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To complete your journal, write a 100-150 word summary for your journal. In 150+/- words, summarize the media you discussed in your blog and what you learned; what you thought was interesting; what surprised your or confirmed your thoughts on power, representation, privilege, and difference in America; and overall, how it related to the course material in a general way.

Hey Everybody welcome back! I learned a lot about modern African American society, their history, suffering, culture and so much more. I also got to watch a lot of TV along the way and listen to great music. I enjoyed this multi-media part of the course because I had the freedom to chose what I got to watch and listen too. 

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1. What is the subject of your film, program, or internet/social media selection? Provide a brief summary, describing your selection and how it relates to our course topics, readings, and screenings.

Hey Everybody! Today, instead of reviewing a TV show or film, I will be presenting you guys with one of my favorite Chicago Rappers and Activists; Vic Mensa. Victor Kwesi Mensah was born on the South Side of Chicago and is currently 28 year old. Some of his major accomplishments are within his music career, being nominated for a Grammy, collaborating with Artists like Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Jay-Z and many more. However, his most prevalent relationship towards this class is how active he is in the South-Side Chicago Community as well as being very vocal about worldly affairs and United States Involvement. Vic brings a lot of resources and knowledge back to his community, and he even helps fundraise for many different types of humanitarian causes.

2. Referring to related and appropriate readings and screenings from the course, describe how your selection represents racial and ethnic identities (and if applicable, intersectionality). In what ways does your selection for each of the journal entries generate a conversation regarding race, ethnicity, and cultural diversity? Include citations! Vic Mensa is of Ghana decent, as his father is a Ghana Migrant while his mother is a white American. This already colorful assortment of different cultures had introduced Vic to many different lifestyles and identities ever since he was an infant. With this worldly mindset, Vic managed to incorporate many of these instances and cultural experiences into his Music. For Instance, The song called “No More Teardrops” is a song which references an African American struggles within the Urban Communities during COVID, where drugs and violence run rampant, and the Police officers who swore to protect do nothing but contribute to these misfortunes. The lyrics: “White folks protesting ’cause they can’t leave, Try twenty-five to life, that’s a real quarantine, They just take the mask off when they can’t breathe, But we got officers knees in our oesophagus/ Face blue ’cause he running out of oxygen.” This made a direct reference towards George Floyd, which he attended and helped arrange several BLM Walks and Protests for. 

3. Include an image, video, link or other media elements for your selection. The more media-rich the post, the higher the grade. Include citations!

Vic doesn’t just talk about things that revolve around him, but he also is extremely active in any community seeking justice. attached to this post are just a few instances where Vic will travel extremely far, even across the globe to raise awareness. He also doesn’t limit his platform towards just African Americans, Vic has raised awareness and participated in Hunger Strikes, Justice for Palestine, Brenna Taylor’s Murder, Police Violence across all walks of life, as well as the criminal justice system, where he even helped save a death row inmate, by informing the community and seeking help from Influential people like Kim Kardashian (with a fan base at just over 200 Million on one social media platform) and many other actors. ALSO attached, is the time I had the opportunity to meet Vic at a Concert in Iowa City :) 

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1. What is the subject of your film, program, or internet/social media selection? Provide a brief summary, describing your selection and how it relates to our course topics, readings, and screenings. Hi again Everybody! Today I am going to be reviewing the 2018 Comedy/Historic Drama "Blackkklansman" which stars awesome actors like John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier and Topher Grace. "Blackkklansman" depicts the story of Ron Stallworth journey into infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan as they attempt to expand and encourage their racist and white supremacy practices in Colorado Springs during the 1970's. Ron Stallworth is one of the first Black Officers in the CSPD, and intends to utilize his moral obligation as a police officer to provide protection and serve his community. He along with his colleges devise a plan to send in a white police officer; Flip, to go undercover on behalf of Ron, as he would be operating from the Police Station and providing his collogue Flip with information like meeting places and personal information. This movie showed how well people of all different races can collaborate with one another against the face of tyranny and injustice.  Ron, Flip, Patrice and other fellow officers, begin to unfold and unravel several terrorist attempts that would target the black community. In the instances where this occurs, it reminds me of several occasions where white supremacy were able to complete these actions without any consequences. However, in the Movie the protagonists do what ever they can, and even in one instance save Patrice's life from a potential car bombing. 2. Referring to related and appropriate readings and screenings from the course, describe how your selection represents racial and ethnic identities (and if applicable, intersectionality). In what ways does your selection for each of the journal entries generate a conversation regarding race, ethnicity, and cultural diversity? Include citations! The entire movie is about Identity! Ron, a black man, is pretending to be Flip, a white man, who infiltrates an organization entirely managed by white people, to cause harm to the black community! It is extremely comical (it feels so wrong to laugh!) whenever Ron contacts the KKK, in order to gain information and intelligence against them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tFrGaU6p5U at (1:23), we see the ENTIRE police department in shock over Ron's fabricated racist personality. This generates the conversation of the obvious connotation that; WE ARE ALL THE SAME ON THE INSIDE. Throughout the entire investigation, Ron pretends to be a white man, and on the opposite side of the phone, they believe him. Without actually seeing Ron, and just believing in his words (although they are extremely hate-filled and racist), he was invited into the KKK... An organization which hates African Americans. (Imagine of all that effort was directed elsewhere 😢) 3. Include an image, video, link or other media elements for your selection. The more media-rich the post, the higher the grade. Include citations! Although most of the movie contains some pretty fictional instances of Ron Stallworth’s investigation, including the car bombing scene which was suppose to kill Patrice, Ron Stallworth’s story is far from being fiction. Ron ACTUALLY called the KKK and gave him his real name. and on top of that Ron ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH THE KKK GRAND WIZARD; David Duke over the phone, Who ACTUALLY processed his KKK Membership Card PERSONALLY. Attached to this post is the KKK Membership Card filled out to Ron by David in the 1970′s, which he still carries today...

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1. What is the subject of your film, program, or internet/social media selection? Provide a brief summary, describing your selection and how it relates to our course topics, readings, and screenings.

Hey Everybody! Today I am going to be reviewing the family friendly modern African-American inspired Sitcom “black•ish” hosted on ABC. This show incorporates and delivers a lot of stereotypical instances of African American culture in America, for example, they often describe issues with Police Brutality and Racial Discrimination, as well as identity crisis's and learning to live with the cultural differences. There is even a heart wrenching episode where they describe the African American idea of “Hope” being tarnished and stolen around every corner (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwcychAm--s) which really illustrates the emotional and serious content the show is capable of producing.

 2. Referring to related and appropriate readings and screenings from the course, describe how your selection represents racial and ethnic identities (and if applicable, intersectionality). In what ways does your selection for each of the journal entries generate a conversation regarding race, ethnicity, and cultural diversity? Include citations!

I think this has an awesome connection with Kip Fulbeck’s Hapa Project. As the show’s title describes, the family does not truly see themselves as ethnically African, But they are a modern and interesting combination of African American and western cultures. The Hapa Project defines the word “Hapa” as a translation to the English word “Half”, and as the show progresses, they make several references towards being “half black” and “half white”. Anthony Anderson character “Dre”, even works in an office where there is an obvious disparity about their black and white cultures. 

3. Include an image, video, link or other media elements for your selection. The more media-rich the post, the higher the grade. Include citations!

attached is one of my favorite scenes from the show. It shows Anthony's Character “Dre”, ignoring a little girl clearly distressed in an elevator because of the implications that as a “black man”, he will be punished! “Dre” defends himself to the very end, even having his family sponsor and encourage his idea of “Danger” when presented with the child in the Elevator. Although this show is a comedy sitcom, the truth about the issue is a bit concerning and somewhat understandable. Comedy is Tragedy plus time, and there have been several occasions in the past where African Americans were incriminated on bogus charges.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daJZU5plRhs

Another fun clip is when Daughter Zoey Johnson played by Yara Shahidi goes to college and experiences “SJW”s at the campus. Her reaction towards their attitudes and culture is honestly so funny, and when the Campus Host describes her identity Pronouns at “1:06“, we can see Zoey and another College student react questionably at their very lengthy and lucid description.  “Tri-Racial, gender fluid, panoramic demi-sexual”. XD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcM5zL1bNPQ