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Reflective Essay

This reflective essay was completed after all other pieces of this portfolio were put together, and it serves as an introductory piece to my portfolio. I hope this will allow you to have a better understanding of me as a writer. 

Looking back over this portfolio, the goal was to take at least three major writing pieces from their original format and ideas, and improve them. Throughout the course of this project you will see my growth as a writer when I showcase not only my final revisions, but also my initial essays from which each revision was derived, and then four journals detailing my thoughts and feelings toward the revision process along the way.

There were steps in coming about these improvements like the proposals recently mentioned, and those stand as the outline or basis of each major revision. After finishing each revision, there is also a journal following to reveal my thinking process along the way. This goal of improvement was ultimately reached when I can go back through this portfolio and notice the changes in my work as a writer from the original essays to the final revisions.

The process of creating this portfolio was hectic because of course I want to showcase my writing, but I also need it to be formatted in a certain way to satisfy an assignment, but I would also like to have a unique ordering format in order to showcase my best work as well as the bumps along the way.

Overall, this entire portfolio is a reflection of me as a writer and thinker because it shows my thought process, as well as how I arrived at my intended writing goal-- to improve as a writer. I believe that this project showcases my best work as well as the work I am not so proud of, in order to show the growth process. I am glad to include even my worst pieces because I can show that verses my best work, and how over time I have changed as a writer. As a writer and a thinker, I am complex, I can and will take on any challenge in order to better myself, and this portfolio will detail the challenges I took in hopes of becoming a more diverse writer.

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Journal 1

My first writing journal details my goals as a writer and how I see myself as a writer. 

As a writer, I see myself as someone who has the true ability to deliver complex and relevant content with the proper guidance as well as effort. I believe that I am a good writer, however there are times where certain things need tweaking, or just need to be removed from my writing completely. Because of this, some of my past experiences with writing have not always been the best. Part of that outcome is because I haven’t always taken the editing process as seriously as it should be. While I know that editing and criticism is plays a big role in the creative writing process, this is most definitely a big flaw that I possess.   

In this course I would like to learn how to properly edit my work so that it can go from being good to great. As I mentioned before, I definitely think I am a skilled writer, but I know that my major flaw is going back and editing my writing. Usually for me, during the writing process, I will sit down in one sitting and write until my piece is finished. I will read over it once to make sure there are not spelling or grammatical errors, and then I will submit it. One thing I aspire explore in my resource guide is being able to break bad writing habits as well as editing. I want to be able to do this because I know that I will have the opportunity to add, remove, or make changes to my pieces. My aspiration in life is to pursue a career in the law field. I am not exactly sure how or to what extent I will practice, but I do know generally that I would like to be a criminal defense attorney. I know that there are many skills that I must develop in the coming years in order to be fit for that position. One of the things included with this profession are writing for the purposes of letters, public speaking, and more. In order to be successful, I need to be able to write and rewrite my work. This includes the editing process. I think this course will help me to become better at editing my work, which will give me the lifelong skills needed to exceed as an attorney.

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Original Essay 1

Electric Charges and Their Interactions

Electric charges are the fundamental properties of matter. Interactions between charges follow the basic rules of charges, that opposite ends attract, and like ends repel each other. There are only two types of charges, positive and negative, and they are represented by protons and electrons. Electric charges influence the space around through a transfer which can be direct or indirect. Indirect transfer happens through feeling and results in opposite charges. Direct transfer occurs through friction and conduction. Friction is when two surfaces rub against each other, and the applied surface attracts opposite charges from the other surface. Another form of direct interaction is two touching surfaces.

Electric potential is used to express the effect of an electric field of a source in terms of the location within the electric field. It is expressed in an equation as potential energy divided by q. Charges establish electric potential when they move. Electric current is the flow of charge caused by electric potential. In an electric circuit, there is a continuous conducting path connected between terminals of the battery. In order for charges to move in a circuit, there must be a high to low voltage difference and a continuous path. In a series, charges travel when two resistors are connected to each other from head to tail on each, and the current can only take the path connecting them. They can be reduced to one equivalent resistor. In opposition, the charges in a parallel travel with their heads are directly connected to each other and their tales are directly connected to each other. They can be reduced to one resistor using the equivalent resistance equation for resistors in parallel.

In an electric circuit, voltage plays an important role because without voltage to push them, charges will not flow. The importance of voltage is not just its presence, but the difference between two points that cause the flow. Resistance is a device which controls the flow of electrons, and is measured in Ohms. Ohm’s law state that voltage equals the current times the resistance Resistivity is a property related to the material and its constant changes with the change of temperature.

Magnets are objects that have two opposing poles, a north and a south, and that create magnetic fields around them. In magnets, like poles repel each other, and unlike poles attract each other. The roles that charges play in magnets is that they are the determining factors of the poles, meaning that if there are all positive charges on one side and all negative on the other side, then the positive end of the magnet will be the positive pole and the negative end of the magnet will be the negative pole. A magnetic field is an aura that emanates through space surrounding a magnetic object. Magnetic fields are a vector quantity, and they are given their direction by the north pole of a compass needle. Magnetic fields interact  with charges because they show the direction that the charges can travel, and are defined in terms of the magnetic force exerted on a test charge. Magnetic flux is a measurement of the total magnetic field which passes through a given area, and using it for detection is one of the most popular methods of pipeline inspection. It is a nondestructive testing technique which uses magnetic sensitive sensors to detect the magnetic leakage field of defects on both the internal and external surfaces of pipelines. Magnetic force is what a charged particle experiences when moving through a magnetic field. Magnetic force is at its maximum value when the charge moves perpendicularly to the magnetic field lines, and its value is zero when the charge moves along the field lines.

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Revision 1

In this revision, I was tasked with taking my original essay and changing it so that it relayed the same message, but so that it would be geared to five to seven year old children. 

Electric Charges and Their Interactions

 Electric charges are the building blocks of matter. There are two simple rules for us to always remember when we talk about how electric charges interact with each other. Rule one is that opposite ends attract. Rule two is that like ends repel each other. This might not make sense just yet, but let’s think about a battery. If you’ve ever seen a battery, then you know that on either end of the battery there are two symbols that look like addition and subtraction symbols. These symbols represent positive and negative ends of the battery. Electric charges are similar to this because there are two different types of electric charges, just like how a battery has two opposite ends. One kind of electric charge is a positive charge, which has an addition symbol. The other type of electric charge is a negative charge, which has a subtraction symbol. Now let’s think back to our two rules for electric charges. If opposite ends attract, that means that positive and negative charges are attracted to each other. Following rule two, if like ends repel each other, then that means that a positive charge and another positive charge are trying to get away from each other, as well as how two negative charges will try to get away from each other. Both negative and positive charges accumulate electric potential whenever they move. Electric potential is used to show how an electric field can affect a charge based on its location. Another way to think of electric potential is “the amount of work needed to move a unit charge from a reference point to a specific point against an electric field”(Britannica). So, in order to figure out electric potential we have to ask ourselves how hard does the charge have to try to get to another location inside an electric field. The equation we use to find the electric potential of a charge is potential energy divided by the unknown or given property q. Similar to electric potential, there is also something called an electric current. Electric current is the flow of charges caused by electric potential. An electric circuit is a “path for transmitting electric current”(Britannica). This means that there is a connecting path between two terminals, or endings, of the battery. In this sense, a battery does not mean a triple A battery you would use for your remote. In this sense, a battery is the medium where the electric charges flow. In an electric circuit, voltage plays an important role because without voltage to push them, charges will not flow. The importance of voltage is not just its presence, but the difference between the two points that cause the flow. Resistance is a device that controls the flow of electrons, and is measured in Ohms. Ohm’s law state that voltage equals the current times the resistance. In order for charges to move in a circuit, there are two requirements. First, there has to be a high to low voltage difference. Voltage is a unit of measurement used to represent electric potential. So in order for this requirement to be met, the two ends of the battery must have a high to low difference in the amount of electric potential energy. The second requirement that needs to be met is that there must be a continuous path. What this means is that wherever the path starts it must come back there and keep on going, like the path a circle makes. The opposite of a circuit is a series. An electrical series is the result of electric movement where two resistors are connected from head to tail, and the current can only take the path connecting them. If you remember that a circuit is when there is a continuous path like a circle, a series is the opposite, where the path is like a line segment that goes on and on but its ending never reconnects with its beginning. Magnets are objects that have two opposing poles, a north and a south, and that create magnetic fields around them. In magnets, like poles repel each other, and unlike poles attract each other. The roles that charges play in magnets is that they are the determining factors of the poles, meaning that if there are all positive charges on one side and all negative on the other side, then the positive end of the magnet will be the positive pole and the negative end of the magnet will be the negative pole. A magnetic field is a set of invisible lines in space that surround a magnetic object. Magnetic fields are given their direction by the north pole of a compass needle.  Magnetic fields interact  with charges because they show the direction that the charges can travel, meaning that the invisible lines around a magnetic object are a map for electric charges because they give directions to the charges telling them where to go. Magnetic force is what a charge experiences when moving through a magnetic field. Magnetic force is at its maximum value when the charge moves across the magnetic field, or invisible lines, perpendicularly. In conclusion, electric charges interact in many different ways. Remember the two rules of electric charges are that opposite ends, positive and negative, will attract each other, while like ends, positive and positive or negative and negative, will repel each other. Also remember that electric potential is how hard a charge has to work to move from one location to another inside an electric field. We know that electric potential is measured using the term voltage, and that without a high to low difference in voltage and a continuous path, we would not have a circuit. We also learned that the opposite of a circuit is a series and that unlike a circuit with a continuous path, a series is a path that has a starting and an ending point that do not meet at all. Finally, we learned that magnets have two opposite poles which are the north pole and the south pole. We know that these poles have imaginary lines around them called magnetic fields that are a map for electric charges because they provide them with a path to travel. With all of the new things that we learned, we are now physics experts!Works Cited

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Electric Potential.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 4 Apr. 2016, www.britannica.com/science/electric-potential.Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Electric Circuit.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 13 June 2018, www.britannica.com/technology/electric-circuit.

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Journal 2

Journal two will describe my thoughts and feelings towards the editing process after my first revision, as well as my intended plans for my resource guide. 

Having revised a past essay of mine, I feel like my experience as a writer has changed. Very rarely have I ever gone through an essay and edited it like this. When I say that I mean I have never gone through an entire essay and altered it so that it still has the same idea and purpose but a completely different audience. Working on essays that were previously written is an experience that was difficult but necessary. It is necessary because the essay I used is now more versatile, while still keeping the same main points and fulfilling its original purpose- to educate the audience about electric charges and their interactions.

I think that the claim that “the real work of writing happens in editing” is true. Yes, planning and then writing an original essay is real work. However, having to go over an essay and change it for a different purpose or just to make it stronger takes real work ethic because you have to be able to see the flaws in your own work. Personally, I feel like self criticism for be is one thing that is extremely hard for me because I try not to be too hard on myself and I end up doing it anyway, or I have a hard time even seeing flaws in my work once I feel that it is “completed.” Having to look beyond the words on the paper and make changes while keeping the same original focus is hard work when it comes to writing.

The person I intend on interviewing for my resource guide is a lawyer from my home named Robin Lord. While she is a busy woman and hard to get a hold of, I intend on interviewing her for my resource guide because she is an inspiration to me. She is a criminal defense attorney who helps bring justice to people in our community that are facing conviction of petty crimes or crimes they did not commit. I plan to go into this line of work in my career as well, and that is why I have decided that I want to interview Robin Lord.

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Original Essay 2

This essay was the original version of the second revision. 

Should Solitary Confinement Be Abolished?

Solitary confinement started out as a productive way to punish unruly prisoners for their behavior or violent actions. Solitary confinement, also referred to as “lockdown” or “the hole”, is a punitive system for prisoners, where they are to be confined to a small twelve by eight foot cell for around twenty-three hours per day, and given one hour out per day for exercising or showering. On paper, this practice is portrayed as being an effective way to punish a prisoner for violent behavior, but over time the reality of the practice is that is extremely punitive and can be detrimental to the prisoners and the prison system itself and should be abolished because of it. Confinement, or “the hole” should be abolished because not only does it disturb the mental state but it irritates those with mental illnesses, it’s too expensive, and it is an extreme abuse of power.  

The main concept of placing prisoners in solitary confinement is to be a form of punishment for violent behaviors or breaking rules. Placing inmates that already have mental illnesses can make the mental illnesses worse. If the illness is dormant, being alone with no stimulation for 23 hours in one day can be extremely detrimental. According to a source, “A number of prisoners who are placed in isolation have mental illnesses before the enter, and their illnesses are only exacerbated by their time in a small cell”(Source 2). If a particular prisoner’s illness requires that they have constant stimulation, meaning that they need to have interactions with other people, or they need to have open space to move around and think freely, being in confinement for 23 hours is not going to make anything better. The illness is like a rash, if the rash goes untreated it gets more and more aggravated which may lead it to a widespread infection- which is the same as what can happen with prisoners that are sentenced to extremely long periods of time, the mental illness that is dormant can be brought to the surface. The inmate may get irritated by the idea of being alone for so long and not having any interactions with others. Solitary confinement should be altered or ultimately abolished because it is detrimental to inmates with mental illnesses and being allotted only one hour for recreational activity or a shower is not sufficient enough.

Another reason that solitary confinement should be abolished is because it is too expensive. The way that prisons are paid for is through local tax payers’ money. The money that is supposed to be divided amongst many community aspects like schools, roads, and community buildings. “The construction of solitary cells alone is more than the average cost of a prison that holds a general inmate population”(Source 2). The fact that it costs more for confinement cells than for a general population prison makes it so much worse because the money used to pay for them is tax money- tax money that should be going to our schools and our children. Also according to source 2, “Solitary cells can cost as much as three times the expense of a normal prison cell. When prisons turn to solitary confinement as more the rule than the exception, the costs grow”(Source 2). For the cost of one set of solitary cells, up to three general population prisons can be payed for. The fact that the solitary cells cost so much means they take away funding from one thing to give to another that is less relevant.

The final reason that solitary confinement in prisons should be abolished is because it allows prison officials and officers to abuse their powers. “On any given day, about 4,300 of the system’s inmates are locked down for 23 hours a day in tiny concrete cells. Many of them to remain there for years. As additional punishment, prison officials can deny food, exercise, bedding or showers”(Source 1). The idea of an officer taking away food and a shower is extremely unconstitutional and is an abuse of power, as well as the destruction of human rights. Another thing is that prisoners can be sentenced to the hole for “offenses like having an ‘untidy cell or person,’ or for ‘littering,’ ‘unfastened long hair’ or an ‘unreported illness’”(Source 1). These “offenses” seem so petty, but can make the difference between an inmate serving part or the rest of their sentence in solitary or in general population- not to mention they are extremely unconstitutional.

Critics argue that solitary confinement is a good way of reprimanding violent behavior in prisoners. On paper, it is a good idea, but the reality is that they sentences are being overused for the smallest offenses. Solitary confinement needs to be abolished in the U.S. prison system, because they are detrimental to prisoners with mental illnesses, they are too costly and take money from children and schools, and it allows prison officials and officers to abuse their power.  

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Revision 2

This revision tasked me with taking the central idea of the original essay, and eliminating extra information so that the final product would be more precise and effective in arguing my point. 

Abolishing Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement, also referred to as “lockdown” or “the hole”, is a punitive practice used in most United States correctional facilities where an inmate is contained in a twelve by eight foot cell for about twenty three hours a day with one hour for recreation, showering, and phone calls. Hypothetically, using solitary confinement as a consequence for unruly or violent inmates would help rehabilitate that person and correct their behavior. Practically speaking, this method of punishment does not aid in rehabilitating unruly inmates and correcting behavior. Solitary confinement in United States correctional facilities needs to be abolished because it is extremely punitive and can become detrimental to the health of inmates over time. Confinement, or “the hole”, should be abolished because not only does it disturb the mental state but it irritates those with mental illnesses, it’s too expensive for the prison system, and it is used as an abuse of power by officials.

The initial idea of solitary confinement was for it to be used as a form of punishment for violent behavior and rule violations. With “... 2 million people with mental illness… booked into jails each year… Nearly 15% of men and 30% of women”(Nami 1) have preexisting mental health conditions. Most of the people who do have existing conditions who are placed in correctional facilities are there for non-violent reasons. The original purpose of solitary confinement was to correct and rehabilitate violent behavior. According to a source, “A number of prisoners who are placed in isolation have mental illnesses before the enter, and their illnesses are only exacerbated by their time in a small cell”(Source 2). Sentencing non-violent offenders to punitive circumstances intended for violent offenders is ineffective and actually detrimental. Inmates with mental illnesses and conditions who have been through solitary confinement have suffered from long term damage after their experiences. It was reported that even after years of freedom, some former inmates “... had difficulty integrating into society, felt emotionally numb, experienced anxiety and depression, and preferred to remain in confined spaces.”(Boyd 1). Human interaction is important for all people to have and being in confinement for twenty three  hours is not going to allow for these types of essential interactions. Even after their release from correctional facilities, people prefer being in confined spaces because they were forbidden from human contact for long periods of time.  Solitary confinement should be altered or ultimately abolished because it is detrimental to inmates with mental illnesses and being allotted only one hour for recreational activity or a shower is inhumane.

Solitary confinement is too expensive for the correctional system, and funding for public prison systems comes from taxes paid by citizens. “The construction of solitary cells alone is more than the average cost of a prison that holds a general inmate population”(Source 2) and “...  cells can cost… three times the expense of a normal prison cell”(Source 2). These tax funds and limited other community resources could be and should be allocated elsewhere, like schools, roads, and community buildings. While “... fiscal realities are forcing us to cut budgets for things like health and education… ask whether we should continue to use solitary confinement despite its high fiscal… costs” (NIC 1). The misuse of these funds are unreasonable because the correctional system needs to shift its focus to being more rehabilitative than punitive. The money invested into building detrimental solitary confinement cells needs to be used to introduce programs that help inmates prepare for re-entry to society, having a job, and even getting an education, but most importantly keeping recidivism rates down. People who go through their correctional sentences without receiving aid to keep them from returning are more likely to find themselves in some kind of correctional facility again.

The National Institute of Corrections estimates that on any day in this country, there are more than 80,000 inmates are being confined to isolation. When inmates are placed in solitary confinement for minor “...offenses like having an ‘untidy cell or person,’ or for ‘littering,’ ‘unfastened long hair’ or an ‘unreported illness’”(Source 1). This is a clear and evident abuse of power because these so-called offenses are not violent, since controlling violent behavior was the initial purpose of introducing solitary confinement as a punishment in correctional facilities. “On any given day, about 4,300 of the system’s inmates are locked down for 23 hours a day in tiny concrete cells. Many of them to remain there for years. As additional punishment, prison officials can deny food, exercise, bedding or showers”(Source 1). The idea of an officer taking away food and a shower is extremely unconstitutional as well as the destruction of human rights. These “offenses” are petty and most of the time far from violent, but can make the difference between an inmate serving part or the rest of their sentence in solitary or in general population. This occurs because correctional officials are able to abuse their power by assigning extremely punitive sentences for minor violations.

Upon its initial introduction to the United States correctional system, solitary confinement was supposed to be used as a way to correct violent behavior among inmates. Things clearly did not go as planned because when over 80,000 people are in solitary confinement on a given day, it is evident that this practice is being overused. Fifteen to thirty percent of the correctional inmate population today has some kind of mental illness before entering jail or prison. Being placed in solitary confinement for non-violent offenses is detrimental to the mental health of people with and without pre-existing mental illnesses. Solitary confinement is also a heavy expense placed on the United States correctional system, while these funds should be allocated to rehabilitative programs and things that prepare inmates for reentry into society. Using solitary confinement as a punitive practice to rehabilitate violent behavior needs to be abolished because it is inhumane, expensive, and ineffective in rehabilitating the inmate population in the United States.

Works Cited

*Three of the sources I used for the original essay were provided for an assignment in high school, and I no longer have access to these sources*

“NAMI.” NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness, www.nami.org/learn-more/public-policy/jailing-people-with-mental-illness.

Boyd, J. Wesley. “Solitary Confinement: Torture, Pure and Simple.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 15 Jan. 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/almost-addicted/201801/solitary-confinement-torture-pure-and-simple.

Boyd, J. Wesley. “Solitary Confinement: Torture, Pure and Simple.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 15 Jan. 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/almost-addicted/201801/solitary-confinement-torture-pure-and-simple.

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Journal 3

This journal details my thoughts after my first two revisions, and also describes some of my goals going into my final revision.

After revising two essays and completing my resource guide I feel like I have learned a lot about editing my own work. Since I decided to use essays from high school for both revision one and two, I was able to pick out flaws that I had and still have as a writer when taking my more recent essays and my older essays into consideration. I also enjoyed the editing process because it kind of reminded me of getting a refill at the nail salon, when you start with a finished product that needs work added, removed, or changed in it. I know it sounds weird but it felt like ok, yeah this essay was good, but the process of going through it and making changes to have an improved final product was fulfilling.

While still keeping the same central ideas and arguments but changing the audience or purpose was different between the two essays. Obviously the assignment requirement was different for each paper, but the editing process was much different. For the first revision, I felt like I found myself changing the wording and explanation of the content that I already had. With the second revision, I did more elimination of irrelevant information, as well as a lot of adding new, more relevant, and stronger supporting evidence to strengthen my argument.

Going into the final revision, I would like to be able to eliminate and add information to the essay, and take a different approach to writing. In the first two revisions, I sat down with my original paper and typed the exact same information using different terminology and phrases to make it different. With the third and final revision I want to use only the central idea or argument and go from there. I want to write a new essay while using the same building blocks from the original essay so I can see the difference between prior writings and now.

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Original Essay for Revision 3

This is the original essay used for the third revision. 

Colorism: A Plague on the Black Community

Colorism. In the online Oxford Dictionary, colourism-- known in the US as colorism-- is defined as “prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.” The term was coined by Alice Walker in 1983. Colorism takes form within many communities but is most prominent in the black community. It usually takes place when men and women of a lighter skin tone who possess more European features tend to be favored, and men and women of a darker skin tone with more Afrocentric features tend to be less favored and stereotyped in derogatory manors. Colorism is an issue that plagues the black community, creating a divide through stereotypes, prejudices, and Eurocentric oppression. All of these factors and more contribute to why this issue creates so much tension within the entire community.   

Colorism’s roots can be traced back to slavery, where we see the difference in skin tone of slaves. Skin tone would be the determining factor in whether a slave would work in the house closer to the master, or be left outside to work in the fields performing much more taxing labor. “Slave owners often granted more privileges to the lighter skinned slaves, saw them as smarter and more capable because of their white ancestry, allowed them some form of education or training, and occasionally granted them their freedom”(Webb 1). One of the reasons behind this separation was obviously to create a divide among slaves. Another reason was because slaves of a lighter skin tone would tend to have some type of white ancestry in their blood, and would be labeled superior to dark skinned slaves.

The separation of blacks by skin color was a tactic used during  slavery and a leading factor in why the black community today is still split based on skin tone. Another contributing factor to this plague is the stereotypes that have been aligned with different skin tones. According to Kris Crews, an established author who has written for the likes of MTV, some stereotypes she has documented are “darker-skinned women are not as pretty, they are angrier, unapproachable and dangerous. … light-skinned women are looked at as more ‘desirable’ because of colonialism”(Crews 4).

Due to the ideas imbedded in black people for so long, this issue continues to plague the community, a researcher from Sage Publications documented their findings in a study of stereotypes on different skin tones within the black community ranging from lightskin, to medium, to dark. The results are as follows. Light skin tones were associated with names such as “Light Bright, High Yellow, Red (Bone), Yellow, Mulato, Caramel, Mixed, Oreo, Vanilla” (Wilder 190). Medium skin tones were associated with names like “Brown (Skin), Milk Chocolate, Caramel, Pecan Tan”(Wilder 190). And finally, dark skin tones were associated with names like “Jigaboo, Black(ie), Darky, Midnight, Chocolate, Tar Babies”(Wilder 190). Conclusions to these findings turned out that “As light skin and dark skin reflect the polar opposites of colors, the majority of terms offered for dark are derogatory” (Wilder 190)

Although the study went on to include many more names and stereotypes, there is also the unpopular argument that colorism is not a real issue or that it does not exist. For one, most mainstream American web dictionaries do not include colorism as a term and it is only commonly acknowledged within the likes of Oxford Dictionary and Urban Dictionary. “The results of the focus groups indicate that there are 40 terms that participants commonly employed to describe themselves and others in their day-to-day lies”(Wilder 189). This is true of the black community because we still see it today where some of these terms are used lightly to describe others. These terms that were once derogatory are now used at pet names, jokes, and even in entertainment and music. In the movie “White Chicks”, a character was referred to as a “jigaboo” as a comedic slur. In rapper Shy Glizzy’s “Do You Understand?”, the term butter pecan was used as a compliment to a woman with a tan. In some cases, words like vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and other food names are used to express sexual attraction to women of different skin tones as well and it is even taken as a compliment. Although some people are accepting of these names being used to describe black people, there are still some that see these names as being derogatory, and truthfully, their original purpose was to do exactly that.

In closing, colorism is and will continue to be a plague to the black community because it brings a divide among the race. The original purpose of colorist practices was to divide slaves and make darker slaves feel inferior to lighter slaves. It has since evolved to have the black community continuing to divide itself based off of skin tone and associating lighter skin and European features as favorable, and darker skin tones with more Afrocentric features to being less favorable and inferior. Over time, some people have denied colorism as being a problem within the black community and even normalized the behavior, while others recognize and acknowledge it as a plague. Colorism is and will continuously be an issue faced by the black community, diminishing the unity using stereotypes, prejudices, and Eurocentric oppression. In order to end this issue, it is important for the black community to be educated on this issue in hopes of bringing an end to it. The fair treatment of all black people regardless of skin tone is imperative in order to move forward as a race. “A house divided against itself cannot stand”(Abraham Lincoln).

Works Cited

1.Wilder, JeffriAnne. “Revisiting ‘Color Names and Color Notions’: A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 41, no. 1, 2010, pp. 184–206. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25704101.

2. Crews, Kris. “Colorism: An Unspoken Topic Going Far Beyond ‘Skin-Deep.’” Black Excellence, 27 Mar. 2018, blackexcellence.com/colorisms-toll-within-the-black-community/.

3. Webb, Sarah L. “Colorism: Roots and Routes.” Colorism Healing, 18 Aug. 2017, colorismhealing.org/colorism-roots-and-routes/.

4. Abraham Lincoln’s House Divided Speech, 1858.

5. Oxford Dictionary (web version)

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Revision 3

In this revision, I was challenged to use my own original writing along with one scholarly article in order to further push my argument. 

Colorism and Black Women

In the online Oxford Dictionary, colourism-- known in the US as colorism-- is defined as “prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group”. This particular prejudice first received its name in 1983, when Alice Walker described the preferential treatment of people with darker skin within the black community. Colorism does occur within most ethnic and racial groups when people with light skin and European features are favored over dark skin people and Afrocentric features. While colorism is an issue that affects men and women, the derogatory generalizations tend to be more detrimental to women because of prejudicial stereotypes and Eurocentric oppression.

Colorism and its roots trace back to slavery, where skin tone determined certain privileges that would be available to slaves. Skin tone separated slaves because lighter skinned slaves worked in the house closer to the master, and were thought to be smarter and genetically better. On the other hand, darker skinned slaves received much more harsh treatment, and were tasked with working outside performing more taxing labor. “Slave owners often granted more privileges to the lighter skinned slaves, saw them as smarter and more capable because of their white ancestry, allowed them some form of education or training, and occasionally granted them their freedom”(Webb 1). The reason behind this separation was to create a divide amongst slaves, labeling light skinned slaves as superior because of their white ancestry.

The long term effects of colorism during slavery can be traced to modern day attitudes and behavior between people of different skin tones within the black community, especially when it comes to women. According to Kris Crews, an established author who has written for the likes of MTV, some stereotypes she has documented are “darker-skinned women are not as pretty, they are angrier, unapproachable and dangerous. … light-skinned women are looked at as more ‘desirable’ because of colonialism”(Crews 4).

In a 2010, JeffriAnne Wilder conducted a research study at the University of North Florida that would survey black women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five about common stereotypes based on skin tone. The study asked participants to report stereotypes regarding light skin, medium, and dark skinned women they were familiar with. Light skin tones were associated with names such as “Light Bright, High Yellow, Red (Bone), Yellow, Mulato, Caramel, Mixed, Oreo, Vanilla” (Wilder 190). Medium skin tones were associated with names like “Brown (Skin), Milk Chocolate, Caramel, Pecan Tan”(Wilder 190). And finally, dark skin tones were associated with names like “Jigaboo, Black(ie), Darky, Midnight, Chocolate, Tar Babies”(Wilder 190). Conclusions to these findings turned out that “As light skin and dark skin reflect the polar opposites of colors, the majority of terms offered for dark are derogatory” (Wilder 190). At the conclusion of the study, Wilder reported that there had been forty terms that participants used to identify themselves and others.

Over time, the same terms that were once derogatory have been rebranded and used as pet names, jokes, and in entertainment. In the movie “White Chicks”, a character was referred to as a “jigaboo” as a comedic slur. In rapper Shy Glizzy’s “Do You Understand?”, the term butter pecan was used as a compliment to a woman with a tan. There are also words like vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and other foods are used to fetishize black women or express sexual attraction to women of different skin tones. Even though these names are used differently by everyone, they are used most with black women and can make it hard for black women to be accepting of themselves and others.

Overall, colorism continues to plague the black community, but most effectively with black women because it fetishizes and praises Eurocentric features, and associates Afrocentric features with negativity and derogatory stereotypes. Colorist practices trace back to slavery, where slave owners promoted the separation of slaves based on skin tone and labeling lighter skinned slaves with white ancestry as superior to darker skinned slaves. Over time, it has evolved and these behaviors and attitudes toward dark skinned women have been normalized within the black community. Colorism continues to negatively affect black women and diminish the unity between women of different skin tones through prejudicial stereotypes and Eurocentric oppression. JeffriAnne Wilder’s research study confirms the claim that colorism has affected black women detrimentally, promoting self hatred and separation. In order to make changes and promote self love and acceptance among black women and the community, it is imperative that people are educated on this problem in efforts to bring it to an end. Fair treatment of black women is necessary to move forward, together as a race. “A house divided against itself cannot stand”(Abraham Lincoln).

Works Cited

1.Wilder, JeffriAnne. “Revisiting ‘Color Names and Color Notions’: A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 41, no. 1, 2010, pp. 184–206. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25704101.

2. Crews, Kris. “Colorism: An Unspoken Topic Going Far Beyond ‘Skin-Deep.’” Black Excellence, 27 Mar. 2018, blackexcellence.com/colorisms-toll-within-the-black-community/.

3. Webb, Sarah L. “Colorism: Roots and Routes.” Colorism Healing, 18 Aug. 2017,  colorismhealing.org/colorism-roots-and-routes/.

4. Abraham Lincoln’s House Divided Speech, 1858.

5. Oxford Dictionary (web version)

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Journal 4: Final Thoughts

This final journal will allow you to see my final thoughts after completing all revisions, and how I now view myself as a writer. 

After having completed all three revisions for this course, I have learned to value the editing process much more. Before, I would write a paper and submit it as is with little proofreading to check for grammar and spelling errors. From the first revision, I realized that my writing can be shared with all different audiences while still relaying the same message regardless of how complicated the content may or may not seem. My thoughts on writing have changed in the sense that I can now look back at my own writing and editing, and appreciate the difference because I now know that even if I think my original piece was good enough that it can and will be better after editing. I plan on entering the law field and I see not only writing but editing as an imperative part of that career path because as a lawyer, I will be tasked with preparing writing probably for myself and others very often. I also think that the editing process will be a part of this as well because what I may initially prepare might need to be changed to fit the audience or particular situation. My least favorite part of this process was acknowledging that my work needed work, and when I say that I mean that I never really looked at my writing and thought it could be better. I always feel like I submit my best work, and to realize that this isn’t always the case was a serious and unpleasant reality check.

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Resource Guide

This resource guide serves as a motivational tool for me in order to keep track of my long and short term goals.

My goal is to finish undergraduate school, continue on to graduate law school and pass the bar exam to become a lawyer. I am drawn to this goal because I feel like this United States’ criminal justice needs reform as well as people who are dedicated to putting those necessary changes in place. As an attorney I hope to be able to help people who need legal aid as well as helping to implement changes. I am drawn to this goal because I do not feel like women of color are equally represented in this work field, but also because these changes to the criminal justice system will be directly affecting people close to me and the community that I grew up in.

Motivation

The driving force behind my actions, behaviors, and goals

Having a strong motivation as a law student is important because becoming a lawyer will not be easy, but with the right motivation I will be able to achieve that goal.

Brilliant

To be mentally alert, and academically capable of taking on any workload

As a lawyer, you need to be smart when it comes to your work, but also with the decisions you make because they can cost you your whole career or advance it.

Work Ethic

Being a hard worker, values surrounding the importance of good work

It is important that a successful lawyer have a strong work ethic. Your work ethic is going to be essential because you need to be able to be able to manage time and balance several tasks that all need attention.

Goal-oriented

Striving to achieve certain goal(s)

It is important as a law student and as a lawyer to be goal oriented because there are so many things to achieve and being goal oriented will help keep you on track.

Groomed

Having and maintaining a clean and professional appearance

It is important for a lawyer to be groomed and to have a professional appearance because it can enhance credibility and confidence.

Precise

Defined explicitly; articulate

As a lawyer, it is important to be precise in all of your work and related documents. This is important because you have to juggle a lot of work related tasks so everything needs to be in order and completed precisely.

Competitive

Inclined to compete; striving for competition

It is important for a lawyer or law student to be competitive, especially in environments like Washington, DC because there are skilled lawyers everywhere you turn. In order to not be just another lawyer and be grouped with the bunch you have to be competitive about all opportunities so that you stand out from others.

The Negro Lawyer and His Clients by William H. Hale

This journal is about black lawyers in Chicago and their professional practices. The journal spends a great deal of time discussing the challenges faced by this lawyer such as racism and prejudice in the professional field, and how all black professionals face these same challenges.

This journal relates to my goal because it outlines the challenges lawyers faced during times of segregation and prejudice and I too, as an aspiring lawyer have to possibility of facing these same challenges. It also talks about how these same lawyers are pursuing their professional careers and how they reacted to challenges and actions taken to persevere through them.

Invisible by Stephen L. Carter

This book is about a black woman who served as the lawyer tasked with taking down America’s most powerful mobster. This book relates to my goal because Eunice Hunton Carter’s career in the 1940s made her an important symbol. She is an inspiration for black women who aspire work in the law field. When the special prosecutor for this case selected twenty lawyers to help him ‘clean up’ illegal activity, Carter was the only lawyer selected who was not a white male, making her the only black woman.

This book relates to my goal of becoming an influential lawyer because this woman proved that it can be done regardless of the barriers she faced, like being the only black woman.

Phi Alpha Delta  Law Fraternity International

This on-campus organization is a pre-professional fraternity that focuses on helping its members to achieve their professional aspirations. The organization is centered around pre-law students. They provide study material and help practicing for LSATs, they help secure internships and other important services for pre-law students.

Although I am not affiliated with this organization, it is related to my goal because some of the services they provide can be helpful for future experiences I may come across in aspiring to become a law student and a successful lawyer.

Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division, National Bar Association

GWAC is an organization whose purpose is to provide educational opportunities and support to its members, primarily African American women.

This is directly related to my goal because this organization supports the professional development of its members, and in order to be a successful lawyer, professional development is a key to make sure that you are achieving your goals.

Step 2:

The skilled professional in my desired career field that I had the pleasure of interviewing was Ms. Lisa Lynch, Esq. Ms. Lynch is an attorney who practices law at the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts.

What are three skills you possess that help you develop as an attorney? Why are they important?

As an attorney, I have analytical skills, negotiation skills, and research skills. All three of these are important because they are the building blocks of my job as an attorney. Times have come where I needed to be able to negotiate a deal, research information for my cases, and had to go on and analyze that information as well.

      2. Have you faced any gender- or race-based challenges that you felt like you had to overcome? If so, what and how? If not, what challenges have you experienced first hand in your road to becoming an attorney.

I experienced both race and gender based challenges the most during my years in law school. Since it is a competitive environment at Howard University Law School, that was a lot of a  challenge for me because I had to get used to a new environment since I had not attended an HBCU during my undergraduate years. 

       3.What advice would you give to someone like me who looks up to you as a professional , and what should I be most prepared for?

The most important thing that you should keep in mind is that you have to keep your end goal in mind. There will be challenges and adversities along your whole career path, but you must remain resilient in reaching your goals.

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Author’s Statement: Welcome to My Portfolio

Each piece of writing displayed here is an intricate piece of my evolution as a writer. In this short time period of semester, I have evolved as a writer from having my pieces organized into a more structured manner so that my audience can have a better understanding of what ideas I am trying to get across. Although most of the pieces have no direct relation to each other, they show the writing process that I go through by using different writing styles to express different ideas. My introductory writing piece is the first piece I wrote during this semester and it definitely shows many of my flaws as a writer. My “Making Connections” pieces are short writings displaying connections that I found between pieces of art and contemporary events that are occurring in the world today. My three major essays are the three that show the most evolution as a writer as far as organization is concerned. Looking through this selection, the change and growth as an author is very evident from start to finish. When these pieces are read as a collection they depict my personal growth as a writer.

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About the Author: J. Alexandria Muhammad

Jordan Muhammad was born to a biracial, Christian mother and an African American, Muslim father.  She was raised in a predominantly white community but regularly exposed to an urban community through the work of her parents.  Graduating from a predominantly white high school with friends who crossed racial and socio-economic boundaries, Jordan chose to persue her academic future at Howard University, in Washington DC at a time when this country is as racially divided as ever.

Jordan developed a love of writing as a young child and was often praised for her ability to express difficult topics with care and compassion.  Writing continues to be a passion of Jordan’s as she continues through the process of educating herself with her sights set on a legal career that will allow her to attack social injustice.

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Introductory Writing: Protest

Protest. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, protest is defined as “the act of objecting or a gesture of disapproval; resigned in protest;  especially : a usually organized public demonstration of disapproval”(merriam-webster.com). Protest is used for many different reasons and exercised several ways. For example, teachers are going on strike from work until they receive higher pay- this is an act of peaceful protest. On the other hand, longtime residents of an underserved community organize a riot against local officials  seeking a favorable outcome. During this protest, there are items thrown, burned, and even stolen- this is an example of a violent protest.

Overtime, people have been driven to protest for a plethora of different reasons- ranging from protecting healthcare to more effective laws. Citizens choose to take part in protests because they are professing disapproval. For example, a rule put in place requires all public school students to wear uniforms, students, parents, and teachers are led to protest to express their opposition. In this case one of the most effective forms of protest are civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is a form of peacefully protesting where participants decide not to follow a rule on purpose. Students can choose to participate by coming to school in clothing of their choice, willingly accepting the consequences of this choice until a  change comes.

In my opinion, protest is a healthy part of society because we live in a country where one of our most important rights is the freedom of speech. Part of having free speech means we are able to protest when we are dissatisfied with policies, rules, and other social or political movements. Protest serves as a generally effective way of all people being heard and it allows people to express approval and/or disapproval of certain things.

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Making Connections 1: Formation - Beyonce

There are several messages of protest throughout Beyonce’s Formation video including conversations that may be uncomfortable to have about social justice issues. This makes me feel hopeful because very few celebrities of Beyonce’s stature are speaking out on issues of this capacity, some in fear of the backlash. For example, Colin Kaepernick was willing to go through with his protest to the point where he has even had trouble finding a team in the NFL to sign him, while other players haven’t participated in fear of experiencing the same treatment. Another example is the decision for Nike to collaborate with Colin Kaepernick. The collaboration has caused an uproar from those who oppose his mission, causing people to boycott Nike, to the point of destroying and burning their Nike products. Nike has continued to increase sales, even at an extremely quick rate since the ad was published. The reason I chose to connect these two major forms of protest is because they were both acted upon by highly respected and world-renowned platforms, Nike and Beyonce, came out publicly to address imperative social issues that face the country. Coming out and doing this was a major move and a huge risk to take because both platforms took the risk of misinterpretation by and loss of fans/consumers- as seen in the Nike ad publication when a large number of people decided to boycott Nike although a larger amount of people decided to purchase product and buy stocks in Nike in support. With Beyonce’s Formation video, she took the risk of having some of her fanbase oppose the message even though she ended up generating more views and conversation about it- even having a braided style temporarily named after one of her Formation looks.

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Making Connections 2: Straight Outta Compton- NWA

The text I chose to analyze is NWA’s Straight Outta Compton music video. Through the use of aggressive body language and gestures, and well thought out visuals, the text was used to express the divide within the residents of compton and the police and government. That message sticks with me because even though the music video is now thirty years old, the things represented in the song and music video are things that still do happen in recent years-- such as police brutality and gang wars. What is unique about how the message is portrayed is that it  comes off as unapologetic, which made it more important because that characteristic helped to make the message about those issues more memorable.

The feelings that are conveyed through the video are anger and tension. The artists expressed the negative relations between police and civilians by showing violent interactions, aggressive body language and facial expressions, and vulgar language. In the visual, it starts with rapper  Ice Cube delivering a string of violent rhymes filled with swear words and threats of violence.The song then takes a pause then another rapper, Dr. Dre, enters and his verse also contains threats of violence, swear words, and sexual references. Also, while this Dre is delivering his voice, the visual is displaying a drawn out between Compton residents and the police. This reinforced the idea that the relationship between residents and law enforcement were strained. Finally, another pause and then rapper Easy E is included. His verse is more lighthearted, making references to dating and having relations with several women, but also about violence. Overall, the song and music video enforce the idea of relations between law enforcement and local Compton residents, and that this relationship was full of anger and violence.