TW: This film depicts violence. This week, I’d like you to watch Ava DuVernay’s groundbreaking film, The 13th. You can watch the whole film on Netflix or on the link provided in Canvas. As you watch the film, take notes as you go. Write down facts that surprised you. Images that shocked/offended you. Describe moments… Read More The 13th
Today, we’re looking at the Wired Magazine article,“Social Media Helps Black Lives Matter Fight the Power” by Bijan Stephen with photos by Philip Montgomery. As you read through the article and look closely at the images, take notes about what you see. Create a two-minute response video in which you answer the following questions or… Read More Social Media and #BLM
TW: this music video depicts gun violence Today, we’re listening to/watching Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” (video below). As you watch, take notes about what you see, review the lyrics, and think about the story Glover is trying to tell us with this song. Answer the one following questions. Try and write around 200 words.… Read More Childish Gambino – This Is America
Today, we’re reading Malcolm X ‘s speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet” (audio file below). Once you’ve read this speech, respond to one of the questions below with a one- to two-minute video response: Malcolm X was born in Nebraska, but he does not see himself as an American. What do you think has happened… Read More Ballot or Bullet
Like pretty much everyone else in the US, I have an opinion about statues that honor Confederate leaders. At first, I had mixed feelings. After all, tearing down a statue doesn’t erase centuries of oppression. Moreover, the educator in me wondered if placing the statues in context would be a good compromise. For example, I… Read More Empty Pedestals
In December 2016, Wisconsin State Assemblyman David Murphy lodged a public complaint about the University of Wisconsin’s decision to allow a course entitled “Problem with Whiteness.” According to the Washington Post, the goals of the course are to “understand how whiteness is socially constructed and experienced in order to help dismantle white supremacy” and to explore… Read More Free to Teach What I Want
This week, my digital rhetoric class took an unexpected turn. When a student presented about icanhascheezburger and lolcats speak, we started a spirited discussion about the difference between a language and a dialect. BTW, here there’s a lolcat translator! Anyway, as we talked about some of the grammatical differences between a language and a dialect,… Read More LOLcats & Literacy
Two years ago, I decided to move to Memphis. When I told my friends and family, nearly all of whom are from great northern states, they were shocked. They said true and practical things like, “but you hate the heat” and “it’s so far away from home.” However, the also said some extremely biased things… Read More Seeing America, Part 1: What Is Southern?
