JOMC 441 has definitely opened my eyes to the role of diversity in the media. For one, I have realized how unaware I was of the instances of racism in society and have recognized my responsibility to have awareness and to act upon it. I think that diversity is extremely important as it ensures a fair environment that breeds creativity and promotes many interests. Diversity must transcend all media outlets to truly penetrate our culture and combat the horrors of racism. This multi-faceted reach must include images, employment, access and coverage. Each of these areas is essential to shaping the views of individuals and collective society. Images must be fair and equally represent all diverse groups. These images should appear everywhere from ads in magazines to the characters of a t.v. shows. Diversifying employment is vital to direct the diverse nature of media products and thus produce “images” that are fair and accurate. Access and coverage play equally important roles and are equally influential to shape the perception of minority groups by society at large. I believe it is the responsibility of individuals to play watch dog among these four areas of media by critically analyzing media content and responding to misrepresentations.

Memorial’s message elevates controversy

http://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/arts/story/213404.html

There has been great controversy surrounding two statues standing in the upper quad, also known as McCorkle Place, on UNC Chapel Hill’s campus. One of these statues is a 20-foot-tall depiction of a confederate soldier, known as Silent Sam, erected as a monument to the Civil War. The other, about a hundred yards away, is known as the “Unsung Founders Memorial” and is a polished table held-up by 300 black figures in honor of the African-Americas, slave and free, who built this campus.

As with much art, the meaning of these two statues has been interpreted differently according to the viewer. Some view Silent Sam as an offensive reminder of an overtly racist period within our country’s history. Others view the statue as a non-offensive record of a time period that cannot be erased. In regards to the Unsung Founders Memorial, some see the table to be depicting blacks as small and inferior and enslaved, while others see them as mighty and “Herculean” and seemingly holding the weight of the world. Whether or not these pieces are celebrating, commemorating, or documenting, they are controversial.

Much of this controversy revolves around the proximity of the statues to one another and the juxtaposition this creates and the selection of artists commissioned to create these works. The Unsung Founders Monument, which was a gift from students to the university, is the work of a Korean artist who was chosen out of 70 original prospective artists, 11 of which were black. Two of the four students on the selection committee were black and in the final selection process one of three artists who came to Chapel Hill for interviews was black. It seems to me that this particular statue was built upon diverse decisions, but this is not the case, in my opinion, with Silent Sam who was created by artist John Wilson who was commissioned by the United Daughters of Confederacy.

I think that every person has the right to interpret these pieces however they would like, but that we should respond to this controversy in light of those who have been offended. It is easy to get caught up in one’s own perspective and become blind to another. Just because an individual is not offended by something does not mean that it is not offensive. I think that the university should consider the validity of the offense in the eyes of the offended and act in the way that they would like to be treated.

In Job Hunt College Degree Can’t Close Racial Gap

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/us/01race.html?_r=2

In reading the article posted in the link above, my eyes were opened once again to the deep rooted effects of racism in American society. I naturally have a world-view that reflects my own life’s experience. Since I am a white female and have not encountered the dealings of this article on a personal level, I was left to believe that it did not exist. In reading this article, I was reminded that just because I haven’t experienced something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Discrimination against blacks in the work force is a perfect example.

Because this type of discrimination isn’t usually overt, it becomes much harder to deal with; I can certainly understand how black individuals in this situation would, as the article stated, be wary of “pulling the race card” or resorting to immediate cynicism in fear of misreading the situation. This type of racism is only diagnosed when one zooms out from the specific situation and inspects the wider context and frequency of such situations. And since we rarely have access to this kind wide-lens perspective, subtle racisms are perpetuated among job markets leaving the individuals who are subject to this discrimination, are virtually helpless.

It is our responsibility as members of a diverse society to take off frequently put ourselves in a position to view the world around us through the lens of another, as well as through a wide-lens perspective. We must constantly be looking beyond ourselves and ready to act upon our findings. Racism needs to end, and that will not happen until it is recognized and addressed by society as a whole.