Author: johnson-milstein.1

Text Review: Watchmen (HBO TV Series)

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Watchmen is a one-season TV series that is a spin-off of the 1986 DC Comic Watchmen which premiered in October of 2019. The show is set in Tulsa, OK in somewhat of an alternate reality. Highlighting racist events that occured in Tulsa’s history, the show pits masked vigilantes against an organization called the “Seventh Kavalry.” These vigilantes appear as policemen and women, yet must wear masks to protect their safety after the racist Kavalry group terrorized the police force. The show features more sci-fi and superhero/supervillain plots, but for the purpose of this text review, we will focus on the diverse racial aspect of the series.

The original Watchmen comic featured all white characters, except for the god-like superhero Dr. Manhattan who was blue. However, the HBO series features various African-American characters, namely the main character Angela Abar, known as “Sister Night” and played by Regina King. This, paired with the show’s reflection on the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, the mass attack of black people in their homes and businesses, gives Watchmen a lot of depth in terms of racial injustice.

At the beginning of the show, we can see the masked police force responding to a reawakening of Kavalry attacks. The vigilanties work hard in an attempt to investigate and stop the racist group, who seem quite recognizable at first. However, as the series progresses, we see the deeper impact of this racist way of thinking. For example, Abar goes into her daughter’s classroom for a sort of career day, when a little boy brings up a racist remark that triggers Abar’s daughter. Additionally, we come to see that one of the nicer-looking characters, the governor, ends up working with one of the main villains in support of the Kavalry. 

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Watchmen’s showcase of racial injustice is its connection to the real world. Obviously, the vast majority of what goes on in the series is more of an alternate reality. However, the first scene of the show reenacts the real Tulsa massacre including the Ku Klux Klan’s actions. With the increased focus on racial injustice and police brutality, the masked police officers with restricted weapons and rise of a Klan-like organization scarily does not seem as alternate.

Yo, is this White Privilege?

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Yo, is this White Privilege?

By Andrew Johnson-Milstein

This year, one of the biggest topics attracting the most attention (besides the worldwide pandemic) is systemic injustices. In early 2020, we saw the Black Lives Matter movement take center stage after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Just recently, we have been seeing a multitude of senseless hate crimes on Asian-Americans. In between those, there were more than a slough of other instances of injustice involving these groups and beyond. Yes, a large part of the reason that systemic injustices exist is due to various laws and situations that have made it more difficult to thrive for certain groups of people. However, the big part that sticks out above the rest, the reason why these issues seem so insurmountable, the frustration caused by seemingly little change, is that systemic injustices are rooted in culture.

Think about American culture; what comes to mind? Patriotism, freedom, protectors of world peace, “the American Dream”? Of course. This is what America stands for- on the surface. The year 2020 was a bit of a wake up call in terms of what America is really all about. From an outside and unbiased perspective, what America stands for when looking at this past year could very well look like racism, arrogance, abuse of power, and injustice. 

(source: BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55585546) 

Over the course of this semester, I was able to compose several “Diaries of Systemic Injustices.” I wrote on various topics that I encountered throughout the weeks either in the news or in my daily life. I wanted to expand on one of these discussions, so I thought back to which one truly struck me the strongest. The pick was easy. 

On January 6, 2021 rioters seized and broke into the U.S. Capitol in protest of the final count of the 2020 election’s electoral votes to nominate Joe Biden as the nation’s 46th President. Not only was this a riot or a protest, one of the most precious buildings in not only Washington, D.C. but America was broken into and vandalized for hours. Senators and Representatives were forced to take cover and hide from the attack on one of the pillars of American representative democracy, the final electoral college of the presidential election ballots. The riot was frightening, destructive, and deadly going into the night.

The investigation and aftermath of the Capitol riot is still ongoing, and it was definitely a wake up call for America. However, I am not writing to discuss the event in and of itself, nor the continuing investigation occuring after the fact. However, I am here to discuss what the storming represented- outside of the fact that there is a large group of extremists prepared to do anything to make their case.

As a white male, I will easily admit that I most likely will never feel as oppressed and unheard as other groups in this country. Additionally, from what I have seen, it is somewhat easy to not realize how bad systemic injustice is in America sometimes. We no nothing different than seeing African Americans continue to be oppressed and forced to watch while nothing is done to fix the broken, unjust system. However, especially after the Black Lives Matter movement took center stage less than a year before this riot, it is nearly impossible not to see truly how massive of an issue we have on our hands. 

The question that we have seen asked a good number of times went along the lines of this: What if the rioters were a group of mostly black people? This has not been talked about nearly enough. I will admit, I am not a fan of hypotheticals. However, this is very real and something that is impossible to ignore, unless you are actively trying to ignore it. The crowd was convincingly not black, as it was filled with predominantly white people carrying pro-Donald Trump flags and associated extremist phrases and organizations. These people walked up to and through the Capitol building like it was their right, and insulted the government and law enforcement like it was their privilege. 

(source: abc7news https://abc7news.com/capitol-during-blm-riots-protest-protests/9449062/ )

Looking at some statistics (taking into account that the numbers do not perfectly line up) from an Associated Press article following the attacks, one can see some eye opening figures. The article reads,

“Black Lives Matter protests, 2020: Overwhelming force from law enforcement in dozens of cities. Chemical dispersants. Rubber bullets and hand-to-hand combat with largely peaceful crowds and some unruly vandals and looters. More than 14,000 arrests.

The U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021: Barely more than a few dozen arrests. Several weapons seized, improvised explosive devices found. Members of a wilding mob escorted from the premises, some not even in handcuffs,” (Morrison).

Statistical bias is important and should be taken into account all the time. Thus, pitting multiple events occurring throughout months versus one day is skewed. However, this is not the point of these analyses. Black Lives Matters protestors were for the most part peacefully standing up for years of systemic injustice by marching and chanting down city streets. The Capitol rioters, however, raided and vandalized one of the most important and guarded buildings in the country and quite possibly the world for what- the election results? Freedom? 

(source: AP https://apnews.com/article/congress-storming-black-lives-matter-22983dc91d16bf949efbb60cdda4495d )

The image above from the aforementioned Associated Press article displays the protest after the death of George Floyd directly next to the riot by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol building. The left image shouts peace and desire for change, while the right screams violence and disregard.

Let us revisit the discussion on racism being rooted in our culture. Both the statistics in terms of arrests and the comparison of the photographs above demonstrate how white privilege affects situations. In neither example was there a coordinated effort to address the protests. The events caught the system off its guard, one could say. This, in turn allowed deeply rooted and systemic injustice to rear its ugly head. 

On the topic, St. Louis Representative Cori Bush weighed in on the events occurring at the Capitol and agreed that if the crowd had been black instead of vastly white, things would have turned out much worse for the rioters. Additionally, she said “‘These are the same people who called us terrorists…Confederate flags, ‘don’t tread on me,’ ‘blue lives matter’ flags, the Trump flags — all of it symbolizes the same thing…racism and white supremacy,’” (Bush qtd. In Morrison). To add on to how incredibly broken the system is, the groups of people that attacked the nation’s capital’s beliefs are widely known. This is my reason for writing on this topic. I believe that never in recent history has it ever been more black and white how used to America’s racist culture we have become. 

Throughout this semester, we have looked as a class at different perspectives and philosophies, many pointing to injustices over time. There is one philosophy by Simone de Beauvoir called “the Other.” de Beauvoir primarily focuses on sexism, and how women are “the Other sex.” Although the above discussion revolves around racism, this philosophy which has stuck out to me all semester applies here as well. I titled this discussion “Yo, is this White Privilege” because I believe that not only do we see racism way too much, but it is almost inherent and not acted upon in America. Connecting this to de Beauvoir’s idea, in the United States, it seems as though people that are not white are treated like “the Other races.” On the surface of the Capitol attacks, the group violated many rules, laws, safety and democracy. However, they were not treated like they did, at least not until after the fact. It is almost as if the rioters felt untouchable, knew their privilege, and took advantage of it, while “the Others” looked on and imagined what the scene would have looked like if it were them.

(source: CNN https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/17/us/capitol-riot-racial-justice-blake/index.html )

This conversation is not light, nor fun, yet it is important. After first writing on this event and what it shows about racism and our nation, I referenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and tried to reflect on where we have come since he made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In terms of laws, norms, and business we have come a long way in the fight to end racism. However, deeply ingrained in American society still is white privilege. The roots of the same issues that Dr. King was standing for have not gone away almost 60 years later. Once again, on the surface things are better, yet this issue is one that has disturbed the core of America for decades upon decades. Take the above image for example; I think Dr. King would not have imagined a confederate flag being flown in the nation’s capital in 2021. How exactly do we end it? I, as most, do not have a concrete answer. However, I believe that if we all make a genuine effort to at least educate ourselves and understand ourselves and others, we can take a step in the right direction.

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Works Cited/Works Used

Blake, Analysis by John. “The Capitol Insurrection Could Be a Bigger Racial Reckoning than the George Floyd Protests.” CNN, Cable News Network, 17 Jan. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/01/17/us/capitol-riot-racial-justice-blake/index.html. 

Marcus, Jonathan. “Viewpoint: What the Capitol Riot Means for US Foreign Policy.” BBC News, BBC, 10 Jan. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55585546. 

Morrison, Aaron. “Race Double Standard Clear in Rioters’ Capitol Insurrection.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 7 Jan. 2021, apnews.com/article/congress-storming-black-lives-matter-22983dc91d16bf949efbb60cdda4495d. 

Reyes, Kris. “’We Would All Be Dead’: Bay Area BLM Organizers Point to Race Double Standard in Capitol Riot.” ABC7 San Francisco, KGO-TV, 8 Jan. 2021, abc7news.com/capitol-during-blm-riots-protest-protests/9449062/.

Diary of Systematic Injustices: New Jersey Legalization of Marijuana

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New Jersey’s new marijuana laws aim to address social injustice

NJ Gov. Phil Murphy 'highly confident' marijuana will be legalized

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy just recently signed into law a bill that legalizes the adult use of cannabis. Although this event seems shallow at first glance, there is a large social justice implication that rides upon the passage of the bill. Growing up in New Jersey, the news leading up to this event was right in front of my face, as I like to keep up to date with occurrences going on back home. Initially, I did not have a strong opinion on the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey, however after looking at the potential effects of the act, I do feel somewhat strongly in support of the law, especially when I saw that it could help improve my home state.

Governor Murphy cites that this is a law created based on social justice, as African Americans are four times as likely to be arrested for a marijuana-related offense. Thus, this bill is not for the purpose of marijuana itself, but for social justice and in order to combat oppression largely attributed to race and social status. New Jersey is a diverse state that welcomes all, and seeing this changed is crucial. Additionally, this law will foster a multi-million dollar industry that can help create jobs, including those who potentially have had an unfairly difficult time finding a job due to systemic injustices. Governor Murphy plans to allocate 70% of tax revenues from this new industry to “Impact Zones” of social injustice due to race, discrimination, and poverty.

The time that the government diverts focus away from nonviolent drug crimes, especially related to cannabis, is well overdue. The legalization of marijuana never occurred to me to be intertwined with social justice until somewhat recently. However, after looking into it more and reading up on my home state’s reasons for the legalization, I do see the connection and the importance of this law’s passage. The way to handle these “issues” is not to imprison more people, but to give them opportunities to turn their lives around and potentially help others and their surrounding environment as well. I believe that this law passed by the state of New Jersey is a positive step in that direction of combatting social injustice.

Week 6 Context Presentation: Things Fall Apart

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In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, he tells the story of a Nigerian warrior Okonkwo who endures many struggles within himself and his tribe, ultimately amounting to British colonization in his native country. A large part of the text describes the trials and tribulations of Okonkwo’s life story, one of which is filled with tragedy and misfortune. Witnessing the deaths of many close to Okonkwo, the text’s story reveals to be much wider-spanning than the reader comes to think. Achebe’s text eventually shifts gears from inner-tribal conflict to the external force of white colonization coming into play. This is a powerful overlaying factor that makes the text such a masterpiece.

After reading the text, the reader becomes particularly involved with the characters, which makes the colonization feel immoral and upsetting. However, when one steps back and makes the realization that this occurred in the real world, we can begin to see Achebe’s true voice and story.

In 1884, the British colonized Nigeria, and although the African nation declared their independence in 1960, this was a defining and trying time for the nation. The main focus in Things Fall Apart in regards to this colonisation is religion and tradition. In the southern region of Nigeria, “the British ‘ruled through those who were most malleable.’ Here Christianity spread quickly, adding further tensions to the area by separating people in both religion and politics,” (Falola qtd. in Alme). Okonkwo’s reaction to this in the novel was one of complete disgust as he felt as the colonials had taken away his faith and tradition. In Chapter 17, this disgust is palpable when he, “Saw himself and his fathers crowding round their ancestral shrine waiting in vain for worship and sacrifice and finding nothing but ashes of bygone days, and his children the while praying to the white man’s god,” (Achebe 153). From this emotion, one can make the conclusion that this colonization was not only about politics or land, but about culture.

Throughout this course so far, we have discussed themes revolving heavily around perspective and injustice, and Things Fall Apart is a strong representation of both. From the outside, the British colonization of Nigeria looked innocent enough, and perhaps arbitrary. However, when taking a look inside the words of Achebe or the life of Okonkwo, the reader is able to see how serious and unjust this event truly was.

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Works Cited:

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Penguin Publishing Group, 2017.

Alme, Kaitlyn. “Niger Delta Black Gold Blues: Colonial History of Nigeria: Slave Trade, Resource Extraction, and the Invention of a National Territory.” Niger Delta Black Gold Blues: Can Writers Bring About Environmental Justice Where Slow Violence Has Proven So Devastating? or A Cautionary Tale for Environmental Sacrifice Zones Worldwide, 6 June 2016, scalar.usc.edu/works/niger-delta-black-gold-blues/12-colonial-subjugation-of-people-land-and-nature-slave-trade-resource-extraction-palm-oil-and-the-invention-of-a-national-territory-kaitlyn.