Gated Rights

    As part on an english assignment, I was required to research gated communities by following several links and listening to podcasts on the topic. Upon finishing my research I was prompted to formulate an opinion on my stance for or against gated communities and incorporate outside links. Here is my opinion: 

"Foster segregation and increase a sense of exclusion" (Aranda 1). Really? I am not referring to a 1960's southern U.S. grade school, but rather to gated 21st century communities. The idea of surrounding yourself completely with people who look and act like you is horrifying. Even more troubling is the exclusion of certain groups of people from the community. Aside from lulling its members into a false sense of security, the benefits offered by gated communities are scarce. 

    Easily ignored by proponents of gated communities, the main ideas encouraged are sinister: "exclusion, division, [and] hate" (Boyle 220). From the vantage point of an interracial youth gated communities seem exceedingly polarizing. What type of gated community would I reside in if I fit into the economic bracket of the community but not the racial one? This predicament fails to even scratch the surface of the dishonorable practice of gating communities. 

    According to one source, certain people have bestowed the power upon themselves to determine who can and cannot live around them, or even travel on their roads. At some point a line must be drawn between the interest to live in a safe exclusive neighborhood and flagrant segregation. As America enters a trying time of economic strife and international turbulence, one component is integral to her success: unity. 

Self-Appreciation

"... The devastation that  even casual racial contempt can cause"(Morrison 210)...

     From the start of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, it becomes painfully obvious to the reader that Pecola would have been spared from the agony she lived through simply with a stronger value of herself and her heritage. Instead, images of Shirley Temple and other white representations of beauty bludgeon Pecola into believing her black skin is a curse and "curtail [her] freedom" in every way (Morrison 121). The "emotion of years of unfulfilled longing" has left a void in Pecola's life (Morrison 21). 

    You will familiarize yourself with racist practices in the media, stereotypes experienced by individuals on a daily basis, and research about ancestry. By educating yourself about the racism that is still alive today in America, you will be able to have intelligent discourse about the subject. The goal of your research is to shed light on the fact that the media doesn't always portray "beauty" and to build self-confidence in order to achieve the "small triumphs" of self-appreciation seen in The Bluest Eye (Morrison 63). 

Before completing the following tasks, follow the links to the respective webpages and read the articles on my delicious page in order to expand your knowledge base on racism and ancestry. Use your unique stand on each subject to make your blog posts interesting over the next few days.  

Assignment Tasks: 

1. Comment on Jake's Blog about ancestry (brief paragraph) 

2. Find a blog about racism in the media that you disagree with and leave a comment (brief paragraph)

3. Make an entry to your blog about your own identity and heritage(1 page) 

For an additional source of information, search "Blast The Right" in iTunes and subscribe to Jack Clark's free activist podcast