Filed under: Humanities
Currently in PLP 11 we are doing the ‘We Shall Overcome” project. That unit is about the civil rights movement, what caused it, and how it has lasting effects today. So far we have looked at things like the murder of Emmet Till, The Montgomery Bus Boycott. We have also started talking about the man who spearheaded the movement, Martin Luther King Jr. This post is an assignment that perfectly encapsulates the ideas of this project, and the driving question: How can the actions of an individual change a system? In this assignment we compared events and individuals, one from the 1950-60s, and one from today and look at their similarities and differences. I have chosen Rosa Parks and Colin Kaepernick
What makes them similar? Well, the deeper you look at both situations, the more they have similarities. When Rosa refused to give up her seat to a white man, she was challenging a system. Not just the system of how people sat on the bus, but also how coloured people were so segregated in America, and especially in the south. When Colin kneeled he was protesting against the system of respect that we all must ‘follow’ to show respect to our country, but he refused because of his lack of respect for President Donald Trump and the state of America. Both of these strong-willed people stood against the flow of the country that they were living in, and stood up for the people that they saw were being oppressed. If you look at it, Colin was almost also standing up for the legacy of individuals like Rosa, and that he was picking up the torch they left behind to carry on their movement.
To show their similarities I made a juxtapose. A juxtapose is a piece of media where two image are together, and you can slide across to reveal and hide each image. I chose the images of both of them protesting to show their two different techniques.
Now, I want to talk about their differences. The differences between them are mostly surrounding image and legacy. How right now in schools we learn about Rosa Parks. That she was a hero that springboarded a movement. In media she is celebrated and loved, and there is a memorial for her in The National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. Right now in 2019 we still see Colin as a contrarian. He has received a lot of negative attention for his actions and the backlash on his career is evident. These differences though carry into my last point.
Lastly I want to talk about effect.
Rosa Parks’ story is taught to children, like myself all across North America, as a story of triumph. A story of bravery. She has statues of her on the bus, her story is one that is well known positively. She is a symbol of the civil rights movement.
On to Colin Kaepernick’s effect. Since his protest, he was released by the San Francisco 49ers and is still a free agent. He also released an ad with Nike that boasts the strong and powerful words: “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” He got support for this, and continues to. Even being named GQ’s Citizen of the year. How was this taken? people boycotted GQ, they burned Nike shoes, cut Nike socks, and he was blasted by social media. Why?
He did an action so similar to Rosa, and was painted as a villain, instead of a hero? Will he? Ever? It’s an opinion thing. Personally when I saw players of my favourite team, the Miami Dolphins Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, Kenny Stills and Jelani Jenkins kneeling. I instantly didn’t like it. They were bing disrespectful. But, after doing research on the movement, what was behind it, and who started it, and why, I have changed. I don’t want to get into politics, but I see Colin as a hero. I think he is fighting for what is right, and if you don’t agree. Just watch. A movement is coming. A bigger movement. Rosa’s fight isn’t over, and brave heroes like Colin are now leading it. I am behind him. Good luck Colin.
