MY DAUGHTER SAYS TIANA'S TOO DARK

This six word card struck me the hardest because of the ideas that race is instilled in children at the earliest of ages. White faces circulate through all types of media and are the most represented. Tiana, Disney's first black princess, was created in order to add diversity and boost black faces in the Disney franchise. It's striking to me that a child recognizes this and comments in such a way because even television and the internet reinforce the "white is right" idea on a daily basis. When children turn on the t.v. and see light faces on Disney or Nickelodeon, with other races vastly underrepresented, they're fed that white is the standard and the natural way and everything else is rare. 

This card reminds me of the Barbie doll project where little girls were asked which Barbie, the white or black one, was prettiest and which they would rather play with. Almost all pick the white Barbie as prettier and more fun to play with. It's unfortunate but in daily activities whites are the winners so to speak. And unfortunately, when they're not, like in the case of Miss America, problems occur and some feel as if they've been slighted. 

2pac - Changes (Official Video)

I've chosen to write about Tupac's song "Changes" for my first assignment. This song struck me mostly because it's apparent pessimistic views on violence and poverty in black communities. After listening to it further, I found it easy to dissect the true meanings of Tupac's lyrics, and the history of the song hit me hard when I learned it was released postmortem. I didn't know a lot about the song beforehand, but I knew a general idea about Tupac and his life. I figured that one of his songs would fit the assignment because he is notorious for rapping about the current social issues, and I admired the courage it took to use his art to speak so strongly about an issue that hits him so close to home. I picked a different song earlier, but upon looking at the "Changes" a second time, I realized how incredibly easy it was to pull out themes and ideas from his lyrics. Tupac truly knew how to tell a story in song and move listeners with his harsh tones but catchy melodies.

~STRANGE FRUIT~

Strange Fruit as sung by Billie Holiday continues to powerfully creep and linger on the minds and in the hearts of all those that hear its lullaby. Like a siren in the deep, the lyrics don't lead one to temptation, but lure any that hear it to confront the illustrative images that attack all five senses. The graphic nature of the violent horrors that Billie is describing contrasts perfectly with her sweet, soft, and almost broken voice. This almost creates a darker performance than than it does paint an even darker painting of shadowy bodies represented as now spoiled, dead, strange fruit. 

The lyrics and performance give this piece a "staying power" that transcends art, but becomes a message that forces social change. Add the fact that the composer was a white male, shows that their thesis goes beyond black and white. It demands that lynching be looked at in a purely human level, as one of the lowest forms of dehumanizing someone. 

"Strange Fruit" is a song that came out at the right time. It's controversial not just for the hell of it, but because the danger of producing such a song is what people needed to hear in order to enact social change. What separates it from many other songs is that you wouldn't listen to it at a social event or for pleasure. It's listened to because it's a reminder of what art can do. It's a reminder of the ways that anyone and everyone has a right and duty, in whatever talent of division they come from, to do what they can to make this world the BEST place it can be. 

hu-yuck

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