Free Choice: Air Jordan Artwork

For my free choice portion I chose an artwork I did in art class. This artwork consists of Michael Jordan who was my favorite idol and basketball player I looked up to when I was young. Mainly when he was in the league but now he’s retired. On this artwork it has the Jordan symbol/logo. The symbol to me represents Jordan’s Accomplishing his goals. That’s how high he’s reached since becoming a pro basketball player and a successful entrepreneur. Jordan could be a role model for anybody if they knew behind his existence. Pretty much that’s every African American boy’s dream, to be in the NBA one day. Because before the new century( the 1990’s) that’s all we boys knew and had to learn how to play, but as more opportunities arose many of us just started taking these opportunities and make something of ourselves.” Sports are there to entertain you, you can’t make something out of yourself playing sports for the rest of your life, you need to have a back -up plan”, quoted by my African American Studies Teacher.The significance of this as I said was the logo which showed Jordan in the air as he attempts to slam dunk, also shows how high he soared to get where he’s at now. The logo is on almost all of his sneakers, shirts, basketball shorts and more. Many people can learn a thing or too from this significant logo. Everything in the background or it’s surroundings are not really included in his products. I thought I could make it with more surroundings because it wouldn’t look as perfect just putting the symbol on a big poster without the name and a couple other accessories. Jordan is worth a lot just as well as my artwork. Jordan combined with Nike about 2 months ago and made a killing off their debut sneakers the first week of sales. The artwork is worth a lot to me because every time I look at it I think of it’s significance especially when I slack off in school. And if anyone has the same spirit as me they would know how much it’s worth, knowing now Michael Jordan is one of the wealthiest African Americans in the U.S.

Persuasive Analysis: The African American Youth and Alcohol Advertisement

This African American youth and alcohol advertisement recalls years back later about African American youth use of alcohol which is the drug most widely used by them. African Americans age 12-20 are most likely to drink because percentages of them saw advertising of alcohol in magazine articles of beer, for distilled spirits, and malt liquor. In the year 2004, African American youths saw more alcohol advertising in national magazines than youths in general. Over 200 ads of alcohol in magazines were seen by a majority percentage of African American youths. Youth exposure to alcohol advertising on the radio per capita than youth in general. Since then 39% of African American teens ages 12-17 are among the most frequent viewers of cable TV. Rap music videos were analyzed for a study published in 1997, they contained the highest percentage of depictions of alcohol use of any music genre appearing on MTV, BET, CMT, VH-1.
Analyzing this advertisement this component uses the fallacy damning The Source because it attempts or does refute the argument by indicating the source of the argument. This article basically offends these music genre channels because it states “Rap music videos were analyzed for a study published in 1997 contained the highest percentage of depictions of alcohol use of any music genre appearing on MTV, BET, CMT, VH-1.” The advertisement made these channels look bad because concerned parents were reading and that basically took effect as the viewer ratings decreased.The advertisement also uses Appeal To Authority” because since African American youths 12-20 were watching BET, their commercials were using alcoholic advertising as well as rap videos which encouraged these kids to drink. In the 2004 National survey on drug use and health, 19% African Americans between the age of 12-20 used alcohol in the 30 days prior to the survey compared to the 32.6% whites, and 9.9% of African American youths reported “Binge” drinking.

Poem Analysis: A Dream

A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe. My first analysis of the title, i was thinking about other poems i read of Edgar Allan Poe's. And his poems were more in the science fiction category. The poem could have some supernatural things included in it from his dream. Of course i caught imagery in the poem as you should find in almost every poem. Edgar Allan Poe quotes in his poem " I have dreamed of joy departed". Poe describes in his dream that all happiness, and hope have drowned away from him leaving him with only one feeling left, feeling bad, or depressed. Another example of imagery, Poe states " But a waking dream of life and light hath left me broken-hearted". This quote recalls his dream as being a heart-breaker.

"Hath cheered me as a lovely beam", is a figure of speech representing a example of a simile. Edgar Allan Poe describes his dream as being a holy dream. Having a holy dream could mean great things headed toward your way, a good deed perhaps, a miracle happening right in front of your eyes.
Another sybol mentioned is a lonely spirit guiding. This is a symbol of God trying to get through to you, to get a message out to you or use you as the message itself to someone in need. Analyzing this poem the speaker's attitude is cheerful, happy, and inferior to happy things like his joyful surroundings. Also the speaker's attitude shifts when he quotes " But a waking dream of life and light hath left me broken-hearted; Ah! What is not a dream by day to him whose eyes are cast... ". The speaker is pretty confident until he comes to his conclusion.
The significance of the poem was the speaker's holy dream which he learned to be next to Godliness. His dream could also be the idea the speaker is getting out to his readers. The theme the speaker wants you to know is learn what's so significant about a dream that really does mean something.

Poem Analysis: As I Grew Older

As I Grew Older, a poem by the famous black poet Langston Hughes. I analyzed the title and thought about Langston Hughes discussing his childhood which could've dealt with problems we still have today as a nation, racism. How blacks were mistreated and how he rose to the situation and ended up where he is now, a famous poet talking about the U.S. in the early 1990s. Langston Hughes uses imagery to express his feelings and to get out of what i call a nightmare. Langston quotes "Help me to shatter this darkness, to smash this night, to break this shadow into a thousand lights of sun". Langston explains that a big or a distraction is blocking him from his future fate or the temporary dream that awaits him for his destiny. Langston basically doesn't like his life after the wall rose in front of him. The wall represents a distraction in his life or a threat, a threat to him and his loved ones around him. Langston wants to overcome these struggles by himself at first, but he finds out he can't, he even asks for help, but that's all he needed to do was to to admit it. Langston Hughes quotes "Bright like a sun", a simile because he uses the word "like" as a comparison. A few times in the poem he uses the word darkness, which in this case could mean death, depression, and vagueness. The wall rising to the sky blocking his view of the otherside would mean vagueness and depression. because who would want to stay on one side of the wall when you're so eager to get or find out what's on the other side especially when something so important determines your life. The attitude of the speaker is sad, full of pain, and hurt, almost imaginative since he compares his childhood almost like a dream. His attitude shifts when he states "Only the thick wall, only the shadow", to "My hands! My dark hands"! His attitude shifts from calm and moody to fury and hateful towards his hands. The main idea though this poem would be, to overcome darkness and it's trials by not hating who you are but believing in yourself and accepting the way you are. The significance is his character who is black, as Langston quotes " I am black".

Song Analysis: Rainy Days

For song analysis i chose Rainy Days by Mary J. Blige featuring Ja Rule. The song uses much imagery, but i only caught two examples: "It's just those rainy days, spend a lifetime tryin to wash away." Mary J. Blige describes people after tragedies or anything dealing with depression. Another example of imagery: " I'm an angel that can't soar, can't fly, and i mastered it, lord knows why", quoted by Mary J. Blige compares herself with an angel because that's how she felt until the lord told her. The song uses examples of similes which is stated by Mary "Baby through all the passion, the pain and the hurt, i feel like i'm fallin". This is a simile because Mary comapares herself falling using the word "like". Mary quotes " It kinda feels like i'm drownin in the lord's pain", Mary is saying at that moment that her pain is unexplainable, not felt by no one that no one knows her pain but the lord since he's been through it. Mary J. Blige compares herself with an angel in this simile quote, " I feel like an angel". She feels better than she did when she was drowning in the lord's pain. Meaning no one can feel better than an angel but the lord himself.
Since the song is about rainy days, rain could be and is a symbol of passion, sorrow and pain. Ja Rule and Mary J. Blige express their feelings throughout the song. The angel symbolizes great things coming toward you and the future. The quote " It's just those rainy days spend a lifetime tryin to wash away" comes in the form of rain (Sorrow) then the quote " I'm an angel that can't soar, can't fly, and i mastered it lord knows why", comes in the form of a happy new life. From singing the song i concluded that the theme of the song is the line mary quotes " Watchin all of the heartache and the pain of the world", watching the world suffer and seeing the outcome, knowing things will get better if you recieve God into your heart as other church people have. The significance of this song is rainy days are always going to come, but you should always going to be sunny after the rain is gone. For most people it may be a while before they see sunshine

Cultural Event # 2: Talent Show

For my second cultural arts component i went to the talent show. The talent show was full of surprises because the first few acts had something to do with their musical talent. First, a boy band went on first performing a rock song using their own musical talented instruments including a guitar and drums. a few minutes later a senior i know went on and performed a type of dance, which she did this dance last year and though sheb didn't win last year and still didn't win this year again. In between performances Mrs. Mcfadden had students dress and act as musical celebrities for either an act or introduce the next act. The last 2 performances dealt with dancing (latest dancing styles) and an R&B group. The dancing group consisted of all girls while the R&B group consisted of all boys. The boys came in 1st place, but the girls didn't even make the top 3.
The talent show had many flaws that i didn't like: First, where the location was which was inside the gym. The gym was not even big enough to support all the students that were present. The gym was so crowded that 1/4 of the majority had to sit on that dirty floor. Secondly, it was hard hearing what some people had to say or were saying at the time, it made the students look bad because they were either giving away positive or negative effects. The students were too close to the microphone and they weren't talking or singing loud enough.
the fact that there was the students acting like celebrities was already enough criticism because some kids i knew did look like who they were acting like, but that was a waste of time knowing we were on a timed schedule. we didn't have time to see who won until the following monday. Knowing there was going to be a lot of students, there could have been a fight, which is why i don't like big events especially in this school, because there was a fight at the last big event we had.

Cultural Event #1:Apollo

For my cultural arts component i visited the apollo theatre in Harlem, New York. The surroundings were so vast, as though the Apollo theatre looked and fitted in like it was an apartment, if you were to pass on the street of the Apollo it could be easily missed especially if it didn't have the big sign posted on it. The Apollo holds many events beside finding and exposing talented people out there.Like seasonal events including valentine programs and more. When i went to the Apollo they were holding auditions for their next show. Inside was very dark, from the outside the Apollo seemed very small but on the inside it was very huge. The majority of the people that worked or volunteered were black, but very kind though. They also had the Tree Of Hope a few feet from the entrance way which is one big reason why the Apollo is famous. Before performing your talented gift you would rub the Tree Of Hope for luck. The Apollo was like an exhibit because many things were on display like pictures of famous celebrities that got their start performing in the Apollo. This is a life learning experience that i believe everyone could grow to like.
There were many things that bothered me about the Apollo but nothing too severe. Where the Apollo was located, many deadbeats were loitering around it. And what concerned me was why are they hanging around one of the most greatest historical places that ever stood, they just make it look it bad. When entering i encountered another problem, the lighting, when you enter the Apollo from the outside (which it was sunny) you can't see anything, it takes a few minutes to adapt and adjust to the scenery inside the Apollo. Upon entering you would also notice how small the main lobby is. I could imagine that when the Apollo had these shows on Saturday nights that this place was packed, so therefore lines probably formed from more than block away. I mean so dark and so little space in the lobby. Pictures i took didn't even come up the way i expected.