Rhetorical Précis In her rhetorical essay “From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos” (1999), Wesleyan University graduate and feminist Joan Morgan claims that if a man cannot love himself, than he is incapable of loving women in a healthy matter, and it is up to women of color and the African American community to change these threads. Morgan supports her claim using ethos by questioning artists such as B.I.G and their aggressive lyrics, with logos by providing statistics from the U.S Census Bureau in regards to the decrease of the number of black two parent household, and also with pathos by providing a personal example of her family friend. Morgan is hoping to improve the music industry by examining hip hop and rap lyrics in order to raise awareness instead of censoring the industry. Morgan's tone is disdainful, concerned and disappointed in order to establish credibility with her audience, which consist of women of color, feminist, and hip hop artist.
After reading the powerful novel, Make Lemonade, written by Virginia Wolff, I reflect on the life of a young woman living in poverty. It takes you on the life journey of 17 year-old, single mother Jolly, opening your eyes to the lives of less fortunate people. Many interventions occur throughout the novel. Towards the end of the book, Jolly joins the Mom’s up program for young mothers, so she can receive an education which will hopefully result in a higher paying job in the future. At school, Jolly heard a sorrowful story about a blind woman and understands the meaning of it.
In the article, “Intersections”, written by Bonnie T. Drill, she discusses how intersectionality is “an important way of understanding the organization of society – the distribution of power within it and the relationship of power and privilege to individual experience.” (p. 65). Lamar takes an intersectional approach when creating several of the songs on this album and discusses about the differentiating control and power of the music industry over black artists. For example, in the song, “Wesley’s Theory”, Lamar’s “girlfriend” is a metaphor for the rap industry whom his relationship erupted from love to lust (“Wesley’s Theory”). By addressing both sides, the black artist and white capitalist America, he shows how the industry seduces artists with the promise of material things and fame.
women into consideration. It works in both the theoretical and activist ways to empower black women against the intersectionality of racism, sexism, gender and class oppression. It plays an active role in demystifying the various negative controlling images perpetrated against black women since slavery. The prominent images are mammy, matriarch, jezebel, sapphire and breeder woman. The paper is an attempt to analyse Margaret Walker’s neo-slave narrative Jubilee as presented from the perspective of slave women.
In this essay, I will talk about how J. Cole goes about empowering women through exceptional lyrics, broad metaphors, and positive tone. Incorporated throughout the entire song are exceptional lyrics. The song is about flaws, a “Crooked smile” for example, and how those flaws do not limit any
Something that has been prevalent in our society for the past few decades is the image of racism; whether it be through social media, films or magazines. Unfortunately, the images we have witnessed regarding racism are very negative. These images often show the group who is being the victim of this behavior too often be at fault; almost saying that because they are a certain color or from a certain culture that they are set up for failure based on their actions. This is the case in the movie “The Help”, where viewers watch black women become domestic workers for white women in the southern states during the civil rights movements. With the help of theorist Stuart Hall and Michael Omi and Howard Winant, this essay will intend to show that Hollywood
Through Patricia Collins’: Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment, can be applied to Beyonce’s own song: Formation. Through this particular song and music video, Beyonce demonstrates in several ways the empowerment of African American women through her lyrics and the images she portrays in her own music video. Similarly, Patricia Collins’ black feminist thought relates to this form of empowerment through her own critical analysis.
The Sexism and Misogyny: Who Takes the Rap?, Bell Hooks made a good argument about the problem of the “gangsta rap” music being produce in the market. Even though the black men are the one who writes this kind of music, it is important to remember that they are not the only one responsible for this misogynistic rap among black women. Hooks is emphasizing the participation of powerful white people who helped to produce and supports this kind music. She also talks about that black men are being encourage to make lyrics that endorse sexism, violence and misogyny because they can make a lot of money through this type of music. Also in regards with Combahee River Collective Statement, it also discusses how black women fight together with black men
The brutal and persistent sexual abuse that the black woman has sustained both within and outside film and literature, has led to an arguable desexualisation of the black woman. Where sexuality is not centred on the gratification of the black woman as a willing participant, but rather as a means of survival, where sexual acts are things that are done to them, rather than them being equal participants. Unwanted sexual harassment caused Black women archetype to take on the de-sexualised role of the black woman to try and get away from the horrible sexual acts committed against them. During the last century women seemed to gain more control over their sexuality, lives and destinies, at least in the movies. The ‘strong Black woman’ representation
This common incident rooted a seed in millions of dark skinned black girls that their skin is not good enough, that they need to do whatever they can to become lighter. The women relay to the audience that they were discriminated on a different level from their lighter counterparts in that they were being called monkeys, tar babies and a variety other slurs aimed specifically at them. For them, this shaped their reality for years to come. They faced feelings of insecurity and self-hatred. Tales of hating their skin so much that they tried bathing in bleach or would try scrubbing their skin off as if it were just dirt and not a part of their being resonate with millions of black girls (“Dark
Both Laurie Anderson’s motivational song “Beautiful Red Dress” and Carrie Underwood’s more uplifting song “Nobody ever told you” addresses positivity, yet each poet employs unique shifts in tone to achieve her respective purpose. Laurie Anderson portrays women as treated unfairly while Carrie Underwood motivates women to view themselves as confident and self-reliant. Anderson’s use of literary devices, anaphora, and imagery emphasize the neglection of women, and emphasizes the gender inequality which causes economic inequality. However, in contrast, Carrie Underwood’s use of literary devices, similes, and anaphora highlights the positivity of women.
Everyone loves music, don’t they? Or at least grow up listening to it? I Sold My Soul to Rock and Roll by Kristina Gray, the text I read, made Rock and Roll seem controversial to the common comprehension I already had on this "loud" and "raucous" genre of music. In my mind, rock stars have crazy fun nights and they partied on every tour they adjourned. Gray conveyed how the lives of men in the rock and roll industry really are, because of this I agree that women are not portrayed accurately in this category of “white music," and I say this because I am studying women's feminism.
I also learned a lot about silence that summer. Courtesy of Audre Lorde’s “Sister Outsider”, I faced the false sense of security I found in silencing my Blackness. I realized that because other voices would always be privileged over my own, that because violence camouflages itself in the absence of words, I had to speak up -- literally and figuratively. Highlighting my metaphorical voice involved understanding the idea of intersectionality. For me, this meant confronting that though there are many facets to my identity they all concurrently exist and choosing to focus on one identity at a time functioned as another form of silencing.
Using intense symbolism and characterization, Alice Walker introduces the silent struggle between the interpretations of what African American culture should be, more African or more American, and how it should be treated, whether treated like a living component of one’s identity or treated as a painting at an art museum, hung up for all to see and not touch. Laying underlying in every conversation about the past, the scuffle between which way the culture should lean, causes arguments in every social class, background, gender, and age of African Americans. Walker takes a stance on this controversial topic and recounts a story of mother and daughter against daughter, old fashioned against contemporary, daily life against
Taylor Swift wasn’t always the ‘feminist’ that she claims to be, before her ‘empowering’ award speeches and squads, the young icon said in an interview that she does not want to be called a feminist. Marketplace feminism, based on Zeisler’s book, We Were Feminists Once, is a form of “branding feminism as an identity that anyone can and could consume.” The boom of feminism in pop culture led Taylor Swift and many artists went with the ‘trend’ that is feminism. Yet, majority fail to discuss sensitive issues that the media might think will not go well the audiences.