Most recent public comments by Charlotte Rowe https://nowcomment.com/users/11145 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735298 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735298 One person in 13th said that throughout history "reforms have led to repression" and I think your experience could be an interesting connection to that. Your campaign's attempts at reform were followed by the revoking of felons' rights. While there may not have been a direct connection between these two exact things, I can definitely see the truth in this quote coming from how reforms in general may bring attention to issues people have never thought about before and then cause legislation to be introduced. Tue, 11 Apr 2017 22:33:52 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735297 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735297 I agree with you that the media plays such a huge and influential role in all of this, whether through the news, tv shows, movies, or the internet. It perpetuates the dehumanization of African Americans throughout society. The Wire is an interesting example of a form of media that doesn't necessarily do this. Instead it attempts to humanize the characters by portraying the unfortunate and unequal situation they're in. Wed, 12 Apr 2017 20:55:24 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735296 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735296 I would agree that Namond could exemplify the "black exceptionalism" that Alexander talks about. However, I think the enthusiastic reaction described here, of the standard reaction being to associate Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey with a common opportunity for success/the absence of a racial caste system, is not the reaction the viewer to Namond in The Wire. I feel like the show actually does a good job of showing that Namond's path isn't the norm and that he in a sense lucked out. Wed, 12 Apr 2017 14:37:48 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735291 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735291 This paragraph reminds me of what was said in the documentary 13th: "The opposite of criminalization is humanization." You can see the pattern of dehumanization traced through each new racial caste system (slavery to Jim Crow to mass incarceration). Today, this dehumanization is modernized through media. The news media portrays black men as uncivilized, dangerous, and "super predators". It's interesting to see how these representations and beliefs haven't really changed over time but simply taken a different form. The dehumanization of black men in the media leads to the greater arrests and imprisonment, and so it all continues to be perpetuated. Wed, 12 Apr 2017 21:13:31 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735179 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735179 I remember Professor Williams making a comment earlier in the semester whether America was ready for its first black president, and he said we couldn't really know the answer to that until after Obama's term ended. I've been wondering what he meant by that and would be curious to hear your thoughts. I feel like it might be connected to these issues of colorblindness and black exceptionalism. Colorblindness is a way of thinking that previously was considered fair and correct by many people, but more recently, people are pointing out the flaws behind it (at least, this is what I've noticed in my experience). First of all, not acknowledging someone's race ignores their unique identity and attempts to homogenize a group of people, but choosing to not see color/race also ignores the experiences and inequalities a certain race may face. Attempting to see everyone as equal doesn't account for the fact that they actually aren't and haven't been for hundreds of years. It's like when people counter Black Lives Matter with "All Lives Matter" or in this case, when people ignore the problems with the criminal justice system that Anderson talks about here because they say everyone has equal rights or point out that we have a black president as evidence of equality. Going back to Professor Williams' question, I think this mindset of colorblindness shows that many Americans are still quite racist in their ways of thinking, although maybe not as explicitly. We were able to see this after Obama's term ended through things like hating "political correctness" or the desire to go back to a previous time in our country with "make America great again". Tue, 11 Apr 2017 22:14:37 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669304 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669304 Reading the earlier quote from Simon on the topic "My Nemesis" also made me see similarities between him and McNulty. I was struck by how he wanted to be the "center of the universe" to others and how McNulty definitely has a trait of arrogance and has been called on it, too. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 02:12:43 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669301 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669301 This claim is so interesting because one of a journalist's responsibilities is to avoid bias and to simply tell the truth. This is a relevant thought to the US today in terms of fake news, alternative facts, and criticism of the liberal media. It's important that The Wire is both fictional and not so that it can make claims and convictions about societal structures and injustices while making viewers more emotionally invested in the issues through character development. Although The Wire attempts to show what a life "in the game" is really like, there may be some bias in the series because it is fictional and because Simon is obviously making a claim through mixing the two genres. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 02:08:19 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669297 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669297 Looking at the last sentence of this paragraph, I think that the cynicism/darkness is necessary for the show's characters, too. So much of the goal of the show seems to be to humanize each individual and to show that they each have some kind(s) of redeeming quality. I think if they added really brave, heroic, saint-like characters within the projects, it would take away from the empathy being created for everyone else. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 02:00:12 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669293 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669293 We read articles on this question during the first week of class. When you combine fiction and the real world, viewers are able to connect with characters emotionally and also better understand how these real-life social structures effect people. It allows us to learn about social inequalities and the roots of those issues. The show becomes influential through being a work of fiction and having the ability to make your audience sympathize with the characters. Humanizing the people affected by unequal systems leads viewers to see these systems as unfair and harmful if they didn't before. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 01:53:53 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669291 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669291 This reminded me of David Chase's quote from Brett Martin's book : “Cannell taught me that your hero can do a lot of bad things, he can make all kinds of mistakes...as long as he’s the smartest guy in the room and he’s good at his job.” The fact that the "good guys"- the police- are so flawed humanizes the people living in the inner city and involved with drugs. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 01:44:52 -0500