Jazz, Film and whatever else takes my fancy

And the end is here.

2008-04-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

I do not understand why all of the woman characters in these movies have dependency issues. They are either angry or harsh like Blondie, who is willing to kidnap people for her husband, or like the senator’s wife who is a drug addict. The women in this movie can barely function independently. The senator’s wife and Blondie are presented, in the movie, as two women who are completely opposites of each other.

They come from different class backgrounds, but both women have more in common than what is superficially apparent in the movie. Both women are not happy with their lives. They are wishing for more out of life. Blondie wants to be like a movie star, and wants the status that comes with it. The senator’s wife has the status, but she takes drugs because she is not happy with her political life. Either way once again, we have women characters who are dissatisfied with life.

Then you have black women characters, who are maids and fourteen-year-old pregnant girls. The black women in this movie are demur, obedient and tentative. And why does Rose, the black maid to the Senator, wake up crying when he calls her. Then of course black men are mobsters and jazz musicians.

I also thought that at the beginning of the movie they presented an obvious binary in the racial tension. For example, the old white man gets up and moves when the little black girl sits down. And I am thinking is this really reality. Maybe I am just naïve, but why is this old white man “running” away from this little girl. It is just too convenient and simplistic. I also thought it was interesting that a white man dresses in black face to rob someone. When he says, “so long Amos” it situates the idea of race interestingly, because he, a white man, is able to wipe off his skin, while others are not able too. But the mob gangster conveniently says that whites, hustle and rob, and rape, they are ruled by greed. But the black guy is a hustler as well; he has been in jail three times. Why does he think that he is better than the white guy who robbed the taxi cab?

In conclusion, obviously there were many things that irritated me. See ya'll tomorrow.

Reader Response: Names, puns and archetypes

2008-04-21T01:37:00.000-07:00

This week I am giving the presentation for Mo’ Better blues, and I decided that for my blog I would stick strictly to the importance of names in the movie and what they represent for the character and their interactions with each other. Amazingly enough, this is not what I plan on doing my presentation on for Tuesday.

First, it is blatantly obvious that Denzel Washington’s character, Bleek, is also a pun for the word bleak. Spike Lee does not even try very hard to hide that little fact. Bleek as a person had a bleak existence as a child, when he was forced to play an instrument that he hated and not allowed to play with his friends outside when he wanted to. In his present life, his name becomes a joke upon himself because Bleek goes throughout life thinking he is happy or that he has achieved true happiness through his music. But as Spike Lee, in his obvious and simplistic way, portrays in the movie, Bleek’s existence is actually pretty bleak in real life, because of his disconnected relationships around him.

In parallel to Bleek, you have his competitive band member Shadow. Once again Spike Lee does not want the audience to work too hard to figure out his character. His skin tone is darker by many degrees than Bleek’s, he is always confrontational, and he plots to take over the band. Shadow is a shadow by direct translation. But the parallel that I specifically want to demonstrate is how Shadow becomes the unconscious suppressed representation of Bleek. To understand this psychoanalytical motif we must first understand the level four of the Graves and Jungian developmental model to the human threshold system. And I promise, it is much easier to understand then it sounds.

First, a level four person, on the conscious level, is a rigid orderer in society. They follow rules, and set a boundless set of expectations for themselves and others. They sacrifice on a conscious level and they sacrifice themselves. Sound like someone familiar. Bleek consistently sacrifices himself for his music and order is practically the middle name for Bleek. Bleek respects authority, and for him music is authority. The craft of his art becomes his obsession. Bleek lives, sleeps and breaths music. He wakes up thinking about music; he goes to sleep thinking about music. Music creates order in his life. And he structures his life around the “order” of music. He sets specific times to practice, to clean his instrument, and to create new songs. As he tells Clarke, “Life is short, I need it like this to do all the things I gotta do, I like order.”

But in order for Bleek to have this much control in his life through music what exactly does he suppress unconsciously. Interestingly the archetype for the orderer is the shadow. A coincidence, I think not. The shadow archetype of the orderer has needs, doubts, sins, or happiness that becomes suppressed by the orderer in the unconscious. Therefore, my premise is that Shadow becomes the perfect example of the archetype of Bleek. Shadow does not respect authority, he does not respect the authority of Bleek, and he does not respect boundaries because he sleeps with Clarke. Shadow will never compromise or sacrafice himself for anybody. Shadow plots to steal the band, but most of all Shadow wants to play music for money not art. And Bleek will never compromise his art for money. Shadow represents just about everything that Bleek is not.

In conclusion, I was going to analyze the character of Giant and how name is also a metaphoric representation for his inferiority complex, but decided not to, this blog is already too long. Indigo, of course is a shade for a darker blue and is also the name of one of Bleek’s girlfriends. There also happens to be dark shades of blue throughout the film. So maybe through blue in the film, Spike Lee is continually linking Indigo to Bleek. And Clarke, the other girlfriend of Bleek, is the last name of an American jazz drummer who was a significant contributor to bebop. Do not know if I am pushing that last name link, but the tie is interesting.

Reader Response: Round Midnight

2008-04-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

In general, I thought the movie “Round Midnight” was interesting. But for me personally the narrative was kind of hard to follow. I personally hated Dale Turner’s accent, dialogue, diction, whatever the hell caused him to mumble, slur his word. With all honestly I just could not understand a thing the man was saying, and it was not until subtitles were activated that I was able to fully comprehend the dialogue.

Furthermore, once again we are presented with another movie about jazz whose protagonist character is self destructive and riddled with drug problems. Dale Turner, as presented in the movie, has an alcohol problem which feeds into his self-destructive nature. Turner is hardly able to function in Paris without help from his band members and the black woman staying at the hotel. But what became most apparent to me about Turner was his isolation and alienation from everyone around him. Paradoxically, Turner is lonely, but he is always surrounded by people. He is a jazz artist at the end of his prime, and through his self-destructive habits, Turner can barely function. He cannot feed himself, dress himself or pay his own bills, but brilliantly even if he is drunk and stumbling he is able to still perform on stage in front of an audience. The movie gives the impression that this artist lives for his music, and music or jazz is the only thing that keeps Turner alive.

In conclusion, I thought I would comment on the racial dynamics of the movie a bit. I think that it is interesting that the white man (forgot his name) is taking care of his daughter financially, but her mother will not give him any money to even take care of her. Juxtaposed to the white man and his daughter is Turner who always mentions a daughter but, the audience, never sees her or her mother. Emotionally and financially the white father has decided to take care of his daughter, even though he is struggling, but Turner does not even see his child on a weekly or monthly basis. I understand that Turner is in another country and his time is limited, but he also does not converse with any family members that we know about. It reaffirms the notion of the white man as legitimately responsible, while Turner, the black man, is not responsible with his personally life or his outside responsibilities.

Also, I was also irritated at the limited constructed portrayal of the black woman in this movie. The black woman, who helps Turner, is shown to be loud, rude, abrasive, nosey and controlling. While she helps Turner, she always has an attitude about it. As if Turner is a burden to her, and he may be. But Turner does get home, he has a place to live and he eats, even though the black woman treats him as a child. It seems to echo that, yes, black women are strong providers but in order for them to do so they must emasculate all men especially black men.

Space is the Place: Reader Response

2008-04-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

"Calling Planet Earth...Calling Planet Earth" PLEASE can somebody answer the damn phone....

I love crazy sci-fi movies so when approaching this movie I was intrigued, but soon became very confused and tired. Therefore, I will keep this blog nice and simple by only analyzing two scenes in the movie that I was the most interested in deconstructing.

The first scene is in the youth center where on the wall they have various pictures of black activist. There are pictures and sketches of Huey Newton, Angela Davis, Fredrick Douglass, Marcus Garvey, Marvin Gaye, Malcolm X and some others that I do not recognize. The scene makes it apparent that the room holds not only the present generation of youths but an older generation of blacks as well. This scene becomes even more interesting because the young adults in the room are playing pool, singing, shooting craps, yet all around them are examples of black activist, yet the young black people are doing nothing revolutionary. They are not changing history like the other blacks presented on the wall have done; instead they are singing, playing pool and stealing shoes from intoxicated men. I also thought it was interesting that Martin Luther King was not present on the wall or maybe I did not see him. But I rewind the scene quite a few times, and I still did not notice any King’s on the wall. There were many pictures of Angela Davis and the picture of Fredrick Douglass stood out, but I did not see any pic’s of Martin Luther King. But they were a lot of black panthers in the pictures as well.

When Sun Ra appeared in the room he is yet again confusing when he says to the young black people“you don’t exist in this society, if you did your people wouldn’t be seeking equal rights. You’re not real..So we’re both myths.. I come to you as the myth, because that’s what black people are. I came from a dream that the black man dreamed….I am actually a presence sent to your by your ancestors.” This quote of course is confusing and ambiguous, but I still think that Sun Ra is saying something important and of significance here. So in order to gain insight we have to read beyond the ambiguity of his language.

For example, when he states that black is just a myth and they do not exist because they do not have any rights is a valid description of racial politics in the United States. When Sun Ra said this I kept remembering the Langston Hughes poem, “Let America Be America Again”. Where Hughes has a line that reiterates the subservient social status of minorities in America:

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

But, as Hughes has articulated in his poem, freedom and equality, which constructs America, has never been that place for blacks. Therefore, when Sun Ra states that black is a myth, I can perceive that he may be defining race as a social construction. Sun Ra is also summarizing, in the quote, that because blacks are marginalized and pushed to the boundaries of history or civilization then blacks do not have any citizenship or status. This argument of course is not something new or revolutionary to the historical discourse surrounding racial politics, even though Sun Ra and this movie present it as such.

The second scene that I thought was interesting was the prostitution scene. Specifically, when the black and white women are supposed to have sex with the influent white men, and yes the scene is basically self explanatory. But a closer analysis of the scene can be useful in demonstrating the overall gender and racial power matrices presented in the movie. Obviously, the white men hold power and prestige in which they exert over other people and specifically black people in that particular scene. Hence when the one man says to the black prostitute, “We been trying to get a coon on the moon, but we can’t have any run in and say the jig is up,” the climax of the scene unfolds when the two black men in the room jump out of the closet and tells the white men that the “jig is up” after the white men are not able to perform sexually. Now the power hierarchy in the room has changed and the status of the white males’ sexuality has been diminished because they cannot perform sexually like the other black men in the room. The black men never have problems performing sexually with women.

Furthermore, the white men not only feels inferior to the black man’s Phallus, but is further emasculated when the white and black women laugh and call them punks. But of course the power structure is not able to function with the white males’ sexuality and masculinity diminished. To reaffirm their status and social power as white men, they proceed to go back to the room and beat both women until they lose consciousness. And if that is not enough proof of their masculinity and social power, both white men decide to remind the other black woman, the owner of the establishment, of her subservient position and status by calling her a nigger.

Reader Response: Lady Sings the Blues

2008-03-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

In general, I really enjoyed the Billie Holiday movie. I of course love Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams, and I thought Diana Ross was a great character to play Billie Holiday for this movie. Especially to portray the emotional and psychological impact that drug abuse had on Billie Holiday’s life.

For me it was really difficult to see Diana Ross be ravaged by drug abuse, mostly because of her star power. When I firsts viewed Ross in the movie, I did not see her as Billie Holiday but as Diana Ross. But after a while I think Ross’ performance was so good in the Billie Holiday movie that I was convinced that she was Holiday. Although the star power of Diana Ross was still there for me.

Music in this movie of course was very important. The one song that I believed had significant emotional appeal was the one that began at the beginning of the movie. The lyrics that played, “there ain’t nothing I can do” not only played at Holiday’s worse moments during her life but it echoes her situation and personal position in life. The song played when she was sexual harassed by the drunk, while she was in jail, and when she had to wash stairs at the brothel.

Furthermore, I think that the movie was able to reveal some significant information about the roles that black women were able to participate during Holiday's life and career. At the beginning of the movie black women were either maids, servants, prostitutes or showgirls.

In addition, in Holiday's young adult life, in order for women to be successful or make money, black women had to use their bodies sexually, either by being a show girl or a prostitute. Because Holiday's identity growing up was constructed by these realities, it makes sense that they would still effect and influence her.

The important symbolism of these positions is that in the night club black women are defined by their bodies and sexuality. For example, Holiday at the beginning of the movie cannot even be a prostitute because her body was not sexual. She could not perform as a showgirl either for the same reasons. The manager at the club would not even hear Holiday sing because her body did not advertise sexuality; he was not able to market her body.

“It’s a dog eat dog world” Sweet Smell of Success and D.O.A

2008-03-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

“Sweet Smell of Success.”

Overall, I do not really like this film’s content or plot setup. It has too many unmoral politics and manipulation. But I do like the esthetic makeup of the movie. The picture is clear and the close up shots of the characters enhances the quality of the movie. My critiques are as follows:

Sydney is a character that owes everyone something. JJ is suppose to be his best friend but he does not want to converse with Sydney when he goes to the club. That particular scene reaffirms the precarious position with people and his career. Sydney uses everyone just to succeed for marginal reasons. Just to get something published in a column Sydney acts like a pimp ready to pawn of Rita to Otis the columnist.

Music plays a strong roll in helping the plot move along in this movie. When Sydney leaves Susie at the hotel, you know that he is about to do something bad or manipulative because of the music. When Sydney tells JJ that he is going to take care of the “problem” the music begins again. It is interesting that music surrounding JJ is mostly dark and menacing.

This movie also has a lot of dog imagery. At the beginning of the movie Sydney says that, “every dog will have its day.” This is interesting because Sydney is a dog. Steve, Susie’s boyfriend, critiques Sydney personal morals and politics effectively when he says, “don’t scratch for information like a dog, but do it upfront like a man instead.”

In addition, the relationship with Susie and her brother JJ is weird. Especially, JJ’s possessiveness over his sister, it screams some complexes to me. And when JJ kisses Susie cheek at the studio, it was creepy.

D.O.A

The music in this film functions similarly as, “Sweet Smell of Success,” it helps progress the plot and tie the characters together. When Frank is at his hotel after the big night out at the Jazz club he orders a drink. Simultaneously, eerie music begins in his hotel room, as he is about to drink from the cup. Then he randomly sends the drink away. The same eerie music proceeds around Frank on his way to the doctor. The music of course is a type of foreshadowing of something to come, predictably something bad or menacing. And at the end of the movie when Frank confronts his killer, the club music with the woman’s voice begins again, possible demonstrating the conclusion of the mystery and death to both characters.

In addition, the secretary for Frank is very dramatic, and she is having a relationship with her boss. Interestingly, Sydney in “Sweet Smell of Success” has more than a platonic relationship with his secretary. She actually functions as a moral standard that Sydney judges himself against. But Frank’s relationship is more platonic and intimate with his secretary; but it creates problematic tensions between the two characters. Especially because Frank is a flirter and other women in the movie are very attracted to him.

Furthermore, I thought the club scene featuring the all black band was interesting. The progression of the pace of the music intensifies the chaotic environment of the space in the club. There were also close up shots of the musicians, which mostly focused on the face; it portrayed the intensity of the music and the intensity of the musicians.

In this movie the club functions as a place of danger, sin and adultery. It is in the club where Frank is poisoned and where the married woman is able to openly flirt with him, even though she is intoxicated.

Comparative analysis: Larsen and Cabin in the Sky

2008-03-03T20:29:00.001-08:00

James Naremore mentions in his article the influence of, “four conflicting discourses about blackness,” which influenced the film Cabin in the Sky. What was really interesting, that the article briefly mentioned, was the social propaganda behind the idea of “The Negro Problem.” But Naremore does not go into detail about the critical or theoretical writings that have influenced the population at the time. For example, I know that influential scholars such as Frazier and Mydal actually conducted case studies that researched, “The Negro Problem.” And of course Dubois discusses his position on race dynamics in the United States, and explained in “The Souls of Black Folks” how he viewed the Negro problem.

Understanding the theoretically or sociological discourses surrounding race dynamics is important because a lot of those case studies reaffirmed racial stereotypes about blacks and other racial or ethnic minorities at the time. It becomes especially difficult to change the ideology about a group of people when there is scientific research “supposedly” proving that a certain group of people are intellectually and culturally inferior. Therefore, I then began to become even more interested in the connections between literature, film, and theoretically research. And how all of those mediums work to influence or construct popular culture in the United States.

But for this blog I think that I will just stick to some basic comparative analysis and pull out segments from different modernist novels and a passage from the bible to show how those discourses have influenced certain aspects of Jazz and the “space” of the Jazz club.

There are a lot of things that I became fascinated with in Cabin in the Sky but what I began to analyze in the film is the juxtaposition of the secular to religion, and Jazz music to Gospel music. It was obvious that the film was clearly making the distinction that Jazz music, as something originating from low sinful blacks in the city, was something that corrupted rural blacks and it would send them to hell. Gospel music or biblical hymns are sung in the church and Petunia and Little Joe’s house. The audience does not begin to see Jazz music, in the form of a trumpet player, until Lucifer Jr. is plotting with his idea men
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In addition, I can usually analyze these movies through disassociation and depersonalization, but when Lucifer Jr said, “ I am stuck with a bunch of B idea men all the A idea men over there in Europe" to his idea man, it screams Eurocentrism. I was irritated at the ludicrousness of the statement.

Nevertheless, what I really want to write about is the jazz club and what the film, in its depictions of the club, is demonstrating and why it becomes problematic. Naremore has already pointed out the modernist juxtaposition of the Jazz club, as a social and cultural problem in the city, to the poor rural south. But it is the last scene with Petunia in the Jazz club that caught my interests.

In this scene, Petunia enters the Jazz club and is transformed into this seductress that drinks alcohol, dances and flirts openly with men. Petunia is not only sexually available but she is also singing Jazz songs, and has fallen to the lowest denominator of sin. (according to the movie) This scene comes to a climax when Petunia is caught in the middle of the dance floor surrounding by dancing, gyrating bodies. Everyone is rubbing against each other, toughing, feeling, and the scene is presented as an orgy. Sexuality in the space of the Jazz club is not regulated or restrained. The Jazz club is a place where people loose morality, and sexual restraint. But Petunia, the religious mammy, does not fit in that space. This is why she begins to scream for Little Joe to save her from Dominoe and the primitive dancing.

In one chapter of Nella Larsen’s novel, Quicksand, she depicts an all black jazz club where her main character Helga Crane becomes lost, emotionally, mentally, and bodily in not only the music but the club itself: “ A glare of light struck her eye, a blare of jazz split her ears…they danced , ambling lazily to a crooning melody, or violently twisting their bodies…to a sudden streaming rhythm, or shaking themselves ecstatically…For the while Helga was oblivious of other gyrating pairs…the noise, and the childlessness” (italics mine 88)

I wanted to obviously parallel Larsen’s depiction of a jazz club in Harlem to the films similar depiction of the jazz club to say three things. First, it is important to understand that even through race and racism is something that is fluid or changing, the stereotypically ideologies of jazz and a jazz club are still being depicted as a place of sin, unbridled sexuality and primitive taboo sex. Larsen’s novel was published in 1928 and the film released in 1943. Almost a twenty year difference yet the specific way in which jazz is linked to blackness is still similar. (at least it does so in this film, as Knee explains in his article) Secondly, the discourse surrounding the jazz club as a space and jazz across genres, (i.e film, poetry, literature) with its link with primitiveness and sexuality is also discussed similarly regardless of race. We cannot assume that only white middle class Americans had these assumptions or stereotypes about jazz and the jazz club. Thirdly, the jazz club as a space (either in the film or in Larsen’s novel), is presented as a place of unbridled and unregulated sexuality. Jazz therefore represented in this context is something that is so hypnotic that it acts like a drug to the dancers in the jazz club as Larsen reiterates as she writes: “She (Helga Crane) was drugged, lifted, sustained, by the extraordinary music, blown out, ripped out, beaten out, by the joyous wild, murky orchestra.” (89)

Furthermore, I was very interested when Petunia offers up her prayer to God in the Jazz club, “to destroy this wicked place.” That scene screamed biblical illusion, specifically in the Old Testament, Genesis chapter 19 when God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with brimstone and fire for their “wickedness.” Yes, I do realize that the Jazz club was destroyed by a tornado not fire and brimstone, but I wanted to focus on the idea of both places being so wicked that God is needed to destroy them.

In conclusion, there is so much more that I wanted to point out in the movie. For example, the juxtaposition of Petunia, the motherly savior of Little Joe (the mammy stereotype), to Georgia, the promiscrous woman out to steal everyone’s man (the jezebel stereotype.) I also wanted to mention the color hierarchy in the film. Did anyone notice that the devil was darker than the General considerably in skin color? But Georgia was much lighter than Petunia. Or that both Petunia and Georgia can both read but Little Joe does not even know how to sign his own name. Or was anyone else suspicious that Louis Armstrong was in accomplice with the devil as an idea man, but Duke Ellington was the handsome talented piano player?

Modernism: "Check and Double Check"

2008-02-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

Last week in class we mentioned the influence that modernism may have had on specific films in the genre of Jazz, and I begin to think about modernism from a literary and philosophical perspective. Therefore, when I watched the movie for this week, “Check and Double Check” I was intrigued to find a lot of modernist themes throughout the movie. Therefore, for my blog this week I thought that I would mention some of the reoccurring themes that are relevant to modernism and then point out instances in the movie where modernist motifs are present.

The entire concept of modernism or what constitutes modernism is debatable. And I have discovered that often when individuals begin to define modernism rigidly it becomes prescriptive instead of descriptive. However, there are some big or frequent themes in modernism that can be helpful in analyzing the movie. For example, one problem that modernist dealt with is the isolation and fragmentation of the self in the modern city and the ache of the nostalgic. Or metropolitan values in conflict with rural values or ideologies. It is in the city where individualism becomes erased through isolation and the fragmentation of the self because consumerism, industrialism, and big business rules supreme.

The application of that modernist motif to the movie opens up a nice dialogue about the influence of the city on the characters in the movie. The first scene of the movie opens to the modern day city. There are shots of sky scrapers, cars, and most importantly people. Tons of people. The shot zooms in on the ideal middle class couple, with a man dressed for corporate America, complaining about the traffic jam. The traffic Jam, as the audience later discovers is caused by Amos and Andy. Because their Taxi, of a cheaper quality than the other cars present, has broken down in the middle of a busy intersection. Amos and Andy are surrounded by people, dressed in business suits and other nice attire, while they are dressed in overalls. This scene is screaming modernist imagery. Amos and Andy are obvious representations of the simple rural life of the south. Their speech, clothes, and interactions with others all represent a time long gone. They represent the nostalgia that many modernist authors longed for during the 1900’s.

But Amos and Andy clearly do not fit in the city; they are ostracized not only by the people who laugh at them as they try to move their car, but by the city itself. Because a city is something that is always moving always busy, it is through the traffic jam that it rejects Amos and Andy. (the City as it acts as a space, not just a place where people live, but a place where the people live for the city, they are consumed by the city.) . Because Amos and Andy do not fit in the metropolitan city they cause the traffic jam. And literally stop the progression of the city itself as well as the people who stop to laugh at them. The city cannot consume Amos and Andy, because they do not fit or belong there. It is through this interaction with Amos and Andy, the city, and the modern people where the tension of the rural juxtaposed to the modern industrial city is revealed.

In conclusion, as many can see I am slightly consumed by modernism, mostly because it has influenced postmodernism. I just hope that I was able to clearly articulate some of the modernist influences revealed in the film. Of course there are many more examples of modernism in the film, but that would make my blog entirely too long. Perhaps tomorrow in class we can continue the discussion.

Reader Response: The King of Jazz

2008-02-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

The movie that we viewed this week was The King of Jazz, and instead of a continuous movie with some type of foundational plot it was actually a series of short skits. Which by the end of the movie I was immensely tired of viewing. The theme I did perceive in the movie was only the idea of music, dancing, by a guy who supposedly ‘thought’ he was The King of Jazz. Ironically, I did not see any actually Jazz being performed in the movie.

What I am sure is the big ‘ah ha’ moment of the film was that a movie, which was released in the 1930’s, proposing to be about Jazz, really did not have a Jazz motif or music until the last scene. Where the movie advocates the American value of ‘woo hoo’ the melting pot, but in reality I really felt that I could have seen an edited version of this movie if the biggest point, theoretically or critically was the irony of a guy proclaiming to be the King of Jazz when obviously he was not.

Arguably, even in the last scene Jazz was not present. But in all fairness, I think the film, at the end, was articulating that Jazz was a legacy from many different cultures. Even though the obvious culture I was looking for was not present. Therefore, I am sure tomorrow in class the question of why a film proposing to support the premise that Jazz was the cultural mingling of different types of people then proceed to exclude or ignore the influence of African-Americans or other blacks in the Diaspora will be forthcoming.

On a brighter note, I thought some of the dancing in the movie was great and interesting. But by the last scene of the movie, I was definitely tired of the hundreds of people on the set and the line of women in their short skirts kicking their legs in the air.

whatever

2008-02-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

In general, I thought the short movies required for viewing this week were interesting. The first short movie, with Duke Ellington in the jungle motif singing, was of course an exaggeration of black masculinity. But what I found interesting was Louis Armstrong was really dressed in a lion costume. He had a tail and everything. I was not uncomfortable with his performance or I guess ethically disturbed by it as much as I was by Bessie Smith’s performance in another short movie. I did think that Armstrong’s facial mannerisms were awkward, and I would have to see other regular musical performances by Ellington in order to decide if his performance in the movie was unique or specific to the jungle theme.

I guess the main representation that I focused on the most in the movies was the representation of black women. Specifically, the different color hierarchies linked with black women’s sexuality. For example, in the movie Hi-de-ho where Cab Calloway is singing with the dancers in the fan dance, most of the women were either interracial, white, or with very light complexions. The women are mostly skinny and they are presented in a sexualized manner.

Those women are in control of their sexuality because they get to decide who they will be with or the women are sexually autonomous. But in another movie with Bessie Smith, who is darker and a larger woman, she is presented as this emotional distraught woman who defines herself through her relationships with her “old man” (who is a light skinned man). Jimmy, not only cheats on Bessie, (with a lighter woman) but then he begins to manipulate her only for the money. Their relationship is completely materialistic.

The movie itself becomes a spectacle where the movie manipulates different stereotypical images of Bessie that contradict each other. At the beginning of the movie, when Bessie catches Jimmy in bed with another love, Bessie becomes the stereotype of the “angry black woman.” This is the black woman who will tell anybody anything and beat anyone down who gets in the way. This point is supported brilliantly by the film when Bessie begins to beat the light colored girl down. (the girl by the way does nothing to defend herself.) Then when the landlord comes in to break up the fight and to evict Bessie for the ruckus she is making, Bessie proceeds to tell him off and throw things at him.

When I first viewed this scene I automatically thought here is another black woman gone mad in the movie, which of course influences more controlling images of black femininity. But when Bessie then proceeds to throw herself on the floor to beg Jimmy not to leave her, I was completely confused. Bessie just beat down a girl and kicked the landlord out of her apartment, now she was begging a man to stay with her.

In conclusion, the importance of Bessie’s performance juxtaposed to the other black woman in different movies and to the lighter woman that Jimmy cheats with is that Bessie is not desirable not only because of her size but because she is darker. In fact Bessie becomes so undesirable that she has to beg a man, who has cheated on her and taken her money, to stay with her.

Language and "The Jazz Singer": Reader Response

2008-02-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

When I was reading the article “Ragging and slanging” I stumbled over the idea of language and slang as forms of resistance against power. I then began to make links between some ideas within Post Colonial discourse and Aimé Césaire. I also found some interesting things that I wanted to discuss in the short film, “The Jazz Singer.” So for this blog I will do two things. For the first part of the blog I will explore how the idea of language in blackface could be used by some performers as a type of resistance to white colonialism in America. And for the second part of the blog I will discuss my opinions about the movie.

Throughout my studies with Post Colonial literature and theory, there is a re-occurring problem with language. Especially the idea of resisting the colonial power within your country, psychological or culturally, by still using the colonizers’ language that has been used to systematically erase or marginalize a specific culture or race. One important question was how was it possible to critique a colonial power and regain an autonomous consciousness within your own culture or race? Or as many thought, such as Césaire theorized, would it even be possible. For Césaire, the colonial language was French. Césaire’s native language however was a creolized version of French that was not respected by Europe or France. It was viewed as inferior, lower class, and less civil than proper French. Those same cultural values can be paralleled to the United States in reference to African-Americans and the idea of black slang as an inferior mode of language to Standard English. Ann Douglas centralizes this argument effectively in her article, "Raging and Slanging" when she states,

“Negro dialect was nonetheless a high-spirited attack on the Standard English it Mangled. Just as ragtime was at one level nothing but a parody of the classic music tradition, Negro dialect, precisely because it had no self-conscious linguistic identity of its own, was at some level nothing but black comic ignorance or dislike of white middle-class speech.(369-370)

As I read Douglas’ opinion about language, which situated her argument around ragtime music, I begin to think how language influenced the politics of blackface. How many African-Americans understood that using an exaggerated black dialect in blackface could be a tool or device to critique white middle class values and speech, even though using an exaggerated black dialect eventually became a tradition in blackface? I especially like the idea that some black people could use the idea of blackface as a type of resistance. Not only to have blacks perform blackface, but to extend the resistance even further by using an exaggerated black dialect in the performance. Even more, how many blacks, without the political power to express their opinions about the government, were able to gain a voice through language and its performance in blackface? Could there have been socio-economic disadvantage white Americans, which understood black dialect as a social critique, who utilized the idea of language in blackface as well?

{my thoughts on the movie}

When I first began to view the movie I assumed, wrongly, that blackface would appear almost immediately and its racial ties would be linked easily throughout the movie. However, as the movie progressed, I soon realized that I was going to have to focus, pay attention and make those links for myself.

First, what this movie does not obviously or immediately portray is the ingrained links between music and race. When I began watching the movie, I did not associate the idea of a, “jazz singer” as something that was unique or specific to a certain race. Even at the opening scene when the protagonist character, Jackie, gets in trouble for singing rag-time at a bar, I did not associate that with blackness. It is not until Jack is putting on his blackface where I had a crazy question. Why is it that in order for Jack to sing Jazz or to become the Jazz singer, he has to be in blackface? Could Jack not perform Jazz without blackface? More specifically, why did this movie combine the idea of blackface and Jazz together so much that when they are portrayed in the movie they become inseparable?

In the article, “Blackface, White Noise: The Jewish Jazz Singer Finds His Voice” there is a quote that states, “The Jazz Singer’s protagonist adopts a black mask that kills his father.” (79) When first reading this line almost immediately after viewing the movie, it could be perceived as an exaggeration. I thought Jazz or the fact that the son decides to sing Jazz is what kills his father, not blackface. But as I began to think about it more, I realized that the movie never makes a distinction between blackface and Jazz. For the protagonist character, to sing Jazz is to dress in blackface. To dress in blackface would be to sing songs like ragtime or Jazz. The movie automatically makes the cultural assumption that Jazz is an African-American art form.

Furthermore, another thing that I found interesting in the movie was the lack of any racial tension with the protagonist and other white performers. At the time of the movie Jews were hated just about as much as African-Americans along with other immigrant groups. I thought it was very interesting that the protagonist character was able to find success through Jazz and blackface. Or specifically the protagonist was able to find successes through his performance of Jazz which leads to blackface.

I also thought that the protagonist had some serious erotic complexes happening with his mother throughout the movie. At the very beginning of the movie, when the son is about to leave and he hugs his mother, she practically caresses him as a lover. Then when the son returns before he leaves the house, Jackie does not stare at a picture with his father, but with the one of his mother, obviously demonstrating who the protagonist loves more. I thought that I may have been analyzing the movie too much. But when the protagonist is grown up and comes home, Jack kisses the mother on the lips. Not once, not twice, but quite a few times. Then as the protagonist is playing on the piano, he tells the mother to close her eyes, so that he can “steal” a kiss. The entire scene is screaming oedipal complexes with psychoanalytical baggage; I wonder what Freud or Jung would have to say.

In conclusion, I had some other things that I wanted to write about, but my blog is entirely too long already and I am tired. So hopefully tomorrow in class we will really begin deconstructing the articles and the movie.

Reader Response: The Critical Eye

2008-01-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

While reading, The Critical Eye, I found some information that would be very useful for me when it is time to analyze and deconstruct the films this semester. However, for just about every one thing that I found useful in this book, I probable read two or three things that I felt people should already know when analyzing movies. But it is an introduction to looking at movies, so I guess I should have been more patient. Therefore, for this blog, I will only mention the things that I personally found interesting or useful when I read the book.

In chapter two, I liked the information provided about symbols. I was very interested to read about The Seventh Seal on page twenty-eight. The symbolism was the idea of the chess board being this symbol for the game of life, and how even though the knight may be able to win this game against death, “ultimately” he has to lose. I love any type of symbolism in movies, and I especially like linking symbolism with different motifs that may be present historically or culturally at the time.

I also liked the chapter that mentioned the special effects that are done by cameras. I had a “duh” moment when I realized that they actually just duplicate extras in a set or in a baseball stadium. Naively, I actually believed that they could film a movie with thousands of people in a stadium or concert. But subconsciously, as I have gotten older, I must have realized that all the people shown are actually an illusion. At least I would like to hope that I realized it was an illusion.

In chapter seven, the concept of socio-historical background interested me because I thought it was interesting that during, “the mid-to-late 1960’s…a growing antiestablishment mood reflected the disappointment felt by many Americans”(136). This disgruntlement also influenced films heavily, and during this films, “first signaled a shift in cultural values with offbeat protagonists and counterculture themes”(136). After reading this chapter, I wondered if some of those influences would also change the values, goals, or perceptions evident in any of the Jazz films being produced during the times. Either way, I think the cinematic concept of socio-historical background is something that is very important and should be considered with any Jazz film viewed this semester. Especially since the historical link between blackface, Jazz films and the 20th century are so important.

Black like you: Reader Response.

2008-01-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

For this post, I will first critique the novel by deconstructing some of Strausbaugk points and reveal some of his structural fallacies within his arguments. Then, for the second part of the post, I will mention the points that I believe help strengthen the overall framework of Strausbaugk’s book.

In the first chapter of, Black Like you, Strausbaugk begins his book with a story about his experience with the white gay comic Shirley Q. Liquor and his mixed feelings about her dressed in blackface portraying the life of black women. More importantly, Strausbaugk extends his argument by doing a comparative analysis between white comics who perform blackface and black comics who perform whiteface. When Strausbaugk makes those comparisons, he states there is a natural bias because whiteface becomes more acceptable while blackface is automatically labeled as racist or hate speech. And of course in certain contexts Strausbaugk makes a very accurate and well worthy point.

But when I first read about Shirley Q I was not only irritated but also very angry. Truthfully, I do not support whiteface or blackface. And it is a generalization to believe that all black people, whom disagree with blackface, will then laugh at Eddie Murphy or other black comics when they mimic whites. But as a black woman, I could not help but have a negative response when Strausbaugk quoted Shirley Q. in chapter one when she explains why she portrays black women, “My character…was created in celebration of, not to downgrade, black women…My comedy isn’t racist, nor am I.” (9)

The biggest problem however is that Shirley Q is not a black woman, but a gay male. And it is very presumptuous of her to think that she is able to portray the experience, (be it stereotypically or true) of black woman. When I read Shirley Q’s response I automatically thought that she is not portraying my mother, grandmother or great-grandmother, because she does not know them. In addition, Shirley Q is not accurately portraying my black friends and more importantly she is not representing me.

Now some will say that my perception of Shirley Q is an exaggeration. Her performance is meant as a joke, nothing more and nothing less. But because Shirley Q has decided to mimic black women, it cannot help but affect me because it helps construct my identity as a black woman. In addition, what Shirley Q. does not understand is that she is helping to construct layered identities that have been influencing black women and their social identity for a long time in America.

As Patricia Hill Collins theory explains, intersecting identities or structures both effect and play on each other. For black women the different power matrices that help construct their identity are gender, race, sexuality, and socio-economic status. Therefore, the controlling images of black female sexuality are something that not only influences racism but helps constructs intersecting matrices of oppressions. Something that Strausbaugk does not recognize when he discusses Shirley Q’s character. In fact, overall throughout the novel, Strausbaugk has not rigorously critiqued the important links between race and gender, and how blackface helps to socially construct both identities.

One example, I wanted to specifically point out in the book, was Strausbaugk segment on the first three Blaxploitation flicks. As Strausbaugk explains, these films were a response to white stereotypical images of black males. In these three films black men become quite strong heroes and make, “the black male a walking phallus irresistible to white and black women.”(257) But Strausbaugk misses a great opportunity to rigorously discuss how these films have helped construct sexuality through race. He does not critique the gender construction of the characters in blackface and how it influences white or black masculinity and femininity. More specifically, Strausbaugk never critiques or explores why it was necessary to portray these black men in hyper-sexualized roles in only heterosexual relationships.

As I continued to read through Strausbaugk book, I stumbled on another problem with his perception of race. When I first read the passage, I actually placed a question mark by it. I then went back to the passage to understand why it bothered me and I later realized that Strausbaugk falls into the racial trap of what Postmodern theorist define as essentialism. When Strausbaugk writes, “It’s ludicrously obvious that they’re White men in blackface. The shape of their heads, their ears, their noses, their flat butts, the way they move…none of it is remotely authentic to the way Black people would look or move,” he is actually subscribing to an essentialist notion of race.(213)

On the surface, it could be perceived that Strausbaugk in this passage is being satirical of his own race. He critiques their noses and flat butts and explains that it is extremely obvious that those characters are white, but Strausbaugk also is participating in generalizations and is subconsciously aligning a particular set of characteristics to a certain race. When he critiques those white actors for their flat butts, their heads or noses, does it then mean that Strausbaugk would expect others of a different race to specifically have a set of genetic characteristics? But that ideology or perception in itself is interesting when there is no racial genetic makeup that can define someone to a particular race. Especially, since it has been proven that race is socially constructed.

Nevertheless, I actually found some things that I enjoyed about the book. One of the best arguments that I believed Strausbaugk makes very strongly in his book is the idea that in order to rigorously begin to critique racial politics in America is by discussing them. Strausbaugk makes a very good point when he states, “The opposing view is that no history is best forgotten. It’s foolish and dangerous to censor historical events we’re not comfortable remembering.” (207) I think that this is a brilliant point and one that should be practiced by professors in higher education. Even though the idea of Shirley Q. Liquor’s blackface performance irritates me that does not mean that it should be erased from history, or worse not conversed about in cultural discourse.

Another thing that I particular liked in this book was the story about Tar baby and Uncle Remus. Last semester, I had discovered the positive aspect of Tar baby, and I was immensely happy to discover some of the original poems in Strausbaugk book. I was also surprised that I had watched many of the Blaxploitation flicks such as Shaft, Blacula, and The Wiz. I actually grew up on many of those films and enjoyed them immensely.

Take 20 video outline and questions

2007-11-06T10:49:00.001-08:00

(This is our outline for our video. Dr. Rickly suggested that we post our tentative outline in order to recieve feedback from our peers. So please read and comment.)

ENGL 5060

Nimi Finnigan
Nancy Reyes
Crystal Johnson

(working title)
From the Edges/Margins to the Center:
The implementation and integration of multi-cultural pedagogies in the classroom.

In terms of the broad scope, this project “From the Edges/Margins to the Center,” which is currently in an “embryonic” stage of development, deals with the issue of multiculturalism in the classroom. There exists an almost exhaustive amount of research and theory on the notion of multiculturalism which spans the spectrum of gender and race to the respective socio-hierarchical organization of college administrators, instructors and lastly students. As a result, pedagogies on how to bridge the gap between the “marginalized folk” and the individuals who comprise the dominant social structure have breached a pathway into the educational system. But how applicable are these pedagogical techniques in the actual classroom?

The following comprises a rough draft of the set of questions that will be directed towards students, instructors and administrators in hopes of shedding some light on the applicatory nature of multicultural pedagogies in selective Texas Tech English classes.

Questions for Students

1).What did you think about this book? (Assigned to students in a “multicultural themed” class. For example “Jazz and American Literature.”)

In order to discover the student’s interpretation of a professor’s assigned reading list. What types of cultural associations does the student harbor towards the assigned text?

2).Why do you think your instructor has you sitting in a circle?

The relevance of this question to the current nature of the project is still under debate. However it would be interesting to assign this question to undergraduate and graduate students in order to determine if they are cognizant of their physically marginalized status within the social set-up of the classroom.

Question for Instructors & Administrators.

1). How do you handle culturally sensitive material in the classroom?
2). Are you cognizant of the fact that you as an instructor might be committing a number of cultural faux-pas?
3). Is diversity training a necessity for faculty and staff?
4). How do you go about setting up a diversity training session?

List of Individuals to be Interviewed.

Dr. Borshak
Dr. Batra
Reuben Quesada
Jonathan
Dr. Rickly
Curtis Bauer
Katie
Marco Dominguez?

Dr. Lang
Dr. Grass

Voice

2007-10-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

I think that the hardest thing is for someone to be able to not only articulate their voice, but be confident in what they say. We live in a society where paradoxically Americans advocate free speech, but individuals are continually demanding that we silence the opinion and independent thought of our young adults. They are taught to fear their voice, and we as scholars in academics are shaped to believe that an independent voice in writing is wrong.

Academically, I have been trying to find balance with my own voice and what is traditionally acceptable in scholarly writing. I want to be honest and real about the things that I like to write about such as race, gender, and sexism. But sometimes that becomes difficult, especially when I have to sensor how I would say certain things.

It is obviously a problem that many writers have had to overcome, and I am still trying to strike a balance between the expectations that are inherent in scholarly work. I think that first we must continue to critique and reinvent the English cannon. Opening spaces and allowing people to express their thoughts freely without judgment rules and social norms. I think it is when people are trying to be careful and silence their voice that as participants in society we begin to cultivate this intolerance for others’ ideas, beliefs and opinions.

The perfect teacher

2007-10-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

Blog prompt: What makes a perfect teacher?

I honestly believe that realistically there is no such thing as the “perfect” teacher. Only what we as students perceive that teacher to be. Some may say that the perfect teacher always had a game to play or a teacher is someone who really cares about their students. I think that it depends on the learning environment, the students, and the teaching philosophy. Because the teacher may have great charisma as a speaker, may have been a horrible teacher. Or the teacher who was really harsh in their teaching style but expected a lot from their students may actually be the best the teacher.

I personally believe that a perfect teacher should always have balance. That teacher should have a passion for what they are teaching, and most of all care a great deal about their students and care what their students learn. I respect teachers who are honest. Who say, “I know not everyone wants to learn this concept today, but you will learn it.” I think the perfect teacher always has a great sense of humor and has a willingness to teach subjects from different perspective.

Who knows????

2007-10-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

To be honest I really did not have anything to be confused or puzzled about in class. When I first started the class, I was really confused about TOPIC and the purpose of ICON, but through class discussions and reading I now realize that both systems are effective in some ways and lacking in others. I guess the only serious question I had was how can instructors effectively get the kids in our classes to be interested in the material that we as instructors are teaching them? And if that student truly is not interested in the material and submits inferior work then as Instructors do we have the right to fail them.

I mean in reality can instructors really save all of the students that come through our comp classes. And do we really need to. I put forth the premise that we really cannot. And in reality it is not our job or responsibility to do that. We as instructors can only do so much, and if we show our students that we care about them and are willing to help them learn then students should meet us half way as well.

"What is the end of composition?"

2007-09-30T22:24:00.001-07:00

I think the direct response to the question, “What is the End of Composition?” for students in college is when that final paper is turned into class or when the final exam is completed at the end of the semester. Unfortunately, in reality, this concept of dismissing classes at the end of every semester is the perception that many students approach their educations with, especially when they are freshmen. I personally do not believe as teachers and instructors of composition that there is an end to composition. I think that composition not only as a class but as a value is not a linear process but a circular one. For instructors, we live and breath rhetoric and composition all of the time.

But how do we transfer composition skills to our students so that by the end of the semester they will be effective and critical writers? I personally think that it is a step by step process. And that process is filled with trial and tribulations. As instructors, if we become invested in the students who are willing to learn, then hopefully they will be able to use grammar, rhetoric, and critical thinking skills across the disciplines. I believe that if there is a supposedly end to composition, then the application of those skills would be it.

In conclusion, I like to think that for students, who will have to write papers, evaluate sources, or develop a effective thesis for their papers in other classes, will be involved with composition all of the time. Because for those students who really learn composition, the end of composition at the end of the semester does not really end, it is only the beginning.

Teaching philosophies

2007-09-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

I think that one important philosophy of composition would be grammar and rhetoric. It is an important key concept that I recognize, but not necessarily one that I think should be at the top of the list of every teaching philosophy. But in retrospect, I think that any teaching philosophy will of course differ from one person to another. In addition, as instructors in academic classrooms, we all should recognize the different contextual factors that have influenced each others’ experiences. Those contextual experiences will then influence our own teaching philosophies.

In particular, my own contextual factors are intersecting identities of gender, race, and class. Therefore, one strong foundation of my teaching philosophy is to cultivate a learning environment where the expression of different ideologies, experiences, and beliefs are done in a respectful and liberating manner. I also strongly believe in the teaching strategies of group discussion. As people who are cultural and socially influenced, it is in social settings where I believe that some of the most productive learning can be accomplished.

Document instructors as facilitators of English

2007-09-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

I think first and foremost the document instructors in ICON are facilitators of grades. Our jobs are to help the progress of each student that participates in ICON. Document instructors are the first individuals who will view and critique a students’ paper, brief, or summary. That job in itself is a huge responsibility and a daunting task for any conscientious person. It is our responsibility to grade students’ papers to the best of our ability but also grade papers in a way that would be most helpful to the student.

In my opinion, we do this by constructive criticism not destructive criticism. Because our grades are the first ones that a student will view, I strongly believe that each and every critique that document instructors offer should be written in a way that will be receptive to the student. There is a constructive way that any facilitator in ICON can give a student a seventy, but still incorporate critiques for the student that is not dehumanizing, rude, or judgmental.

Many times, I have received the impression that many people believe they are better or more educated than others. These ideologies cultivate an elitist academic agenda. It is a perception that I believe is defeating, counter-productive, and leaks onto a student’s paper while document instructors are grading.

It is when the facilitators of ICON encourage constructive criticism, that the student may understand the difference between complex sentences versus compound sentences or all of the other grammar nuances that will allow the students to become an even more productive citizen and a competitive college student in the future. As document instructors, we have the influence to help transform a student’s writing into something the student will feel proud to represent. But first, as document instructors, we need to realize that once we too were undergrads in English classes. Struggling perhaps not with grammar or citing, but something else that at one time we may have found defeating. Therefore, it is only with patience and understanding, that all document instructors may become even more effective facilitators in ICON.

The Three core values

2007-09-03T16:11:00.001-07:00

As I thought about the writing prompt for today’s blog, it soon became difficult to decide what the three most important beliefs I had about teaching. I kept thinking what values would I teach about composition, and I soon realized that my own values would integrate core theoretical frameworks of composition as well as pragmatic examples that have shaped me mentally as well as socially and cultural. Therefore, my first teaching value is that a teacher should have a sincere understanding of societal, cultural and socio-economic values as well as the willingness to teach different cultural perspectives in their classrooms.

I believe that this notion of teaching different perspectives is not only important for the students but for the professor as well. Along with this concept of teaching different perspectives, sometimes the assumption is made by many that I am speaking of diversity and of course this would automatically make it a racial issue. Sadly and mistakenly this is not the case, and while some people ignorantly make these assumptions, it reaffirms my first value. Because when professors make the error of teaching different cultural perspectives focused only on race, it marginalizes and displaces other cultural groups.

Secondly, I believe another important concept of teaching composition is learning to teach it as a necessity to success instead of a commodity that is consumed and discarded by students after the semester is finished. It is inevitable that as a professor of composition, a wide range of students will be taking the course, therefore; these students will be from all types of majors. This may be the only time that any of these students will be in an environment where they will be able to focus solely on their writing skills. As a teacher of composition this is the perfect opportunity to really help students understand rhetoric and the importance of developing good writing skills for all their future endeavors.

Lastly, my third value is teaching classes in order for the students to really learn. I understand that ‘learning just to learn’ is a romanticized notion, especially when it is competing in a capitalistic society ruled by consumerism. But it is a value that is important. Coming into graduate course work, I hold the unique position of being a teacher and a student, but I was also an undergraduate three moths ago. I was the student who was obsessed about grades and not concerned about the ideology of learning. However, as I became a junior and a senior at Texas A&M, my perspectives began to change, especially when I began to prepare for graduate school.

I remembered a professor my freshmen year of college who taught bell hooks in her English women writers’ class. As a student I was delighted when I discovered a new perspective on racial politics. It changed my life, figuratively and literally. That professor was amazing. I recalled being eighteen and naively thinking that a woman of a different race knew more about African-American literature than I did at the time. In addition, she was more open-minded to different perspectives. For me, it only took one professor. It only took one person who believed in teaching to give me the knowledge and the tools to succeed. Because of her, I wanted to achieve more. I received a C that semester in the course, but it did not matter, because that professor gave me the tools that started me on the path that I am still walking today.