There have been several talks this week, but Janet Mock’s talk was by far the most inspiring. In this short paper, I will give a brief biography of Janet Mock, discuss the talk, and give some of my thoughts/opinions.
Amy Richter introduces Janet Mock as the New York Times bestselling author of Redefining Realness and the host of a weekly MSNBC TV series about culture. After her book, she became more famous and a role model for many. Amy states that Janet’s story became well known after her appearance in 2011 Marie Claire. The TIME magazine called Mock one of “12 new faces of black leadership”. She is clearly an inspirational woman and her story is eye-opening.
Amy Richter’s first question was: “Why did you write a memoire?” Mock answers by
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Did you title the book?” Mock said how obsessed and close she is to her editor as he let her define what her work wanted to look like. He said: “Janet is leading the way here”. She didn’t want to use a typical transgender title, such as “the woman I was meant to be”. She wanted all the assets of identify on the cover and title; she wanted intersectionality and so “Redefining Realness” was chosen.
Amy also asked: “Have you been surprised by the life of the book since you wrote? Are you surprised that it’s now being taught in classrooms? Or was that always the hope?” Mock said: “I imagined a vast diverse audience that would change the world and shift conversations”. She was aware of the historic nature of the subject and knew it would be widely read/spoken about. She knew that her story was different in that a lot of stories have been told by older, white, transitional ladies; everything that she was not.
Just before I had to, unfortunately, leave, Amy asked: “Where does realness live in our popular culture?” Mock replied by saying: “There’s realness in everything” and it’s hard to be a conscious viewer. Think was a great point for me to leave on; it left my questioning a lot of
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson should be mandatory reading for 8th graders due to its take on how trauma can affect the lives of its survivors. Through completed writing, the National Book Award finalist and Golden Kite Award winner, Laurie Anderson captures the thoughts of Melinda Sordino. After she gets raped and has to deal with a misunderstanding that leaves her silent and outcast. This short book of 224 pages is mostly written in short statements. From casual thoughts such as, “I zone out,” to ones with impact like, “Why go to school.”
At the beginning of the article “They Call Me Dr. Ore,” Ersula J. Ore asserts that “battling an epistemological system that assumes me always already “out of place” is a constitutive feature of my lived experience and, thus, a chief component of my rhetorical situation” (1). This assumption of being “out-of-place” affects many marginalized individuals (particularly African American women) in academia and everyday spaces, but the distinct ways people like Ore understand and address their rhetorical situations reveal not only successful rhetorical strategies but also the complicated design of their public ethos. Likewise, Ida B. Wells’ autobiography Crusade for Justice exemplifies these lessons in rhetorical strategies. By analyzing Wells’ developing
Am I still a woman? I will never bleed from between my legs, unless I cut myself shaving. Am I still a woman?” Andrea Jenkins said this in reference to being a transgender woman. I feel like this pairs well with the reading “Trans Action for Social and Economic Justice” in Color of Violence.
What inspired you to write "Speak," and how did you approach the delicate and powerful subject matter of sexual assault in a young adult novel? Laurie Halse Anderson's motivation to write 'Speak' is rooted in her acknowledgment of a lack of representation and the pressing need to address the profound issue that affects many young women – sexual assault. She is determined to shed light on the impact of silence and societal pressures faced by survivors while ensuring that the portrayal of such sensitive subject matter remains authentic and compassionate.
Sojourner Truth and Lucille Clifton, a powerful public speaker and a powerful African-American poet, both use the power of words to promote change. The pieces given from Sojourner Truth famously advocated women's rights and denounced slavery. The fundamentals of Lucille Clifton's pieces relate openly to slavery, her family, strong women and her heritage. Both these women use the effectiveness of speaking and writing to try and expose the exposition of social injustice and the inequality between the genders. Truth's famous speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?”
Moreover, The book “Warriors Don 't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock 's Central High” by Melba Pattillo Beals is a history packed memoir that every American should read. This book allows the reader to step inside the world of Melba’s childhood and the racism of the 1950s. That’s why this was written, to show the hardships of the Little Rock Nine and every African American going through pure racism. Melba writes this in a way that appreciates her courage and bravery to fight for her rights and to be treated with utmost respect. This book is an inspiration to anyone who feels rejected or accepted for who they are.
She dabbles in the real problem of why people "judge books by their covers". I wish to show my audience that changing stereotypes like the one Amy Tan had to overcome starts with changing the way we think as a society. We must teach our children to think differently if we wish to see real change. Most bias stem from childhood, and while in school. Even some teachers are biased without knowing it.
In her speech, “For the Equal Rights Amendment” Shirley Chisholm addresses her views on securing women’s equality to ensure women have better opportunities. She is an American politician, educator and author that became the first black woman elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm supports her claims about equal rights for women by using examples of statistics to prove a point. Her purpose is to persuade her audience that women in America are neglected by equal rights and excluded from things that men are not. Throughout her deliverance she expressed an inspiring and informative tone to uplift her audience so that Congress can make a change for women.
By challenging societal norms and embracing their passions, Jess and Steph inspire us to reflect on our own biases and support those who dare to break free from societal
Octavia Butler is an Afrofuturist, science fiction author who writes many dystopian stories that allude to questions about gender, social structures, and an individual’s ability to control her body and sexuality. When people think of speculative and science fiction they tend to think of nerdy white men writing stories about space and light sabers, but Octavia Butler challenges this stereotype herself by being one of the few African American women in this genre. In Octavia Butler’s speculative fiction short story “Speech Sounds” there is a reversal of gender roles and a strong idea of feminism that is portrayed through the main character Rye. There is also the use of simile and metaphor to help point out flaws in the social structure of the story and the world of the reader.
Pauli Murray’s Proud Shoes tells the story of Murray’s family as they developed through segregation. After the death of her parents, Murray is taken to live with her grandparents, Robert and Cornelia Fitzgerald. Proud Shoes focuses on the life of Robert and Cornelia and how they experienced life differently due to their individual situations. This book discusses how race and gender played key roles in the life of Robert and Cornelia. Through this discussion, readers are able to understand a broader American life based on individual experiences and express topics on gender identity and gender difference.
Winfrey then utilizes figurative language to emphasize how indebted she feels towards Parks. To demonstrate how grateful she is that Rosa Parks did not move out of her seat she writes, “I know that. I know that. I know that. I know that, and I honor that” (Winfrey Par. 2).
The issue of women's role in society has always been a prominent topic discussed in society fro many years now. Sojourner Truth was a former slave and dealt with the conditions of slavery, and the idea that a women was weaker than a man; truth was freed from slavery in 1827. Later in 1851, Sojourner Truth gave her speech to address her views on women's rights and to advocate equal rights of men and women all around. Truth is confident in her argument, that women are capable of all or more men can do, they should be granted the same freedom. Throughout Truths speech, she used juxtaposition, allusion and repetition to advance her claim.
As a child, she recognized that her imitation of ‘White” afforded opportunities of mobility, education, acceptance and privilege. Her mother’s appearance as “Black” afforded opportunities of poverty, inferiority, and inequality. So, she fails to mention her mother’s identity and occupation to classroom peers and teacher. Sarah Jane wants cultural assimilation and white privilege.
Being a successful , director and writer, Nora Ephron, showcased her skills of being a strong author prowess in a speech read during a graduation at Wellesley College in 1996, she goes on to talk about how the real world is, and everything taught at the college isn’t necessarily facts. The purpose of her speech was to inspire the audience of women to live a little bit contrary to what they were taught and live a life they can be proud and they do not have to cater to their man’s every whim. The author’s gets her point across by using a confident tone, willing to crack jokes and have a more playful approach rather than using serious, boring, traditional methods. In her speech Nora Ephron uses comedic relief, diction, and appeals to push her point and have a playful.. Nora Ephron uses very different style tone standard speech and uses a lot of jokes to be funny and intrigue the audience.