[Adilene Rodriguez]

The photo illustrates an interracial couple supporting marriage equality by holding a sign that states “Not long ago our marriage was illegal. Be on the right side of history. Marriage Equality for all.” I picked this photo because it strongly relates to this weeks theme, “the right to marry, the right to exist.” In the past it was illegal for interracial couples to marry, just as it was illegal for same sex couples to marry up until 2015; when the US Supreme Court legalized it. In other words, before both of these couple’s legalization the oppression they endured was justified through the use of fear and religion. More specifically, in both of these moments of history our government established laws to protect Christina dominated beliefs and values, instead of fairly representing its’ diverse population. Unfortunately, another similarity is that even though marriage equality has now been achieved by both groups of people, there are still several other laws, norms, and fears in society that continue to oppress them. Therefore, it is important for our government to consistently question what makes their values superior or morally correct, especially when our nation was founded on slavery and genocide.

The photo was uploaded by Rachel onto greenleft.org.au on July 31, 2015.

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[Adilene Rodriguez]

The photo shows Orr Yakobi, an Israeli citizen and DACA recipient, after he was released from an ICE detention facility on parole and without bond. I chose this photo because it relates to this weeks theme “Illegality and Civil Rights” by showing how an undocumented person is dehumanized regardless of their contribution to society. More specifically, even though Yakobi is a UC San Diego student who was scheduled to graduate at the end of winter quarter he was still detained after making a wrong turn at the US-Mexico border. In other words, even though he was an active member of the San Diego community, because he did not have the appropriate paper work he was not deemed as American or a teen who is simply trying to obtain his college degree, but instead as an illegality that needed to be punished. Overall, it is important to acknowledge that for undocumented people a border does not end the physical location, but instead it follows them in their daily lives.

 

This photo was uploaded to twitter on January 12, 2018 by CA State Assembly Member Todd Garcia.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Adilene Rodriguez.

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[Adilene Rodriguez]

The photo illustrates a young child representing herself in an immigration court room. This is just one of several cases where children as young as 2 years old are forced to represent themselves. Since immigration courts aren’t required to provide defendants with lawyers if they can’t afford one, children who do not understand what is going on, let alone immigration laws, can’t successfully fight or plead for their right to stay in the U.S. This relates to this week’s theme “Illegality and civil rights” by depicting just how much undocumented immigrants have been dehumanized and the consequences that derived from it. To elaborate, because society has been conditioned to perceive undocumented immigrants as “illegal” and “aliens” they have become content with having dysfunctional immigration courts even if it means young children are severely and negatively impacted by them.

 

This photo was uploaded on July 4 2018 to the website culturacolectiva.com, by Maria Chards.

 

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[Adilene Rodriguez]

The photo shows thousands of protesters gathered at the JFK airport in New York City. I specifically picked this photo because it shows several people protesting against Trump’s Muslim Ban. More specifically, it relates to this week’s theme “Legalized Islamophobia and the War on Terror” by showing how U.S. citizens do not view their country as the champion of freedom. In other words, even though Trump tested the legal and political lengths to establish an Islamophobic ban by using the same tactics that prohibited Muslims from becoming citizens in the past, these methods ultimately failed and instead mobilized thousands to protest nation wide. This picture is just one of many instances where people gathered in solidarity the day after the executive order was signed.

The photo was taken by Stephanie Keith/Getty on January 28, 2017 and was uploaded onto Rolling Stone’s website the day after.

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[Adilene Rodriguez]

This photo depicts a young child resting next to who I believe to be her sleeping father or relative. The young girl is looking directly at the camera behind a wired fence, while resting on make shift bed made out of a plastic container. I chose this photo because it clearly shows history repeating itself. More specifically, it relates to this week’s theme “Japanese American Internment” by showing similarities between the tactics used to gain public support to establish the concentration camps for Japanese American and the “detention” camps for immigrants who lack documentation. To elaborate, in both situations national security has been used to warrant inhumane treatment and give society a reason to ignore and allow these poor conditions to occur in the first place.

 

This photo was uploaded in 2013 by an online blog website named Reuters.

 

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[Adilene Rodriguez]

The photo illustrates one of the two black men that were arrested at a Starbucks because they were waiting for a friend and had not ordered anything. I believe this photo relates to the theme for week 4, specifically “My Dungeon Shook-Letter to my Nephew.” In the letter Baldwin warns his nephew of the linage of violence he will inherit solely because of his race and ignorance of white people who are “trapped in history.” This recent Starbucks incident is a clear example of the linage and ignorance that Baldwin wrote about in the 1960’s. To elaborate, these two men were arrested for doing the same thing that other people do except without any consequences. In other words, just like Baldwin warned his nephew, these men were targeted solely because of their race. Furthermore, Baldwin urges his nephew to accept “innocent” people with love because they are ignorant and don’t know any better. However, in today’s society when someone calls the police on African Americans for an unwarranted reason, they are putting these people’s live at risk. Therefore, I wonder if the letter were written today would Baldwin still urge his nephew to accept these “innocent” people?

The photo was taken on April 14, 2018 and uploaded by abc7.com.

 

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[Adilene Rodriguez]

The picture illustrates Martin Luther King leading a peaceful protest. However, the photo has been edited and it now depicts past civil rights protesters with Black Lives Matter signs. I picked this photo because it shows a bit of irony. To elaborate, our society today holds Martin Luther King in high regards. However, Americans had a negative opinion about Martin Luther King in the past just like they do with the Black Lives Matter movement today. More specifically, over 50 years ago African Americans were fighting for similar rights that African Americans are fighting for today. This relates to the our theme for week three by illustrating how the civil rights movement faced similar injustices and resistance just as the Black Lives Matter movement is facing today. For example, in the Letter From Birmingham Jail King states, “You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping “order” and “preventing violence.” I don’t believe you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its angry violent dogs literally biting six unarmed, nonviolent Negroes…I’m sorry that I can’t join you in your praise for the police department.” Even though this was written in 1963, it echos the exact thing that Black Lives Matter is fighting against, police brutality.

 

Source: The Washington Post

Photographer: Washington Post photo illustration

Date: October 1st, 2015

 

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[Adilene Rodriguez]

Theme: Civil Rights Today

The image shows every U.S. state’s deadline to register to vote for the midterm election of 2018. I chose this image because it illustrates the positive and drastic impact that celebrities can have when they use their platform to raise awareness on important issues. According to The Nation, “The post had a huge effect and within 24 hours, more than 166,000 people registered to vote shortly before the deadline, with 42% aged between 18-24.” This relates to this week’s theme by showing how powerful voting is, especially in our current political climate. More specifically, in Michelle Alexander’s book, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” she explains how African American men with a felony record are treated explicitly as second class citizens and are discriminated against legally in terms of employment, housing, public benefits, jury service, and education. In addition to Alexander’s argument, another form of legal discrimination that African American men with past convictions face, is being barred from their right to vote for some period of time or in some states they are permanently disenfranchised. To elaborate, Alexander explains how African American men live “structured in a way that guarantees admission into a system [mass incarceration] they can’t escape from.” Therefore, this photograph echoes how certain groups of people have a legitimate right to vote solely because the color of their skin allows them to live outside of structural racism, and at the same time this photograph amplifies the significant positive change that can happen if those who can vote actually exercised their right, (like the 166,000 people that were not registered to vote before they saw Rihanna’s post).

Source: Robyn Rihanna Fenty’s Instagram account, taken/uploaded on Oct 9, 2018.

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GOOD MORNING AMERICA ☀️ Who is awake this morning? And who’s woke? Cause today is an extremely crucial day to the future of America!!! Today is the last day in 14 states to REGISTER TO VOTE… I’m talking to you ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, NEW MEXICO, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS. You have 1 job today and that is to properly register to vote. I don’t care what responsibilities you have today, there’s no greater responsibility than being in control of your future and the future starts NOW!! We don’t have time, no procrastinating, don’t let the discouragement take you off coarse, that’s not how my people or my generation will go down…this is the loudest way to make your voice heard! REGISTER TODAY! Let’s go!!! 💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿 Go to Vote.org to register and to double and triple check that you are properly registered!

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Oct 9, 2018 at 3:15am PDT

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