Americans.
“Reading on Martin Luther
King Day is always for me,
an honor, because it puts
me conversation with one of
America’s greatest leaders, and
not only a great leader in terms
of Civil Rights, but for me he
is a great leader in terms of
human rights. He’s an example
to us all,” Rankine said.
It
is
more
than
fitting
that Rankine read on MLK
day, as her work deals with
the profound urgency of the
country’s increasing need for
humanity and reversal of racist
policy and practice. The way
“Citizen”
challenges
poetic
form is inseparable from the
way it challenges the forms
of
oppressive
sociopolitical
structures in American society.
The form of the poem is
deeply interdisciplinary and
interweaves personal narrative,
image and news-style evidence.
One section lists names of
black Americans whose lives
were taken by police brutality,
the words fading from the page
as the poem progresses. The
poem is haunting and direct,
elucidating the ways in which
the recipients of such constant
and inhumane treatment wear
the oppression on their bodies.
As a recipient of a MacArthur
Genius grant, Rankine will be
broadening her commitment
to
interdisciplinary
work
in
founding
the
“Racial
Imaginary Institute” in New
York, a gallery space to explore
race.
“Our
name
‘racial
imaginaries’ is meant to capture
the enduring truth of race that
is an invented concept that
operates with extraordinary
force
in
our
daily
lives,
limiting our movements and
imaginations. We understand
that
perceptions,
resources,
rights and minds themselves
flow along racial lines that
confront some of us and give
others unchecked power. These
lines are drawn and maintained
by white dominance,” Rankine,
in describing the work of the
Institute, said.
Although
many
read
Rankine’s work as a call for
social change, she explained
that she does not think that the
artist’s responsibility to elicit
a certain reaction or response
from an audience.
She put it simply: “I’m not
into any prescriptive definition
when it comes to being an
artist.”
The
book’s
powerful
statement on the experience
of racism in America merges
the personal and political in
a way that has resonated with
both timelessness and an eerie
timeliness. The text places
present-day micro-aggressions
against black lives and beside
text and images that allude
to the era of Jim Crow laws,
all
culminating
in
poetry
that unleashes something so
personally
and
persistently
felt.
Near the end of the poem
Rankine writes, “That time
and that time and that time
the outside blistered the inside
of you, words outmaneuvered
years, had you in a chokehold,
every part roughed up, the eyes
dripping.” In this moment,
the immensity of history and
politics upholds a visceral pain
that is at once personal and
shared.
In this, the poet makes
no real distinction between
artistic intention that is or is
not political.
“I think that politics are part
of life so they are unavoidable,
so we don’t need to go out
of our way to avoid them or
engage them,” Rankine said.
“They’re part of our life, our
history, our day to day living.
They determine everything.
I think writers and artists
need to do what they do for
themselves,
to
write
from
the place of most honesty,
imaginative, possibility that
they can envision themselves
in, but they can’t avoid politics
whether or not they think
they’re doing it.”
Rankine will be appearing
both at Rackham Auditorium
Monday evening and at the
Institute for Social Research
Tuesday morning where she
will talk about her ongoing
research on racism in America.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, January 17, 2017 — 3A
AUTHOR
From Page 1A
“I hope the University of
Michigan will always be known
for social change,” Schlissel
said, referring to the recent
measures
being
taken
on
campus.
During his tenure, Schlissel
has worked to foster diversity
and campus climate through
initiatives such as 49 individual
unit plans across all colleges
and
academic
departments
which aim to increase and
retain student body diversity.
Additionally,
Schlissel
is
currently overseeing plans for
the construction of the new
Trotter Multicultural Center
and
the
expansion
of
the
Inclusive Teaching Professional
Development programs, which
include workshops to improve
faculty awareness about the new
initiative that allows students
to
update
their
designated
pronouns. These programs
also are aimed at administering
classroom evaluation surveys
to gauge the success of more
inclusive teaching methods.
Musicology Associate Prof.
Mark Clague then introduced
a
reinterpretation
of
the
national anthem to reflect the
Symposium’s theme, “Sounds
of
Change.”
Following
the
performance, LSA senior Alyssa
Brandon introduced both of
the speakers. Brandon has also
been an editor for the Daily.
Goodman began by talking
about
the
news
program
she
hosts
and
highlighted
the importance of featuring
different
perspectives
and
people, saying it’s an important
step
in
fostering
mutual
understanding.
“When you hear someone
speaking
from
their
own
experience,
it
challenges
stereotypes,” Goodman said.
“That understanding is the
beginning of peace … which is
why we have to take the media
back.”
Goodman, who is known
for her role in civic activism,
then spoke about President-
elect Donald Trump’s recent
feud with U.S. Rep. John Lewis
(D–Ga.), a civil rights leader,
head of the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating
Committee
in
the 1960s and member of the
“Big Six” — a coalition of civil
rights leaders that also included
Martin Luther King Jr. She told
the audience how she found it
appalling that the president-
elect could refer to an icon of
the civil rights movement as “all
talk, all talk, all talk, no action”
despite his more than 50-year
fight for civil rights causes.
“No
matter
what
your
political persuasion, it is hard
to describe John Lewis as a
man who does not take action,”
Goodman said.
Goodman,
after
offering
her thoughts on contemporary
political climate, then reflected
on other figures in the civil
rights movement, like Rosa
Parks. She stated that the
modern image of Parks was that
of an unwitting activist who
ignited the modern civil rights
movement; however, Goodman
refuted this claim.
“Every network talked about
her, no question, but they got it
wrong.” Goodman said. “They
said Rosa Parks was a tired
seamstress; that was true. They
said she was no troublemaker;
that was wrong. Rosa Parks
was a first-class troublemaker.
She knew exactly what she was
doing. She was an activist, and
the media denigrates activists.”
Goodman highlighted the
importance of an independent
press and reporters that are
engaged with grassroots social
movements
despite
possible
obstacles, like governmental
institutions. To stress this point,
she shared her experiences
in North Dakota last year
when officials issued an arrest
warrant
for
misdemeanor
criminal
trespassing
when
covering the Dakota Access
Pipeline protests.
“We need a media that gives a
voice to all of these movements
today: the Black Lives Matter
movement, the environmental
justice movement, the gay-
lesbian-trans-queer movement,
the war and peace movement.”
she said. “That philosophy,
that motto, should be the
Hippocratic oath of media today
— we will not be silent.”
Afterward,
Rae
was
introduced by Brandon, who
emphasized that though both
keynote speakers came from
different
backgrounds,
they
share many experiences.
When
asked
about
her
personal history, Rae explained
moving
homes,
attending
predominantly white schools
and going to Stanford University
was much of what inspired her
current work.
“A lot of those experiences I
mined for my work now,” Rae
said. “And a lot of my work now
focuses on just those feelings of
being out of place and feeling
uncomfortable and feeling, you
know, awkward and insecure.”
In
addition,
Rae
spoke
about her support for Planned
Parenthood and how though she
knows entertainers are reduced
to just the role of entertaining,
she believes there’s too much at
stake for her to not respond.
“The
attack
on
Planned
Parenthood is so bewildering.”
Rae said. “When I felt like I
couldn’t talk to my mother
about something, that’s where
I went.”
When asked about what her
message to the audience would
be, Rae emphasized that she
focuses on remaining authentic
and herself.
“For me, I just want to
continue being authentic,” she
said. “I want to come from a
place of truth always, I’m going
to make a difference in a way
that is long-lasting.”
LSA
freshman
Griffin
Gonzales said he found the
keynote engaging, and felt Issa
Rae was particularly inspiring.
“I just think it was a very first-
hand account of her experience
KEYNOTE
From Page 1A
senior Keysha Wall, a BAMN
organizer, the group organizes
events in the Ann Arbor area
each year surrounding Martin
Luther King Jr. Day. This year, she
said, the events are in an effort to
oppose the policies of Trump that
they believe are destructive.
“It’s part of a larger initiative
to shut down Trump’s racist and
violent vision for America,” she
said.
Immigration
policies
have
been at the forefront of Trump’s
platform
throughout
his
campaign. Much of the concern
surrounding these policies stems
from the anticipated repeal of
Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals and Deferred Action
for Parents of Americans and
Lawful
Permanent
Residents
initiatives, which provide aid
to
undocumented
immigrants
who arrived in the United States
as children and parents with
children who are in the country
legally. It is expected Trump will
repeal both policies upon entering
office.
BAMN organizer Kate Stenvig,
a University of Michigan alum,
pointed to the national 2006
protests for immigration reform,
in which millions of people
participated, saying similar action
must be taken now.
“We need that but much,
much bigger, because Trump has
declared war on immigrants,”
she said. “We have to build that
immigrant rights, civil rights
movement to shut down Trump
and beat him and beat his racist
movement now.”
In the spirit of Martin Luther
King Jr. Day, Stenvig said, the
protest called for “no business as
usual” until action can be taken
against Trump. Only those in
support of this cause were in
attendance at the protest.
“We’re
saying
everything
should be shut down this week,”
she said. “Martin Luther King said
at the March (on Washington) in
1963 — in his ‘I Have a Dream’
speech — he said there would be
a rude awakening if the country
returned to business as usual.
We are saying there should be no
business as usual until Trump is
defeated.”
Protesters began at the corner
of
South
University
Avenue
and South Forest Street before
marching
down
various
city
streets with three police cars
following the march.
Protesters held signs reading:
“Open the borders now! No more
deportations” and “Trump must
go by any means necessary” along
with others in a similar vein, and
chanted phrases including, “No
Trump. No wall. Full citizenship.
Rights for all” and “Obama,
pardon DACA youth now, by any
means necessary, shut Trump
down.”
The march ended at the corner
of North University Avenue and
State Street, where protesters
continued to hold up signs and
individuals voiced their opinions
to the group.
“Trump
is
talking
about
destroying the lives of the most
vulnerable people in this nation,”
Wall said. “It isn’t just because
it would be easy because they
have their information on file,
it’s because they are the people
who would be at the forefront of
destroying his racist, hate-filled,
violent movement.”
Markeith
Jones,
a
BAMN
organizer and freshman at Wayne
State University, said the world is
at a crossroads in which people
can choose to organize and build
a new civilized immigrant rights
movement or allow a potentially
fascist regime to take over.
“The time period we’re in
right now — we’re at a point
where the world can go either
way,” he said. “There are two
sides pushing and pulling. What
we
are
doing
is
organizing
a
countermovement
against
Donald Trump’s movement. If
we don’t, the alternative is a rise
of fascism in the United States,
mass deportations, people being
dragged out of their houses,
beaten and killed.”
LSA senior Lauren Kay, who
was among the protesters, said
much like how Martin Luther
King Jr. fought against the
normalization of discrimination
against minorities, people must
fight
Trump’s
anti-immigrant
policies.
“I think the only proper way to
celebrate MLK Day is to fight and
is to protest and is to raise hell and
is to alter people’s consciences and
consciousness,” she said. “And not
just have people get trapped in
normalizing oppression.”
MARCH
From Page 1A
going to throw millions off of
health insurance, you’ve got
another guess coming,” Sanders
said.
Sanders has been one of
the strongest proponents of
the health care law, which —
although it has provided health
care to about 20 million people
— has been criticized for its
high premiums. The senator’s
rhetoric was aimed toward
those who may be most affected
by the repeal — working-class
individuals and members of
labor unions, including the
United Automobile Workers,
who were a strong presence in
the crowd.
“Very few Americans want to
repeal the Affordable Care Act
without a replacement to make
it better,” Sanders said.
Kathy Squires, a Chelsea
resident, came to show support
for the law, which she says
saved her daughter’s life.
“My daughter is in remission
after having cancer and she
needs continuing care,” she said.
“I don’t know what’s going to
happen to her insurance under
President Trump, so I need to
be here with other people who
are hoping for change.”
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow
(D–Mich.) said during the rally
she resonated with the personal
nature of the health care law.
She said if we look at all the
pieces of health care reform, 2
million people in Michigan will
lose their health care.
“This isn’t a political issue,”
she said. “I can’t think of a more
personal one.”
Shirley Chalmers, a resident
of Beverly Hills, carried a sign
at the rally that read, “taking
away ACA is a death sentence,”
and said her support for Sanders
rested largely on his ability to
mobilize.
“He’s sparking a fire for
something
that
has
been
dormant since the election
season ended,” she said. “Thank
you, Bernie, for showing the
way.”
Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D–
Mich.) said mobilization of
millennials
is
necessary
to
resist Republican efforts to
repeal the bill.
“Millennials,
you
are
under attack,” Lawrence said.
“Millennials, are you ready to
stand up and fight?”
Sanders agreed that the fight
to prevent Republicans from
repealing
“Obamacare”
will
be arduous, but he urged his
supporters to remain involved.
“This is the beginning of the
fight, not the end of the fight,”
Sanders said.
Additionally,
Planned
Parenthood
President
Cecile
Richards
applauded
“Obamacare”
for
its
part
in women’s health care in
particular.
Under
President
Obama’s
health
care
law,
women’s
preventive
care,
such as mammograms and
cervical screenings, must be
covered without cost sharing.
Richards said with more female
representation
in
Congress,
more women’s health issues can
be resolved.
“If there were more people
in Congress who could get
pregnant, we could stop arguing
about birth control,” she said.
SANDERS
From Page 1A
this is really just an extension
of that. The vehicle is just an
extension of our expectation of
connectivity at all times.”
Hoffman agreed with the
gravity of the autonomous car
revolution.
“It’s probably going to be
the next big revolution in the
auto industry,” Hoffman said.
“It’s on par with the moving
assembly line.”
Hoffman also weighed in
on the mixture of old and new
technology, stating that other
iconic cars such as the Ford
Mustang could soon be coming
out as hybrids.
“I actually think it’s a really
cool idea, I’d actually like to
see more of that,” he said,”the
same styling you get in classic
cars, but updated components
that are made to much better
standards than the cars of that
time.”
Joe Mathis, an auto show
patron from Cincinnati, Ohio,
was confident the high-tech
features displayed on concept
cars will eventually migrate into
mainstream vehicles. Mathis
also attested to what the show
does for public understanding
and awareness regarding the
auto industry.
“It’s a great jumpstart, kick in
the arm; it gets people excited
about the industry,” he said. “It
brings a lot of people out as you
can see (and) gets people talking
about the industry again.”
The
auto
industry
has
recently
been
under
the
microscope because of a series
of tweets from President-elect
Donald Trump, who applauded
domestic
manufacturers
for
creating American jobs rather
than expanding internationally.
NAIAS
From Page 2A
I hope the
University of
Michigan will
always be known
for social change
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com