Malcolm X Autobiography

So far the autobiography by Malcolm Little has been an interesting read. Malcolm X’s life has truly been a roller coaster. He started off a young fool, dressed like a fool with hair of a conked fool. Malcolm was always out at night in the streets and clubs; he developed a drug addiction and kept with it until he went to jail. Before jail his life was a mess, running from the police, riding the trains illegally, selling crack and reefers to big shots and small town folk. Finally when his troubles caught him he was incarcerated for being with white women. At prison Malcolm begins his transformation, he learns to read and write well, practices public speaking, and is drawn into the Nation of Islam, by his siblings. Once out he looks in Elijah Muhammad’s way and supports it all.  He is offensively alleged of radical ideas and judged in his beliefs and now he doubts it, even if he had put his life into it.  This narration has really pulled me in because of his life, how little and helpless he was and how much trouble he had gotten into. Now his religion has set him in a better path, but the overall progression of his life is amazing. I have heard similar stories of how one life was terrible, full of vice, then transformed, reaching nirvana during the lonely jail sentence. I also really enjoy this book because it is full of intense moments; you wonder what will wild Malcolm do now? Malcolm life is also unknown too many, his role in the Civil Rights stage, and I still read to follow his story and how he will get to his final stage. Malcolm has yet to become one t=of the most powerful voices and his ideas fully expressed.

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

If junior were to come to Whitney Young I feel he would find a way to fit in. I believe that at Whitney Young there are multiple groups of students that all have their common interests and similar backgrounds. The way that groups of friends are bonded together is the similar interests and each clique socialize with each other by sharing their common interests. I feel Junior would be able to find a group of people that would have similar background , like coming from a distant part ( the reservation) or he could find students that like basketball as he does or he would hang out with the smart crowd just like he is intelligent. I also think he wouldn’t be treated unfairly and get beat up at our school because that’s not the schools way. Junior would simply find a group he belongs to and be left undisturbed from all the other cliques at Whitney Young. He wouldn’t need to hide something about himself because there is always a group that accepts certain type of people, allowing him to share his entire story. I also don’t think such segregation exists Whitney Young like at Reardan, therefore Junior wouldn’t get ostracized by all the students but simply some would be friends with him. Just like no one is really friends with everyone in the school but to certain people who like the same things.

Hiding the Reservation

Whitney Young High School being a magnet school, teaches many different type of students with a lot of different backgrounds. I don’t think students hide very much of their backgrounds because there are always people who accept you for who you are, there will always be someone like you and understands your similar struggle. These small secrets are kept within individual friends and not shared to the entire school. I believe it is simply privacy that some people do not want everyone to know where they’re coming from. Although some students can trust certain people but not everyone. Therefore I disagree students hide their “rez” or personal information but basically don’t want the world to know such personal things about them.

 The Great Gatsby and A Raisin in the Sun Blog Post

The American Dream is portrayed in both the short story, The Great Gatsby, and in the short play, A Raisin in the Sun, in similar yet different ways. Although the two pieces of literature are from different time periods there is a similarity between the general “dreams” the characters have, which I concluded was reaching individual happiness. I recognized this goal for happiness is a form of the American Dream for some, while it still branches of into little dreams between others.

            In the short play, each character had their own aspirations for the thing they most cared about. Walter wanted to gain wealth, investing in a liquor business he truly believes will work for him. His sister wanted to become a doctor, different from her family and people and gender. Just like the mother all she really wants a stable family that can stay together. Each goal or dream was centralized on what made each of them happy. As the play progressed they were getting closer to their dream with the insurance money that arrived for Mother. But later on it is almost lost, dreams and money, and they are left with an obstacle. No money to help fuel their aspirations they finally decide to still move and keep on striving and working for their dream.

            Within The Great Gatsby, there were a variety of dreams as well, a different goal for each character. Again all the dreams proved to focus on a general goal, individual happiness. Mr. Gatsby tried to get Daisy back; his true love was what made him happy. Another dream Gatsby had was wealth as he worked as a sailor he wished to become rich, and he did it working to please himself. Tom’s masculine self also desired two women in his life because it boosted his confidence, his figure or reputation was what mattered to him. Overall they attempted to acquire what pleased each one of them.

            Even though every character had one’s own dream, they faced a problem that left their dream broken down in some sense. I believe the obstacles only portray the American Dream more truly. Everyone has a dream; the American Dream seems to revolve around happiness, and despite all the obstacles that present themselves on the way to happiness, these characters still kept dreaming. Just like in the real world people hope to become happy, immigrants come to America looking for what they want and others hope to gain wealth. Each dreamer faces their own problem whether it’s getting across or over something or taking some risk in business or just working and studying hard, whatever it takes. All to have what they want, because you want to be happy in life, and that’s what the American Dream is to be happy.

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Protest Song Blog Post

It's so loud inside my head
With words that I should have said
As I drown in my regrets
I can't take back the words I never said
I can't take back the words I never said

I really think the war on terror is a bunch of bulls**t
Just a poor excuse for you to use up all your bullets
How much money does it take to really make a full clip
Nine eleven building seven did they really pull it?
Uh, and a bunch of other cover ups
Your child's future was the first to go with budget cuts
If you think that hurts then, wait here comes the uppercut
The school was garbage in the first place, that's on the up and up
Keep you at the bottom but tease you with the upper crust
You get it then they move you so you never keeping up enough
If you turn on TV all you see's a bunch of "what the f**ks"
Dude is dating so and so blabbering bout such and such
And that ain't Jersey Shore, homie that's the news
And these the same people that supposed to be telling us the truth
Limbaugh is a racist, Glenn Beck is a racist
Gaza strip was getting bombed, Obama didn't say s**t
That's why I ain't vote for him, next one either
I'ma part of the problem, my problem is I'm peaceful
And I believe in the people
Yeah

It's so loud inside my head
With words that I should have said!
As I drown in my regrets
I can't take back the words I never said
I can't take back the words I never said

Now you can say it ain't our fault if we never heard it
But if we know better than we probably deserve it
Jihad is not a holy war, wheres that in the worship?
Murdering is not Islam!
And you are not observant
And you are not a Muslim
Israel don't take my side 'cause look how far you've pushed them
Walk with me into the ghetto, this where all the Kush went
Complain about the liquor store but what you drinking liquor for?
Complain about the gloom but when'd you pick a broom up?
Just listening to Pac ain't gone make it stop
A rebel in your thoughts, ain't gon' make it halt
If you don't become an actor you'll never be a factor
Pills with million side effects
Take 'em when the pains felt
Wash them down with diet soda
Killin' off your brain cells
Crooked banks around the World
Would gladly give a loan today
So if you ever miss a payment
They can take your home away

It's so loud inside my head
With words that I should have said!
As I drown in my regrets
I can't take back the words I never said, never said
I can't take back the words I never said

I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence
Fear is such a weak emotion that's why I despise it
We scared of almost everything, afraid to even tell the truth
So scared of what you think of me, I'm scared of even telling you
Sometimes I'm like the only person I feel safe to tell it to
I'm locked inside a cell in me, I know that there's a jail in you
Consider this your bailing out, so take a breath, inhale a few
My screams is finally getting free, my thoughts is finally yelling through

It's so loud inside my head
With words that I should have said
As I drown in my regrets
I can't take back the words I never said

Words I Never Said by Lupe Fiasco and Skylar Gray

 

 

     This song is speaking out against the people who do not act or stay quite when there is something wrong. Although the song addresses a lot of world problems and events, Lupe is reaching for the general audience, trying to inspire them to speak out and do what they believe. Lupe Fiasco wants the young, the future to act, speak and such so they won't regret for the "words [they] never said." This song inspires listeners to have a voice and speak out, ask questions and find out what is really going on in the world. In the beginning of the song Fiasco lays out questionable events to stimulate the mind to ask for the truth.

     This song uses the symbol like the "jail in you" relating to how people do not speak out and are basically caged in, for their voices don't come out. This symbol goes back to Lupe's goal, to inspire inquiry.

     I decided to choose this song because when I first heard it it sounded a bit revolutionary. I have always liked Lupe Fiasco's music, it wasn't until halfway in his career I began to hear his philosophy. Lupe began to go against the regular rap flow, with lyrics that spoke against violence and the media. I followed up on his new that held his ideas; his album L.A.S.E.R.S. sparked its own manifesto. I like to listen to Lupe because he's a different type of artist; unfortunately he is not so known even in Chicago, his hometown. 

   

Community Proposal

My community is Little Village located south of Lawndale on Chicago's Southwest side. The Latino ethnic group dominates this area with an 83%, the remaining population is consisted of mainly African-Americans. The working class of Little Village is at an average around poverty level.
I will interview my older brother, my neighborhood friend, and an adult that lives here as well. The ideas I believe will present themselves among the interviewed is that the American Dream is a goal. This common goal will most likely be along these lines, " the American Dream to me is to simply come here to the U.S. and make a living, start, raise and support a family of your own." Why couldn't this be done in their home country? I believe its because this land of opportunities has things better to offer and it's why they've come and settled here to live a "better" life.

American Dream Article:

My Grandfather the Outlaw

To me the American Dream is a vision and a mission to achieve a good life, whereas the good life consists of providing for your family and improving their lives by coming into the state. Many immigrants have this type of dream and emigrate to the U.S. in search of work to support a family. In this article Mauro Bruni, grandfather of the article's author, Frank Bruni, came to the U.S. as an "illegal alien". Bruni worked tedious hours to gather money to support a family he knew he'd create. As you can see his grandson, the author, has grown up to be a successful man writing stories for the news. Many immigrants come to United States TACITURN, VERDANT in the English language but still they work on through "the uncertain journeys immigrants have undertaken and the daily sacrifices they make...". I find the story of Bruni and his task as an immigrant  is very well similar to many other immigrants because they all come to live the good life. The immigrant may not know anything in this new land but they still settle in the ethnic BASTIONS already set up by previous immigrants, but they still manage and produce the good life for their future American family.

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My Favorite Movie Villain

The Dark Knight

The most interesting villain that really fulfills his role in the film is the Joker. The Joker is the main villain in "The Dark Knight", where he threatens the good in Gotham’s heroes and figures. In his first appearance the Joker is made fun of for wearing mysterious makeup on his face. When robbing the bank his crew kill themselves following the Joker’s orders. The Joker was respected and feared in a way; in the scene Joker outsmarts all the clown crew. The rising villain of Gotham is not feared by the mob if the city, but rather looked as a fool. The Joker the “foolish’ criminal has no rules, he enters ready to blow everything up along with himself. Throughout the movie the jester proves himself humored by violence and corruption of the city. As one character put it the Joker is someone “who just wants the world to burn,” I honestly believe the Joker is the perfect villain because isn’t after anything like money or control, like said he wants to see everyone turn bad. The way the Joker deals with the Batman, the mob, and the city officials, he always keeps his laugh and enthusiastic attitude; better yet he continuously smacks his lips when he speaks.  The Joker in fact even looks like a clown; shagged with green messy hair he wears white makeup all around his face. He has black paint around his eyes to seem more evil and red paint splashed like a smile around his wide mouth that was severed with a knife. To me this villain was the perfect villain where he is truly the dark side of the world; this is why the Joker is the best bad guy out there.

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