Kate Weiler

Re-evaluating Remedies: Treatment’s Effects on Agency

Dear Anne,

a timeline

(part one: before fall break)

how is the 360 going? my friend asks me

i should not be taking this class i respond

            In response to “As the World Burns” by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan, Teju Cole, the author of “The White- Savior Industrial Complex” would state that the complex is prominent in any situation whether it targets justice or environmental issues. He would further agree with the idea that one contribution towards environmental problems is the fact that people are not looking at the bigger picture to solve the damage caused to the environment. In Cole’s article, he argues that people, especially white privileged people, go out of their way to better situations merely to satisfy their own needs of making themselves feel better. In other words, it is only based on selfish motives that people go out of their way to help others.

Photo-Journal: The Process 

This photo journal is very much a self reflection. I wanted to explore the theme of black womynhood, with an emphasis on the idea of crazy, inexplicable feelings leading to a conscious and political statement.

I took all of the images myself. I also edited them and curated them. I also designed the layout of the photo journal.

As for the process for choosing the text, I drew from readings (Beloved, bell hooks conversation) we had in class as well as in class conversations (intersectionality, love, and my bringing womanism to the classroom dynamic). I also used my personal writing and one of my favorite books, The Autobiography of Assata Shakur. 

The journal is attached below as a PDF.

Where I was when we began: I was excited and hopeful at the beginning of this semester. I thought that a 360 would be a great way to talk about Blackness and Whiteness because we’d get so many different opportunities to talk to one another and also be exposed to lots of new information. Though we encountered struggle early on in the semester I was still excited to keep learning with everyone, and struggle is to be expected when we’re talking about race in a racist institution.

Where I am now: I’m exhausted, angry, sad, frustrated, still learning… Feeling very motivated to do personal and professional anti-racism work. Reflection is really important to me right now, but also I need some time and distance away from campus.

Taking the 360 Poetics and Politics of Race 360 this past semester has been incredibly challenging for me. I came in with the intention to learn theory and gain curatorial skills. I was excited to finally get the chance to explore the intersections of race, art, education, and literature. However, looking back I feel as though my excitement for the course has dwindled down and my expectations were not met. From the first week, I knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy road. However, everyone was telling me that this opportunity was amazing and that I would be a crazy to give it up so easily.

The graphic novel As the World Burns, depicts a unique narrative of how the people and the animals of the world stick up for the earth against the governments and corporations trying to destroy it.  The illustration style is very interesting because without it the story would be received differently. They also present hidden messages that otherwise would be lost in a normal novel setting.

I really liked how the idea of Bryn Mawr being a bubble played into almost every project. Going foward on my project personally doesn't seem nessecary. We proved our point. People continually prove it everyday by being here. I really did enjoy the other projects though, they were really interesting and had a lot of work put behind them.