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Title
A name given to the resource
ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
Still Image
Artifact Owner
Hannah Duston Killing the Indians by Junius Brutus Stearns
(1847; Colby College Museum of Art)
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Hannah Duston
indigenous
women
writing II spring 2021
-
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07adb5a881e29f8f75e0ad7cee830074
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Title
A name given to the resource
ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Frederick Douglass played a huge role in the fight against slavery. The monument was erected to celebrate his contributions in the freedom of the African Americans from slavery. He escaped slavery in Maryland and lead the Massachusetts’ and New York’s abolitionists movement. He and his wife lived in Lynn during the years which he was accompanied by other abolitionists in the quest to abolish slavery and stop racial segregation off the African Americans (Levine 2). Being a social reformer, an orator, writer, abolitionist and also a statesman, he took the chance to write and make oratories against slavery and discriminations (Levine 2). His intellectual capacity made his fellow abolitionists perceive him as a counterexample of enslavers’ argument that slaves failed to possess the intellect required for them to function independently as American citizens. Frederick spoke on the behalf of slaves. He knew their plights having been born as slaves. He worked as a slave from the age of 6 after being separated from his grandparents (Levine 2). He was sold to different slaveholders. He attempted to escape in 1937 but failed to succeed. He later succeeded to escape in 1838 after years of experiencing inhumane treatment from slaveholders. He joined organizations and attended abolitionist meetings after settling in Lynn, Massachusetts. He fought for ending segregation in the transportation system in Lynn. He also championed for the rights of his people. He participated in the civil war which succeeded in ending slavery.</span></p>
<p><b>Story of the monument</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The monument was erected as a remembrance of Frederick Douglass and the part he played in the war against slavery, championing for end of discrimination and the rights of the African Americans in Lynn, Massachusetts. Frederick believed that African Americans had a right to fight in the Civil War (Anderson et al. 398). He stated that the war was proposed to ensure the freedom of African Americans and they therefore had a right to participate in it. His view was made public through his newspaper and speeches and African Americans began taking up ranks in the confederates. He conferred with president Lincoln and president Johnson to address the rights of the African American soldiers and their rights to vote (Anderson et al. 400). . President Lincoln declared all slaves in confederate territories free. With the ratification of the 13</span><span style="font-weight:400;">th</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> amendment, slaves with whom the amendments applied to were freed. These were slaves in the Union held and northern areas (Anderson et al. 407). Frederick Douglass had secured their freedom. With the abolition of slavery, another amendment was ratified, the 14</span><span style="font-weight:400;">th</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> Amendment which provided citizenship and the protection of all citizens under the Law. The 15</span><span style="font-weight:400;">th</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> amendment provided for the right to vote without being racially discriminated upon. The monument was put up in respect to all the accomplishments he achieved in the war against slavery and racial discrimination.</span></p>
<p><b>Connections to the Theme of Mini-Exhibition</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The mini-exhibition adopted the theme of experiences the African Americans had during and after slavery. The Lynn, MA-Frederick Douglass’s monument has a direct relation to the exhibit. This is because the monument stands in respect of the main individual who was involved in the war against slavery. He is a representation of every effort that was undertaken to fight for the rights of the African Americans against slavery and inhumane treatments. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The monument represents all the hardships the slaves experienced. Frederick was born a slave and he therefore had experienced the life of a slave. He was constantly beaten and sold out numerous times. Just like property he was also given out on hire. The monument therefore directly relates to the mini-exhibition.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">It also relates as it represents a symbol of victory. Frederick fought for the end of slavery. He fought for the end of racial segregation. He fought for the respect of the rights of African Americans. He achieved his purpose when the 13</span><span style="font-weight:400;">th</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> Amendment was ratified in 1865. He also secured the rights of the African American community when the 14</span><span style="font-weight:400;">th </span><span style="font-weight:400;">and the 15</span><span style="font-weight:400;">th</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> amendment were ratified. The monument therefore relates to the experiences during slavery, in the course to end slavery and the success in ending slavery.</span></p>
<p><b>Significance of the Monument</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The monument signifies resilience by the African American community. Frederick Douglass was resilient and persistent in his course until he achieved what he had purposed to achieve.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"> Slaves were deemed to be individuals without the intellectual capacity to be independent. The monument acts as a reflection of how intellectually capable the African Americans were despite the perceptions displayed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Another significance of the monument is that it symbolizes unity in the quest for a particular course. Frederick Douglass managed to achieve his purpose by working together with fellow abolitionists. It shows the importance of unity for a particular course.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">It also signifies hope. With the cases of discrimination against color and race, the monument signifies hope to the African American community. It makes them believe that times may change for the better and racial discrimination will end.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The monument also signifies the impact of laws in the society. Good laws have positive impacts while bad laws have a negative impact. The African American community was affected negatively when the laws failed to protect them. Once the laws were amended, after agitation by Frederick Douglass, the African American community began to enjoy their rights and privileges as citizens.</span></p>
<p><b>Questions raised</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">A number of questions are likely to be raised with regard to the monument. Such questions may be as follows.</span></p>
<ol><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">What are the challenges Frederick Douglass faced when fighting for the rights of the African American community in Lynn, Massachusetts?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">How are the African American communities affected by the life history of Frederick Douglass now?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Does the monument have a significance in today’s political world?</span></li>
</ol>
Bibliography
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Anderson, Carl B., and Scott Alan Metzger. "Slavery, the Civil War era, and African American representation in US history: An analysis of four states' academic standards." </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Theory & Research in Social Education</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;"> 39.3 (2011): 393-415.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Levine, Robert S. </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">The Lives of Frederick Douglass</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">. Harvard University Press, 2016.</span></p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Christine Muriithi, Student, Fitchburg State University
ALFA Mentor
Veda Ross
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Frederick Douglass Monument
ALFA
Black Lives Matter
writing II spring 2021
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">African Americans experienced discrimination in so many aspects of their lives. They were not only discriminated against socially and economically but also religiously. Before 1805, Black Americans experienced discrimination even at worship places. As much as they could attend the same churches as the whites, African Americans were not allowed to share sitting places with the whites (Landon and Teresa 120). They had sitting areas assigned only at the balconies and were not allowed anywhere near the whites. In those churches, African Americans could not enjoy similar voting rights like the whites. They were denied the opportunity to vote in any church related matters. Black Americans were forced to convert different venues other than the churches in order to conduct their prayers. They had no official designated churches until the construction of the first church commonly referred to as the African Meeting House. The construction of this church was to give African Americans a place they could conduct their prayers without feeling discriminated against or facing outright segregation. Other than offering a place for the black community to have spiritual and religious fellowship, the building also acted as a venue for the black community in the area to meet and discuss the cultural, political and educational aspects of their lives (Landon and Teresa 125). It also offered space to conduct school activities for the black children, adult education and also lectures. Basically, the building served the social needs of the African American community.</span></p>
<p><b>History of the monument</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Paul Thomas, an African American preacher had a congregation of twenty members who attended church meetings held at the Faneuil Hall. He and his congregants formed the first African Baptist church in the year 1805. On formation of the church, land was purchased for construction of a building which was completed the next year. A fundraising was conducted to secure funds for the construction of the church. The amount secured was insufficient and thus the committee responsible for construction sought for more funds to complete construction from the Massachusetts legislation. It was dedicated in December 1806 and is considered the oldest black church building (Danker and Anita 16). In 1806, Primus Hall, who had an established school in his home premise moved his school to the African meeting House. He received assistance from members of the African-American community including sailors in order to cater for the school expenses. Before moving the school, Primus had tried to have a public school established through the city of Boston but was unsuccessful. The school was thus moved to the meeting house. The school still needed assistance and so he continued to conduct fundraisings for the running of the school. The building was used to conduct civic movements and champion for a variety of civil rights including the end of slavery in the United States (Landon and Teresa 125). This inspired the name the Black Faneuil Hall. In 1832, the New England Anti-Slavery Society was founded in the Meeting House by William Lloyd Garrison (Danker and Anita 16). Soldiers were recruited in the house during the civil war. The building was later sold to a Jewish congregation at the end of the 19</span><span style="font-weight:400;">th</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> century, following the migration of the blacks who were the new immigrants. It was used as a synagogue until 1972 when it became a Museum of African American History to date. The building has since been refurbished to look exactly the same way it did in 1855.</span></p>
<p><b>Significance to the mini-exhibition</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The mini-exhibit focuses on the experiences the African Americans had during and after slavery. The meeting house firstly served as a place for the black community to meet and engage freely as a community. They did not have to withstand racial discrimination while at the meeting house as they were all equal in the premise.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Secondly, the building offered social amenities that they were denied during the slavery age. They were denied schools, they had no churches or any community gathering halls for them to conduct community meetings. The hall helped to bridge the gap that was existing during the slavery era.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The house was significant during the abolitionist movement. The New England Anti-Slavery Society was founded in the house. This means that the house played a significant role in the fight against slavery. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The African meeting house had a major impact for Black Americans during the slavery times. It gave them a glimmer of hope. They could now enjoy social amenities without feeling racially segregated. They were also able to engage directly and indirectly in the fight against slavery with the help of the African Meeting House.</span></p>
<p><b>Significance of the monument</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The African Meeting House firstly is evidence of how the African American communities fought to overcome racial injustices. It signifies persistence, resilience and hope that the black communities had during the slavery times. It shows how the blacks were determined to rise above the discriminations they were facing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The building is of great significance with regards to the war against slavery. Anti-slavery meetings and recruitments were conducted here. Soldiers were recruited in the premises and meetings conducted. It is therefore very significant in this aspect.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Thirdly, the monument has been used for the purpose of preserving African American history. Since the house was acquired by the Museum of African American History, it has been used for purposes of keeping any information relevant to the history of African Americans as a museum.</span></p>
<p><b>What are the questions asked?</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Through the monument, these are the relevant questions that could arise. </span></p>
<ol><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">What are the experiences the African Americans had before the construction of the monument? </span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">What was the reaction of the whites when the construction was completed?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Were the whites affected by the new building in any way?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">How did the construction of the monument change the lives of the African Americans?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">How are African Americans impacted with the history of the construction of the monument?</span></li>
</ol>
Bibliography
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Danker, Anita C. "African American heritage trails: from Boston to the Berkshires." </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Historical Journal of Massachusetts 37.</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">2 (2009): 16.</span></p>
<span style="font-weight:400;">Landon, David B., and Teresa D. Bulger. "Constructing community: Experiences of identity, economic opportunity, and institution building at Boston’s African meeting house." </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">International Journal of Historical Archaeology 17</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">.1 (2013): 119-142.</span>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Christine Muriithi, Student, Fitchburg State University
ALFA Mentor
Veda Ross
Photographer(s)
from The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (Boston, MA)
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
African Meeting House
ALFA
Black Lives Matter
writing II spring 2021
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Harriet Wilson’s Monument is a representation of the struggles women underwent trying to fit into the working society after the end of slavery. Harriet was the first African American female storyteller. She was a free slave at the time she was writing his first book, </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Our Nig or Sketches of a Free Black</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">. Despite being the first female to write a book or biography, Harriet highlights the fundamental experiences of the African Americans both during slavery and after slavery. After slavery, African Americans were trying to be independent by entering the industrial world. Making a living was the goal of all African Americans, especially since they had to feed their families. However, even after slavery ended, the African Americans still felt racial discrimination in the industrial space. It is for this reason that Harriet wrote the book </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Our Nig or Sketches of a Free Black. </span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">In the book, she talks about how African Americans struggle to fit into society. Society was designed in a way that white dominance was still the order of the day (</span><span style="font-weight:400;">Araújo and Schneider 34)</span><span style="font-weight:400;">. Harriet highlighted these issues together with the role of women in the industrial space. As a single mother, Harriet struggles to provide for her child. She worked with men and earned to feed his child. Her story tells the story of the African American experiences from the perspective of a woman, which makes it an important part of America’s history.</span></p>
<p><b>Story of the Monument</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Harriet Wilson’s monument is erected in Milford, NH. It is a way of honouring her accomplishment as a woman. This monument is important because it symbolizes the struggles of women to tell their own stories. As a female novelist, Harriet found herself in a world dominated by male novelists. When she published her fictional biography highlighting the experiences of free Blacks, she became the first woman to be an author of a novel, and go on and publish it (</span><span style="font-weight:400;">Logan 21)</span><span style="font-weight:400;">. The monument tells the story of a strong Black woman, who worked hard to provide for her own child. After her separation from her husband, she was left with their child to take care of. She worked as a house-help and other jobs to ensure her child was fed, had clothes, and went to school. Even though she later took the child to foster care, she did her part as a mother, and went against the established patriarchal system to write history from the perspective of a woman. With all the novelists and authors male at the time, African American experiences were only told from the perspective of men, which marginalized women. Also, Harriet was born in Milford. In this regard, this monument is important for the people of Milford and the whole of America because of how Harriet fought against all odds to bring women into the picture in the literary space. She made women recognized and their experiences understood by writing her fictional biography. Therefore, Harriet’s monument is an important part of America’s history.</span></p>
<p><b>Connections to the Theme of Mini-Exhibition</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span> <span style="font-weight:400;">My mini-exhibition focuses on the theme of African American experiences during and after slavery. Art is an important form of expression. People use it to express how they feel, their thoughts, and their perception of the world around them. African Americans used art and literature to make their feelings and thoughts known. They talked about their experiences during and after slavery. Harriet’s monument is integral to this theme. As an African American women and a free Black, she understood what slavery entailed, how it affected them as African Americans and what the majority of people felt about it. Harriet also found her roots into the industrial and literary worlds. She is well-placed to talk about the experiences of Blacks during and after slavery because she experienced the two lives. Her story illustrates how women focused on writing to express themselves and gain financially. She embodies the struggles of the African American women in the industrial and literary space. As such, this monument and the story of Harriet Wilson relates to my primary theme in the mini-exhibition. She talks about her experiences during and after slavery, which makes her story important to the discussion.</span></p>
<p><b>Significance of the Monument</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">In America today, we still face issues of racism and racial discrimination. Recently, the killing of George Floyd sparked outrage in the United States and other parts of the world. It intensified the Black Lives Matter movement and brought to light the different experiences Blacks had in their encounters with the police. However, the incident is a reflection of how African Americans have felt over the years. Harriet’s monument provides an historical context of the African American experiences in the United States. It helps people understand how Blacks have been treated over the years, both during and after slavery. For instance, as a Black woman, she tells the story from the perspective of women. Even though both men and women undergo the same racial discrimination, women have additional challenges to deal with. Their marginalization by a patriarchal society was one of the many experiences or discrimination they had to undergo in America. Because Harriet experienced them first-hand, her story is significant in providing the historical context of the gender and racial discriminations that still exist in America.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Furthermore, Harriet was the first woman to write and public a novel. The significance of her monument is tied to the fact that it represents the resilience of women and their importance in U.S. history. Harriet puts women in the picture by standing up for them and telling their stories. She ensured that her experiences as a woman in the U.S. were heard by people and everyone understood why they are also important to the working space. Therefore, as part of America’s history, Harriet’s monument is integral and significant.</span></p>
<p><b>Questions Raised?</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Through the monument, the following are the most important questions to raise:</span></p>
<ol><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">What does Harriet’s story tell us about the experiences of women during and after slavery?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">How did her story impact America’s perception about women?</span></li>
</ol>
Bibliography
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Araújo, Eliza de Souza Silva, and Liane Schneider. "Our Nig, by Harriet E. Wilson: Frado and the characterization of oppression." </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Caderno Espaço Feminino</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;"> 29.1 (2016).</span></p>
<span style="font-weight:400;">Logan, April Catrina. </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Theorizing and Performing Socio-political Representation: Harriet Wilson, Harriet Jacobs, and Pauline Hopkins</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">. Diss. Temple University. Libraries, 2011.</span>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Christine Muriithi, Student, Fitchburg State University
ALFA Mentor
Veda Ross
Photographer(s)
from the Harriet Wilson Project (Milford, NH)
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Harriet Wilson Statue
ALFA
Black Lives Matter
writing II spring 2021
-
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6b614c3777f08a0e24bec0c8131719b2
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Standing on the lawn in the center of town in North Brookfield, Quincy Ogunfeitimi did his part in a call to action for Black Lives Matter in his community. His words were simple and demanded change, “What I'm asking for is equality..”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The condition of the artifact entitled “Call to Action” exists in many ways. The illustration selected to bear the title page shows Quincy Ogunfeitimi, of Spencer Ma, (a bordering town to the Brookfields) speaking into the bull horn at the first black lives matter protest in the Brookfields. Quincy Ogunfeitimi was one of many speakers that day who shared their voices loudly to serve as a call to action for our community. The selected image contains the important symbol of the bull horn. The bull horn serves the important purpose of raising someone's voice just as a call to action raises people's voices, making it an important symbol in this image. Although this is the selected artifact to represent “A Call to Action.” This concept exists in many other ways. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Another Significant figure who participated heavily in the call to action for the community in The Brookfields is a young man named Fitzgerald Pucci, of north brookfield. Fitz, as he goes by, is another example of an outspoken citizen who called for action. As the citizens marched down the street on June 2nd, in north brookfield, Fitz led the crowd with chants and a drum beat from a drum he carried around his chest. When asked to reflect on that day Fitz said, “There were so many moments during that day, one of the most powerful to me was the sudden singing of amazing grace. I've never seen something so powerful happen so organically!” The commonality between the goal of these two men is clear, to bring awareness to the issue of Black Lives Matter, and to help raise the voices of others by demonstrating their leadership.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Although the aforementioned leaders serve as perfect examples of a call to action, it is not always a single individual, there are many examples of media, art or even martyrdom that serves the purpose of a call to action. People can be compelled to take action from many different things. There is a deep history of groups taking action in response to powerful words, or tragic events. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” is a prime example of motivation from powerful words. Although King was already a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, his speech resonated with people with its simple message of wanting equality for all. An article published by the Library Of Congress, said in part “From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, to a crowd of 250,000. An eloquent call to action, the speech emphasized his belief that the movement would create a society in which character, rather than color, prevailed.” This quote shows that what King sought to do was simplify the message of the civil rights movement and made his goal clear. The powerful words of King's speech are solidified in our history because it represented so much more than just the words he shared, it represented the call to action for black people in America to live equally. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">More recently, there was a major call to action but this time it was not in the form of words. The deaths of many black people at the hands of the police including Brianna Taylor, and George Floyd made national news this summer and served as a call to action of its own. Although this call cant be put into a slogan of a few words, or a speech was just as powerful as any call to action in history because people were able to witness the injustices with their own eyes. Although this call to action involves no loud voice yelling for change, the anger, disappointment and sadness that many felt in response to the unjust death of George Floyd made it one of the loudest calls to action this century. In an article published in Voice Of America News a closer look is taken at the impact the death of George Floyd had on the Black Lives Matter movement and American life as a whole. Although it brought about action in a completely different way then the speech of Martin Luther King motivated people to take action, the unjust death of George Floyd was also able to also motivated hundreds of thousands. Although it came at the ultimate price for Mr. Floyd, the awareness of police brutality that his death brought in America will continue to echo in the ears of americans for decades to come. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">There is no doubt that the powerful words of activists such as Malcom X or Martin Luther king inspired massive amounts of action. For hundreds of years people have expressed their descent by raising their voices in protest and under a strong enough call to action, amazing things can be accomplished. The voice of many stands as an example of what the power of unity can accomplish. When reflecting on huge historical events that brought with them real change, the common thread is the call to action. It can be simply put that without a call to action oftentimes the word of the people is never expressed. For this reason, the significance of a call to action to a protest is massive. Even when observing only a piece of the much larger black lives matter movement, such as how it affected a small Massachusetts community, it is still important to recognize the calls to action that were able to make change. </span></p>
Bibliography
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Lemaire, Sandra. “How George Floyd's Death Has Impacted American</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Life.” </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Voice of America</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">, June 2020, 26,</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span><span style="font-weight:400;">www.voanews.com/usa/race-america/how-george-floyds-death-has-i</span><span style="font-weight:400;">mpacte</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">d-american-life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Ring, Kim. “Brookfield Rally for Black Lives Draws a Crowd.” </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Worcester </span></i><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Telegram</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">4 June 2020, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">www.telegram.com/story/news/2020/06/04/north-brookfield-rally-for-bla</span>ck lives-matter-draws-crowd/113743278/.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:400;">“Today in History - January 15.” </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">The Library of Congress</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">,</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span><span style="font-weight:400;">www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/january-15/#:~:text=From%20the%20st</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">eps%20of%20the,%2C%20rather%20than%20color%2C%20prevailed.</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span></p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Ethan Hines, Student, Fitchburg State University
ALFA Mentor
Gail Hoar
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Protest Speaker Quincy Ogunfeitimi (Spencer, MA)
ALFA
Black Lives Matter
writing II spring 2021
-
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2f3050485cb965f7e546895285d43721
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p><i><span style="font-weight:400;">The material that the collage consists of is a series of photo submissions from a local organization “Brookfields fight fear.” in response to a Post made by myself, requesting help on finding significant artifacts to recount the events that transpired in the year 2020 pertaining to the black lives matter movement. At first, the artifact was going to be a single example of a sign to represent signs, but after multiple submissions from the community submissions, there is now a series of images coming from many citizens across time and town lines, all involving facing black lives matter in our small community. </span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">After taking a closer look at an instance of the humble individual, and how they impact the community when going through a time of social change, I wanted to also have representation from the community as a whole. When organizing the local protests, many people came together with signs. These signs were an important symbol of unity, and also unified the message of the group. Although this is just one example of a physical community, it is a strong one because each sign represents something different and also holds true to the individual holding the sign. Signs are a massive symbol of wide-scale protests and, clearly, the small community level as well. In light of the enormous social changes that occurred in 2020 in response to the black lives matter protests, towns across the country were all forced to face the bigger picture of the reality of police brutality and systemic racism in America. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">When considering all the great protests that have transpired in history, an important link that almost all have is signs. Signs have been used in historical protests for hundreds of years and serve an important purpose. When protesting, a sign adds a visual element and unifies the people protesting their message. An article entitled “The Signs Protesters Carry” by the Rolling Stone says “They have brought with them their anger and aspirations, their dreams and demands, their</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">clarion calls for justice. They can be heard in their chants and seen in their sheer numbers, but the </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">messages they bring are perhaps most vividly illustrated by the signs they hold aloft as they march.” This powerful quote supports the claim that signs hold the power of the movement, and continue the spread of its message. The article goes on to explore the signs that we find ourselves with today. Signs that were used during the black lives matter marches across America this summer ranged from political cartoons, rally calls, or simply the word “Black Lives Matter”. </span></p>
<br /><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Whether the slogan is funny, heartbreaking, or witty the focus of what is being conveyed is very clear.The images the collage consists of are from many different backgrounds and events but all share one thing in common and that is the context. Like the thousands of other towns that faced this momentous call to awareness of the plight of black people in America, so did the citizens of the small Massachusetts community of the Brookfield's. The citizens of the Brookfield's that took part in the local events in support of BLM came from different backgrounds of age, socioeconomic status, and race; they all shared their community in common, and the desire to bring awareness to what is happening in America today. The specific context of the artifacts each carry its own story in contributing to the larger context of BLM in this small community. The theme of this artifact is the physical contribution on the community scale. This relates to the larger scale theme of the exhibition, being, facing the bigger image of race relations in the United States in a small community. The signs give a perspective on this story by serving as an example of something produced by a community to come together and rally under a unified message. There have also been developments in signs as a medium, in light of recent protests. As the nation sees a surge in protests signs are also evolving. According to an article In TheWashington Post, although signs have been around since the American Revolution, we are seeing an even bigger influence now as pop culture has mixed with politics. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The first image is from the first local protest that the community held in North Brookfield. The image depicts a line of people stretching a quarter-mile of people all marching towards main St in north Brookfield, many with signs in hand. The second image is a closer look at an example of what signs for a protest looked like, a simple message, with big letters. The third picture was submitted by a local organizer for the Local BLM protests with the caption “A couple of pix from N Brookfield. I noticed the other day on a town Facebook page that some people are STILL upset that this ever happened in our town. As far as I'm concerned it was one of the best days in town history.” Image 4 depicts a small child raising the American flag with a sign containing only a simple message of unity and community in these times. It is these images that hold the heart of the spirit of the protests that took place and in these images, a moment is captured where the people of this community stood together with signs in hand. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The significance this artifact bears is very important. The signs not only signify not just words, but actions behind them. The signs also signified an enormous call to action not just for other citizens of the town but also joined the voices across the country in support of the bigger message. The signs compiled together also represent the community taking control. All of the signs were not only created and displayed to represent the movement but also symbolized a union between the people who stood along with them. </span></p>
Bibliography
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Bort, Ryan. “The Signs Protesters Carry.” </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Rolling Stone</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">, 15 June 2020, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/george-floyd-protest-signs-photos-1012</span><span style="font-weight:400;">560/</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Gibson, Caitlin. “Today's Protest Signs Are Sharper, Meaner, Funnier - and Live on Long after </span><span style="font-weight:400;">the Rallies.” </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">The Washington Post</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">, 21 Apr. 2019, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/02/02/todays-protest-sign s-are-sharper-meaner-funnier-and-live-on-long-after-the-rallies/.</span></p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Ethan Hines, Student, Fitchburg State University
ALFA Mentor
Gail Hoar
Photographer(s)
Photos solicited by author from social media
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Signs of Hope
ALFA
Black Lives Matter
writing II spring 2021
-
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1fb4cc67c7599434339810362d6b6f55
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">In the wake of nationwide civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubrie, and many others, all at the hands of police, people across the world marched in solidarity and to bring awareness to a racially biased criminal justice system, and a culture of police violence to black people. Many citizens of the small town of North Brookfield, in central Massachusetts also joined the movement. The protest was organized by a small facebook group called “North brookfield Fights Fear,”* which was a small, progressive group of like-minded community members. The protest was set for May 25th. The participants walked from the North Brookfield high school, to the town common. Along the march this photo was taken, which was then followed by an interview from a reporter with the subject of the photo. This powerful image depicts a local veteran from north Brookfield, taking the time out of his day donning his military BDUs to show his silent support of the local cause. Tom was not expecting to be recognized for this, rather, he simply saw the protest going by and silently took a knee and offered supportive fist bumps to his fellow community members. When asked about this, Tom said outright he did not do so to be put on a pedestal. He went on to say </span><span style="font-weight:400;">"What I'm asking for is equality. I'm asking</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">for equal opportunities for my people as a whole," he said. "I feel we deserve to be treated the</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">same because we're all humans at the end of the day. We bleed the same blood."</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">*The North Brookfield Fights Fear group is a small group that developed in 2020 and was dedicated to the following tents, science is real, love is love, Trans people are valid, women’s rights are human rights, black lives matter, and no human being is “illegal. The group was</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">involved in campaigning for both local and federal elections, as well as helping in organizing protests for Black Lives Matter. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Connection to the Theme-</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> there is something very unique about how news travels in a small community. Unlike the national coverage that you will find on the news, or stories about cities that were impacted hugely, things tend to be expressed much more simply. When discussing how things are affecting small communities like North Brookfield, you have to look no further than the average citizens. In such a small community there tend to be very few people with the courage and willingness to speak up when they see something wrong. In the wake of the black lives matter march, however, the community was stirring. Let’s now look back to the image of Mr. Bishop taking a knee. This image very well captures the theme of “taking on the bigger picture in a small town” because he didn’t have to show his support in a large or showing manner, he simply and humbly went to his knee to offer support. It’s interesting to observe that in most instances simple and humble support can often go unrecognized but it can still be massively important to the bigger picture. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Significance- T</span><span style="font-weight:400;">he subject of black lives matter is filled with large actions and powerful words, but not only these actions hold all the significance. When observing something with such a wide range of impacts, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, the actions of an individual aren't always significant. In the summer of 2020, amidst enormous protests, peaceful and non-peaceful alike, people from all around the world were doing their part in the movement. It is very likely that the ]simple knee of support taken by Mr. Bishop may not go down in history, but that does mean the action isn't still significant. The power of the individual can have a domino effect and</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">go onto inspire others or symbolise something much bigger than themselves. When accounting the significance of Mr. Bishop's actions directly, there is very little to be said about the significance in the big picture, but when you account for all the people who saw him with his knee of solidarity, in person or in the newspaper, the significance of his small action grew. </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Questions raised </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Was Tom's support indicative of the attitude of the entire town?</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Although Tom’s knee of solidarity was a wonderful instance of support from the general community, it was not a representation of the opinion of all the people in town. Many locals went as far as heckling the protestors as they gathered to speak on the town common. </span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">What is the general culture of the town? Was Mr. Bishop’s attitude representative of the town?</span> <br /><br /><i><span style="font-weight:400;">North Brookfield is a small, conservitive town. There was a very wide range of opinions of the protests at the time. Many people in the community were in strong opposition to the message of the protests. </span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Does the image represent any sort of symbolism?</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight:400;">The image is particularly powerful as Mr. Bishop is wearing his military uniform. Many see the uniform as a symbol of protection of the country and its citizens, so when a man in uniform is showing his support for the cause of racial justice, it could be argued that it looks as though he is offering much more than just support. Furthermore, the contrast of a man in uniform showing support not for the other men in uniform (the police), but instead for the people is also powerful. </span></i></p>
Bibliography
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Ring, Kim. “Brookfield Rally for Black Lives Draws a Crowd.” </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Worcester Telegram</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">, 4 June 2020, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">www.telegram.com/story/news/2020/06/04/north-brookfield-rally-for-black-lives-matter-dr aws-crowd/113743278/.</span></p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Ethan Hines, Student, Fitchburg State University
ALFA Mentor
Gail Hoar
Photographer(s)
Kim Ring
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Local Veteran Tom Bishop Takes a Knee and Offers His Support
ALFA
Black Lives Matter
writing II spring 2021
-
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d391b76c3cf4374ec63341df9201f006
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
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Catalog Entry
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">In the city of Springfield, Massachusetts on september 2020 something devastating occurred. A pregnant woman was cornered on the floor and tasered by a Springfield Police Officer in a downtown hotel. When we look at this video we see many things that the officer did wrong and we see an excessive amount of force on the pregnant women by that said officer. The video is a bit out of context but that doesn’t justify what the officer did. Once the officer heard that she’s pregnant he should’ve right away stopped and he should've radioed in for medical care. A main question that pops into my head is why the officer did this and why many other officers do the same thing. It might not be on a pregnant woman but they use excessive force on other people in other situations. Was the officer having a bad day that he needed to take out his anger out on this poor lady or does he have a grudge against women who are pregnant. Whatever the reason was that officer should be held fully accountable for that. There are no reasons for his actions, he messed up and he knows it. What the officer did in that video is not only just a crime but it's also a form of hate culture and having your power go to your head. The officer's name in that video is Leon Davis. Mr.Davis faces assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery against a pregnant victim. Leon Davis in the video tasered the</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">pregnant woman and then says “You wanna play those games” as if his job was a video game where you can just come back to life and act like nothing happens. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">To add to this the Springfield police department didn’t release the video until four months after. But what if there wasn’t a video of this accident. What if we would've never even seen this, the officer would keep on doing what he is doing and using excessive force in situations where it isn’t needed. It is very important that we have these video cameras on our police officers. So we can see the type of behavior these rogue police officers use on the people of this country. The officers that are around didn’t say anything to stop the officers from tasering the pregnant woman. How can these officers just look at a pregnant woman getting tasered and not say anything? In Cambridge, MA they implemented a new law on this matter. On the Cambridge.ma.gov website in the news and alerts section it stated, “Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. today announced a General Order to all sworn members of the Cambridge Police Department specific to an officer’s duty to intervene. The General Order, which is effective immediately, requires all sworn members of the Cambridge Police Department present at any scene where physical force is being applied, to either stop, or attempt to stop, another member of the Department when force is being unreasonably applied or is no longer required.” With this being something that a city like Cambridge does, why doesn’t Springfield do this. Had this been a law in Springfield the officer would’ve and should’ve gotten stopped by the other officers around. Now of course a beautiful city like Cambridge can’t be compared to what is seen on the streets of Springfield but a law like that should be given state wide even better throughout the whole country, not just a small city like Springfield. There are always exceptions as to what laws go with what state but for this to happen, there is no exception for this. The officer also</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">tasered her four times and watched her as she screamed in pain. The officer did not only hurt the pregnant woman but he also hurt the baby that’s in her. The poor innocent baby most definitely felt the power of that stun gun. What did the baby do to officer Leon Davis? Did the baby resist? The officer had absolutely no right to do that unborn child and their mother. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Let's think about what a police officer is supposed to do. In short they’re supposed to serve and protect and help all of the civilians. They have provided beneficence to all of us. That means that they have to do whatever benefits the people in their community. They're public servants and doing this to the public isn’t in their job descriptions. Most police officers are great people and great officers. They genuinely want to make a difference and have their community safer. But officers like the one that was seen in the video are the ones that ruin it for the other officers and give the police a bad picture and a bad name. On July 8th 2020 the DOJ (Department Of Justice) released an online paper regarding a situation that occurred in the narcotics unit in Springfield PD. On the justice.gov website under office of public affairs it stated, “Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced today that it has found reasonable cause to believe the Narcotics Bureau of the Springfield, Massachusetts, Police Department (SPD) engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.” The DOJ doesn’t get involved with just any case regarding a police department. For the DOJ to say this it means that the department needs to be wiped clean of all these rogue police officers and have them apply again and the ones that don’t even bother to apply then it's clear their intentions were never good. The Springfield police department has had too many incidents for them not to check and take out these bad officers and put some new ones with more training and better mentality in place. What happened to that unarmed pregnant woman is devastating and nobody should have to go through that, hopefully that officer will be held accountable.</span></p>
Bibliography
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">“Justice Department Announces Findings of Investigation into Narcotics </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Bureau of Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department.” </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">The United States Department </span></i><i><span style="font-weight:400;">of Justice</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">, 8 July 2020, www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-findi</span><span style="font-weight:400;">ngs-investigation-narcotics-bureau-springfield. </span></p>
<p>“New General Order Issued Requires Officers to Intervene When Another Officer Uses Unreasonable Force.” Cambridgemass.gov, 8 June 2020.</p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Anthony De Leon, Student, Fitchburg State University
ALFA Mentor
Bill Ayadi
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Springfield officer used stun gun on pregnant woman during arrest
ALFA
Black Lives Matter
writing II spring 2021
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10b6d7702dbcb92f4a6131d8d2bd2698
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
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<p><span style="font-weight:400;">In the big city of Springfield, Massachusetts, a major incident occurred between a resource police officer and a fifteen year old boy. The video takes place at Commerce High School in Springfield. The officer grabbed a minor and pushed him to the wall. The officer here is officer Angel Marrero, he is trained to deal with bad people in bad situations also he was trained to de-escalate situations. The situation that we see before the student and officer in this video is neither bad nor dangerous. The fifteen year old is not a dangerous person nor is he a danger to himself. So it is really hard to understand why the officer did what he did. Although we can’t hear what the child is saying, it doesn’t justify the officer's actions. We have to take into consideration how can a police officer that is not only here to “protect and serve” this country do this to a minor. Children are just children they often don’t know right from wrong and sometimes they are influenced by an older person to act or do something that is not right. Springfield is a city where a lot of crime is seen and where the police are really criticized over their actions. If the officers there know this, why do they act like this towards our youth. Instead of trying to de-escalate the situation the officer uses physical force on a minor. The officer knows better and should know that this type of behavior is not accepted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The behavior that the officer showed us in the video is an example of excessive police force and not only that but the victim is a minor. That is something that is unexplainable and intolerable. We have to bring accountability to this case and make sure that this officer and held to the fullest extent of the law and made an example of. This type of behavior also shows that not only do police think they are untouchable but also a lot of policemen don’t know how to control a situation. Within the case it also speaks about how the officer lied about what happened. He said that the student walked towards him and said some vulgar words towards him. Also the officer claimed that the student allegedly shoved him and that's when the officer applied physical force to try to arrest him. But that was before the video was released. After the video it was clear that the officer was lying and didn’t tell the story how it really happened. Not only was the student charged with resisting arrest but he was also charged with threatening to commit a crime and assault and battery on a police officer. Those charges are clearly not true. The student may have said something vulgar but that doesn’t give the resource officer the right to do what he did. He is there to guide the students not mentally and physically break them. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Something that is big right now with regards to police is accountability. The officer was put on desk duty while being investigated. That is not being held accountable, that is a slap on the wrist. The officer should not just get a “Don’t do it again” he should be placed on administrative leave, be put in anger management classes and be evaluated afterwards. If the officer doesn’t want to do some sort of re-training then he shouldn’t be a police officer. In an article published by usnews.com it stated, “ </span><span style="font-weight:400;">A police accountability bill that creates a</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">civilian-led commission with the power to certify officers, investigate claims of misconduct and</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">revoke the certification of officers for certain violations was signed into law” (usnews.com). This bill was</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">implemented in December of 2020. In other words, the bill was made to make police officers more accountable for their actions through a civilian board which will discuss and review police</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">misconduct cases and further action will be taken from there. Something like this is what needs</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">to be seen around the country so officers like Angel Marrero know not to do things like this even</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">though it is clear that something like this is not okay. Police officers are grown men, they don’t</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">need to go through situations to know that certain actions are wrong.</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The main reason as to why this article really stands out to me is because everyone has</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> b</span><span style="font-weight:400;">een 15 years old. Sometimes we say things without even knowing the consequences. Being a</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">15 year old in a city like Springfield must be really hard to see police officers as good people</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> b</span><span style="font-weight:400;">ecause of the scandals that have happened in that city before regarding the police. Police</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">officers have to understand that if they really want to make a difference and change their</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">communities for the better they have to understand the struggles that POC have gone through</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">with the police. They have gone through some hard situations with police officers so they have to</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> b</span><span style="font-weight:400;">e compassionate and understanding if people have bad attitudes towards them during certain</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">encounters, especially the youth. On the mass.gov website in the “Role of a School Resource</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Officer” it stated, “</span><span style="font-weight:400;">These MOUs must ensure that SROs do not take the place of appointed</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">school disciplinarians, enforcers of school regulations, or school-based mental health providers.</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">The law ensures that SROs do not use police powers to address traditional school discipline</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">issues, including non-violent disruptive behavior, and restricts law enforcement action in</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">response to certain school-based offenses” (mass.gov). The term MOU stands for model memorandum of</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">understanding which are basically a set of rules that the officer has to follow. It is clear that the</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">officer should not use physical force against a student unless there is present danger. In that quote</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">it is clear that the officer is put in their place respectively, they have to go with what the law says.</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">He is not a disciplinarian nor is he a teacher. What the officer in springfield should’ve done was </span><span style="font-weight:400;">to just listen to the kid, walk away and speak with the principal or vice principal. It wasn’t right</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">to see what happened to that student and hopefully that officer will be held accountable.</span></p>
Bibliography
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Healey, Maura. “The Role of School Resource Officers in</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Massachusetts.” </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Mass.gov</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">www.mass.gov/the-role-of-school-resource-officers-in-mass</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">achusetts.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Lane, Nancy. “Massachusetts Governor Signs Police</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">Accountability Bill.” </span><i><span style="font-weight:400;">U.S. News & World </span></i><i><span style="font-weight:400;">Report</span></i><span style="font-weight:400;">, U.S. News</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">& World Report,</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span><span style="font-weight:400;">www.usnews.com/news/best-states/massachusetts/articles/20</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">20-12-31/massachusetts-governor-signs-police-accountabilit</span> <span style="font-weight:400;">y-bill.</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> </span></p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Anthony De Leon, Student, Fitchburg State University
ALFA Mentor
Bill Ayadi
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Video shows arrest of Springfield student in school hallway
ALFA
Black Lives Matter
writing II spring 2021
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5cf584dc984798dbad231ba915bdf033
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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ALFA Mini-Exhibitions
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Catalog Entry
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">What took place in the video of the two officers assaulting an unarmed POC was something that this country should be ashamed of. What is seen there is not just excessive force and police brutality but it also represents something bigger than that. It represents the years of oppression that POC have gone through. Two of the Lynn police officers brutality beat a person down in a holding cell because the person allegedly tried to hit the white police officer. Now when society starts talking about what to do and what not to do as an officer something like this surely does qualify as something not to do and I don’t see why anybody would justify what happened in that video. As a resident of Lynn, Ma I do see that the police are sometimes biased towards “Minorities” in the city. The crime rate is usually high and there are certain situations that kids shouldn't see or go through that have happened in this city. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">I picked this artifact because this is my home city and seeing this type of behavior by a police officer in 2021 really blows my mind. I grew up in this city, my parents migrated from Guatemala and came to start a new life here and they landed in Lynn. After college I want to be a police officer and I’m sure that there are many more hispanic young kids in Lynn that aspire to be police officers one day as well. But when I see a video like this it makes me upset that in such a diverse community, a police officer has the courage to beat up a hispanic male in a holding cell when there are two officers and only one person being held in the cell. That is why this artifact stands out so much to me because how can an officer with a racist mentality work in a place that is full of rich diversity and so many cultures. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">This artifact is significant not just because it is close to home but because after the many incidents that have occured where a POC is beaten or even killed by the police, the police still don’t learn that using brute force against a person with no weapon is not the answer nor the solution. That officer didn’t have to beat that man up. There’s no need for that type of behavior from that officer. The other officer that is standing right next to him just watching should be just as guilty as the first officer is because he is doing nothing to stop him. He is just watching his fellow officer beat an unarmed man in a holding cell. After the recent major police brutality case which happened in Minneapolis with the George Floyd case, the police should know that doing something like this isn’t right. The officer in the video that is beating the man resigned shortly after the video surfaced and didn’t speak to the news. The people that don’t see what is wrong in this video are people that are also a part of the problem. People who also try to justify what happened there are also people that are a part of the problem. This video is so significant because it shows what people have been saying about some of the members in police departments throughout this country. That the power that they hold gets to their head and they act like they can do whatever they want with no repercussions because they are the police. That video fully backs up that statement and that is something that we should be ashamed of. The police have to be held more accountable for their actions. Recently on December 31, 2020 governor Baker passed a police reform bill. Some of the changes that were put in the bill were certain police maneuvers. On the mass.gov website it stated, “The new law identifies the general circumstances</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">under which police officers can use physical force, and specifically bans the use of chokeholds” (Baker). Then a couple weeks later this incident happens in Lynn where the officer not only beats up a person in a holding cell but also puts him in a maneuver that seems like a chokehold. A law was placed for use of force and how to properly use it and this officer just steps all over that law by doing what he did. The other officer had a duty to intervene and he did not act upon it. He knew that what his partner was doing was not right and if he didn’t know then he shouldn’t be a police officer. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Some questions that could be thought about in this incident is why these officers aren’t wearing their masks because of covid and why they both teamed up against the person that was being held in that cell. The following question would be why is that person in that cell and what was the crime that he committed. The reasons and motives to why this person is in the cell plays a big role in this video but it still doesn’t justify why those officers did that to that person. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">On the DOJ official website it stated, “Broadly speaking, the use of force by law enforcement officers becomes necessary and is permitted under specific circumstances, such as in self-defense or in defense of another individual or group.” Those officers in that video were not under any harm from the person that is being held in that cell. That being said, they do not need to use any self-defense techniques or moves in order to control the situation. Both officers could have easily used verbal commands to control the situation. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">This connects to my Mini-Exhibition because my theme is police brutality/excessive force and that is something that is seen in this video. Police brutality doesn’t always have to end in death and these officers should be held responsible for their actions.</span></p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Anthony De Leon, Student, Fitchburg State University
ALFA Mentor
Bill Ayadi
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Cellblock Video Shows Former Lynn Police Officer Allegedly Assaulting Man in Custody
ALFA
Black Lives Matter
writing II spring 2021