyden Delany in Milwaukee or Malcolm X Academy also in Milwaukee. In these schools, I see the type of community spirit that I feel when reading about Minnijean Brown, Melba Patillo Beals or any of the other "Little Rock Nine." In the current public educational school system, the same sense of urgency, collective work, responsibility, unity, faith and purpose isn't there. Schooling is not about strengthening communities and building new leadership it's about individual success. This is the antithesis of what "the Nine" fought for, in my opinion.

Jomo Kenyatta , in Facing Mt. Kenya, expressed it this way, "..to the Africans the ideal is the right relations with and behavior to other people...knowledge thus acquired is related to a practical need, and therefore, knowledge is merged into activity and can be recalled when that activity is again required." Ignoring the need for this practical, human element in education, Kenyatta warns, "creates conflicts of ideas in the mental outlook of pupils." What can be done to encourage our youth today to make better choices? What can be done to improve not only the educational system, but society so that they have a real desire to participate as proactive citizens? How can we improve their mental and moral outlook? With the Civil Rights Movement (1950's-1960's) and the Black Power Movement (1960's-1970's), the Black community (with the backing of community groups, new legal precedents and new legislation) found ways to motivate children to academic success and encouraged them to be vanguards in community maintenance and development. It took an entire nation to make this happen then...is the nation ready to do it again?

DuBois, Race & "Negroes" in the 21st Century

David Levering Lewis dedicates a portion of his book to describing the social implications of the September 23, 1927 public debate between William Edward Burghardt DuBois and Theodore Stoddard on the topic - "Shall the Negro Be Encouraged to Seek Cultural Equality?" DuBois was no stranger to the topic and was one of the leading Negro (African American) scholars of his day. He is most remembered for his initial push to remove negative perceptions of Blacks that were unfairly applied to them as Whites, he believed, judged the race based on the unproductive members of the Negro Race.

Conversely, DuBois felt that if judgements of Negro worth/intelligence/contributions had to be made that the frame of reference for Whites should be the very best of the Negro race ("the talented tenth concept). It was this idea that put him in conflict with Booker T. Washington in the 1890's and with Marcus Garvey in the 1900's.

Dubois would eventually become a founding member of the NAACP (which grew out of the work of the Niagara Movement), published The Crisis Magazine and became a Pan-Africanist, urging Blacks to not only unify and work to better themselves in America, but that their efforts should improve the entire African Diaspora. His best known work is The Souls of Black Folk (1904), in which he said "The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line...No sooner had Northern armies touched Southern soil than this old question, newly guised, sprang from the earth, - What shall be done with the Negro?" It was this same question that was pondered at the end of the Civil War, at the Berlin Conference in the 1800's (Europe divides Africa) and Lake Mohonk Conferences in the 1900's (conferences on the "Negro" and the "Indian" held in New York state).

Unfortunately, undignified sectors of American society continued to discuss the issue and came up with violent solutions as evidenced in the work of government leaders, like Bull Connor, Gov. Wallace and Strom Thurmon or with the works of individual citizens, like Citizens Council or White Knights of the KKK. It is a question that has never left the American consciousness and this "race question" or "race card" as it has come to be called resurfaces at the most controversial of times. DuBois' prediction about 20th century American culture appears to hold true for this century, as well - as far as we have come, race/racism is still our biggest problem. Every Black leader has attested to this fact no matter what approach they chose. Rev. Dr. MLK, Jr knew race was an issue just as much as Malcolm X did. DuBois recognized race as a deterrent to intellectual and economic success just as Booker T. Washington or Marcus Garvey, but all three sought "Negro/Colored" liberation in different ways. Jupiter Hammon's "Address to the Negroes of the State of NY" has a different tone than David Walker's "Appeal." Yet and still, in 2008, we ponder whether or not a half Black man is worthy to hold the office of President of the United States!

Medgar Evers spoke of the urgency...the importance of controlling the vote. Charles H. Houston, along with the NAACP legal team, highlighted the importance of standing firm on the constitution as a means towards civil rights. Dubois, in his debate against Stoddard said, spoke to the fear America has of the "rise of black men" and the fear associated with allowing him access to every aspect of American culture, government and civilization- even though it goes against the very nature of the religious and constitutional ideals espoused by the nation. He makes the point that "civilization is the rightful heritage of all men and cannot be monopolized and confined to one group."

If we are to move forward as one nation, if that is indeed possible and if the powers that be are amenable to it, we've got to move past the desire to label, separate, limit, and censor the intellectual, social, economic and political abilities of the darker peoples of the world. DuBois warns of the dangers of such a hypocritical stance - it's dangerous to the moral fiber of the country, its citizenry and to our global relationships with people of color across the world. He says, " ...you are standing before the whole world, with hundreds of darker millions watching. No matter what happens to us, these colored people of the world are not going to take forever the kind of treatment they have been taking." In this time, perhaps more than ever, this is a point well made and that should be heeded.

Escape from Slavery by Francis Bok

To acknowledge that any form of slavery still exists today is difficult. To think about the enslavement of any member of the Afrikan Diaspora is excruciating. To reflect on the fact that modern enslavement is again steeped in racism and religious discrimination is mind-boggling. Yet Francis Bok (Piol Buk) stands today as an ex-slave and an abolitionist lecturer, much like Frederick Douglass did in the 1800's.

In addition to my own struggles as a descendant of African slaves from Guinea-Bissau, I am also disturbed from the aspect of being a Muslim...having to again defend the essence of Islam against the daily rituals and practices of individual cultures. Much of my study of slavery and slave systems has been looking at the distinctions between the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, Trans-Saharan slave trade and those African slave systems in existance prior to that. I never expected it to be so in a modern world.

What it brings me to is the same sentiment I had at learning of the discrepancies in treatment of Haitian refugees vs. Cuban refugees (since the 1980's) or Rwandan genocide victims vs. Bosnian genocide victims (1990's) - this feeling that the peoples of the Afrikan Diaspora are still looked upon as "less than" or as people not worthy of immediate support/help/salvation. It's a hard pill to swallow as a citizen of a country that supposedly is based on liberty, but has yet to even acknowledge or apologize for its own role in slavery hundreds of years ago.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Almost 2 months in the trenches: A New PA's self-evaluation

It's been well over a month since I started...actually going on 2 months soon...and I think I'm starting to settle in. I think I'm actually making my way through the scope and sequence - for myself.

Individual Identity
The first month was filled with a lot of anxiety for me - feeling overwhelmed by all the new information and adapting to culture shock (being in an office and meetings with adults rather than being in a classroom and in meetings with adults and youth). My mind was filled with questions - How will I fit in ? Am I really cut out for this office life? Wearing "grown up" clothes and interacting mainly with adult educators and administrators? Aren't I really just a teacher at heart? Should it matter that the age group is a little different than what I'd become accustomed to? I taught adults before - in community settings and at NEIU as a T.A., but this is different. I'm not into sales and that's what this feels like? Is this really for me?

Now, coming up on month 2, I'm still struggling to find balance, but it's not as rough. Yes, I'm a a teacher at heart and in essence, that will never change. Everyone has something to learn and something they can share (teach to others). And although I miss my girls (students), Facebook and Gmail are becoming more regular staples in my life now to fill that gap.

Membership
1 month in and it was time for the hazing - heading to HQ for some intense training and cadre bonding. Time to see if the membership is for me. Time to see if I really fit into this new organization I've become a part of....what did I find? One, that this international organization is works hard to function (internally) as a family...a family with a keen sense for truth, but also a business-minded family. It was a hard fit.

I definitely experienced my "we and they" moments - probably figments of my own vivid imagination rather than being deliberate acts on the part of individuals. I became more aware of how different I was...I can't say that the difference was noticed by anyone else because I've never asked or spoken of it before. In my mind, I listed how I was different from those in my own office and those that I met nationally - where I lived, how I looked, my religious/spiritual background, my upbringing, my political/social/economic philosophies, what I read/watch/listen to, etc. I know there are a lot more similarities, but why am I being more conscious of my "otherness"? This is def a new phenomenon for me - not totally new in the sense that I've never felt these things before in life, but new to me in the workplace because I was one of the "veterans" in the school I was in before. Does otherness come out when you're new to an environment? Is it inflicted by others? Or, is it a combination of both?

History
At first I was steeped in the history of Holocaust and Germany and I was trying to get a handle on all the new materials. I found civil rights history more familiar and easier to connect with (for obvious reasons), but then there's another aspect of history that has been on my mind. What's the history of ethnic, racial, cultural relations within the organization? It's a topic tha hasn't come up much, but I'd love to see an interoffice/organizational chat about it.

Memory & Legacy
My thoughts in this area all relate to how I feel about my legacy as an African American Muslim (,but born Baptist) female educator from Chicago with roots in Alabama. All of these parts of myself are on my mind when I get up, come to work and move about during the day. How am I doing justice to all of these parts of myself? I am reminded of all my grandmother did to make a better life for her 7 children. I remember her urging me to do my very best in school so I could be successful. I remember that she only went to the 4th grade (maybe 6th), but managed to be a success in her own right.

This experience also reminds me of the readings in Civic Dilemmas where the immigrants are talking about how they can't deny their homelands or the places they live now. All I can do is continue to look for spiritual and ancestral guidance. The struggle continues....

Choosing To Participate
I'm stepping out of my risk zone and am ready to step out into schools - meeting with teachers and helping them integrate FH into their work. I'm also stepping into a comfort zone - ready to start being a part of my regional team....not afraid to make my voice heard and have it count. I chose to be here so I have an obligation (to my ancestors, to my people, to my profession, to myself) to do and be my very best.

February 1 - documentary critique

The most powerful aspect of this documentary is the fact that it emphasizes the power and importance of the youth. The fact that the 4 men "didn't trust anyone over 18" speaks volumes about the generation gap that existed during the Civil Rights era. The youth wanted a part in the movement and as the college students went back home for the summer, we saw the high school students stepping up - just as the young people of Central High in Little Rock did.

We learned more of this gap in philosophy and strategies later in the 1960's with Stokely Carmichael (now known as Kwame Toure -R.I.P.)in the early days of SNCC.

This is a gap that unfortunately still exists today in many circles of African American leadership.

Young, Muslim & French - critique

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/france/

So much about this documentary stood out to me. I was shocked by the hypocrisy of the French government - once heralded as the land of egalite and fraternite, it now seems to be a land of discrimination and diviseness. As an African American Muslim, I can relate to the unjust, discriminatory treatment, but I am fearful of what effects that kind of legislation will have here in the States. Unlike many of the youth in the film, I was not born into Islam (I was raised as a Baptist and converted to Islam in undergrad), but I understand the struggle to maintain a regular young adult life and a spiritual life in a hostile environment. I am not an immigrant, but come from people who were....forced immigrants! It has took years for America to get to a place where an African American man could even be considered for the presidency (even under the suspicion of being a Muslim), but that progress has not come without accomodation and assimilation by many. Perhaps it is accomodation and assimilation that the French Muslims are afraid of.

In the end, I am filled with questions...

Do they have no laws in that guarantee freedom of religion similar to what we have here in the Bill of Rights?

Has there been any enforcement of restrictions against Jewish and Christian students?

Do the students themselves care that their classmates wear religious garb? Do these garments affect their learning? If there is a separation of church and state, why do schools close on religious holidays? Isn't that a double standard?

Why does the principal feel that her students, especially the female Muslim students should follow her advice? Lead the lives she feel is best for them as women? In what ways do feminists encroach upon the religious rights of non-Christian women?

What can be learned about the immigrant experience from this film? Do immigrants of certain religious backgrounds have it worse than other immigrants? What is the level of protest against government sanctioned discrimination (segregation, stripping of religious rituals and practices, etc) of these immigrants?

What does France want of their Muslim residents? Conversion to a preferred religion? Denouncement of one's homeland and culture as a way of showing allegiance to France and only France? This calls to mind the loyalty oaths that were forced upon Japanese Americans in the 1940's.

Then, there is the issue of American influence and global response. Muslim extremists, of course, have taken this as an opportunity to create further divisions in the religious world and to unfortunately, bring further suspicion upon the entire ummah (Muslim community). It's tough being Muslim as it is but when the whole world is against you based on the acts of a few things get a lot more complicated.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Tupac & the Heinz Dilemma???

I just recently heard about the Heinz Dilemma and was immediately reminded of an interview with slain rapper, Tupac Amaru Shakur in which he spoke about the origins of his violent lyrics and the reason for his T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E. tatoo that was drawn across his abdomen. The parallel is profound considering the difference in time frame and lifestyle between Tupac and psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg (theory of moral development). You be the judge.

"If you know in this hotel room they have food every day and I knock on the door. Every day they open tha door to let me see tha party, let me see that they throwin' salami, throwin' food around telling me there's no food. Every day. I'm standing outside tryin to sing my way in- "We are weak, please let us in. We're weak, please let us in." After about a week that song is gonna change to, "We're hungry, we need some food." After two, three weeks it's like "Give me some of tha food! I'm breakin down tha door." After a year it's like, "I'm pickin' the lock, comin' through the door blastin." It's like, "I'm hungry." You reached your level, you don't want any more. We asked ten years ago, we were askin' with the Panthers, we were askin' in the Civil Rights Movement. Now those who were askin' are all dead or in jail, wo what are we gonna do? And we shouldn't be angry!?"

-Tupac Amaru Shakur

Friday, September 5, 2008

The Ascent of Man???

To suggest that man has ascended throughout history seems to also suggest that everything done in the interest of "progress" was necessary and right. Ascension takes on an almost ethereal or spiritual connation and seems oddly matched when applied to mankind....human beings capable of fault, error or sin. It also seems an odd application when it is a term applied to mankind by a scientist, Jacob Bronowski.

The issue of science and morality often came up in my humanities classroom (we used Race and Membership) whether we were dealing with the origins of race and racism, cultures of violence, WWII or immigration and citizenship. The perspectives and aspects provided in my course related to the atomic bomb, for example, sometimes clashed with the attitudes or perspective in which atomic fission and atomic fusion were taught in chemistry. This clash led to increased dialogue in the humanities classes. This is the aspect of Bronowski's documentary that caught my attention and it is what prompted me to write down the Bronowski quotes below. It is also the reason I question whether or not we have ascended or descended.

"There is no absolute knowledge - all information is imperfect."

"In the act of recognition a judgement is built in - an area of tolerance or uncertainty."

"No events can be described with zero tolerance or certainty."

"It is the tragedy of scientists that science has been used for the destruction of mankind."

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Cultural Connections: Reflecting on "Enrique's Journey"

The histories of the indigenous peoples of the Americas has been linked with those of some African nations and even, with African slaves brought to the New World through the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. The Civil Rights and liberation movements of the 1960's and 1970's included African and Hispanic Americans. The language-related issues that arise around bilingual education in Spanish-speaking communities can be compared to those issues that arise around SWE vs. Ebonics (formerly known as, Black English Vernacular or Black English) debates. These are just some of the similarities and differences that exist between the Black and Brown communities of America. Enrique's Journey opens the door for dialogue about even more parallels between cultures in addition to serving as a great source experience of immigrating from Central America.

In Enrique's Journey by Nazario, I was reminded of my initial reactions to the immigration stories of friends, students and colleagues. I was also reminded of the first time I saw "Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary" on PBS at a time when immigration was top on the list of issues in Chicago and the nation. In addition to being emotionally moved by suffering that is endured by the journeymen, I instantly thought of ways to connect these personal stories to what was happening in my classroom. Enrique's Journey is a tool for discussions of immigration, Latin American studies and women's studies.

Connections between African American history & Latin American history

The plight of the Central American immigrant calls to mind the journeys of runaway slaves and the Underground Railroad. The condition in which travelling immigrants have to live and the treatment they receive attest to the need for greater understanding and education on both sides of the immigration issue, but it also shows that even in the 21st century, all human beings aren't entitled to the same human rights. Even with the risk of retaliation, church volunteers, priests and other citizens throughout Mexico, Central America and the USA take a moral stance not all that different from the one taken by abolitionists.
What comparisons can be made to immigrant moms that leave their children/families behind and the slaves that chose to runaway leaving their families on southern plantations until they could buy their freedom or sneak them out?
Compare writings, films and first hand accounts of the Central American migration experience with those of African runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad OR to African Americans that took part in the Great Migration
What is the significance/symbolism of trains to these two peoples? In "The Promised Land" http://www.amazon.com/Promised-Land-3pc-Morgan-Freeman/dp/6304881932/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=video&qid=1220646749&sr=1-1 Black migrants from the South describe the train as a symbol of liberation (with Blues musicians even using train sounds in their creative works). In Enrique's Journey and "Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary" the train has both negative and positive connonations (from El Tren de la Muerte to El Tren Pelegrino).
What does America symbolize or represent to migrants and immigrants? In both cultures there are consistent references to America as "the promised land" or "land of opportunities". A closer study of this could be conducted by student groups looking at the decision making processes associated with the departure, the experiences that occur during the journey and what life is like upon arrival in the new place. This research could cover housing, jobs, culture, socialization and a variety of other topic areas.

Connections to Mexican/Central American history/ancient civilization/current events

1) "...the most dangerous leg of the journey, the Mexican state of Chiapas." (xvii)

This statement is interesting when you consider the history of the region-indigenous Mayan rule, Spanish conquest, the Mexican Revolution (roles of Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa and the Adelitas), the contemporary role of the Zapatistas (EZLN, led by Subcomandante Marcos). The turmoil of the region could have an affect on the social-emotional stability and identity of the indigenous Chiapan peoples and their need to feel some sort of control over their lands.
The history behind the Mara Salvatrucha's foundations in Chiapas makes for an interesting research into US-Latin American studies - as many of the founders were soldiers or descendants of soldiers of other Latin American conflicts in which the US was involved.

2) The map of Enrique's trip can be used in comparison with the travel map provided in the film, "Wetback:The Undocumented Documentary"

3) Compare/contrast text and film depictions of the immigration experience (the departure, the journey, the arrival) to actual first hand accounts (interviews and/or guest speakers).

Connections to Women's Studies

"What's incomprehensible...are middle class or wealthy working mothers in the US. These women...could tighten their belts, stay at home, spend all their time with their children. Instead they devote most of their waking hours and energy to careers...why...would anyone do that?" (xi)

Is Lourdes' perception of working moms in the US based on her role in service to these kinds of families?
Is she suggesting that working moms aren't good moms? How does this compare to public opinion of working moms in the 1950's-1970's?
How much of her opinion is based on her own agonies associated with leaving her children behind?
What does this suggest about the role of mothers and wives (past vs. present)?
How does the female immigration journey compare to/contrast with the male journey? How did Nazario's journey differ from that of an actual female immigrant?
Do film depictions of the female immigrant experience paint an accurate picture of the ordeal? How does Lourdes' life compare to women in films like "Mi Familia" or "A Day with out a Mexican" or "Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary"?

There are a variety of other ways to connect Enrique's Journey into broader immigration studies. One could compare the Central American immigrant experience of today to the European or Chinese immigrant experiences of the 19th and 20th centuries. This could also work with readings related to sweatshops and the kinds of jobs migrant/immigrant workers are forced to take.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Weimar Republic Final Reflections

Important quotes/statements

Some years ago, when I taught General Science at an alternative HS here in Chicago, I would start each class with quotes by scientists or related to some scientific concept we studied ("bell ringers"). It was a great way to focus the students. I began to use quotes, later in my humanities class as the focus of discussion circles and small group discussions and sometimes, as "exit tickets."

"A nation cannot put its strength into a war and keep its head level..." (Wilson, pg 112)

Mosse makes a statement ," War was a powerful engine for the enforcement of conformity, a fact which strengthened the stereotype not only of the foreign enemy, but also of those within the borders who were regarded as a threat..." (pg 112)

"Because of his belief in common or shared ownership of land & other resources, the system Marx envisioned was known as communism." (114) How would this compare to Native or indigenous peoples' view of land as shared property?

"...leaders would establish a dictatorship of the proletariat..." (114) Dictatorship seems a contradictory concept to the idea of the proletariat? Could this be part of a discussion of how some government policies don't always make sense or seem contradictory?

"we were taught history as a series of facts....If we tried to relate ideas we got from lit or history to current events, our teachers changed the subject." (pg 128). Reading 7 is a great selection to use with Weimar/WWII units but also at any point in school year when a discussion of the purpose of education is desired. It also serves as a tool to talk about the existence of absolute knowledge in the universe (Ascent of Man).

"We lived for the future. We had to think very little, take almost no initiative, our days were charted out for us." (129) How can this be used with the Giver or "Harrison Bergeron"?

"Freedom of expression is critical to a democratic society...what other ways do individuals criticize their society?" This is an excellent way to bring in music, film, internet and other media forms in comparison to the art included with Reading 9. I do feel that it would be good to have these images on screen (lcd projection) or to have color copies available for students to view/critique.

"...Hitler believed that if a lie was told often enough, people would come to believe it." (pg 138). This statement alone would spark great discussion about Hitler and what he did but also about the role of stereotypes, myths and legends in society, in general.
"How do people measure the success of a nation? Of its government?" (151). This is a great bell ringer (getting kids thinking about the status of our nation today, but ready to talk more about the Weimar Republic as well).

Miscellaneous Connections

Friedrich is described as a novel that reveals something about "how neighbor can come to turn against neighbor." This is a great, quick read for students and can be used to talk about any kind of conflict, not just Holocaust.
Based on one of the question at the end of reading 11 (141), students could engage in a small group research activity comparing and contrasting the ethnic cleansing of Serbia, anti-semitism of Weimar Republic, the Holocaust, the genocide in Rwanda and lynchings and/or race riots in the USA
Significance, symbolism and use of trains in Weimar era, under the Nazi regime vs. use by Central American immigrants heading to El Norte (see Enrique's Journey or "Wetback: the undocumented documentary") or vs. use of trains by southern Blacks during the Great Migration (see "The Promised Land" or The Great Migration or Color Me Dark)
At the end of reading 12, there's a poem written by an african american. This is an excellent way to bring in literature and poetry by finding works by Jewish poets, but also using "You have to live in someone else's country to understand" or "what do we do with a variation?" (from race & membership). "Incident" by Countee Cullen is another good piece by a Harlem Renaissance (African American) poet. After reading/discussing/analyzing these pieces, students could then write their own poems.
Reading 12 Schoenberg question (last question) could be used in a discussion of cultures of violence and how they are created.
Compare/contrast the Weimar SPD party with US' Republican Party (20th century and beyond)
compare/contrast Weimar election results (1928-1932) to US Presidential election results (2000-2008)

Lingering Questions

Why were young men of Europe so "enthusiastic" about the start of WWI?

What can be done with students to discuss the ethics of scientific inquiry, specifically the role of science and scientists in socio-political policies that lead to and/or support war?

How is it possible for war to be a unifying factor in a nation? Is it a false unification?

What is the relationship between emotion and logic in warfare? For example, how has "hatred" been used to justify actions supported by the law?
Why do we kill people to show that killing people is wrong?

"Why is myth stronger than truth?" (pg 113)

Can a comparison be made between the young Jews that fought for Germany vs. Japanese or African Americans (like, Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen or The Golden 13) who fought in US wars?

How do you make a world "safe for democracy?" Is the goal to make it safe for democracy or to make it conducive for capitalism?

How can reading 3 be used as a jump off to a discussion of government decision-making policies (Weimar vs. USA)? A discussion on the rights of citizenship? A discussion on nation building? How can it be used to discuss the rights of citizens when a government seems to go against its ideals and/or when the people become dissatisfied with it (revolutions- looking at the right to alter/abolish or overthrow governments)?

Can there be a lesson on inflation in Weimar vs. US today? (reading 10)
What is/was article 48 to the German Constitution?
What is the process to become a German citizen? What did Hitler have to do to become a citizen?
What are the requirements for political office in Germany during the Weimar Republic?

How can reading 10 be used with immigration units and texts like Becoming American and Enrique's Journey?

Public figures/Politicians and the Law - Can the reading 11 be used as the base of an activity about the law and consequences for breaking the law for public figures vs. common people?

Why were Gypsies targeted?

How can someone not from a country eventually rise to become its chancellor (reading 11 & others)? Would he have been considered an immigrant to Germany? how does this compare to our standards for government participation for immigrants?
What is the role of US industrialists in the Weimar Republic and the rise of anti-semitism in the world? (henry ford reference, pg 141)

Reading 6 relays the story of a heated discussion on a train between a Henry Buxbaum, a Jew and some angry German passengers. Buxbaum quiets as threats of physical danger arise and is astonished to see (in the light of their train stop) that one of those that was threatening him was someone he knew. How can this be used with other readings on race? (This correlates well with a similar scene in the James Weldon Johnson novel, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/jwj/auto.htm). This novel is about the experiences of a biracial man who decides to "pass for white" for his adult life. While passing he engages in a conversation with 4 white passengers on his way back South after a long stay in Europe (where he basically lived as a white man). The 4 passengers, "in debating the Negro question," represent attempt to represent many of the ideas/movement prominent during the mid-1900's - A southern planter, a Union veteran, a Jewish manufacturer and a northern professor.)

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Weimar Republic: Paul Bookbinder

Looking at Paul Bookbinder's Writings http://www2.facinghistory.org/campus/weimar.nsf/

1. Can the "Legacy of WWI" be compared to the legacy we are creating of the "war on terror?"

2. Related to his question about the need for transitional periods for democracy (when the majority of the people are uneducated in democratic ideals), I wonder about the transitional period that is/will be needed in America if they elect an African American president. How can the integrity of this democracy be maintained in the face of the demons of racist history?

3. Do we deal with terrorists in the same way as the leaders of the Weimar Republic? How has America's policy on terrorism changed since 9/11/01?

4. What is nationalism? What is patriotism? Are they the same? How do we define these in post-9/11 America? How are we expected to manifest these ideals? What are the consequences for not manifesting them? Are they both necessary for a democracy to work? What are the consequences to society when they are taken too far? Is it feasible to expect disenfranchised citizens or residents to be nationalistic and/or patriotic?

5. Why is it necessary for "individuals and groups to compromise their immediate self-interests to the larger interests of society"? Whose intersts are more important (more valued)? Does majority interest rule? What is that majority interest represents the lower class of people in a society?

6. Bookbinder raises another interesting point when he talks about the roles of intellectuals in politics. By "intellectuals" does he mean people like, professors, political pundits and lobbyists or is he referring to intellectual politicians? I'm interested in the ways that intellectualism is used to exclude the masses (at the ways in which "think-tanks" have created social policies and programs based on scientific inquiry).

7. How is America viewed by other governments? Certainly the Weimar view could be contrasted with the way current Islamic governments/countries view America OR with the way America was viewed by the Chinese or Japanese (from late 1800's up through 1940's).

8. The concept of "self-deception" can be applied to any nation. This question related to Bookbinder's question about how people define their own identity. Teachers could consider the deceptive stories that Blacks, Native Americans or Japanese Americans have created for themselves to justify their own marginalization in America. This could also connect to Jewish self-deception which Primo Levi alluded to in The Drowned & The Saved.

9. The last four questions in Bookbinder's overview could all be connected to a study of the 2008 Presidential Campaign

role of grass roots organizing
role of propaganda
role of technology/media
role of hatred
role of religious leaders/religion
role of the citizens and their expectations for political leadership

10. In thinking of the "choices and consequences" of a democracy, it seemed to me in order to "kill a democracy" one has to first work systematically to "kill the culture and the individuals that represent that democracy." Hitler accomplished this buy working at a grassroots level to build support from the masses, then the media. He learned about the frustrations and needs of the masses and used their emotions about those things to promise change. Once he became Chancellor, he used the legal system to normalize the attitudes brewing among the masses of German peoples - in essence, he worked to crush the artists, political dissidents, Jews and other "undesirables" and there were no repercussions because German law supported his deeds.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Weimar Republic Critique - part 1

As I work my way through my study of the Weimar Republic, I feel the need to get down some initial thoughts and questions.....

Essential Questions to Consider as I read/viewed (per Phredd M-W)

(http://www2.facinghistory.org/campus/weimar.nsf/home?OpenFrameset&login=1)

1. Which of these readings and materials best communicates the idea of the fragility of democracy during this period in Germany's history?

2. How does the Weimar Republic inform us about our own democracy and those newer democracies today?

3. Which of the readings and materials may be most helpful for educators using with students?

My Connections...

Is there any form of government that does not work to exploit "we and they" dichotonomies in their society for the purposes of political gains?

How can the the Weimar module and readings be used in conjunction with US History courses where teachers are required to talk about the Revolutionary Era? Can connection be made to Weimar Republic and democracies in America? What about the relationships of

Cherokee Democracy ("The 5 Civilized Nations")

The Haudenosaunee Democracy

The origin of the USA as a democracy

3. How can we use this question presented by Paul Bookbinder - "In a democracy, what is the proper role of nationalism with its symbols, uniforms, music, and poetry? "

compare/contrast it with nationalism in USA after 9/11/01 and the backlash against artists that spoke out against Bush and the war

the role of creative movements in USA vs. cultural movements in Weimar during that time period

4. How was terrorism defined in Weimar vs. how it's defined today?

5. I think the sections on the module under SOCIETY can be used as a base for having students conduct research in those areas as it relates to US history (antisemitism, education, gender, homophobia, racism).

6.What does democracy mean today?

7. What has kept the USA from becoming a totalitarian government?

This is a great way to use Weimar to study constitutional law or the role of individuals in a democracy
this can be a tool to look at the process of creating laws, enforcing laws and using laws to justify wrongdoing

8. Why not create an activity where the students can compare-contrast the political parties of Weimar Republic to those of the United States (past or present)? They could create little magazines, comic books, charts or even political cartoons.

9. Starting the Weimar study by having students look at and/or create global timelines would be great. These timelines could hang throughout the unit so that students could add to it as they learned new facts about the period.

10. Why not do a cultural mini-lesson on the arts and artists of Weimar Republic vs. Harlem Renaissance?

Identifying Techniques of Persuasion in "Triumph of the Will"

I was totally unprepared for what I was about to view...I expected another documentary on the Nazi regime, but was surprised to find a marketing/PR-type film...propaganda footage, no doubt used to persuade people to join and/or support the efforts of the Nazi regime. I found myself jotting what could only be described as streams of consciousness (notes and questions)...

The images of Hitler as a rock star type leader...a demi god...pharaoh...savior...reminiscent in some ways of footage used to show the impact of entertainers (Elvis, the Beatles, Michael Jackson), but more recently, the negative slant thrown towards Obama as a "rock star" type
What makes people so enthralled by politicians, military leaders and organizers?
What makes a follower become a zealot?
A side issue - Were Mercedes Benz sales affected by German occupation/Nazi regime following WWII? Did Nazis get revenue from car sales that were used during the war?
Are there any similarities between Nazi training and gang intitiations? The recruitment and initiation of child soldiers in Africa? The mafia?
What is the correlation between the symbolism of the eagle for Nazis vs. its meaning in America? Which US leaders or citizens were members of the Nazi Party?
What is being said in the speeches - Goebbels and Hitler in particular are of interest to me?
What is the pledge being recited in the scene where some soldiers are holding shovels? Why are they holding shovels as if they were weapons of war?
Why was it okay for their flags to touch the ground?
What is happening in the night time scenes?
It's interesting that one of the only times Hitler is shown smiling is at the youth rally. What does he say in his address to the youth?
How did the Nazi salute originate?

Connections to Media Literacy

http://www.medialit.org/pdf/mlk/02_5KQ_ClassroomGuide.pdf

My streams of consciousness led me to make some connections to Center for Media Literacy materials I'd used in my Critical Media course at Young Women's Leadership Charter School. In viewing the film, I began to look for Techniques of Persuasion, subliminal advertising and other tricks of the media industry that often go unnoticed by the average person. There was definitely an intentional selection of the songs for the soundtrack and an obvious focus on images that highlighted family, machismo, nature, celebrity and friendship - 5 of the 10 strategies in the "techniques of persuasion."

Also at the forefront of my mind were the 5 core concepts that CML operates with:

All media messages are ‘constructed.’
Media messages are constructed using
a creative language with its own rules.
Different people experience the same
media message differently.
Media have embedded values and
points of view.
Most media messages are organized
to gain profit and/or power.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Brief thoughts on "THE NAZIS: HELPED INTO POWER"

I didn't have a lot of ideas related to this documentary. My time was spent in note-taking and learning more about the dates and facts outlined as they were unfamiliar to me. Here are the few questions or lasting impressions:

One man in the film referred to seeing "Hitler's beautiful side." I couldn't help but wonder - what happened to that side when he was mandating the slaughter of millions?
At what point does love or one's people/nation become problematic?
How doyou discuss the "good" and "bad" sides of individuals in history - the yin & yang- with students? In what way does this relate to choices and the decision-making processes we all employ daily?
I watched this following "Degenerate Art" so art still loomed in my mind. I wonder what alternative lifestyles artists choose when they can't be creative? We all saw the extreme in Hitler.

Degenerate Art: Past & Present

DEFINING DEGENERATES

The online etymology dictionary indicates that degenerate as an adjective is latin in origin (degnerare) and means "to depart from one's kind, fall from ancestral quality." For Adolf Hitler, degenerate art was that which moved away from the pastoral, realistic or traditional European styles he'd been trained in. It was any piece not like his own. Degenerate art was an abstract product of Gypsies, Jews, Bolsheviks and other non-Aryans who had to be exterminated. It never occurred to him, it seems, that artistic repression instinctively breeds some form of resistance because he had a simplistic view that out of sight meant out of mind.

When that didn't work, public humiliation in the form of an art exhibition seemed a plausible next step. The placement of art and the derogatory statements that surrounded them were just as disrespectful as chiseling someone out of a hieroglyphic story or tagging (spray painting or writing over) over the art of another muralist. It's as though Hitler was taking out the frustrations he felt (as a stifled artist) and trying to find a scapegoat for his problems. So, ironically, he began to push the very ideas that seem opposite of what it means to be artist - conformity, uniformity, creating art without abstraction/deviation/imagination, creating art void of the interpersonal and intrapersonal.

Overall, I was left with these questions:

What does society look like when everyone is the same? When there is no invention, originality? (refer to The Giver, Pleasantville, Harrison Bergeron)
By censoring the art didn't this serve as a way to affirm its relevance and validity in society?
Who defines what art is? Who determines what's degenerate or not?
Who were the real degenerates?
What did the world outside of Nazi regime think of these artists?
Was this really a personal vendetta Hitler had against Jewish artists?
What kind of man would Hitler have been had his own art/artistic career flourished? What does this say about the importance of art education and art as therapy?
Would the German audiences have thought this art was degenerate if the derogatory labeling hadn't been done?
Just because you may not like a piece of art or a certain style, does that mean that it can't be defined as art?
Were the Nazis more disturbed by the art or the artists?

LOOKING AT THE VALUE OF ART

In Eric Jensen's Arts with the Brain in Mind, there are some fundamental statements made regarding the role of the arts, brain development and community dynamics that came to mind when I viewed "Degenerate Art:"

art can be a tool to connect individuals of various ethnic, social and economic backgrounds
art is an outlet for emotions/feelings and is a product of thinking
art is a language or communication tool
art is archival and can serve as an educational tool that promotes the best (and the worst) of a people
art is an motivator and can be used to foster engagement (ritual or authentic)
early art served to foster family and community relationships, honor ancestors, communicate traditions or rituals and was used to strengthen individual or collective identity

When I consider these ideas and what was presented in the film, it seems clear that the Nazi regime, Hitler in particular, was fully aware of the power of art as a communication tool, as an outlet and as a way of preserving culture and heritage. As an artist himself, Hitler was cognizant of the multiple ways in which Jewish art could be used to persuade Aryan peoples away from the ideals of the Party. By crushing the movement and stifling the artists, he halted the rise of sympathetic sentiment and comraderie that non-Jewish artists may have felt for their colleagues. Those in the film that didn't agree with the Party line either went along with the program or left Germany. They were afraid to speak out or to use their public art as a means of speaking out. Feeling stifled, some killed themselves. This intrigued me because when you cut off a person's means of communicating, it's like they are dead. The Egyptians knew this and therefore, erased people from glyphs to ruin their chances of immortality. Langston Hughes' referred to artistic censorship in two of his poems - "A Dream Deferred" and "Genius Child" (my all-time favorite poem :-). In the former, he warns that stifling an artist or "a dream" only means that there is build-up to an explosion of some kind - a revolution, a renaissance,etc. In the latter he writes,

This is a song for the genius child. Sing it softly, for the song is wild.

Sing it softly as ever you can - Lest the song get out of hand.

Nobody loves a genius child. Can you love an eagle, Tame or wild?

Can you love an eagle, Wild or tame? Can you love a monster Of frightening name?

Nobody loves a genius child.

Kill him - and let his soul run wild.

The souls of all the Jewish artists that were stifled or that took their own lives are now immortal. Hitler's attempts to remove them from history was in vain because like any censored artform, it was sustained in the underground through the curiosity of the masses. This is how it has always happened - with the blues, with jazz, with rock & roll, with rap, with most forms of modern visual art. It's the responsibility of the people to be the receivers of the gifts that artists have to give - theirs is an ethereal blessing and burden that needs to be transmitted. Ars longa, vita breve. Who are we to stifle, question or get in the way of that?

How do you quantify hatred? A reflection on "The Longest Hatred"

I found myself intrigued by the title of the documentary because I couldn't figure out how to count/quantify hatred in years. It seems to, perhaps unintentionally, suggest that the Jewish community has been victimized and been powerless longer than any other people. I think, therefore, that in using this resource we have to clearly express that no peoples' suffering is greater than that of another.

That said, the parts of the film that held the most interest for me were the segments focusing on modern Jewish experience (post 1948). As an educator, this part of the history is the most difficult to work with students on because the issues are so controversial. I liked that artists were included and that there was a discussion of symbolism, imagery, rituals and language that are deeply rooted on all sides of the controversy. The issue of stereotypes and false assumptions were also important.

"Guilt isn't collective, but personal." This was a remark made by a German president in recent years and I wonder, if America adopted this idea that would mean, for example, that the people featured in "Banished" would have legal recourse against the individuals who currently hold their property. Conversely, would that mean that the government would be free of issuing reparations or taking responsibility for their crimes against humanity?

What was problematic to me was that the film didn't seem to suggest solutions, but seemed to glamorize the Jews as victims, which doesn't seem to do the culture justice. Jewish people, like all oppressed peoples, have risen to greatness in society and have a history of creativity and scholarship. Of course, I don't know for certain, but this is the impression the documentary left with me. What do you think?

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Reflecting on "The Individual & Society"

Various internet sources define "individual" and "society" in the following ways:

Individual:

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

separate and distinct from others of the same kind

a single and distinct entity who exists in their own right. The opposite of the individual is the crowd, and a person can either exist as an individual or merely be a member of the crowd.

Individualism is the belief in the primacy of the importance of the individual and his or her autonomy. Individualism is true humanism.

While many of the readings promote these ideals, why is it that conformity is the expectation of so-called "civilized" society? Why must individuals give up their individuality in order to gain membership and acceptance in American society? Why is "English only" being pushed? Why aren't the ideals of religious freedom being supported and encouraged when it comes to non-Christians in post-9/11 America? Why were individuals being harassed and criticized for speaking out against the war when it is an individual right outlined in the Constitution? Are individual rights violated because they are too limiting? Should our rights be expressly and specifically clarified in detail, like the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights?" Does tolerance imply compromising one's own culture? Who has the right to define which culture is dominant?

Society:

A long-standing group of people sharing cultural aspects such as language, dress, norms of behavior and artistic forms
A group of people who meet from time to time to engage in a common interest
The sum total of all voluntary interrelations between individuals

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

club: a formal association of people with similar interests

company: the state of being with someone

the fashionable elite

A society is a grouping of individuals which is characterized by common interests and may have distinctive culture and institutions. Members of a society may be from different ethnic groups.

How is society being defined in HHB? Is society the whole world (global community)? Is it the national community (America)? Or is it local communities (state, county, city)? If we are speaking of American society, conformity and assimilation are the norm. Tragedy brings out patriotism and maybe national security is the "common interest" spoken of above. Does our history of separating, categorizing, labeling and segregating society down into individual factions negate our claim to be a true society? Who determines how people are grouped? When tolerance or intolerance is determined by an elite what are the effects on society as a whole? Is it possible for society to evolve if its individuals don't desire change?

We know that individuals make up a society and that a society would not be such without individuals, but if everyone in a society doesn't receive the same rights, privileges and responsibilities how can society survive? Revolutions would be inevitable. Societal decay and decadence would become the norm. What does it say about today's society when an individual's skin color is seen as more important than knowing they are a decent, productive human being? With all of our advancements and technologies, are we really that far removed from the animals we consider ourselves superior to? Or, like the Bear, should we look to Nature for solutions to the problems we have created?

Monday, August 18, 2008

We and They...Us and Them...Can the World Exist Without Opposition?

Several ideas or themes came to mind as I went over the readings in chapter 2 of HHB.

Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws, The Social Contract by Rousseau and Francis Bacon's Novum Organum can serve as a frame of reference for the ideas expressed in this unit
The violent, but systematic relationship of whites to non-whites expressed in these readings, in particular in relation to the Americas, can be contrasted with the methodology of The Willie Lynch Letter
In oppressive societies, it seem that the only way to achieve equality is by inconveniencing some in the society or by lowering the traits and skills of the "superior" to meet those that are considered "inferior." Why can't it be the opposite? Why shouldn't those with "lower" skills sets or abilities be urged to have high expectations for achievement?
A key essential question came out of "harrison bergeron" - "The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think happens to society?
In oppressive societies, why are people punished for being upstanders, resisters, rescuers?
Is rule by an elite, inevitable in a society with a marked class system? Does it matter if that elite is elected or appointed or gains power by birth?
Elite rule thrives when the masses are taught to fear retaliation of some kind from their enemies, when they are ignorant of their so-called enemies and when they have surrendered mental/psychological control of themselves to their ruling elite
Mental/psychological control leads to physical and social control
Media propaganda is a powerful tool for persuasion, false teaching, subliminal messaging, and a kind of "dumbing down" of the masses. It might therefore be useful to look at the "10 techniques of persuasion" outlined in media/advertising courses. I have used the "media lit kit" at medialit.org
The idea of the other reminded me of the Two Cradle Theory of Cheikh Anta Diop. The following link refers to the dichotonomy between "southern cradle" peoples vs. "northern cradle" peoples http://www.jalumi.com/class/csu/Two_Cradle_Theory.htm
Can the world exist without an "other"?
Is racial, national or ethnic pride wrong?
Do people live up to or thrive on the stereotypes ascribed to them? What happens when society seems to reward this embracing of lower abilities or attributes ascribed by oppressors?
FH uses "We and They" and "The White man's burden" poems, but why not also consider "Foreign Children" by Robert Louis Stevenson
In order for conquest to be complete in the New World (the Americas), leadership, rule and land ownership had to be individualized and ascribed to a few by an elite group. There was no room for territorial rule or social collectivism in a capitalist republic; therefore, indigenous and African peoples were enslaved and debased.
The issue of land ownership is at the root of global domination. One sees the correlation of several moves towards land grabbing - the manifest destiny, Berlin Conferences of 1884-1885, the local TIFF or gentrification plans (21 Plan) in Chicago, etc. Consider the original draft of the Declaration of Independence that refers to "the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of property"!
Columbus' belief that he'd found a quicker route to India is based in his acceptance of the knowledge of the day as complete....citizens didn't question the theories of the scientists of the day (this became the norm). This kind of ideological stance is very different from the beliefs of non-European cultures in which knowledge is seen as an infinite, life-long quest.
In order to enslave or mistreat a people you have to dehumanize them and systematically strip them of their rights and privileges in society.
Many of the ideas expressed in the text correlate to the theory of the role of economic racism and cultural racism in the destruction of global societies over time.
One of the readings speaks to African Americans as being "outside the universe of obligation" which is why they were able to be enslaved. Are they still outside the UoB? Is it possible that this belief is one of the barriers to reparations?
What happens to a culture, race or ethnic group when the males aren't allowed to protect, provide and function as independent men? Was slave resistance an outlet for the reclamation of manhood? Physical castration coupled with mental control of the population led to the demise of powerful men in the newly freed African communities.
Rebellion or revolts are only one form of resistance.
Orlando Patterson's referral to people of color "wearing masks" echoes the words of Paul Laurence Dunbar in the poem, "We Wear the Mask."
I wonder how current residents of Massachusetts juxtapose modern racial conflicts with the historical fact that Massachusetts was one of the first states to outlaw slavery.
Do schools today teach that the abolition of slavery (i.e., Emancipation Proclamation) was more politically and economically motivated than morally/socially?
I think the creation of the US, as is assigned in one of the "Connections" questions, is a great discussion piece for a workshop or seminar. This activity encourages Americans to face internal conflicts with civil and international conflicts.
In discussing nationalism in Europe, the statement is made that the people of India were thought of as a branch of "European," "Aryan" or "Caucasian" according to early theories, how was it possible that the British could oppress them? How could Brits oppress the Irish?
Hagen Schulze's quote regarding the burning of books in Germany and a kind of punishment by fire is reminiscent of the apocalyptic use of fire in punishing mankind (Bible), punishing the Jews (pogroms, crematoriums) and punishing of African Americans (KKK cross burnings, lynchings, church bombings). What is the symbolism of the fire? Is it spiritual? Is it political? Cultural? Social? How does this compare to "positive" or necessary uses of fire?