What Can Art Do?

For my course Rhetoric, I was challenged with the task to use art to express an issue.

This course has gone on for about 1 month and we looked at a few examples of how powerful art came to influence people. Going back in time colonists in the 13 colonies used images of all sorts to bring others together to revolt against Great Britain. They were successful in conveying a message to give people to interpret in there own ways. This plays a role in our world today a lot in protest against certain agendas. During one of our FEs, we actually visited a monument made of clay for Dr. MLK showing how segregation was a problem but some didn’t wanna face it. The course was made basically to get what you want no matter bad or good. The outcome is what we focus on. So without further ado, I present my art piece.

J.L 2019

Artist Statement
My name J.L, and in this art piece I decided to make this on an experience that affected me. So I picked racial profiling. I chose this topic because it's something that happens to me and family members often by police officers. In the artwork, I decided to go simple so I can better explain it. The scenery takes place on the south side of Chicago at sunset. There’s a foreground of apartments, small businesses, and liquor stores. The main focus is a police car racing down a one-way street were two black kids happen to be crossing while passing a ball. This is conveying how the system is nonfunctional and why it needs to change. I also added a caption on the side of the car saying, "see them". Mostly because that's their reaction seeing a black male. Then in my imagination by portraying a revolt against the police I adding a monster truck to run over the police car. This in my mind demonstrates a strike back against it. I wanted to show something.

I believe that by looking at this people will shake their heads for a sec like dang this still going on. People that are black should care the most because this is a tactic used to keep us down and under self-conscious mind control. The power over my image reflects sadness, rage, and anger. Racially profiling has always been a problem though it occurs every day, in cities and towns across the country, when law enforcement and private security target people of color for humiliating and often frightening detentions, interrogations, and searches without evidence of criminal activity and based on perceived race. This is not only affecting blacks but many other minority groups as well. Most of the time in stop and search about 85 percent of the time people don’t have anything. Could you imagine, just to be stopped searched and harassed based on an assumption that society makes of your ethnic group? Crazy right. I myself have been stopped and searched 12 times this entire year. It takes a toll on me mentally and sometimes I don't even go outside to prevent any altercations.

For my art piece, I chose to draw on a big thick piece of a poster so I could color and express myself the way I felt best. Most of my materials included a drawing pencil, markers, and color pencils. This piece was rushed, I didn't take my time to add details. Art takes time to develop it’s a process that I have to learn to be more patient. My message is getting across by displaying younger kids and stepping into their shoes for a moment in time feeling that uncertainty of what's gonna happen next. I mostly tried to portray emotions in this by adding children because they are so fragile and innocent. Ethos was on the top of my list Logos came in next by showing how racial profiling should stop because it is wrong. My artwork for this project would be effective if it was posted around Chicago near schools and police stations. I feel like the more eyes and attention on a particular subject the more things get done. Also if the youth can see something that impacts everyone they will do things to make a change because they are the future.

Cited Sources

Natarajan, R. (2019, March 1). Racial profiling has destroyed public trust in police. Cops are exploiting our weak laws against it. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/12/15/racial-profiling-has-destroyed-public-trust-in-police-cops-are-exploiting-our-weak-laws-against-it/.

Yan, H. (2018, May 11). This is why everyday racial profiling is so dangerous. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/11/us/everyday-racial-profiling-consequences-trnd/index.html.

Hope Is Still Here

“Pinterest Climate Change 2019.” Pinterest.com

For our second unit of Rhetoric here at GCE, we focused on the question, how can we use rhetoric to change the status quo? We had a few guests come in that have challenged or had even altered the status quo as of today. Ugo Okere, 22 year old ran for Alderman and nearly came close to win but fell short in the run. His views matched the people and he was very passionate in his words. Also, Troy LaRaviere, the president of the Chicago Principal's Union came in and discussed his views on how things can change with one person’s action. He was a principal at a Chicago school and saw the impact on the future of society, and he wanted to change the result. He wrote an Op-Ed that made major headlines drastically changing his school’s system. I felt that I didn’t learn as much as I thought it was just things I herd already rephrased differently. Overall hearing others talk about change most definitely change my thought process and make me begin to wonder. What do I want to change?

My Op-Ed
Over many years and recently there has always been this stigma on climate change. Is it real? Oh no, that’s fake something made up by uneducated people. This drastic yet inevitable issue that we are facing is serious and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. The forces of mother nature are showing its power more frequently than usual, from hurricanes off the coast to catastrophic flooding.

You may be wondering why should I listen to this teenager from God knows where. Well, I’m here to tell you that I will most likely have to deal with the consequences that have been caused by major corporations and ordinary people. You reading this, on the other hand, will be of old if not dead. Believe when I say this there might not be a future for this place we call Earth if things continue.

The other day I was reading this article that talked about how doing simple things won’t change the climate. How constantly repeating yourself won’t change anything. This sparked an idea.... umm, it would make a difference if everyone would do something rather than just talk about it. But by making noise on an issue you get a lot of attention which can turn into action.

One person, in particular, Greta Thunberg has literally taken the world by storm. A 16-year-old Swedish teenage environmental activist caused a lot of controversy over her speech at the UN. “ People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!” This quote stood out to the adults there more than the facts of the global temperature rising. Shocking yes indeed.

I feel that as a country we have failed to understand how our actions result in the future. Nasa has recently uploaded an article containing jaw-dropping info.” limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities.” Hearing the facts from scientists tells people that it’s ok to do nothing because the task of reversing climate change is near impossible. Although these heavy-hitting heartbreaking words may be somewhat true it’s not too late to try.

In Chicago not too long ago, there was a strike for the climate that brought thousands of young people together just to show some hope. The strike on the other hand probably tripled the amount of Co2 emissions in one day from such a large gathering though. Imagine how my generation may feel, that their future children won’t have a pleasant life because of your actions of today. Picture droughts all over. Picture crops not being able to grow. Picture all the animals that we know and love no longer. Ask yourself do you want that on you?

Ways that we can try and change this is by taking action. It may sound like pie-in-the-sky but try walking to places, cycling, or using public transportation. This can somewhat help decrease carbon emissions. Also, you can reduce your waste and recycle. It makes no sense to disagree with the facts and just rather face them. For every argument there is about this time is being wasted. I believe that if everyone is on board then we can change the future. But only if everyone comes together.

So let’s get on track and save our home today people it’s now or never.

Addendum 

In my Op-Ed, I tried using pathos as my rhetorical appeal. I used pathos because I felt like I needed to reach the audience by making them feel guilty and to think about their children's futures in order to get through to people. I also used Logos by providing facts and Ethos on explaining why they should listen to me.

I used Metaphors, Alterations, Similes.