Luis Gonzalez
Acts of Resistance: Activist, Interlopers,
and Pranksters SP 19
Professor Cacoilo
May 7, 2019
Final Semester
Project
Throughout
this semester I was thinking of how to demonstrate being a role model in
various projects. What I decided to do was to make a video/documentary of the youth
at my job, the Jersey City Recreation Boxing Program. What better way to show
the meaning of being a role model than in the sport of boxing? Many people
would right away assume that boxing is a tough sport and shouldn’t be something
that kids should pursue at an early age. In my opinion, boxing is a great sport
to follow for many reasons. Not only does it show you how to protect yourself
and possibly compete in different tournaments, but it shows people, specifically
the youth, how to become discipline, how to become a leader, and most importantly
how to become a role model. Having these qualities at a young age is very
important because not only does it show them the importance of having these traits,
but it shows them how to spread these qualities to others. Renee Cox is a
perfect example of what it is to spread qualities that she had to assist others
who were in need and awareness, so everyone would know how important this was
in society. Renee Cox is one of the most controversial African American artists
working today using her own body, both nude and wearing clothes to celebrate
black womanhood and criticize a society she often views as racist and sexist. Cox
made herself the center of attention by dressing in the colorful attire of a
black superhero named Raje. Her art piece was titled The Liberation of Lady J and
UB. Cox's Raje rescued the black stereotyped advertising figures of Uncle Ben
and Aunt Jemima from their products, labels. She demonstrates her ability of being
a role model by being in the middle of Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima, while she has
them by her hands. “An anti-capitalist can act anywhere, as there is no space
that does not speak the values of capital” (Interventionist pg. 117). This
piece was created to show people that they can be open-minded from things that
have been exposed upon them like consumption of products that are advertised to
be healthy for consumptions on advertisements. Cox demonstrates this ability by
allowing her artwork to have a representation of what leadership should
represent. We teach the kids in the community how to vouch for themselves and
how to become independent. Another artist that I connected to my semester
project was Lauren Greenfield. Greenfield’s series THIN is a photographic essay
and a documentary film about the treatment of eating disorders. It shows a
greater understanding of the difficulty of eating disorders, they are not
simply about food or body image or self-esteem, but a tangle of personal, family,
cultural and mental health issues. “Our age of manipulation produces on
inexorable quandary” (Seeing Power pg. 97). Greenfield compares the difficulty
of eating disorders to the challenging subject in homes and schools. This is comparable
to the life difficulties that the youth bring with them when they enter the gym
for the first time. The goal throughout the video was not for them to pursue in
becoming a professional boxer but to use the tools of discipline, leadership,
and being a role model for school, home, themselves, and most importantly their
future. We want them to become leaders in this world and the first step into
becoming a leader is having discipline because without that you won’t be able
to move ahead. Every day we motivate the youth and the goal is to impact them
so they can see that all were trying to do is uplift them. Our job is to be the
role models they truly deserve.
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| The Liberation of Lady J and UB by Renee Cox |
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| THIN by Lauren Greenfield |
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| Jersey City Recreation Boxing Program |
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| Jersey City youth Ethan Montenegro showing off his skills |
Resource
list/Bibliography
Thompson, Nato. Seeing Power: Art and Activism in the 21st
Century. Melville House, 2015.
Sholette, Gregory, and
Nato Thompson. The Interventionists:
Users Manual for the Creative Disruption of Everyday Life ; MASS MoCA,
2004.
What is a Role Model?
Five Qualities that Matter to Youth. (2019, February 25). Retrieved from https://www.rootsofaction.com/role-model/
How Role Models Influence
Youth Strategies for Success. (2017, April 24). Retrieved from https://www.rootsofaction.com/role-models-youth-strategies-success/
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