Reflections on Murals and Memory, War from Above, and Weapon of the Weak

Essay Instructions:

Reflections" are 2 pages and can focus on readings, videos, or lecture material. The aim of the assignment is to enable all of you every other week to reflect, ponder, critique, and raise questions about anything you find compelling about the material in a given week. There is no set convention for these "reflections" but some of the issues you might consider are the following:

What is the main idea conveyed in the material? What is argued in the readings and lecture? How does the weekly theme relate to themes already covered in previous weeks? Are there controversies that are particularly relevant for the weekly theme? How do you find your self reacting to the weekly theme? The idea is to promote deep thinking about themes and issues that are highly charged.
Week 9

Murals and Memory: Debating the Censorship of ‘Offensive’ Visual Images Video: "Town Destroyer" (2022). [Be sure to use your VPN if necessary] https://docuseek2.com/bf-towdLinks to an external site. [This is a "must-see" video that explains the background to, and frames the entire controversy about the murals].
Wilson, Jennifer (2019). “Black People Don’t Need Murals To Remember Injustice.” The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/san-francisco-school-mural/Links to an external site.
Kelly, Robin D.G.(2019). “We’re Getting These Murals All Wrong: The Arnautoff Mural have been denounced as demeaning and defended as an exposé of America’s racist past. Both sides miss the point.” The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/arnautoff-mural-life-washington/Links to an external site.
Dickenson, Michael and Smithers, Gregory (2021). “The Power of Empty Pedestals.” The Bitter Southerner. https://bittersoutherner.com/2020/the-power-of-empty-pedestalsLinks to an external site.
Week 8

War from Above: The Seen and Unseen Imagery of Warfare from the SkyKaplan, Caren (2018). Aerial Aftermaths: Wartime from Above. Durham: Duke University Press. [Read only pp. 15 - 33]. Read electronic version from UCSD Library Website or in Week 8 Module.Parks, Lisa and Kaplan, Caren (2017). Life in the Age of Drone Warfare. Durham: Duke University Press. [pp. 1-21]. Read electronic version from UCSD Library Website or in Week 8 Module.Kaplan, Caren (2017). Dronorama: Troubling the Temporal and Spatial Logic of Distance Warfare. Life in the Age of Drone Warfare. Lisa Parks and Caren Caplan, eds. Durham: Duke University Press. [pp. 161-77]. Read electronic version from UCSD Library Website or in Week 8 Module.
Week 7

'Weapon of the Weak': Cinematic Representations of Anti-Colonial Resistance Andrea /Norris, Jacob (2013). “The Battle of Algiers Transposed into a Palestinian Key.” Open Democracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/battle-of-algiers-transposed-into-palestinian-key/Links to an external site.Grey, Sarah (2017). "Inside the Battle of Algiers: An Evening with Zohra." Review of African Political Economy. https://roape.net/2017/09/26/inside-battle-algiers-evening-zohra-drif/Links to an external site.Fields, Gary (2020). "Lockdown: Gaza Through a Camera Lens and Historical Mirror." Journal of Palestine Studies. Vol. 49 (3): 41-69. [Read only pp. 41-43, 48-50.] https://communication.ucsd.edu/_files/files-fields-gary/fields-lockdown1.pdfPonetecorvo, Gillo (1966). The Battle of Algiers. https://www.kanopy.com/en/ucsd/video/127213Links to an external site.Abu Assad, Hany (2005). Paradise Now. https://digitalcampus.swankmp.net/ucasandiego371665/play/62de36939fe83f74?referrer=marcLinks to an external site.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Week 9 Reflection
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Week 9 Reflection
The main idea presented by the readings is the heated debate surrounding censoring materials deemed offensive. The materials under discussion are mainly murals and visual images. The issue that raises this debate is whether offensive imagery/ murals should be destroyed or maintained to preserve history. Wilson (2019) argues that there is no need to preserve murals. Instead, resources and efforts should be geared toward ensuring that historical injustices are amicably resolved. On the other hand, Kelly (2019) argues that most people have the wrong attitude towards Murals. He argues that they should be viewed as a representation of the dark past of racism that America has had. He argues that most people arguing for removing murals only consider one side of the story. For the story to be complete, it is essential to consider the two sides to it. Dickenson and Smither (2021) offer a powerful statement against symbols that are oppressive by providing the illustration of empty pedestals.
The readings of this week relate to the themes already presented in previous weeks. The main way the themes interact is that they center on the importance of visual representations in preserving the history of America. The history of main concern in the themes is the dark and undesirable history, such as wars, racism, and injustice. For example, Docuseek (2022) represents a former president of the United States as a slave owner. Therefore, the theme for week 9 is closely related to some of the themes that the past weeks focused on. There are several controversies that I find relevant to the weekly theme. One of the controversies is the debate surrounding the Confederate monuments. As discussed above, controversy most arises from the shared disagreements between those in favor and those not in favor of the...

Updated on January 26, 2024

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Reflections on Murals and Memory, War from Above, and Weapon of the Weak

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