Carl's Jr.

In this song, Bada$$ discusses the issue of mass incarceration amongst black communities and the want to initiate change. He raps; “Can't change the world unless we change ourselves” refer to the responsibility of everyone to change their ways to be more aware of the issues occurring around them in order to bring change to the world. Likewise, he raps, “I feel my ancestors unrested inside of me. It's like they want me to shoot my chance in changing society” referring to the responsibility her…

In this essay, I will be analyzing an interview between Dr. Brown and Reverenced Jesse Lee Peterson. The topic of discussion in this interview is that racism does not exist in America. Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson is a Black Christian leader and is very active in media outlets giving his views of certain matters. In this interview, he gives his opinion about how while he believes that social injustice does exist, but it isn’t skin color or socio-economic status that create them, but they are…

At the 2016 BET Awards, Jesse Williams, mostly notable known for his role on the critically acclaimed TV show Grey’s Anatomy, received the Humanitarian award. This prestigious award is given to social activists who utilize their platform as a means to shed light on the societal inequities that plague our country. During his acceptance speech, Williams addressed several pressing social issues including racism and police brutality. He also addressed the heavy criticism that movements that campaign…

The era of civil rights in the 1960s to 1970s was a time of silent protests, sit-ins and change. Included with change, however, comes the want to stop the new developing culture. This battle between advancement and stagnation created many points of history, including the civil rights movements. Both articles present the effect of civil rights movements on colleges during the 1970s as well as its influence on college campuses and the surrounding communities. In the article, “Student Radicalism…

“I have a dream…” These four words spark in the brain of readers one of the greatest speeches in history that addressed the vicious segregation and racism that plagued the country from 1880’s. This segregation was induced by the introduction of Jim Crow laws and supported with literacy laws that managed to exist without direct violation of the 15th amendment, abolishing African American’s right to vote. But why… how did this speech go down in history as one of the most powerful, and become…

Additionally, Errol’s responses brought forth a question that resurfaces many aspects of social justice and advocacy work: Power and the illusion of power. Earlier in the semester we visited Paulo Freire and Myles Hortons’ book, We Make the World by Walking, and examined the flaws of charismatic leadership and certain charismatic leaders: Overly charismatic leaders may see themselves as the driving force behind a movement and overlook how the people, in fact, are the ones who carry the momentum…

In the history of white supremacist groups, many hold extreme restorative approaches to protest actions against their beliefs. Their approach invites their followers to take action by any means necessary to protest democratic or anti-fascist actions. Throughout history, leaders of the American south garner a following through demagoguery to manipulate their audience into following them, allowing the leader to rise to power. Today, similar demagoguery is present among white supremacist leaders in…

One of the most important parts of the civil rights movement was to be able to give a compelling speech that encourages the people to act and fight for what is right. One of the key speeches of the civil rights movement was John Lewis’s speech during the march in Washington on August 28th 1968 because of his way of persuading the audience. Although he was asked to make adjustments to his already powerful speech at the March on Washington, John Lewis uses rhetorical appeals to make his argument…

One heroic character in the Rastafarian mythology is Leonard Howell, the man they call the first Rasta. He was responsible for introducing Rastafari ideologies to the Jamaican people. Though not everyone in Jamaica followed Howell and many thought he was mentally ill, there were few who thought his teachings held some truth. Thus his journey began in search of truth and freedom for his people. Howells journey ended when he died and his name and legacy went with him and his story became a myth as…

Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her parents were separated just a few years after she was born. Rosa grew up on a farm with her mother. She was home schooled until she was about eleven years old. She then went to a private African American school. Rosa also attended high school but ended up dropping out to take care of her grandmother. Eventually, she went back to high school and graduated when she was twenty years old. It was rare for African Americans to graduate…