A Visual Artist’s Survival Guide

Hello, and welcome to my blog. This post reflects my last action project at GCE for my Humanities core class, “Endurance”. For the end of this class, we have been studying what endurance is and breaking down what each of us seniors will have to endure after graduating from GCE. For this action project, we were assigned to create a "survival guide" for ourselves and for anyone who would be interested in taking a similar career path in life. My survival guide is about making a successful and profitable career as a visual artist and how to use resources around you to benefit yourself. My survival guide is down below for all to view. I can't believe this is my final action project as a GCE student but the journey was worthwhile. Thanks for visiting my blog and enjoy your day.

Works Cited:

“Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio.” School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2015, www.saic.edu/academics/degrees/bachelor-fine-arts-studio. 

“Bachelor of Fine Arts with an Emphasis in Art Education.” School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2021, www.saic.edu/academics/departments/art-education/bachelor-fine-arts-emphasis-art-education. 

“Marwen | College & Career.” Marwen, 2018, www.marwen.org/college-and-career-support.

Life Passions and Health Balance

Hello, and welcome to my blog. This post reflects my first action project for my Humanities core class, “Endurance”. Throughout this class so far, we have learned about the holocaust and visited the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, IL. We watched a movie called “Schindler's List” which is based on a list of people who were bought to be freed from concentration camps. We also read the book "Night", which was written by a holocaust survivor. The biggest takeaway from our studies of the holocaust was the different things people endured throughout the holocaust. For this action project, we were assigned to brainstorm an activity we endure up to or complete in 12 hours. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Welcome to my Endurance Journey, throughout the video below you will see me either doing some sort of physical activity or making art. The purpose of my endurance project is to balance my endurance between my passions of physical activities such as skateboarding and playing basketball that benefit my physical well-being; and creating artworks through printmaking, drawing, and painting which benefit my emotional and mental well-being. I chose this because the last 2 years of high school have been the toughest on my overall health. I lost two close friends and classmates at the start of my senior year, I was struggling with continuing school because of my family issues outside of school, and I truly struggled to retain the academic material taught to me throughout this pandemic. These are a few major reasons upon more on why I depend so much on my passions as coping mechanisms and therapy from the pain I continue to endure throughout my life. Through these passions themselves, I endure doubt, fear, and struggle to improve my talents physically and artistically.

 

 In conclusion, this endurance project was pretty difficult for me. I have been struggling with managing my time for a while and I will continue to work on balancing my time for making art and exercising consistently. Something that I learned from this journey is that I need to be more kind to myself in order to get through the hard stages of the things I do. I am my worst enemy when it comes to failure and not meeting my own and others' expectations of me. Since I will be attending an art school for college, I'll have time and space to create as much artwork as possible. Now I just need to figure out my schedule for exercising either through gym workouts, basketball, or skateboarding. 

The Almighty Black P Stone Nation

Hello, and welcome to my first action project for the first unit of my Humanities core class, "Equality". In this class, we learned about race, class, and gender relations in American society today and in the past. We studied several pieces of writings from black and brown writers that all lead back to injustice in America. Racism, classism, and sexism are the main ways people have been discriminated against. For our field experiences, we spoke to an attorney named Allegra Love who helps people that are about to be deported from the United States, and Gregory Banks, a survivor of ex-Chicago police officer Jon Burge’s torture rings. Through talking with fighters and survivors of social and racial injustice, we established a sense of where America stands today.  For this action project, we were instructed to choose a historical event, research deeper into it, and interview someone who was around during the time of the event. Our end goal was making a zine to further discuss and explain the event's relation to injustice whether by race, class, or gender. I chose to attack class and racial injustice and use the black-led gang organization The Almighty Black P Stone Nation as an example of what happens when systems of power continuously neglect the people who built this country. I hope you enjoy the zine!

Overall, I enjoyed diving into the issue of Inequality for a class project. I was able to research and understand why black gangs in Chicago existed and how they even stood up to racial and class injustice. Inequality of resources to my area, which is predominantly black, is an issue I deal with almost every day of my life. I enjoyed getting to talk with my grandma and an elder member of the Almighty Black P Stone Nation to gain insight into what Chicago was like for black people in the 1960s. The most challenging part about this project was trying to decide what information would be most valuable to include in my zine. But as a solution, I did leave links and QR codes to free documentaries for further understanding behind the ABPSN and black-led gangs overall from Chicago. I am pleased with my work and wouldn’t really want this zine to be made any other way.

JUNETEENTH IN 2122!

Hello, and welcome to my blog. This post reflects my second and final action project for the unit of “Hxstory” of my Humanities core class, “Equality”. Throughout this unit, we have explored current race, gender, and class relations in the United States throughout history. We watched a documentary called “Roger and Me”, which was about the GMC company’s impact on Flint, Michigan after closing all of their factories. In the last few weeks of class, we played traditional Monopoly and “Stratified Society” of Monopoly. The stratified society version divided us, players, up by financial class with each class having its own different set of privileges. This version of monopoly allowed us to experience systemic discrimination by financial status. For this action project, we were assigned to predict the future of Equality in video format the way Trevor Noah does his news reporting. My news report captures the historical context and current events in 2122 related to the Juneteenth holiday. Watch my video and read my script down below. Thanks for visiting my blog! 

Script

NL: “Today is June 19, 2122, better known as Juneteenth. "Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States of America and is considered the longest-running Black Indigenous and African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.  Today in the 22nd century, I’m proud to be an American and proud that our country is reeducating American and world history nationwide through our schools and media more truthfully.

NL: The popular misconception and miseducation throughout the 20th and the early 21st centuries on the “ending” of slavery was that slavery ended because it went against Abraham Lincoln’s faith and morals as a person and he thought it was the right thing to do. In the 2020s, more Americans realized that the abolishment of slavery wasn’t in Lincoln’s intentions at all.” Here's a quote from Lincoln’s famous debate with Stephen to give context to some of Lincoln’s beliefs at the time of slavery leading up to the Civil War: 

Abraham Lincoln: "I have no purpose directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so." 

NL: When Abraham Lincoln feared he would lose the Civil War, he freed slaves in the South assuming they could rebel against the southerners who enslaved them. Lincoln also didn’t want equality for especially white and black people at the time either. He believed that there could be only one superior race and it had to be the white race.  

Abraham Lincoln: “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it," wrote Lincoln in 1862. "What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union." 

Abraham Lincoln: "I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races... I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people, and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man is in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."

NL: Since the 1850s, history has been white-washed and rewritten so white people’s words would be believed by the future generations of Americans as “right” and fact even if the written documents were lies. The reason for all of this was to preserve the white supremacist beliefs and values of America which consisted of barbaric acts such as the capturing, selling, beating, raping, breeding, and experimentation of enslaved people groups; and genocide upon all people who weren’t white. As well as the discriminative class system of race, gender, and social and financial status. The major effects of slavery lasted from the late 1800s to the 2040s in America. These effects of slavery were systemic and blatant racism, discrimination, racial injustice, disproportionate imprisonment, disproportionate disparities in health, and lack of investment to black and brown communities nationwide. All of these negative experiences of people who aren’t white were created just like the categorization of race. Now with that being said, let’s define race and how it has affected not only our country but the world. Here’s a video from Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary to discuss more of the matter.

Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary: “Race is a concept of society that insists there is a genetic significance behind human variations in skin color that transcends outward appearance. However, race has no scientific merit outside of sociological classifications. There are no significant genetic variations within the human species to justify the division of "races. Mankind is one. We are one humanity. Isn’t it a shame that we are debating that in 2008? But the reason, why we continue to debate it, is we still try to reconcile the ugly stuff that we've never dealt with. We still want to say they deserved it so no one has to feel bad about all of those little babies dying and ignoring the ravages of Africa and killing young black males and urban cities altar in disproportionate imprisonment disproportionate disparities and health, oh it must be their fault how do you reconcile it you see you rather than deal with it we just continue to try to justify the behavior.”

NL: In 2122, we’ve come a long way from the misrepresentation of the mistreatment of black and brown indigenous people. Policies such as the federal act of the “Publication of Slave Trade and Selling Documents” and the “Aboriginal and Indigenous Reparations Act” are proof that our country will invest in the people groups impacted by our nation’s wrongdoings. In 2105, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued the Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. These standards are commonly used for federal data collection purposes, not only in the decennial census, but also in household surveys, on administrative forms (e.g., school registration and mortgage lending applications), and in medical and clinical research.”

NL: The 22nd Century standards contain six minimum categories for the race: American Native or Alaska Native, Asian, Black American or Black Native (specify which indigenous group(s) if possible), Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White or European. There are three categories for ethnicity: "Hispanic or Latino"  or "Not Hispanic or Latino," and the “Specify Indigenous group” option.

NL: In today’s breaking news, we interviewed Zion Randal (17) and Marsha Harris (18). They’ve been friends since kids and have successfully traced their family’s lineage and discovered that they are each other’s cousins.” I asked one of them to walk us through the steps you took in order to trace your family’s lineage and heritage. Here’s what Zion had to say about the matter:

ZR: “I was able to trace my lineage back to the late 1870s and trace my heritage back to the early 1800s through the use of the government portal in accordance with the “Publication of Slave Trade and Selling Documents” and “Aboriginal and Indigenous Reparations Act”. The portal asked for my grandparents’ and great-grandparents' date of birth and from there the portal made a family tree and traced documents from centuries ago. For reparations through the federal government, I  was able to receive 25 acres of land in the US and in West Africa along with a check for $10,000 dollars. My family has been able to reap the benefits we have been owed for hundreds of years. 

NL: June 19, 2122, marks the day that the United States of America has changed for the better and has achieved true equality and equity within indigenous people groups. Moving forward, we want to make this country home again for the descendants of people who existed on this Earth before America was created. That wraps up today’s news broadcast, have a great weekend America!

Conclusion

I enjoyed writing my script for my newscast and choosing a topic that reflects the progression black and brown people have made in this country. I felt challenged when predicting life in our country 100 years from now because I couldn’t think about much good for our country’s future. Overall, I enjoyed this project because I was able to record a news report-themed video for my topic and predict the future I want in America for my people.

Works Cited

“Abraham Lincoln Papers: Series 2. General Correspondence. 1858-1864: Abraham Lincoln to Horace Greeley, Friday, August 22, 1862 (Clipping from Aug. 23, 1862, Daily National Intelligencer, Washington, D.C.).” The Library of Congress, 2015, www.loc.gov/resource/mal.4233400/?st=text&r=-0.272,-0.206,1.612,1.305,0.

Carney, Terrance. “Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary: Post Traumatic Slave Disorder.” YouTube, 12 Sept. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGjSday7f_8. 

NOT-OD-15-089: Racial and Ethnic Categories and Definitions for NIH Diversity Programs and for Other Reporting Purposes.” Nih.gov, 2015, grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not-od-15-089.html.

Nix, Elizabeth. “What Is Juneteenth?” HISTORY, HISTORY, 19 June 2015, www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth.

“US Government Should Pay Reparations to the African-American Descendants of Slaves, UN Committee Says.” The Independent, 30 Jan. 2016, www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-government-should-pay-reparations-to-the-africanamerican-descendants-of-slaves-un-committee-says-a6842851.html. (Picture1)

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Perspective Podcast - Kendrick Lamar

 Hello, and welcome to my third action project for the unit of "Sound" in my Humanities core class, "Journalism". The goal of this unit was to take on the role of a radio broadcast journalist by practicing the essential skills of interviewing, script-writing and sound-editing. After doing so, I created a story to tell a mini-biography of a voice important to the 21st century. For this Action Project, I shared a story, collected interviews, recorded, and edited sound bites. I chose Kendrick Lamar as an influential voice in my podcast. Kendrick Lamar is one of the oldest rappers today at age 34. He continues to grow as an artist even though his older albums and music projects still receive praise. I hope you enjoy it! Make sure to check out my other podcasts through my Soundcloud below.

NL · Perspective Podcast- K.DOT

[00:00] - NL

When it comes to influences, people nowadays only look up to musicians, artists, and actors. Someone who stands out from them all is Kendrick Lamar. He is an actor, songwriter, rapper, and activist. He has won the Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album in 2016 for his album “To Pimp a Butterfly” and in 2018 for his album “DAMN.”. He’s influenced a lot of rappers today, especially his younger cousin who goes by the stage name “Baby Keem”. When it comes to hip-hop especially in the last 10 years Kendrick Lamar has been around on the scene and has been a prominent figure and name in the industry. If you haven’t heard about Kendrick Lamar by now, you have to be living under a rock. That’s fine though, you will know who he is after this podcast today.

[00:52] - NL

When I say the name Kendrick Lamar, what is the first lyric or quote that comes to your mind and why?

[00:56] - KJ

There’s really not a lyric or quote. Ok, I’ll name an album then a song. The first album that comes to mind is “To Pimp A Butterfly”. Cuz that’s just a really good album in general. That’s where I know him from. My dad was playing it and I thought that was nice. And a song, it’s “XXX” on “DAMN.” cuz I used to love that song.

[01:22] -Kendrick Lamar

"I can't sugar coat the answer for you

This is how I feel—if somebody kill my son

That mean somebody's gettin' killed"

Tell me what you do for love, loyalty, and passion of

All the memories collected, moments you could never touch

I wait in front a niggas spot and watch him hit his block.”

[01:39] -JH

I would say the first quote that comes to mind is from one of his songs “Poetic Justice” I found that to be pretty interesting. “If I told you the flower bloomed in a dark room would you trust it?”

[01:49] -Kendrick Lamar

“Poetic justice

If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?

I mean I write poems in these songs dedicated to you. When.” 

[01:58] -JH

Yeah, I found that to be pretty interesting cuz like, it just kinda makes you think about how the world is and how different people can come out of the same world differently. The good that comes out of people can stem from the bad that they experienced. And some of the bad that comes out of other people can come from too much good that they’ve experienced. Like it’s just different outcomes from different things people experience, all from the same world.

[02:32] -NL

What influence has Kendrick Lamar had on you?

[02:36] -KJ

I would say he influenced the artist I listen to a certain extent. In general, he’s probably made me pay more attention to the issues that black people have in this country just in general l. And I feel like his music is like a great representation of what we have to go through and just talking about those struggles.

[03:04] -JH

I feel like music hasn’t really affected me as much as it has other people. I’m not really into music as much as other people are. But when I listen to Kendrick; when I listen to people like Kendrick; I feel like the world can be changed in so many different ways for the better of course. I feel like there’s still hope for what people can end up becoming.

[03:30] -NL

Kendrick Lamar and his music have positively impacted my life for the better. He’s a rapper with the mindset of a jazz musician when it comes to recording songs. My English teacher loves his song “HUMBLE” which gained a lot of attention because of its chorus back in 2018. 

[03:48] -Kendrick Lamar

“Sit down

(Hol' up lil' , hol' up lil') be humble

(Hol' up) sit down

(Sit down, hol' up, lil')

Be humble

(Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up, hol' up) tell 'em sit down

(hol' up, lil') be humble”

[04:00] -NL

Too many music artists get their flowers and credit after they die. I feel that the youth should look more into his music and honor it while he’s still with us. Make sure y’all go explore his albums. You just might find something you were looking for. Goodbye for now.

[04:15] - HUMBLE. Outro Instrumental

[04:27] The End

Works Cited

“Kendrick Lamar.” GRAMMY.com, 15 Dec. 2020, www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/kendrick-lamar/17949.

KendrickLamarVEVO. “Kendrick Lamar - Poetic Justice (Explicit) Ft. Drake.” YouTube, 22 Feb. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyr2gEouEMM.

Lamar, Kendrick. “XXX.” YouTube, 26 July 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2Bjl_sFo8U.‌

Virgo, Chris J. “Humble - Kendrick Lamar (Clean).” YouTube, 14 Apr. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVL7R-dFlgk.

Life's Meaning in 1,000 Words

Hello, and welcome to my second action project for the unit of "Image" in my Humanities core class, "Journalism". One of the goals of this unit in Journalism was to examine the phrase "An image is worth a thousand words," and answer the question, "How does photojournalism help you see the world?" In this unit, I took on the role of a photojournalist, practicing both photography and the critical thinking skills behind the structure of images that shape the way we see the world each day. For our field experience, we talked to Caleb Hamernick, a photographer, to gain insight into what he thinks it means to be a photojournalist. After I learned the skills and concepts of photojournalism, we were instructed to interview and photograph a person we believe has a unique, interesting, or important view of what the meaning of life is. For the Action Project, we based it around the thesis, “How does photojournalism help you see the world?” I selected the best picture of my interviewee and wrote a 1000-word essay response to accompany my photo of her.  I hope you enjoy it!

Life's Meaning in 1,000 Words 

Recently I stumbled across a movie called “In Time”. The theme of the movie is that time is money and money is time literally. People in the movie used their time clock that sits on their left wrist to purchase things and to remain alive. When you’re out of time, your heart instantly stops and you die. The people with the most time, centuries and millenniums, don’t know how to spend the time and life that they have. This movie forced me to think deeply about how valuable life and time are to people who don’t come from money. Many people who are wealthy don't have meaning in their lives because they have almost everything at their disposal. Most people who aren't wealthy or financially stable have some meaning in their lives. Even if it's to make more money, those people still have an idea of the purpose and meaning of their lives. I and my friends alike don’t come from generational wealth or much money in our families. That shared struggle brings us closer to each other and motivates us to change our financial situations for the future. My interviewee is Phoenix, a young adult in the 2020s, an artist of color, and one of the closest friends I have ever had. With her being an only child and a local creative, I just know that her mind is full of interesting ideologies. This picture was taken in a park with a good view of sunlight for a natural brightness effect. 

N.L. "Phoenix in Sunlight" Oct 2021

I conducted our interview via Facetime video call. For the photoshoot, the picture above was shot on my iPhone 11. I used the rule of thirds for my subject, Phoenix. The rule of thirds helps you align the subject of your photo with each side of the picture. The aspect ratio of the photo was 16:9 and the ISO speed I shot her in was 30. I feel that I could've positioned her better so that shadows won't appear as much in the shot. I edited the picture by making the picture brighter since the shadows around her interfered with most of the picture.

After some catching up, she eagerly said, “So what you gotta ask me?” I proceeded to ask, what is your interpretation of the phrase “meaning of life?” "My interpretation of the meaning of life is that there is none. We are here, and we can do as we please." She declared, "At the end of the day, It is our life, we live it all in different ways. Life is something that was set in motion and will be in infinite motion until a greater force ceases it. Making life meaningful makes us feel more purposeful as if we were supposed to be here on this planet. But it can all really just be a probability, so we do with our lives what we can. Life is very precious and extremely rare. Who knew I would be alive today. I didn’t." After hearing Phoenix's perspective, I was impressed and decided to share my perspective with her. I agreed that there is no true and only one meaning of life because life is what you make of it. You have the will to shape what your future looks like through your actions whether they are major or minor. My interpretation of the meaning of life is that it can be a person's will to live or continue living. When someone has lost their "will", it typically refers to what brings meaning and purpose to someone's life. 

To wrap up our interview, I asked Phoenix what is your meaning in life and why? "Art is the only other thing that brings meaning to my life. It has been everything to me since I could remember, especially as a kid. It's the biggest love of my life and it makes me feel whole. Experiencing art that I love and knowing there are other artists out there who can understand, experience, feel something from or simply accept and appreciate it as is, even if it’s in their own individual way; Bridges so many gaps between everything I have learned. It expands my understanding of how humans interact with each other and the world. I could talk about it all day I wouldn’t be alive if art didn’t exist.” As we finished, I thanked Phoenix for her time and in-depth responses. Before ending our video call, she insisted that I should share my meaning of life in my project along with her responses. 

My meaning in life is to become a positive influence and possibly mentor for someone who comes from my background and disadvantages. My meaning of life can be summarized with the proverb, “Each One Teach One.” It is an African proverb that originated during slavery in the U.S. After someone learned how to read or write, it became that person’s responsibility to teach the next person. The concept is to spread knowledge for the betterment of your community. People nowadays refer to this as putting others on to things they are unfamiliar with. Every time I learn something new and can lead to possible opportunities, I always inform others about it. With this mindset and meaning of life, I can achieve my life goal of embodying a figure, who is necessary especially for younger people, that wasn’t present in my life as an adolescent and young adult.

Coming Soon: Gentrification on Chicago’s South Side

Hello, and welcome to my first action project for the unit of "Text" in my Humanities core class, "Journalism". In this class, we learned about how to identify false news and information by reviewing criteria for a credible source. We had a Field Experience guest named Julie Wernau, a journalist from the Wall Street Journal, who discussed her career, published stories, and further talked about her journey throughout being a journalist. We watched "Spotlight", a movie based on the story of how a reporting team in 2002 exposed the Catholic Church's cover-up of child sex abuse by its priests. The movie was very impactful as far as terminology for editors and journalists. For this action project, we were instructed to report on an event and write an article using the aspects of journalism. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Coming Soon: Gentrification on Chicago’s South Side  

Over the last decade in Chicago, gentrification has become more common than ever. It has become evident that Englewood, located on Chicago's South Side, is being impacted by gentrification. Gentrification has forced the integration of Hispanic/Latino and African Americans due to people moving from Pilsen and Little Village. Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants in the process. Gentrification has its positives and negatives such as creating more jobs, making homes for people to live in, and bringing more funding to a community. 

The Barack Obama Presidential Library and Center will be constructed on Chicago's South Side in Jackson Park. Neighborhoods that will be heavily impacted by future gentrification of the Obama Library and are within a 5-mile radius of the library’s site include Woodlawn, Englewood, and Greater Grand Crossing. People who are most impacted by gentrification are middle and lower-class residents of color. “Fear of gentrification — and the racial disparities that often come with it — has existed for decades in Woodlawn and other South Side Chicago neighborhoods slow to recover from the recession.” 

 “I think the library will bring major spikes of investment into Chicago’s South Side communities and properties, positive talk about the South Side to quiet down common stigmas of the area, and the amount of city and community involvement that the area needs,” said Leo. Many people fear losing the place they call home but others think believe that the library will be a hotspot for Chicago’s tourists and will bring opportunities with its arrival.  “I hope it brings jobs and uplifts the communities. I fear it is going to end up pushing people out of that area which will be a shame,” concluded Sharon. Gentrification from the future Obama Presidential Library on Chicago’s South Side will detrimentally impact the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods with displacement and further financial disparities. Some people still might think that gentrifying an area does more harm than good so I interviewed a few people to get different perspectives on the matter. “At first, it seems cool. The neighborhood gets cleaned up. More amenities come and the area becomes safer, but I think it ultimately does harm because the people who are living there get displaced.  People whose families have lived in a certain place for two or three generations can no longer afford to live there,” responded SH. 

Buying back property in your community is a great solution to the forthcoming gentrification. “Do believe there are people who are buying blocks at a time—at a time. You can’t complain about gentrification if you don’t own anything,” said Antoine Butler, a landlord. “The property value is rising. They’re not gonna tell you that. They’re not gonna let you know that Englewood is probably the hottest land in the city of Chicago right now.” 

By providing a detailed background of gentrification, its effects, and how to prepare for or fight against it; people impacted by it can fully process what will be their neighborhood's future and how it will impact their lives. Overall, gentrification should be a positive thing as far as new developments in underdeveloped areas towards a better future for the generations to come. Sadly, gentrification usually is the complete opposite but its negative impacts can be either intentional or unintentional. "It is morally wrong to get investment in a community that's long-overdue for investment and then to displace the very people who have been dealing with disinvestment," - activist Jeannette Taylor said. Gentrification needs to be noticed with the seriousness of the city-wide spread modern-day colonization of black and brown striving underresourced communities.

Works Cited:

“About Us.” Barack Obama Presidential Library, 20 Oct. 2016, www.obamalibrary.gov/about-us.‌

Belanger, Christian. “Englewood Residents Organize to Take Back Their Block.” Curbed Chicago, Curbed Chicago, 23 July 2018,  chicago.curbed.com/2018/7/23/17476622/englewood-development-group-buy-property. 

TAREEN, SOPHIA. “Obama Library Brings Elation but Also Fear of Displacement.” ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2019, abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-library-brings-elation-fear-displacement-64765335. 

Gender, Race, and Society: "I didn't raise you that way."

Hello, and welcome to my blog. This is my second action project for my Humanities course called Rhetoric. In this class, we studied the elements of the rhetorical situation and using rhetoric devices and appeals in writing and speaking. In this second unit of "Challenge", our guiding question was, "How can we use rhetoric to challenge the status quo?" Due to Covid-19, we weren't able to physically attend many field experiences. The only in-person field experience was at Marquette Park on Chicago's South-west side. There in the park, we gathered at the "Living Memorial" which is a reflection of the historical march and uprising against housing discrimination and racism towards black people in Chicago in the late 60s. 

 As preparation for this action project, we spoke with Ugo Okere, a twenty-three-year-old candidate who ran for Alderman of the 40th Ward in Chicago. We learned more about him and how he used rhetoric throughout his campaign by reviewing an article based on a debate between him and his opposing candidate, Pat O’Connor. We also watched the presidential and vice-presidential debates and studied rhetoric between recently elected Vice President Kamal Harris and former Vice President Mike Pence. We reviewed Troy Lariviere, who play an important figure not only in rhetoric but in Chicago's education system. He is known across Chicago for writing an Op-ed that spoke out for the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association.  For this Action Project, we were instructed to use rhetoric in an op-ed about a topic that was relevant in today's world.  I chose to write about gender and racial norms in American society. 

Rhetoric of the State's Attorney

 Hello, and welcome to my blog. This is my first action project for my Humanities course called Rhetoric. So far in this class, we studied how to understand the elements of the rhetorical situation and using rhetoric devices and appeals in writing and speaking. We created storybooks for children in the grade range of kindergarten to first grade, about Christopher Columbus's colonizing the Americas. Our challenge was to use the art of rhetoric in explaining the "hard truth" of the history of who Columbus was and what he and his people did. Due to Covid-19, we weren't able to physically attend any field experiences. We had many assignments where we had to practice breaking down and understanding the rhetoric in conversations, broadcasts, excerpts, and other texts of writing. For this Action Project, we were instructed to use rhetoric in a scripted brief interview with a current candidate of our choice. I chose to write up an interview with a young black student activist with Good Kids Mad City (GKMC) from Chicago by the name of Myracle Boyd and candidate for Illinois State's Attorney, Kim Foxx. I chose to interview Kim Foxx instead of the top mainstream candidates such as Donald Trump or Joe Biden while acting as Myrcale Boyd because it was easier for me to decipher Kim Foxx’s response since she is also from the same city as the young activist and myself as well.

SCRIPT

CBS 2 Chicago Reporter: Now we have a young student activist from GoodKidsMadCity (Chicago), Myrcale Boyd!

Myracle Boyd (MB) from GoodKidsMadCity: Good Afternoon, Thank you for being here Candidate Foxx. I’d like to start with an excerpt that I recently came across from James K Galbraith.

(MB): “Economic inequality is like blood pressure: Too high could mean disaster; too low and the economy, or the patient, is sluggish. Economic inequality and social inequality is not only a fact of life, but an unavoidable and even necessary fact of life; The question is not whether there should be inequality, but how much of it.”

(MB): In actuality, equality isn’t the answer for building up communities and people groups that inhabit under-resourced areas and don’t have access to affordable and needed healthcare or health essentials. Equity would solve more problems for people of color not only state and countywide but nationwide. 

(MB): As a candidate for Illinois State’s Attorney, how do you plan to increase equity of healthcare and human and essential resources for underserved and underinvested communities throughout Cook County?

Kim Foxx, candidate for Illinois State's Attorney (KM): The casual acceptance of racial disparities in healthcare and the investment of resources to the BIPOC population of this nation has been a long and tiresome history from the beginnings of moral and civil uprising in this country. As a representative of the BIPOC community in this country, I’ve had enough. We’ve had enough. Enough of the systemic racism that is forged within our nation’s constitution and judicial system. Enough of being considered and categorized as “last” or “other” when it comes to access to and receiving human resources whether they are micro or macro. 

(KM): As Illinois State’s Attorney, I will prosecute criminal and civil cases for the people. We need resources to identify and support the needs of people living in underserved and underinvested areas, which includes housing, food, transportation; and mental health treatment; trauma-informed and survivor-centered services; and financial assistance; especially during this time of Covid-19.  I am the voice of the people in America's courtrooms. While enforcing the law to seek justice, I tend to do so with moral good in mind.

(KM): “As a Black woman in America, I am challenged every day to operate in a system that was not built for me to be successful. As a Black woman in politics, I recognize that I have a certain responsibility that many candidates do not share. A responsibility to run a campaign that is both representative and equitable. A responsibility to lift up the concerns and listen to the hopes of my community. And a responsibility to forge a path forward for the next generation of Black women in office. 

(KM): I do not take this lightly. And I want to build a campaign that reflects that fact. That is why my campaign is making a pledge to fight for racial justice. I hope you will sign your name and join me in making this pledge. Thank you.”

Citations

“Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx Calls for Resources for Crime Survivors at Springfield Rally.” Cook County State’s Attorney, 11 Apr. 2019, www.cookcountystatesattorney.org/news/cook-county-state-s-attorney-kim-foxx-calls-resources-crime-survivors-springfield-rally. Accessed 2 Oct. 2020.

Dobbins, Elizabeth. “Economist Galbraith at Fitchburg State:” Lowell Sun, Lowell Sun, 11 Oct. 2016, www.lowellsun.com/2016/10/11/economist-galbraith-at-fitchburg-state/. Accessed 30 Sept. 2020.

“Equality vs Equity - Difference and Comparison | Diffen.” Diffen.Com, Diffen, 2020, www.diffen.com/difference/Equality-vs-Equity#:~:text=Equality%20generally%20refers%20to%20equal,achieve%20greater%20fairness%20of%20outcomes. Accessed 30 Sept. 2020.

FOXX, KIM. “KIM FOXX FOR COOK COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY.” KIM FOXX FOR COOK COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY, 2014, www.kimfoxx.com/pledge. Accessed 30 Sept. 2020.

"Dear Father, From Travis"

Hello, and welcome to my blog. This is my final action project for my Humanities course called Drama and for my Sophomore year. In this class, we broke off into parts and read Loraine Hansberry's, A Raisin in the Sun. In this class, we studied housing discrimination, segregation, and racism in Chicago which still continues today in our country today. We had virtual Field Experience guests Regina Holloway and Joel Hamernick who spoke to us about restrictive covenants in Chicago and how specific laws were put in place to keep black families out of white neighborhoods. Prior to this class, I wrote up a research paper containing the factors and behaviors that went into housing discrimination such as restrictive covenants and the pricing on a property skyrocketing for a person due to their ethnic and cultural background. For this Action Project, we were guided to write a letter to Walter Younger to convince him on whether he should or should not sell the house to Mr. Linder. I decided to write a letter, the man of the household, from the view of another character in the play. This letter is directed to Walter who has the final decision on whether their family will move to an all-white neighborhood as the only blacks there or remain in poverty in the "Black Belt" in Chicago. I was challenged to write this letter because of the social circumstances at the time within my city and neighborhood. 

Sonnet to Lucentio

Hello, and welcome to my blog. This is my first action project for my Humanities course called Drama. In this class, we broke off into parts and read William Shakespeare's play, "The Taming of the Shrew". We studied and compared the gender roles of the Elizabethan Era our present time now. Due to Covid-19, we weren't able to physically attend any performances but we virtually attended a play titled "School Girls Or The Africa Mean Girls Play" which was presented by the Goodman Theater. For this Action Project, I chose a character from a play by Shakespeare, and wrote a sonnet in Shakespearean style. Requirements of a sonnet are (14 lines, iambic pentameter, 10 syllables per line and alternating rhymes), while keeping my message clear. In my sonnet, I gave advice to the character I chose, Lucentio. I wrote it to him because he was a main character that had fallen in love with a woman at first sight. I wanted to write a sonnet to tell him how he should treat his love. I liked creating my video and writing my first sonnet. I was challenged by finding words that rhyme and that also made sense accordingly. I enjoyed reading "The Taming of the Shrew". Enjoy!





Ode to Lucentio 
Lucentio do not entreat the old  Or make Bianca chummy to your lust The castle stands as your humble abode. Respect love yet still you grow amourous. 

The thought of thee some stillness do beget. Passion turns the “thyself” and “mistress” to “they,” Your lives are join’d in lovers’ sweet duet. Love, like a tracking beam, doth hold its sway,
Love blossoms when ‘tis planted in the heart, Love doth not worry, love doth not betray, Love needs a learner’s fire with Master’s art. For all those who hate, know your love will slay

You must love the other til death do you part  “ And may you prove, sir, master of your art!”

Song of Solomon Should Not Be Banned

Hello, my name is Nakiya'h and welcome to my final action project for my Humanities course, Forbidden Books. Overall I have really enjoyed this hands-on course focused on literacy and literature  In this unit, we discussed books in America that might have been controversial and surprisingly have been banned. For my action project, I re-read Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. I researched the reasons behind the banning and censorship of one of her most popular novels. I hope you enjoy reading my research paper!

Toni Morrison, 2006. Oil on canvas by Robert McCurdy

Dogmas of Song of Solomon (Macon Dead Jr.)

Hello, I'm N.L. and welcome to my blog. This action project is for the second unit, Dogma, for my Humanities course class Forbidden Books. In this class, we discussed different religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and how they each are similar and different from each other. Our main focus of this was to discover that each religion rests on the same common fundamentals. Islam and Judaism both believe that they are ancestors of Abraham. Buddha and Confucianism both follow the `golden rule”. We continued to discuss books in America that focus on religious\cultural contexts that have surprisingly been banned.


For this unit, we were required to read 3 books for this unit, 1 independent and 2 class books. First, we read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This book was banned from America’s schools for different reasons such as religion, sexual content, and the use of racial slurs. Next, we read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury; which was banned because of its vulgarity and its plot where one of the books that eventually gets banned and burned in the Bible. We went on a field experience to WBEZ to speak with Natalie Moore, a journalist whose book, “The Almighty P Stone Nation: The Rise, Fall, and Resurgence of an American Gang” was banned from the Illinois prison system. There we talked to Natalie Moore about the banning of her book and her opinions on censorship and banning literature in institutions. We also visited the Muslim Community Center to learn more about Islam and the difference in the types of Muslim beliefs. Independently, the students were required to read a book of their choosing. The only criteria for the book are it needed to have been banned from schools.

For this action project, I chose to read Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. This interview focuses on examining how the setting (time and place) of the book influences Macon Dead Jr.’s personal dogmas.

Opening Sounds (‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” by The Andrews Sisters)

The novel Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison spans from Milkman's birth to age 32 (1932-1963) while including the three generations of the Dead family's history. It occurs around the time of World War II, the Harlem Renaissance, the murder of Emmett Till in 1953, the Brown v. Board of Education decision occurred in 1954 to desegregate schools, and the Civil Rights movement was starting up. Jobs back then were well earned and hard labored. If you didn’t work and had no money you lived in poverty and that' was that. Women worked as well as men but weren’t treated with the same view as men. Segregation then was by social class but obviously by race. 

It’s 1961, and today I’m interviewing Macon Dead Jr also known as Macon Dead II. Father of Milkman, Lena, and First Corinthians and brother to Pilate Dead. Our session takes place in Montour County, Pennsylvania on the porch of the beautiful farm owned by his father. Our interviewee’s father was once a slave in Virginia. When he was freed, he and his wife took a wagon train going north. The farm is known as, “Lincoln’s Heaven” a paradise of agriculture, nature, and family. Macon Dead is an African American man who has distanced himself from his family, his community, and his African heritage on account of his lust for materialistic wealth. Macon is hated and feared by blacks, who dislike his arrogance. He is a landlord to many of the residents of the town of Mercy, Michigan and has spent his adult life driven by the desire to accumulate profit and wealth through his businesses and ownership of properties. Macon’s life is filled with struggles ranging from the deaths of his mother and father to his do whatever it takes mentality to keep money in his pockets. Not many people know too much about or can understand him.

NL: Afternoon Mr. Dead, thank you for spending your time today for my session.

Macon Dead: In all honesty, I needed a break from my properties and stress. It’s no sweat.

NL: I’ll move along with it then. First and foremost, how has money and currency impacted your life growing up?

Macon Dead II: I grew up poor after the death of my parents on their farm. Sadly my father was shot dead on this very farm and my mother died giving birth to my younger sister, Pilate. Ever since money has been the deciding factor of life and death.

NL: Do you believe you can exist without the security of having money, that causes you to be greedy and bitter at times.

Macon Dead: “Let me tell you right now the one important thing you’ll ever need to know: Own things. And let the things you own, own other things. Then you’ll own yourself and other people too”. (55). You need money to have a house, own property, take care of your family, buy a gun, and to fulfill whatever self-desires you might have.

NL: Many people say you’re a stubborn old man who knows nothing but greed. Why do you think that is?

Macon Dead: Those people and their opinions don’t mean a damn thing to me. I am a man of God. I care for my money, my business, and my family only. I don’t need acceptance or approval from nobody but the lord.

NL: That was a very deep response, I guess you get that question a lot. Well, what about the way you treat your own people; you seem to have little to no respect for your fellow blacks or women.

Macon Dead: That’s not true. I simply don’t have time for lower-class blacks, who are beneath me socially and economically. As for women; “You got better things to do with your time. It’s time you started learning how to work. After school come to my office; work a couple of hours there and learn what’s real. Pilate (my sister) can’t teach you a thing you can use in this world. Maybe the next, but not this one.” (55)

NL: It’s surprising because women are still oppressed by America’s society and must pay the price for men’s freedom; yet you still choose to overlook women for their strength. I agree that a woman can’t fully teach a boy to become a man without a male figure in a boy’s life. I don’t agree that women can’t teach boys anything they can use in this world.

Macon Dead: Well you won’t be a man in this world. You’ll always be under someone’s control and will have to depend on another person to survive; which is something a real man wouldn’t allow for himself.

NL: People often believe that names are alive and their meanings change depending on who refers to them and how they do so. For example, a name can be immortalized and turned into a landmark; such as Mains Ave., which is known to blacks as Dr. Street back in Michigan. What are your criteria for giving children names? ”

Macon Dead: “A name that is real is given to a child at birth with love and seriousness. A name is not a joke, nor a disguise, nor a brand name.” (18) Names hold power to those who wield them. If your name holds no power, you will be treated with little respect.

NL: I agree that names hold power to a level of respect people will have for you despite your very name. Those who give names to their children should be aware of the power a child’s name will hold in its future. That’s all for this session; thank you for your time, sir.

Macon Dead: No problem at all, enjoy your afternoon.

In conclusion to this interview, we can look back to the mid-nineteenth century and reflect on how far this country has grown as far as societal agreements among the treatment of black men and women. Looking back from the year 2020, we can see the controversial dogmas Macon had. First, names hold great power and should be given wisely otherwise chosen from the bible (Self-Image). Next, money is the only will to live. Without money, you have no purpose in this world (Lust for Money). Finally, women are disrespected, shunned for their mistakes, and are inferior to men (Gender Inequality). I don’t agree with all of Macon’s dogmas but, he is a reflection of some dogmas that existed during that time in history. He allows us to consider how dogma in our society changes with time. Macon’s dogmas can be compared to dogmas of the present to decide on what we need to change or reshape in society. Thanks again for tuning in.

MLA CITATIONS

Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. Plume: New York, 1987

E-Cigarettes VS The Youth

Hello, I'm Nakiya'h and welcome to my blog. This action project is for the first unit, "Politics", for my Humanities course class, "Forbidden Books". In this class, we discussed banned books and censorship. Censorship is when a private body of people, or government, decide what form of media, like books, videos, news articles, and so on, contains content that they deemed as offensive. So far we've got to read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In this book, many interesting events within the dystopic society led up to a shocking change of events towards the ending of the book. I enjoyed reading this book for the first time.

Socrates was an ancient Athenian Greek philosopher who was a fundamental part of Western Civilization because he developed what is now the Socratic Method. The Socratic Method is the dialogue of questioning an opposer until the opposer makes a contradiction from their point of view. It's considered a dangerous method from Socrates's methods because he was executed after using the method he created because he proved his overseers wrong. For this action project, we had to record a Socratic Debate about a chosen open-ended topic. In our project, Kate and I address the topic of teens smoking e-cigarettes and the dangers it may have on a teen later in their life. I took on the role of Meletus, who was answering the questions, where Kate asked me questions and brought up points as Socrates. Eventually, I nudged towards changing my perspective on smoking as a teen by agreeing that I would make an effort to stop smoking overall. I hope you enjoy the Socratic Dialogue.


 
E-Cigarettes VS The Youth from NL on Vimeo.

Works Cited 

“Is Vaping Safer than Smoking Cigarettes? | National Center for Health Research.” National Center for Health Research, 22 May 2016, www.center4research.org/vaping-safer-smoking-cigarettes-2/. Accessed 27 Jan. 2020. 

“Lung Damage From Vaping Resembles Chemical Burns, Report Says.” The New York Times, 2 Oct. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/health/vaping-illnesses.html. Accessed 28 Jan. 2020.

‌“Quit Vaping Program Sees High Enrollment and Engagement.” Truth Initiative, 2019, truthinitiative.org/research-resources/quitting-smoking-vaping/quit-vaping-program-sees-high-enrollment-and-engagement. Accessed 28 Jan. 2020.

DRAWING LINES

Hello, and welcome to my Civic Term course called “Drawing Lines”. In this 3-week course, we have had a lot of hands-on field experiences. Sadly but surely, it has come to an end as all good things do. This is the final and only project for my class, "Drawing Lines". In this course, we focused on defining what public art is. My definition of public art changed after taking this class. At the beginning of this course, I believed that "Public art is any art that resided outside or in the public’s view.” Throughout this course, I saw public art through touring different areas of Chicago such as the Downtown Loop, Pilsen, and Wicker Park. We met with people and organizations such as Nathan Mason from Chicago’s Cultural Center, Katanya from Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and the Chicago Public Art Group. From these experiences during this class, I have come to finalization on my definition of “public art”. Public art is art that resides in the public’s accessibility and is a representation of expression either of one’s self or a group of people." We studied public art first-hand by becoming tour guides in the neighborhoods of Lincoln Park, Downtown Loop, Pilsen, and Wicker Park. We mapped out routes through these different areas in order to have a time-efficient route. Some of my favorite artworks were by Eduardo Kobra, Hebru Brantley, and Sam Kirk. Something that stuck with me from these tours was the reasoning of how street art is interpreted by non-graffiti writers compared to graffiti writers. The difference between graffiti art and gang tagging/graffiti is important because it differentiates something positive to an artistic group from a negatively impacting group of people. We watched, broke down, and discussed the movie, Style Wars. It's a movie about how graffiti writing and tagging came into existence through hip hop and break dancing influences. The biggest takeaway from this course is the work we did with Rich Alapack of "We All Live Here". He has a mural saying his infamous phrase all throughout Chicago's 77 neighborhoods. Recently, we helped begin the process of putting up a mural at Moody's Pub in Edgewater. Our class put together a coffee table book from thorough research behind artworks by many different artists. Each artwork wasn't just a mural, some were sculptures and even moving digital graphics.

Hiu To. "Beginning We All Live Here Mural".2019

For this action project, we were instructed to make a public art proposal for the Grossinger Toyota and Kia of Lincoln Park. The area surrounding our current school campus doesn't stand out with public art or any exciting colors. Our group decided to focus on the people who make the neighborhood thrive in diversity and wealth; the employees of several businesses throughout Lincoln Park and Near North. Our mural would have to speak to a specific group of people and have a meaning behind it. We also decided what we wanted the public to interpret from the mural.
The part of this action project that I am most proud of is our group's sketch proposal because of the effort and different ideas that went into the finished product.

Here below is our group's mural proposal for Grossinger Toyota/Kia of Lincoln Park.

Hiu To. "Grossinger Mural Proposal".2019

Hiu To. "Grossinger Mural Proposal".2019

Hiu To. "Grossinger Mural Proposal".2019

Artist Statement

We sophomore global citizens at GCE Lab School created this public mural proposal for Grossinger of Lincoln Park, to recognize the working citizens of this community. Public art is anything created with the intention to portray a message and be easily accessible to everybody of the art’s surrounding area. The meaning behind this public art mural proposal is the societal recognition of non-resident working people of Lincoln Park. We think that it is important to represent working-class people and people of color. It will inform and educate the residents and community members of Lincoln Park on why recognition of the working people at the establishments in the matters and why these workers should be respected. The inspiration for this piece is based on the people we interviewed, who work in this area but don’t live here. They sacrifice their time because they take public transit in order to get to their jobs. These working people build the community of this neighborhood because the residents of Lincoln Park are dependent on the services that they provide. If these people weren’t here, the community would not have its fancy food and dining, entertainment, education, shopping establishments, businesses, and institutions. This art piece is supposed to give credit to the working-class citizens of this community and how they are lifting up the neighborhood, Lincoln Park.

Thank you for reading through this action project. In conclusion to this 3-week civic term course, I got the opportunity to work with a professional artist and muralist, meet important people from organizations such as DCASE, CMAP, CPAG, and the Chicago Cultural Center. The most impactful experience for me was being able to seek out art more through my academics.

My Heroes

Hello, and welcome to my action project for the third and final unit for my Humanities course class, "Stories". In this unit, "The Hero's Journey", we focused on defining what a hero is. A hero is a protagonist or central character who can be fictional or non-fictional. In stories, you would experience the Journey through the eyes of the "hero". We studied the "Mono-Myth" created by Joseph Campbell, who was a professor of Literature. His work covers many aspects of human experiences. "Mono-Myth" or "Hero's Journey" is the main cycle of a fictional character or non-fictional character which shows how someone develops throughout a new path through their story and or life. The "Hero's Journey" is important because it symbolizes ups and downs in someone's life to the extent of progressing through life. In order to further understand real-life heroes, we worked on a couple assignments where we broke down the hero's journey of a real person, plotted the story of a familiar movie, and we watched the Matrix and experienced the hero's journey at first hand.

For this action project, we were instructed to visually represent some steps of a hero's journey of a fictional character and non-fictional character. I decided to make two different slideshows that include both of my heroes who have impacted my mindset and life. I chose Danny LaRusso as my fictional character because he was the protagonist in the movie The Karate Kid that he can be looked at as a hero in different ways. The real hero I chose is my grandpa Bert Haynes. I chose him because I wanted to learn about him and his life. The part of this action project that I am most proud of is the interview and in-depth hero's journey of my grandfather because learning more about him benefits me so I can pass his story on to my younger family members.




Interview starring my Grandpa Bert:

N.L. - Alright I'm ready to start. Can you give me a brief summary of your career in life?

Grandpa Bert - “When first applied to be a CTA conductor I was… I think twenty-three. They kept telling me there were no openings. They asked me if I wanted to be a bus driver and I told them no, I’ll wait. So to make it long story short, I applied in ‘73, 1973 and I didn’t get called until 1977. I waited for 4 years to get the job. They kept calling and asking me,” Don’t you want to be a bus driver?” but I told them no, I didn’t want to drive the bus. They said, “Well, I’m sorry but there are no openings available for conductor right now.” A guy would tell me to that, “Mr. Haynes, take bus driver, work it for 3-6 months then you’ll be able to switch over to conductor. I said no sir, I don’t want to drive the bus. So, I kept turning bus driving down and finally I got that letter in the mail that said, “If you are still interested in being a conductor for CTA, come down to um something something North Clark Street one Monday morning. Cuz when I got hired, you went to the counter to get the application, fill it out at the desk and gave it back to them. They said they would give me a call in a couple of weeks. They told me that they would be calling me in a couple of weeks. A few weeks later, I got called in, I took a test; got interviewed, finger-printe, investigated and got the job. I started from 1977 and stayed until 2003. I retired with a full-pension in  2003."

N.L.- “How did you first know that you wanted to be a train conductor?”

Grandpa Bert - “I knew after my first train ride watching him. In my head I thought, what was he doing. The train would pull into the station as he dropped that lever and he would say, “35th Street, 35th!”

N.L. - “Did you have a mentor or aid when you first started working as a train conductor?”

Grandpa Bert - “Yeah, my mentor was a guy that lived in a building with me in the projects, by the name of Willy Wells. When I started he had been working for the CTA five years before I started. He was my best friend and he was the one who also convinced me to become a conductor for the CTA. He was also a line instructor, who taught the new conductors that started being hired. We went to class first to learn how the train works, duties of the conductors, and precautions for emergency situations.”

N.L. - “Did where you lived and the areas you were used to shift towards an impact on your perspective of the city while traveling all throughout Chicago as a CTA train conductor? Did your perspective on Chicago change?”

Grandpa Bert - “When you get hired with CTA, they determine whether you were going to go north, south, or west. My starting routes and terminals were on the Southside but I traveled north, south, and west through Chicago. Every shift on a route would be 3 roundtrips every day that I worked. By being out there on the train nearly every day, it helped me learn my city more. I got more familiar with the city. By me being a conductor, I would always have to give directions to tourists because they were told to look for the conductors in the third or fourth train car in the middle of the train. I also had to call in every day before you worked at 4:30 p.m. for your assignment and you never knew where and what time you were going to work. If the clerk didn’t like you, the clerk would keep you on “late pm” and “midnight”. A late-night shift is from 6 p.m. to 11 a.m. A midnight shift is from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. The CTA requires you to get 8 hours of sleep in between each shift. I worked out of the 61st and Prairie terminal. Your clerk determines your schedule weekly. A major perspective for me is that traveling on the Southside and Westside everyone on the train would be black and brown people. The further north you went on the train, the more you would notice people who wouldn’t look like me and you. All races and cultures of people to the CTA. My train was literally all white passengers until it got to Jackson on the Red Line Train route. Downtown Chicago's loop at Jackson station was the turning point of different races and cultures of people.”

N.L. - “What were some obstacles and challenges you faced?”

Grandpa Bert - “I would get annoying passengers who came to me with false directions and argued that they didn’t know what directions were accurate. I would still help them though.”
The worst part of being a conductor was collecting carfare after passengers got on the train because people would try to pull all types of stunts to get out of paying their fare. I remember watching this one guy get on the train after I opened the doors and pretend to be asleep when I came to collect fares. I said fare please and he tried playing like he was already on the train.
The worst time to be a train conductor was anytime they had a baseball game at Wrigley Field. It wasn’t so bad taking them to the games; it was picking them up after the games. Drunk passengers would constantly come back there to my position pissy drunk asking to call out a stop or press a few buttons. “I’ve been watching you for a couple of stops and I think I can do that. Can I call out the next stop? Can I come open the doors?” That’s what many drunk passengers would say to me. Once I asked a drunk passenger could I come to your job and come play around at your job. He said, “His boss wouldn’t let him.” I told him that this wasn’t a damn toy to play with, I’m controlling a moving train. I could lose my job by letting any unauthorized person touch anything up here.”

N.L. - “Was there a time where you felt that it was a low point in your life while working as a conductor? “

Grandpa Bert - “There were many times I didn’t like things but I almost quit one time. The one thing that really got me about CTA is that I didn’t know I would have to drive the train because I almost quit when I found out. As a CTA conductor, there is a 90 -day period before you get sent to motor school, where you learn how to drive the CTA “L” trains. The only way to keep your job as a conductor you have to go and finish motor school. Just in case of an emergency. For example; if the motorman gets sick, the conductor would have to switch places with the operator/motorman to drive the train.” It’s amazing how much the CTA system has changed since 1997. The would always tell us in the early ’90s that major changes were going to come in the future. They told us in a meeting; come June 1, 1997, we taking conductors off of the train and killing the job completely. Conductors would become motormans at the front of the train having the push of a button call out stops, say when the doors were closing, and when there was a delay. We lost our jobs to automation technology. I was a conductor, motorman, and flagman. The conductor position got you in the door, but you had to qualify for at least three other jobs in order to remain in work under the CTA. I didn’t know until I was a conductor that I had to qualify for three more jobs but I did it though.”

N.L. - “How did you bounce back from the title of train conductor being completely erased?”

Grandpa Bert - “Along with my sub-positions of flagman and towerman, I enjoyed my position of towerman the but not like being a conductor. After 15 or 18 of working as a conductor, I was able to switch to a tower job. I didn’t have to work on the train anymore. I worked as a towerman at 63rd and Ashland. As a towerman I was allowed to wear just about anything that I wanted except for sandals and open-toed shoes. The best part is that I work in a building watching the trains go by as I switch the tracks for different train lines. This position was good for when it was wintertime here in Chicago.”

N.L. - “What would you consider your biggest accomplishment while working for the CTA"?

Grandpa Bert - “Being able to work as a CTA train conductor for over two decades, I loved what I was doing because ever since I was young I wanted to be a train conductor and that’s what I did. I always had a feeling I would end up working as a train conductor.”


N.L. - “ Is there anything else you want to add before we wrap up grandpa”?

Grandpa Bert - “Being a conductor wasn’t all the fun I thought it was going to be. We had the worst bosses of any job because the public were our bosses. Especially if the train had to sit, man I ain’t never been cursed out so many times, much and so bad in my life. I had to explain to the passengers that when a train in front of me breaks down, there is no going over it, around it, or under the train. We just have to sit an wait until I get the green light to move the train. The mentality of knowing what you want to be in life at a young age helped me become a train conductor. That’s why I’ll tell anybody that by the time you’re ten years old, you should know what you want to be in life. You should have some inclination about what career you want to work in because you been around to different places, seeing different people's work, and different things in life. You should have some kinda inclination about jobs and careers you want to pursue just like you have inclinations about jobs and careers you don’t want to do. I started off working at Jewels, Speagles, and driving taxi cabs. Then I got into being a train conductor. You start at the bottom and you work your way up. That’s why the higher your education is; the more money you will be able to make.”

References:

The Karate Kid. John G. Avildsen. Columbia Pictures, 1984. Film

Haynes, Bert. Personal Interview. 11 November 2019.

Robert Mark Kamen. “The Karate Kid.” Rotten Tomatoes, 20 Nov. 2005,

www.rottentomatoes.com/m/karate_kid Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

"Karma, Snap Rabbit and Dash the Wolf"

In the second unit of my Humanities course class, "Stories", focused on the concepts of morals and values. We studied and read some of Aesop's Fables to get inspiration and examples for what makes a good fable. Reviewing different well-known fables brought back nostalgia from my childhood. To get into our morals and values, we did a self-evaluation exercise that influenced some of my characters' traits. For this action project, we were instructed to create our own fable about anything as long as we end our story with a clear moral or lesson. We had to describe the setting of our story using descriptive language and we also described our protagonist and antagonist by using anthropomorphic features for animal characters in our story. Our story finally had to have a piece of symbolism in it. The parts of this action project that I am most proud of are my story itself because I put a lot of effort into and my edited photo of a scene from my fable. I hope you enjoy my story.

N.L. "Thank You Snap". 2019

“Snap Rabbit and Dash the Wolf"

The blossom of spring in nature made the animals’ homeland burst into beauty. Every Summer morning, the birds sang louder than an opera and the frogs played beats from their bellies. Snap Rabbit loved waking up to the sound of grace in the morning. He skipped through the forest to his job of gardening in the center of the forest. Whenever he had time to spare, he traveled throughout the peaceful forest to greet his neighbors. “Hello, how are you” and “You got help if you need it”, were his most common sayings when he kindly greeted his neighbors. Every day when he was done working, Snap would visit his forest friends to check up on and help them out in any way possible.

All of Snap Rabbit’s forest friends loved having him around. He often helped the foxes, weasels, birds, mice, and squirrels find and collect food for their young. He also took care of Grandma Owl by making her soup for her cold. Only one animal did not enjoy having Snap Rabbit around, Dash the Wolf. Dash didn’t have friends because she didn’t get along with the other animals very well. She lived pretty far from the rest of the animals, besides Snap Rabbit and Grandma Owl.

Snap Rabbit and his family lived in a burrow placed around the western points of the forest. Dash the Wolf lived in the cave 3 miles away from Snap Rabbit and Grandma Owl. She enjoyed being mean to all the other animals as her hobby. She would take backpacks from the children of Snap Rabbit, mice, and weasels to confuse them on which ones belong to who. Dash would often get yelled at by the other animals for playing tricks on them and their families, but she did not care.

Since Snap Rabbit was a good friend of all the other animals and always willing to help them out, the animals gifted him a celebration to show their appreciation for him. A “Thank You” banner hung in between the trees while Snap received gifts from the other animals. During Snap’s party, Dash decided to have some fun of her own since she wasn’t invited. She took some of Snap’s gifts and ran off towards her home with them. Squirrels whispered amongst each other as they watched Dash the Wolf run off with the gifts. In a matter of minutes, Dash was struggling to get out of the giant spider web near Grandma Owl’s home. The spider web caught Dash like how a dreamcatcher catches bad dreams and allows good dreams to flow through it.

The three squirrels ran to Grandma Owl and told her to beware of Dash the Wolf. Grandma Owl didn’t like Dash but she felt bad for her. Instead of staying in the comfort of her home, she went to go help Dash out of the web. She was still sick but helped anyway. Dash was puzzled about why Grandma Owl wanted to help her out of the web. They didn’t have a positive relationship with each other but Grandma Owl wanted to change that.

The biggest nuisance of all the animals in the forest finally was struck with bad luck while hanging in a giant spider web. After Dash was out of the web, she felt bad for stealing Snap Rabbit’s gifts so she decided to return them. She also said sorry for being mean to the other animals and gained trust from them. In the end, Snap Rabbit and Dash the Wolf become good friends and lived peacefully among each other and the rest of the forest animals.


Moral:

Be good to others and good will come to you.
Be bad to others and bad will come to you.

Karma is the constant cycle of good and bad energy flowing through people and their lives based on the actions of people.