DeLoach

Madison DeLoach
Marie Lo
Race and Social Justice
January 10, 2016
Reflection of Last Term
I would say that my first term went over quite swimmingly, for Race and Social Justice as well
as my other classes. I managed to only miss one class, survive dead week, and end up on the
Deans list. With the winter weather starting to kick in, I hope that my work skills and optimism
stay strong throughout this term as well. With the extra classes I am attending plus the
challenging new art technics I will have to learn, my new years resolution is to stay on track.
First I will address my learning process and style since they contribute to everything I do
in Race and Social Justice. My in class learning is overall simple, I like to listen to our
discussions and take note pertaining to the subjects that is being talked of. I have been told that I
do best with both visual and auditory learning, and usually can do one without the other. Outside
of class I tend to do everything in one sitting; this includes readings, writing essays, and even
applies to my art. Once I start I project it is important that I do not stop or I will lose all of my
train of thought. When writing essays I always have to outline first the topic of each paragraph
followed by bullet points on what my support and claims are within each paragraph. When
writing analytical or argumentative essays I will write in a structure of topic, support of topic,
analysis of support, and a conclusion in each paragraph. With informal essays I still make an
outline of topics but the content is perhaps more in flow of my thoughts on the subject. Usually
my learning process helps me conquer an assignment but being so particular it also can be a
roadblock in that I can sometimes overwhelm myself.

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What I found most challenging last term was the six-page argumentative essay that was
to be turned in at the end of the term. The assignment itself was a little daunting to me in that I
was very broad in some respects and then very specific in others. What I mean by that is it was
broad in that we could use any two works and any two key concepts of our liking. Yet it was
specific in that we had to clearly make an argument on which key concept was better in
defining whiteness, and then explain why. For me this conundrum stumped me because I was
caught up on making sure that I had two Key concepts that were related to each other in a matter
that you could then argue one was better in defining whiteness then the other. Which in
writing does not seem that difficult but with so many key concepts on whiteness that worked
together, there were so many arguments one could make that I found that I was overthinking the
whole thing.
Perhaps my favorite moment in Race and Social Justice was the day we started to analyze
the use of people of color in advertising. We first looked out an outrageous computer add which
had a white businessman in the center surrounded by identical black athletes that had taken a
knee in the direction the white businessman. We concluded that this was racist in the submissive
stances help by the black athletes to the white businessman, and also in making all the black men
identical as well as the racial stereotype of natural athleticism. The one I recall the most though,
was an add by Donna Karan, in which it was depicted as inspired by Haiti and had a white
woman wearing the designer clothes which two black models somewhat hidden in the
background where used almost as props. What I forgot to bring up while we were having this
discussion was that Donna Karan had actually stepped down that year because she decided to
focus all her time and resources into her growing charity in Haiti. I think that would have added

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a whole other dimension to the conversation about cultural appropriation and perhaps the
transparency that comes with it.
That class discussion on the use of people of color in advertising actually lead to the
creation of our group presentation topic, the fetishization if the person of colors body. The group
presentation was actually the most enjoyable assignment to me last term. I really liked
brainstorming with my group mates and learning more about the problem at hand. It was so
interesting to see how normalized fetishizing someones race had become in our society as well
as figuring out where racial fetishization had come from in history. Now I can't help but notice
when I see it happen in the media today, especially in music videos.
What I learned from last term will surely help me become an even better student this
term. I hope to improve in my reading and writing now that I have figure out my learning style
and all its quirks. I hope to bring more to class discussions now that I have grater knowledge of
the topics at hand and can even make connections to past assignments and research. From only
two classes I can already tell I am going to have to do a lot of work but learn so much this term
as well.