My Growth E-Portfolio - Lataesha "Alex" Davidson

Hello, My Name is LUCY My Growth By: Lataesha Davidson

Table of Contents ! Letter From the Editor : Page 2 ! Reading Response #6: Page 4 ! Substantial Revision Essay: Page 5 ! Stereotyping Ad: Page 10 !

Omelas Ad Introduction: Page 11

! Reading Response #2: Page12 ! Genre Change: Page 13 ! Reading Response #4: Page 18

Dear Reader,

Previously in my writings, I had problems writing a thesis and a conclusion. I was accustomed to starting my writings from the middle and working my way up and then down. This was never a problem before because there are no strict rules when it comes onto poetry. However, this method did not work so well in writing these essays. Fortunately, my professor required many drafts before presenting our final draft. Even though these drafts were time consuming I was able to improve on writing a thesis and a conclusion. I still have problems stating a premise or a thesis.

Hopefully the essays that I have chosen for my substantial review and genre change will be proof for the growth that I have had during this course.

For my substantial revision, I chose my Op-Ed essay.

Here Originally, I wrote about the stereotypes in the show The Boondocks. I was unable to clearly state a thesis for my essay, and instead of showing the stereotypes in the show I gave a summary of the show. After reading the comments from my professor and fellow peers I realized that I did not have a thesis and this is what misguided me, and led me to ramble. With this newly revised essay, I hope to clearly state my thesis and give a general idea of black identity. By identifying what being “black� really means, it will be easier to state the problems with the African Americans of the show pose when it comes onto the stereotypes shown in this cartoon.

Letter From The Editor

Coming into this English 101 class, I presumed that I would learn about structures of sentences or other things that I have already learned in high school. This was not a threat to me since I took enjoyment in writing poems. However, my presumption was completely wrong. I was presented with different styles of writing that I have never heard of before. My writing skills were tested with writing special types of writings, such as Op-eds, Rhetorical Analyses, Ethnographies, etc. Even though these forms of writing posed temporary problems for me, I was able to overcome these difficulties and improve my writing skills. Each of the writings I mentioned previously has allowed me to work on my analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as my writing skills. I am now able to expand my thinking on simple or complex topics and take them apart to relay the message to my readers.

Hopefully in this portfolio, my growth will be prevalent. I believe I have grown throughout this semester in my writing. The constant drafts and peer reviews once seemed annoying, but they helped in my growth allowing me to see everyone else’s opinion of my paper and how they interpreted my message. I was able to go back into my paper with a different viewpoint and a new realization that I was no longer writing for myself, as I am used to with poetry, but I am now writing for others to understand my message through paper or no background knowledge. These strategies helped in my progress and gave me a new approach in writing.

Letter From The Editor

For my genre change, I have chosen my rhetorical analysis essay on the song “Wicked Games” by The Weeknd. Here I tried to justify the power exotic dancers have even though they are objectified by their customers. This was the type of essay where you had to state a thesis and use a text to analyze your assumption. For this essay, I used lyrics of this song to explain my observation. My analyses were a bit “cryptic” and my ideas were scattered. I will admit that I did struggle with this essay, and this is why I chose this essay for my genre change. Hopefully, turning my rhetorical analysis into a review of the artist may be a kind of redemption from my past problems in the rhetorical analysis. This review will also allow me to bring out my creative side of writing and also allows me to brag about my favorite artiste. Within my first draft of the genre change, there was a lot of information written about his background. All of these facts made the tone of my paper to be more serious than it is intended to be. Therefore, the final draft of my paper will have a more playful voice as I get to express my admiration for The Weeknd.

For my substantial revision, I wanted to edit the final draft of my ethnography. In my ethnography I felt as if I did not get my argument across. The message I wanted my reader to understand was that some homosexual couples refused to get married because of personal reasons and political factors no longer had an affect on their decisions.

Instead my ethnography relayed mostly on the interviews I had with those who identified with the LGBT community and I did not elaborate on my main point. Therefore, I feel that if I can change this essay into an informative essay maybe my thesis will be clearer and I would be able to fully explain my point of view on the topic.

To do this I plan on speaking about the subject manner as a bystander observing how a society views same-sex couples and their choice to be public or private with their relationship. I wanted to not only speak on the side of the homosexuals but on the opinions of the heterosexuals as well. Hopefully, by doing this I will not create a bias or cryptic thesis or argument, but bring about understanding from both perspectives on sexual orientation. By talking about not only homosexuals but heterosexuals as well, my new essay will have more "meat" and bring about more clarity on my subject manner.

In my ethnography, my tone was also a problem.

It seemed as if I was angry and maybe a hint of pity, which made it seem as if I had a bias opinion. Also, the syntax of my paper needed some work and I hope to "clean up" my grammar. I plan to do so by choosing my words more carefully so I will not sound . too harsh and this will help in making my message clearer. These aspects will also allow my essay to have a better flow, and therefore, making it a text more readers would enjoy reading and also understand.

The Many Shades of Black

What does it mean to be black?” Does it mean to be strong and independent? Or load and out spoken? Does it mean being successful, admired and well respected? Or the complete opposite? This is the problem that this question poses. There is no correct answer, in fact, there seems to be no answer at all. After searching the internet, not one source had the definition of black identity. There were opinions, however, which were all negative. This just shows that there is not a standard of that every black person should accept and follow.

A person can act however he or she pleases. Because being “black” is not a what or a who, but more of a when.

Out of respect for the audience in which I am speaking, I will further refer to them as “black” for I have come to a recent realization that the term African American is very offense to many black people since they are Americans and have no roots in Africa. They are only different by the color of their skin. I believe this statement helps clarify the fact that being black is a when. There has been a shift of calling oneself an African American to an American who is black. Years have gone by since slavery and no one claims their ancestors have arose from Africa, other than those who are actually from the country themselves, these are the true African Americans. But those who live in the here and now, with no background in a different culture call themselves black Americans.

Unfortunately, even after all of these factors, there are still some people who identify with this race but do not claim being black. Why? Because there are so many negative stereotypes that cross a person’s mind when they think about black people.

Even though these stereotypes may be true for some of the black community, it should not and does not set the tone for all those who identify with being black today. In the show The Boondocks, these stereotypes are shown and exaggerated in some characters to show how ridiculous these stereotypes really are.

There are also characters that show the other faces of what being black is. Each of the black main characters show that there is no one type of black person, but many different ways a person can act, it is just their skin color that makes them truly “black”.

The Boondocks is a show that was created by Aaron McGruder in 2005. It gained its popularity as just a comic strip in 1999. In the show, an African American family, Riley, 8 years-old, Huey, 10-years-old and Robert Freeman, their grandfather, moves from the south side of Chicago, Illinois to a predominately white suburb called Woodcrest. There are frequent racist event and characters that show some of the stereotypes assumed of the black community, while other characters show different behaviors of the black community, that make you realize that they are just being themselves and they are only black because of the color of there skin. The character I will be using to show the stereotypes of the black race is Huey, and I will show the deviation from these stereotypes through the characters Huey, Tom Dubois, the family’s neighbor, and Uncle Ruckus, a popular character known for his self-hatred.

Uncle Ruckus is infamous because of how much he hates being black. Through many episodes, his despise for this race is always prevalent.

He calls this race “monkeys” , the famous “n”-word, “trash,” and whatever other derogatory words he can pronounce. He does all of this because he wants to be white and accepted by the white community. Uncle Ruckus is what we would have once called a true African American because he experience slavery first hand with his mother. Trying to protect her son, Uncle Ruckus’s mother told him that he was actually white and he just had a disease that made his skin color darker, and that he must always respect the “white man”. He carried this advice with him all his life. In the show, Uncle Ruckus subjects himself to be beaten by those in the white community, and he seems to always be a servant at any white event or restaurant. I believe he shows the beginning of the stereotypes of this race because of how uneducated he seems and how he acts in front of the whites. His character is very offensive because he shows viewers that they should be ashamed of being black, just for the simple fact that they are not white. I believe he shows the earlier beliefs of the African American community where they were jealous of the white man and wanted to be the white man. He also represents those of the present day black community who are going through self-hatred and denouncing and changing their appearance so they will not look black. This is a negative representation but a realistic one of the black community.

The ten-year-old character in this show named Huey, shows a more optimistic side of the black race. Huey is considered a revolutionist. He is all for standing for what is right and black power. Huey may dress as if he is a “thug� with his baggy clothing, but his speech sends another message, It is obvious that he is welleducated because of his ability to carry out intellectual conversations. Through his black power and staying united speeches, Huey reminds the view of the black power movement in the 1960s-1970s. Here Huey gives another outlook on the black community. Even though it may seem that they fit into a stereotype because of how they are dressed, you may underestimate the intelligence of them. Huey obviously represents those in the black community who wants to better themselves and those who also identify with this race. They no longer want their voices to be muted because of the presumptions other have of them.

Another negative representation comes from Riley, a simple 8-year old boy who acts as if he is in his twenties. His purpose in this show is to show the basis of what is presumed of the black race. He wears baggy clothing and speaks in slang. His appearance and speech makes him come off as uneducated, which is another presumption of this race. He goes around hanging with gang-bangers and partakes in gang violence with a hip-hop artist in the show known as Gangstalicious. Riley shows those in the black community in the early 2000s, when rap music was a big thing and so was baggy clothing. A lot of the black community began to not only listen to the lyrics of these rap artists but sometimes reenact what the lyrics actually said, which was mostly about gang violence. Riley also shows those in the black community who embrace the stereotypes, who do not care if the judgments they may receive. They are in a way filling the self-prophecy that many people think of when they think of this race. Even though he creates a sense of comfort with the viewers watching the show because they believe this is what being black is all about, it can come off as offensive, since he now represents only a small percentage of the black community.

Tom Dubois is the neighbor of the Freeman family. He is said to live a “white-collared” lifestyle because he owns a big house, drives a nice car, has a prestigious job and is married to a Caucasian woman. Tom speaks proper English at all times and is always seen wearing a suit. He is often called a “sell out” because of his “white” demeanor. Tom gives a positive outlook on those of the black community who are successful. However, is it right to call the way he acts “white”, why can it not be just a different form of being “black”.

Indeed, Tom does give the impression that not all those in the black community are uneducated and not successful, but why does this have to be characterized as “white”? How Tom acts is just another stroke of paint on the picture of what is means to be black. He shows the black community in present day, where more and more people are well put-together and there is an increase of black presence of most companies not only the music industry.

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Stereotypes seem to endanger a race’s creditability and the view other have on a race because of simple assumptions. The group all the people who share at least one characteristic and this characteristic allow others to make invalid presumptions of each individual of this race. Here blacks are subjected to negative stereotypes may be because of what is found on the media or just by hearsay, but this is not a justification as to why every person who calls themselves black should be prejudged. Over time the black community has broken away from certain stereotypes and act in ways that may not seem to be, as some people call it, “black”. But this should not mean that this person is not a part of the black community or has turned away from their roots. These people are just giving and adding to the definition of what is means to be black in America. Whether they do this is a positive way or a negative way, it just proves that there is no correct way of being “black”.

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References:

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boondocks_(TV_series)

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http://evanston.patch.com/groups/5-things/p/what-does-itmean-to-be-black

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“The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin is definitely an interesting read. As an author, Le Guin does an impeccable job of using very descriptive words to give the reader a vivid image of the Omelas and the people that live there. Le Guin does an excellent job with giving inanimate objects and even animals humanistic characteristics. It can be presumed that she chooses her words very carefully in order to capture and keep the attention of the reader and most importantly get her message across.

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I found it amusing how Le Guin was able to compare the world, as many are familiar with it, and the Omelas to give us an idea of what Omelas is and what it is not. Le Guin was very successful in doing so in the third paragraph from the top beginning with, “They were not simple folk, you see, though they were happy. But we do not say the words of cheer much any more. All smiles have become archaic…” and ending in, “A boundless and generous contentment, a magnanimous triumph felt not against some outer enemy but in communion with the finest and fairest in the souls of all men everywhere and the splendor of the world’s summer; this is what swells the hearts of the people of Omelas, and the victory they celebrate is that of life. I really don’t think many of them need to take drooz.” In this paragraph, she gives the reader another perspective on happiness.

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From this paragraph I interpreted her message as the people of the Omelas were not happy because they had possessions but because they did not have the factors of regular life that caused pain or despair. Here we are notified that Omelas excluded objects we have in our society that cause harm, such as technology, war, etc. The people of Omelas only take part in pleasurable activities, which contributed to their “happy” lives. Le Guin states, “…,the victory they celebrate is that of life.” These eight words give off the impression that these people live “every day to the fullest”. They are very optimistic and do not worry themselves with the negatives in life that might cause them pain.

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However, I was a little confused when she mentioned the people of the Omelas taking part in sexual acts, drugs (drooz) and alcohol. Even though these are pleasurable activity, do they not have extreme negative effects on an individual in the long run? This fact seemed contradictory to me because we all know the effects of these activities. It led me to believe that maybe there was going to be a twist that they do not receive negative effects from drugs or sex.

Maybe these aspects are strictly pleasurable here in Omelas. I do understand that Le Guin is trying to personalize this place to our liking; therefore the mentioning of drugs and sex does not hinder the story but still holds the attention of the reader.

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Even though Omelas does sound like a utopia, where everyone dreams of living, there are always doubts and wariness on such perfection. I am a strong believer in the saying, “there is some bad in the good”, which to me explains why I believe a lot of people would turn away from a society such as the Omelas, which I was not surprised to see in the ending.

Excited About The Weekend

The Weeknd. The name alone shows the uniqueness of this artiste. Through the name The Weeknd, it can be presumed that this may be a group; however, this is only one person. The choice of the name came from the fact that at the young age of 17, The Weeknd dropped out of school for “a weekend and never returned”, and the “e” was removed to avoid copyright issues with an already existing band in Canada.

I think it’s only right to place a real name on this person whom I am speaking about. His name is Abel Tesfaye and he was born on February 16, 1990. Living in Canada and having relatives from the African country, Ethiopia, The Weeknd is fluent in French, Amharic- language spoken in Ethiopia, and English. . Growing up Tesfaye always had an interest in all genres of music, ranging from soul, hip-hop, funk, indie rock, etc. His ear for all these different types of music influences plays a major part in the productions he is soon to release.

Being a high-school drop out, many people would not have great expectations for your future. Surprisingly, The Weeknd is an example of proving everyone wrong. His ambition drove him to start singing his music to audiences from club to club, and post his songs on YouTube, as anonymous. Here he was able to gain attention from the famous rapper, Drake, who in turn wrote one of The Weeknd’s song lyrics on Twitter. This shouldn't be much of a surprise to us, well maybe the Drake part may be a little of a surprise. We have a lot of famous people today who originated on a social network. This is 2013, and in 2013 people are no longer going out to seek producers, who will potentially accept or reject them. They are publicly releasing their talents in hopes that “a fish will eventually bite onto one of their lines”. Therefore, the fact that he arose from YouTube makes us able to relate to him even more.

This shows that he was once just like one of us. The fact that he was able to be so successful from just YouTube gives a lot of young hopefuls faith that it is possible to become a hit just by sharing your talents on social networks.

The Weekend’s music is quite unique. This is obvious when you first listen to his songs. His music is a complete deviation from all other genres. He cannot even be placed specifically in just one type of music. He is a singer and it could be argued that fits into the R&B genre. His background music is what throws a lot of people off. The Weeknd uses “slow tempos, rumbling bass, and forlorn echoes” in all of his songs. These tomes create a melancholy atmosphere but surprisingly it can draw in any listener. The use of these three features creates a sound that does not only provide a basis for the lyrics but allows you to actually feel the music; within your body and soul. I may be over exaggerating a bit, but this sound “speaks” to the emotional side of everyone who listens to his music. You would think that this would put the listener into a sad or depressed mood, but it sometimes comes off as relaxing. Some may feel a sense of vulnerability from the rhythms he has in his music. The instrumental alone makes you want to listen to the lyrics. It is in the lyrics where the listener can tie all of the emotions he/she may be feeling.

The lyrics tells tales of sex, drugs and alcohol; all three objects that pertain to this new day and age, and bring interest.

However, he does not sing about these topics in a graphic or explicit way. His lyrics give off just a gist of lust and desire.

He speaks more of how these pleasures of life effect us in certain situations. At times his message may not seem clear, and you have to take the time out to interpret them; but this extra mile is worth it. Do not let that turn you away from his songs. Typically, his lyrics are repetitive and his verses are short; therefore there is not much to interpret. It seems as if he keeps his lyrics simple so the instrumental can speak for itself.

One song I do suggest from all of those he had recorded is “Trust Issues”, which is a remake of the “trust Issues” by Drake. Here he shows how men perceive females in the generation of the 18 years old and on. He speaks quickly on the viewpoint of the female in this song and the influences of the new drug “Molly” and liquor has on both of them. For this generation, these terms and incidences are familiar, which makes it a relatable song.

Such beautiful sound and music would not be expected from such a person, I do not mean that it a bad way of course. His appearance seems rough, as he rocks a clumped dreadlocks hairstyle, and shaggy clothing.

However, this style of clothing and hairstyle is becoming very popular today; so I guess this style may be overlooked.

You cannot help but wonder if he is a fashion statement as well as a unique singer. Maybe he helped change the way the new generation dresses.

I am not really so sure about who was the genius to make this shaggy look an “in-thing” but I would like to believe that The Weeknd must have had something to do with it.

Once an underdog, The Weeknd has shown that it is perfectly fine to go against the grain. Within the past three years, he has gone from a YouTube sensation to a well-known artist with his own album and record label (XO). He has made his mark in music, changing the sound we are so used to and even the style of clothing. Even though dropping out of school is always a risky choice, The Weeknd has proven that sometimes, you could be lucky.

REFERNCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weeknd http://artists.letssingit.com/the-weeknd-lkr9x/biography

"The Cleveland Show" is, what is believed to be, an African American version of "Family Guy". This show contains stereotypes that not only pertain to the Southern black community, but also the white community and even midgets. "The Cleveland Show" is one of many few African American cartoons on television, even though it is meant for adults. Even though they are created by the same group of animators, there was an episode of Family Guy in which it was mentioned that "black" people do not always get their own show, and the Cleveland show popped up at the bottom of the screen as an advertisement.

In this television show, there is a cast of a Southern family who live in Stoolbend, Virginia. This family speaks improperly, is highly religious, and partake in many southern traditions, such as the man is the bread-winner and the wife stays home with the children, etc. The use of stereotypes can be seen in the characters of Cleveland's wife, Donna, Donna's ex-husband, one of his close friends, Lester, and his mother and father. Donna is a black female who wears a false hair, does her makeup to make her lips look fuller, and uses bras to "push her girls up". Lester is a hillbilly friend who eats roadkill, goes hunting, uses horrible grammar, and does not take good care of his one son. In the case of Donna's ex-husband and Cleveland’s father, Freight-Train, they are both stereotype to be the unfaithful husbands.

I wanted to focus on the characters on Robert and Freight-Train. They have long lives of constant infidelity, in which they do not seem to be ashamed of nor regret. There are a lot of episodes in the beginning of the season of this show that showed how bad of a husband was to Donna, and shows his promiscuity. However, there was an episode that stereotypically pinpointed and singled out Freight-Train. In this episode, Freight-Train was going to re-marry Cleveland's mother, Cookie, and she had to convince him to make Cleveland his best man by using the statement, "Cleveland's your only son". Here the television screen goes through plenty of different scenes of all of Freight-Train’s many children that he has world-wide. This exemplified the stereotype that most African-American men are usually presumed to be unfaithful , which and cause them to father many children of different women due to infidelities, and might even turn into deadbeat dads. Also, it shows how sneaky he seems since he kept these many children away from his wife, Cookie.

In "the Cleveland Show", many stereotypes of the black men of this show are constantly shown. This is why I would like to do my Op-ed on this show and focus of these stereotypes.