Invisible Project

I will continue discussion on the below post soon. For now, I wanted to share my invisible man project. Brian Walker my english teacher assigned a final project with the basic requirements that it had to be 3-D and cover a theme of the book. For my project I started by creating a white box-like back drop. Next I shaped and cut metal mesh to create a cage around the clay sculpture I made of  T.I.M. -- The Invisible Man, a young black man at the time. My next step was attach the cage to the backdrop by pushing the pointy edges of the cage in, trapping Tim inside. After this I modeled a much larger face out of jet black as opposed to the light brown I used for Tim. I created the face to mirror stereo-typical caricatures of black people in the early twentieth century as well as black face actors. I attached this face to the outside of the cage above Tim's smaller body. The last part of my project was to create an "optic white" paint can. Inside the paint can all the paint looks white except showing through this illusions is a small black drop made of clay. The clay drop stretches into a thin line connected to Tim's hand from inside the Cage. attached to the backdrop will be significant quotes from the book. 

--> Now for the symbolism


The paint can and the white box backdrop are both symbols of American society at the time and institutional power that was held by white people and that oppressed minorities. The paint reference is taken out of the book. Tim works briefly at Liberty Paints, a company who specializes in white paints used to cover up monuments and other symbols of a "white United States". However, the key ingredient in the paint is a black base. In the book, this seems to be a metaphor for how the strength and wealth of the white dominated society comes from the sacrifice of black people. In the project the black paint droplet connects to tim because he is part of that droplet that is the sacrificial lamb of white society. Meanwhile Tim is stuck behind his cage prison. This is another symbol for the sacrifices he is forced to make in order to please those in power, never allowing him to achieve his own goals. The ridiculous face that is on the free side of the cage is showing how nobody sees Tim on the inside but only this caricature of a human being. When they look at tim they only see black and so he is rendered invisible.


Sorry if you haven't yet read the book but you should check it out! Ask questions and Discuss the significance of the book and the project or any of your own project ideas-  Thanks!!

Newest Thoughts- Boarding life

Is there a connection between being a student of color and being a boarder at the cambridge school? I think without a doubt there is. The vast majority of students that identify as people of color are boarding students. This leads me to wonder what part of the admissions process causes this to happen.  Is admissions recruiting kids of color into their boarding program related to their applicants living request? Are there preconceived notions of those students environments? Do some of the students of color that are applying to a Weston independent school have particular needs requiring boarding. Regardless of the reason, it seems to me that this phenomena brings up some interesting questions. Are the patterns caused by socioeconomic inequality? Are they social or preset requirements of admissions or of certain families? Who knows?


Something to note is that this is my interpretation of the situation and I have not yet conferred with admissions about the numbers and reasoning behind those numbers. 


I would appreciate some boarding student, student of color input and CSW Student input in general. comment, speculate, agree, disagree!


THANKS
-MAX

invisible man

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/invisibleman/summary.html

Invisible Man

Just finished invisible man by Ralph Ellison--> seems related to gender and race discussion.

Anyway, Invisible man is one of the best books I have ever read. It is so packed with symbolism and emotion. I don't think there is any line in the book that just describes how something looks or an action. Everything has multiple meanings and endless significance. 

"The novel addresses many of the social and intellectual issues facing African-Americans in the early twentieth century, including black nationalism, the relationship between black identity and Marxism, and the reformist racial policies of Booker T. Washington, as well as issues of individuality and personal identity." 

The main character- Tim- as in The.Invisible.Man.  faces endless hardships throughout the book, including being used and spited by the system and his superiors. Tim begins by accepting his own marginalization through justifications about the black experience. In the beginning he dreams of being a black man with money, respect and intellectual prowess all while still being subservient to white people. He soon learns that this is not a realistic truth. The more he justifies the actions of others and stifles his identity and his own freedom, the closer he gets to losing it. Eventually Tim truley understands what it is to be invisible, to not be seen as a man or by your personality, but as black and as a tool to be used and sacrificed. He has a total identity shift and frees himself of his blinding illusions. 

For my english class on the book we had to write found poems- using mine and Ellison's words. Mine brings up feelings about the system Tim discovers and about what was really happening for Tim and black people at the time. Many of the themes are from the book so if you don't follow them, I encourage you to read it through and see what you think.

The Cycle

Found Poem inspired by Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

If you’re white, you’re right,

As long as he’s satisfied the system continues,

Built and fed by the oppressed,

Masters’ harsh faces looming,

I’m your destiny, I made you

Because Ain’t a continental thing that happens down here that ain’t as iffen  I done put my black hands into it,

Americas backbone and it’s sacrificial lamb,

They want you guilty of your own murder, your own sacrafice,

So they can turn your death, sorrow and defeat into propaganda,

Optic white propaganda, you’re painted over and hidden,

If it’s optic white, it’s the right white,

The liquid was dead black, you stir it till it disappears,

They just mixes in the color, make it look pretty,

Down here is where the real paint is made,

And you and I are stuck down here,

Clubbed into the cellar before I caught the hint,

They wait to feed on us until the time is right,

Until we are used and empty, the power of jack,

And Deep down you come to suspect that you’re yourself to blame.

Read the book and comment away

- MAX

More thoughts on safe space:

When a student who identifies as a gay person but has never told anyone can stand up in front of 1,600 high-school students and come out, you know something special is going on. How did SDLC create such a sense of profound respect and caring? In Addition to what I wrote about earlier I think it must have to do with the way you are initiated into the Student Diversity Leadership conference. From day one we discussed the way you talk to people about sensitive topics and the way you talk about your own life so everyone feels comfortable. This was important but the overall stress on getting to know other students and their stories was the key -- 1. because it's interesting and satisfying 2. Because a search for an understanding of the difference around you is the true definition of diversity. CSW has students of color, has students from many different places in Asia, students from Russia, but if domestic students, white students, students of color, ALL students do not seek to understand those who are different from them, How can there truly be diversity at school. SDLC created an environment where learning about your neighbor was the most interesting thing and having that person reciprocate their interest was the most satisfying. 

POCC+SDLC: Updating Our Status- A Declaration of Interdependence

SDLC

Last week I went to the Student Diversity-SDLC Leadership Conference with about 1,600 other students from independent schools and 4 others from my school. While in Philly I experienced some truly amazing things. I bonded with the other students from my school and I learned a lot about Diversity, Oppression and human rights. I also learned the true definition of a safe space. I have never been in a place with people so un-judgmental, so accepting and so genuinely interested in learning about the lives and cultures of other students.

When I think about what could have created this environment, an environment that my school and I think most places strive for a lot of things come to mind. The first thought I had was that the key was that SDLC is a gathering of students all interested in the same thing--> Creating social change and fixing diversity issues at their schools. I think this is a large part of the success of the conference but I also think there must be more to it. 

I'm still thinking about how this environment was created and how I could  help to create or even a fraction of it at my own school.

-WILL SAY MORE

Overview: Race and Gender Dynamics at My School

I attend the Cambridge School of Weston- CSW, a small school with a progressive mission and a clear set of goals. One of the four main goals of CSW is social justice, so why haven't we dealt with ongoing issues relating to diversity, race issues and gender? With such a focus, why don't we live in a diverse utopia free of judgment and care?

In my wanderings I observed noticeable separations between racial and gender groups in social networks and in student elected positions. These social and political dynamics have shown me that even at such a forward thinking place institutional marginalization of minorities and women effect the decisions of students and the environment as a whole.

At CSW this year we have 7 male members and 1 female member on our student government. Worse representation than the United States. At school we acknowledge sexism and racism in the outside and a little within, but do not have a full understanding of the way our community is affected.

Although our demographics and the fact that we talk about race issues at all is a great start compared to a lot of schools, when I observed our dining hall I saw patterns of self segregation. There were three tables that consisted of predominately white students, one table with mostly international students and one table of mostly students of color. At some of these tables there were students who did not fit the overall racial/background of that given table, there were also some smaller tables with less noticeable trends and some tables with mostly faculty.

In the future posts I will dive into this issue and how it relates to me, my experiences, the outside world and whatever else is interesting.

Enjoy-