Reading and Writing for Social Justice: Looking at the World Through a Lens of Justice and Fairness

          Choose an article from a newspaper or magazine that deals with injustice in some way. Write about why you consider this an example of injustice and what it makes you think about in your own life.

“Autopsy Shows Michael Brown Was Struck at Least 6 Times” by Frances Robles and Julie Bosman

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/18/us/michael-brown-autopsy-shows-he-was-shot-at-least-6-times.html

This article is about the injustice that took place on August 9^th in Ferguson, Missouri. The victim of the fatal shooting that took place was an unarmed teenager named Michael Brown. After a confrontation, officer Darren Wilson shot Brown 6 times in various parts of his body. This was an unfair act because Brown had been unarmed, with no way to fight back. I do not believe that Michael Brown deserved to die that way or for that reason. In my own life, it makes me think about how this can happen to anyone, including me and the people I know. It’s a scary thought, but it’s true.

          Observe your school or neighborhood. Write a list of all the scenes or situations you come across on a daily basis that you think are unfair to your human rights (or someone else’s). Pick one idea from your list and write a longer entry about it.

•    The sports teams at our school are split up for boys and girls. Why aren’t there co-ed teams?

I noticed that boys and girls don’t play in the same games in sports at school. This shows that girls aren’t capable of playing against boys. Are girls weaker than boys? Are boys too tough for girls to handle? This is not a good message to give young students. Girls are just as strong and fast as boys and should be able to play with them.

Interview someone you know. Ask them their opinion about what they believe is good about our world and what is unfair about our world. Write an entry discussing your thoughts about what they had to say.

            When I asked my mom what she thought was good about the world, she said that most people would “come together to assist and lend a hand when needed.” I agree with what she said. She also gave an example of when people donate money to others who have been affected by natural disasters. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast hard. Many people’s homes were either slightly damaged or completely demolished, but they also received lots of donations from generous people. This would be a very good example of the kindness of most people in the world.

            When I asked about what she thought was unfair about the world, she said that some people still judge others “by their religious beliefs, color of their skin, race or gender.” A good example of this is Abercrombie’s “look policy”. In one story, a 17-year-old girl who arrived for her first day of work at a Hollister store was wearing a necklace with a cross. She was told to remove it by the manager. The cross was a symbol of her religion, but she was told that she couldn’t wear it. This is a good example of how some people judge other based on how they look. I agree that it is unfair.

          Watch the news. Respond to something you see by putting yourself in the shoes of someone the newscaster is reporting about. What would it be like to be in that situation.

            On the news, the newscaster had an interview with Michael Brown’s family’s attorney. In the interview, the attorney talked about the police and Officer Darren Wilson. He believed that the system was “broken” and the officers have no respect for the community. If I were the Brown family’s attorney, I would feel very stressed. Many people want something to be done for the family, and it would be up to me to do it. It would be up to me to find ways to help the family legally, and that is a lot of work for one person.

          Find a true story about someone you know who changes the world everyday. Interview and write about that person.

            My cousin, Michael, recently became a firefighter. I think that all firefighters are heroes and they all change the world. They have an important job to keep all of us safe and that is what makes their job difficult. They need to be strong and fit and brave. It’s not easy to walk into a burning building, even if you’re trying to save someone. But when I asked him if he ever got nervous or scared when he had to save someone’s life, he replied, “In my first few days I was definitely scared, on my very first day I had to do CPR on a lady, but I was in the academy for 18 weeks and my training kicked in.” This came as a shock to me at first, but then I realized that he was confident in what he was doing and there was no reason for him to be afraid. It also came as a shock to me when I asked if he felt important as a firefighter and he replied, “I wouldn’t say I feel important, no, it’s the best job in the world, you get to go to work and help people and give back to the city that I love.” Even if he doesn’t feel important, I hope he knows that he is and that we are all grateful and proud.

          Collect a poem or lyric that expresses a significant issue about social issues. Write an interpretation and analysis.

“The Forgotten Ones” by Corrina H.

Poem: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/the-forgotten-ones-bullying

            This poem is about the serious issue of bullying. The poem is from the point of view of the victim and how they feel when they are bullied. They feel worthless, weak, and forgotten. They feel like they can’t speak out for themselves and this poem is talking for them.

          Watch one or more movies or TV shows. Think about how people your age are portrayed by Hollywood. What are “normal” teens supposed to look like? What race are they generally? Where do they live? How much money do they have? What is their family like? Write about what these images of teens make you think, know, and feel. Are these portrayals of teens accurate? Are there stereotypes being perpetuated?

TV Show: Modern Family

            In Modern Family, the reoccurring teens are Lucas, Haley, and Alex Dunphy and Manny Delgado. This show is supposed to be as accurate to real life as possible. In this show, the teens are just ordinary people. They all look different, yet ordinary- different clothing and hairstyles, but they are simple ones that you would see anybody wearing. Most of the reoccurring characters are white or Hispanic.  The show takes place in California, and the families are generally middle class. These images of teens are exactly what I think they should be. I can relate myself to the characters and they make me think about my own life and the world around me because it is so similar. I don’t really think there are many stereotypes, if there are any at all. I think the teens are portrayed accurately as well as the adults and children.