Reading and Writing for Social Justice

Sabina Chackerian 802  Reading and Writing for Social Justice

Basu, Moni, Moni Basu Reported from Ferguson. Holly Yan, Dana Ford, Greg Botelho, Sara Sidner, Rachel Clarke, Ralph Ellis, Dave Alsup, Steve Almasy, Jason Hanna, and Evan Perez. "Protesters Torch Police Car in Another Tense Night in Ferguson." CNN. Cable News Network, 26 Nov. 2014. Web. 28 Nov. 2014

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/25/justice/ferguson-grand-jury-decision/index.html

This article talks about people’s reaction to the grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18 year old Michael Brown. Many people as well as myself believe this is an example of social injustice. It states in the article “Activists are set to rally tuesday in more than 115 cities in the united states speaking out in support of Brown’s family and accusations about police violence and racial injustice-- rooted in the fact that Brown was black and Wilson is white.” I agree with these activists. This is something many people should carefully look at and try to prevent. So many years of fighting for social equality have still left many unchanged, and we need to be able to figure out who these people are.

This case is definitely more closely looked at because of the place it took place in, Missouri. Many more people are not as accepting of racial equality here as in New York. Even so I can still relate this to the things I see everyday, just on a much smaller scale. People at my school and in my neighborhood are very much aware of race and this can lead to certain social divisions. One example is how people often associate more with there own race, and in a place where this is a large majority of white people, such as Park Slope, this can cause people of other races to feel either left out or put on the spot. This could be bothering to many in school or on the street and could be preventing people from getting the proper education if they are focused on being an outcast, even if no one is expressing this or bullying them for this.

Observing my neighborhood and finding social injustice

1. Kids at John Jay get forced to leave school grounds immediately after school, while this doesn’t happen at other nearby schools.
2. Kids with disabilities are not as socially accepted at M.S.51
3. The less wealthy kids often need to eat in the cafeteria which is considered less desirable  
4. On social media people often show off their things which can often create a competitive environment
5. If you are better looking this often plays a big role in who is popular

One social injustice scenario that really stands out to me is on social media. Social media is a place where teens often show their things and experiences this can create a competition between people. Less wealthy teens often have less nice things and less interesting experiences to show on social media. This can make them feel uncomfortable, and when looking at other peoples nice things this can make them feel as if they aren’t getting enough and they are some how deprived. One big example is on Instagram, here it is not just words but actual proof of things through pictures, that is the main focus of Instagram, what things and experiences are you having? On other social media website such as Facebook there is a little more of a balance between sharing words as well as show off things. Instagram can kind of be seen as one big competition where people try to show off and the less wealthy teens can end up feeling left out or feel as though it is unfair.

Interview #1:

What do you believe is good in our world?

I believe one of the good things in the world is people’s generous response to the tragedies of others. One example being hurricane sandy, were social media was very instrumental in directing people to websites where they could donate money to the organizations providing assistance. Corporations also provided help for these people by pledging money and providing resources. Many people went down to personally help in anyway they could. This shows the compassion that people feel for others.

What do you believe is unjust in our world?

I believe that the way people are paid for their labor is often very unjust. For example the senior executives of companies should not be paid tens of millions of dollars a year while they pay many of their employees less than a living wage. Another thing that I believe is unjust is how children of families that have very little money have such a small chance of getting a good education which means many intelligent, ambitious and bright children are missing opportunities to contribute to society.

Response to interview #1

I agree with what was said in this interview. It was interesting to see someone who is out of work still having strong feelings and being connected to how much workers are paid she also talked about kids that don’t have a lot of money and those issues even though this is not something she is experiencing she can still think about it and put herself in someone elses shoes. This I believe is a big step in solving social issues. Many people aren’t motivated to help because they can’t put themselves in other peoples shoes. It was also interesting that the things she thought were good in the world were alot more general then what she thought was unjust in the world. Overall, I think she did a good job of looking at the problems of everyone and not just of herself.

Responding to something in the news

On November 30, channel New York 1 did a report on Robert Gonzalez. He resigned from his job of 20 years in the NYPD to become a teacher. He stepped down after someone else got the job of deputy commissioner of training, sources say this was the job he wanted. He is also a part of the National Latinos Officer Association. This group has been very critical of the NYPD for not appointing hispanics to the highest ranks of the department. The Latino officers Association Statement on Roberts resignation said that Bratton, the head of the police department, should have looked more carefully and recognize “Latino talent at the same level as white privilege.” If I was in the position as Robert Gonzalez I would think carefully if it was right to appoint who they did or if I was just as good a candidite. I would continue to be a part of the National Latinos Officer Association if possible and continue to fight for the rights of Latinos in the NYPD even though I was no longer a part of it.

Interview #2

Liz Iannotti works at LaGuardia Community College teaching English as a second language. She is also the Assistant Director of the E.S.L program.

Why did you want to be a teacher?

I enjoy interacting with students. English is so important to their lives in New York City. It is wonderful to see their improvement.

What do you look forward to each day at work?

I look forward to talking with students and laughing about the curiosities of the English Language. I also enjoy sharing ideas with other teachers.

What is the biggest reward of teaching these adults?

Helping them get into college or get a job because this has such an impact on their lives.

What is a challenge for you teaching these adults?

One challenge is trying to keep students motivated when they don’t learn as well as some of the other students.

Response to interview #2

Liz changes the world everyday by educating adults who need to learn what she teaches for their daily lives. These people need to learn english to get into college and get jobs to help make a future for themselves. Without any E.S.L programs these students wouldn’t be able to do these things for themselves in NY. Not only is this program very important for the students but these students can now teach their families or other people from their country. Liz doesn’t just do her job, she is very involved and dedicated to these students and making sure they get the proper help they need.

""Try" Lyrics." COLBIE CAILLAT LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/colbiecaillat/try.html

“Try” by Colbie Caillat analysis

This song talks about how girls and women don’t have to try so hard to try to be liked by doing things like putting on makeup and doing our hair we just have to be ourselves and people will like us for who we are and we should like ourselves for who we are. I think this song delivers a great and strong message to girls. Many people in general experience feelings of self consciousness but this song is a good reminder that people will like you for you. Alot of media can create unrealistic images of especially girls which can lead girls to spend hours each day trying to be something which is basically impossible to be. This is not healthy and puts a lot of stress on girls.

This song also reminds girls that they are their own worst critic and if they like themselves then that’s what matters. The last line of the song is “Don't you like you? Cause I like you.” This leaves people thinking about it and understanding that that is the important question and if they do like themselves that is what matters. saying “Cause I like you” makes it also known that there are people out there that love you for you and that shouldn’t be forgotten.

The Brady Bunch  Analysis

This show was popular in the 1970’s and when ending in 1974 continued to be even more popular among kids and teens. The Brady Bunch is a sitcom about an all american blended family with 6 kids all living in one house. Here we have many examples of teens and children being portrayed by hollywood. One thing that stands out is that they are all white, the two families that came together were both white, and so the 9 main characters, the Brady’s and their housekeeper, are white. Not only are the large amount of main characters white but all the guest characters such as the children's friends are also all white. Another thing that stands out is their obvious wealth. They own a large house with a backyard and can afford to have a live in housekeeper. This is something that probably would have been a little bit more realistic for families when the show aired but is still portraying a rich family then and definitely now. They are able to have this big house and green backyard because they live in the suburbs. This is another way hollywood portrays children. Kids are influenced by TV and like books kids can often look for a relatable character, this “right” way to live only represents a small fraction of kids but there are not many other shows that represent the rest. This can leave kids feeling bad about themselves and again somehow deprived.