Dear America, a poem
Dear America, a poem Below is a poem written by Khoreen Johnson, one of my sociological theory students this fall at Elon University. This powerful and heartfelt offering is part of a service project I asked my students to do. This poem is based on material covered in our theory course but more so on the content of Khoreen’s heart. For context, I ask all of my students to do a ‘service assignment’ where they take something learned and share it with an audience outside of our class. These assignments have yielded some incredible work in the past, but this semester’s theory students embraced the challenge with intelligence, passion, and vision. And yes, I did the assignment myself, taking only as much time as was allowed in class for the first draft. I have added my attempt at the bottom of this post. Look for more posts with student work…
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FollowSpeech give by Natalia Sendawy 22 October 2024 at the beginning of the Solidarity Walk
Speech give by Natalia Sendawy 22 October 2024 at the beginning of the Solidarity Walk “I would like to start off by saying thank you all for being here today to stand in solidarity with oppressed people around the world. This walk isn’t just about raising awareness but it is a statement of unity in fighting for peace, justice, and the fundamental human rights everyone deserves. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Natalia and I am half Polish and half Palestinian. As I stand here, I feel a deep, personal connection to this cause. I have family in Gaza, where the people endure a daily reality of siege, occupation, and oppression, yet remain deeply connected to their land and their history. A powerful symbol of this connection is the olive tree. For Palestinians, the olive tree is more than a source of livelihood;…
Read MoreLiving brown and Black on a white campus: navigating predominantly white or culturally limited environments
[Note: This is a guest post to this blog. Please contact me if you would like to make a contribution.] Living brown and Black on a white campus: navigating predominantly white or culturally limited environments Introduction In spaces where diversity is often the exception rather than the norm, such as in predominantly white institutions, the act of self-expression can become complex, layered with unspoken rules about how much of oneself to reveal. For first-generation individuals, immigrants, ethnically diverse, or those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, navigating these spaces often involves a strategy of carefully balancing an act between authenticity and assimilation. This concept speaks to the unspoken need to be agreeable, and to shield certain aspects of one’s identity in order to fit into environments that may not fully understand or accept experiences and perspectives. In this collaborative piece, several voices come together to reflect on their personal journeys of…
Read MoreAmerica must midwife an independent Palestine (written September 2014)
I wrote and published this ten years ago, and I am chilled and saddened to re-read it in light of the past year. September 9, 2014 America must midwife an independent Palestine Enough is enough. The United States in 1948 helped create one state. It is far past time for the most powerful democracy in the world to create another. We hear ad naseum that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a difficult and complicated situation. Please, just stop with the dodge. To invoke journalist Edward R. Murrow, “Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.” History does, however, judge the actions people take when directed not by passion but rather by intelligence and sound logic. At the same time, history also tells us that when two peoples are locked in battle, emotion always trumps reason and violence festers until one side is vanquished. Though the Egyptians recently have done…
Read MoreStudy tools for “Propaganda, false consciousness, and the normalization of marginalization”
Study tools for “Propaganda, false consciousness, and the normalization of marginalization” Overview Below are some tools that will help you explore the content in my essay “Propaganda, false consciousness, and the normalization of marginalization”. One of my more dense essays, in about 4500 words I deepen the use of Critical Hydra Theory and use the current situation in Israel/Palestine and a key example of how false consciousness is a key factor. These tools were generated by NotebookLM from Google. I have edited for accuracy and usefulness. Summary The text explores the concept of “false consciousness” and how it perpetuates systems of oppression. It argues that powerful elites, often white males, use propaganda to manipulate the public’s perception of reality and justify their actions, such as colonialism and genocide. The author emphasizes the importance of recognizing and challenging these false narratives, highlighting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a contemporary example. The…
Read MoreConfronting Toxic Otherings begins with therapy
Confronting Toxic Othering begins with therapy In Russell Means’s autobiography Where White Men Fear to Tread, he offers profound insights on the process of decolonization and healing. On page 531, he reflects: “I had often wondered how best to decolonize my people. Treatment made me realize that there is no need for all of them to get into the whys and wherefores of colonization that have led them down the path of self-destruction. It must be done one human being at a time. Without that kind of help, Western society does not allow people to come to terms with their feelings. With honesty and with therapy, my people can be made whole again.” This perspective is remarkably insightful, particularly when applied to various global injustices and issues within the United States. It leads me to consider the potential positive impact of mandatory or strongly encouraged therapy, both individual and…
Read MoreAddress at opening ceremony for LEAF event 2010
A blast from the past I recently came across this address I delivered in Sri Lanka 14 years ago, long before I imagined critical Hydra theory. The optimism and faith in human agency I exhibit in this essay are for affect; in reality my faith in humanity is weak, especially given the genocides occurring in Gaza and Myanmar -and elsewhere. Are we a failed species? Only time will tell, but we seem incapable of tamping down gluttony and greed and these sins will surely lead us to a environmental future incompatible with human life. The Leaders in Environmental Advocacy Forum (LEAF) event was an academic summit on global environmental issues co-organized by the Periclean Scholars class of 2011 at Elon University and faculty at the University of Colombo. My comments touch on environmental issues, policy changes, the failings of capitalism/neoliberalism, and the hope of human action to make fundamental change….
Read MoreGuest post: My Palestinian/Polish Story
Note Natalia is a rising junior majoring in biology at Elon University. Her story is unique and compelling, bringing together both the Nakba and the Holocaust. [Arabic version below added 30 May] My Palestinian/Polish Story by Natalia S. We all have parents Like most, I am fortunate enough to have two parents and two sets of grandparents. Mine came from different parts of the world, two worlds that were both torn apart by violence and oppression. My mom originates from Poland, specifically from Lezajsk. My dad was born into occupation and raised in Gaza. Below I share a few stories regarding the tragedies of the Holocaust and the Nakba, narratives which are part of my family’s history. Growing up Polish and Palestinian Growing up, when asked about my ethnicity, I would proudly say I am Polish and Palestinian. However, I was often met with puzzled looks; few knew where…
Read MorePropaganda, false consciousness, and the normalization of marginalization
Propaganda, false consciousness, and the normalization of marginalization [See this page for a detailed study guide for this essay.] [updated 28 September 2024 and again on 9 November 2024] “Insanity in individuals is something rare – but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.” -F. Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil “The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas.” K. Marx, The German Ideology “Families and churches and schools adapt to modern life; governments and armies and corporations shape it; and, as they do so, they turn these lesser institutions into means for their ends.” –C.Wright Mills, The Power Elite “Before mass leaders seize the power to fit reality to their lies, their propaganda is marked by its extreme contempt for facts as such, for in their opinion fact depends entirely on the power of man who can fabricate it.” ― Hannah Arendt,…
Read MoreUsing Critical Hydra Theory to understand the Palestine-Israel confrontation
Using Critical Hydra Theory to understand the Palestine-Israel confrontation [Updated 14 February 2024 “Silence is consent.” -Plato Overview As I write this we are in day 100 of the Israeli bombing and invasion of Gaza that was prompted by an attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. To date there have been approximately 1200 Israeli and over 23,000 Palestinian deaths, among them thousands of children. Given the lack of food, water, medicine or other critical humanitarian aid, the number of deaths from disease, exposure, and hunger are dramatically on the rise. On 29 December 2023 the Republic of South Africa submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) an application initiating proceedings on the charge of genocide against the state of Israel. The application included “…provisional measures to protect the rights invoked herein from imminent and irreparable loss” and requested an immediate response from the ICJ. This…
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