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Google Search: What Is A Protest or Demonstration ? Definition: It is an Interruption, Disruption & Madness at DePauw University!

Google Search: What Is A Protest or Demonstration ? 
Definition: It is an Interruption, Disruption & Madness at DePauw University!  
By: Aleysha Ward 

April is usually a time in which people are getting ready for holidays such as Easter or planning their Spring Break vacation. Or people in particular students may be preparing for midterms. But, at Depauw University, students of color had to take time out of their busy schedules to not only bring about awareness to the racial incidents that occurred on campus but, to demand change and respect for their lives. In the beginning of April, a student decided to attend a party in black face and have a name tag that said “blackie” on it. A few days later, a racial slur was written under a toilet seat that said, “Die Sand Niggers”. Then, another racial slur that said, “All Niggers Must Die signed KKK” was written in the men’s bathroom at a restaurant on the campus that all of the students go to. 
Students were outraged by this and decided to take matters into their own hands by reposting these incidents on their social media pages, partaking in protests and notifying outside sources so that DePauw wouldn’t get away with not addressing these incidents. When the media became aware of this, they began to frame the students of color. For example, students of color were referred to as the “black mob” (Rod Dreher, 2018, p.1) and said that the student in black face “might be physically assaulted by black students” (Rod Dreher, 2018, p.1). The media also referred to the students of color as a “student mob”, “crazies” and “petulant brats” (Rod Dreher,2018, p.1). The media framing black activism doesn’t just happen at Depauw, it has happened all over the United States. For instance, when protestors participated in the #Ferguson movement after 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by an officer name Darren Wilson, the media in particular Twitter decided to refer to protestors as the “mob” and people even said things like “I remember way back when Ferguson was an all-white sundown town” (Sarah Jackson & Brooke Wells, 2015, p.407). The media has a tendency to frame black activism in a negative way. It is frustrating to know that Black Activism will always be labeled as something that is wrong or that black activists shouldn’t be fighting for their lives because everyone is treated “equal”. These larger issues, such as Ferguson, have been very present in the media, however it does not take away from the smaller issues  are not representing the younger black community. 
There are several connotations that are always associated with black students on campus,  it has developed into  a narrative that remains constant in our larger society. We find that around the nation similar protests are viewed  with the same intent to place a distinct image on the Black community. 
It is no coincidence that these occurrences are so continuous as the sentiments towards Blacks have persisted throughout the years. DePauw is one campus , that has contributed to the negative framing of African-Americans in media.  Although the school’s location is distant, the problem is ever present and DePauw has added to this negative cause.  

References
Dreher, R. (2018, April 20). DePauw Descends Into Race Madness. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/depauw-descends-into-race-madness/
Dreher, R. (2018, April 20). Attack Of The Racist Colonizer Sorority Girl! Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/racist-colonizer-ellie-locke-depauw/
Sarah J. Jackson & Brooke Foucault Welles (2016) #Ferguson is everywhere: initiators in emerging counterpublic networks, Information, Communication  & Society, 19:3, 397-418, DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2015.1106571 
Word Count: 587


Comments

  1. KHSeptember 24, 2018 at 6:03 AM

    Aleysha,

    As noted in my email, this post suffers from some issues with formatting, punctuation and use of APA reference style.

    The punctuation errors are most common and indicate that you would do well to spend some time at the campus Writing Center to work on your mechanics and your proof reading.

    More substantively, there are a few issues I'd like you to consider in future posts and other course work. For instance, your attention to the importance of media framing is welcome and important to our understanding of news practices and public perception.

    However, you haven't introduced the concept of framing. This may leave some readers puzzled. Best to briefly describe what you mean by this. Then you are free to analyze how this conservative media outlet exemplifies this practice.

    Equally important, while you've identified an academic source for this post, you haven't made the most effective use of this material. It seems you plucked a quote from this article without much attention to how it informs your thinking. I implore you to use this material in more judicious fashion.

    Finally, as this post features language some audiences find offensive, you might put a note atop your post that signals this fact to your readers.

    In sum, I'm delighted you "localized" media framing of protest to recent incidents on campus. However, your execution isn't as effective or productive as it ought to be.

    24/30 pts.

    ReplyDelete

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