Sutro 2021

Sutro Review 2021
SF State Journal for Undergraduate Composition

Cover Art: Audrey Parker

Dear readers,

We are thrilled to present the fifth annual volume of Sutro Review: SF State Journal for Undergraduate Composition, an academic journal written, edited and produced by SF State students, featuring the writing, photography and artwork of some of our most promising undergraduates. Despite a year when virtually the entire University was remote, the journal had a record number of submissions, making the editors’ job challenging, yet exciting.

Our theme is “Portrait of a Changing World” and 14 student essays cover some of the historic changes we are experiencing right now. We’ve grouped them into three categories: Our Changing Environment, Embracing Identity, and the Third World Liberation Front strikes of 1968, a collection of pieces that explore SFSU’s own history.

All of these articles attempt to explore, investigate, analyze and reflect on parts of our world undergoing significant changes in 2021. Even the pieces on the 1968 strike resonate with today’s rising activism around racism and gender equality (BLM, AAPI, MeToo) that we have witnessed this past year.

Thanks to all my colleagues who encouraged their students to submit, especially Jennifer Beach, Crystal Wong and Jolie Goorjian and a very special thank you to Brian Neumann for his promotion of the journal on social media. Jennifer Trainor, Tara Lockhart and Erin Macke from the English Department were instrumental in their support and finally, we’d like to thank the SF State University Instructionally Related Activities Fund for making Sutro Review possible.

We hope you enjoy the issue!

Sincerely,
Sutro Review Editors

Faculty Supervisor:
Robin Meyerowitz

Editors:
Kathy Nguyen
Emily Taylor
Ethan Tran

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Writing

Our Changing Environment

Samantha Garcia Contreras – Meat Industry: Behind the Scenes
Julianna Enriquez – Fast-Fashion Is Hurting the Earth
Yesenia Zuniga – Nobody Wants to House Us: An Analysis of "The Last Black Man in San Francisco"

Embracing Identity

Daniel Antunez – Becoming a Man in the 21st Century
Marianna Lira – What Is Masculinity?
Thembi Nkosi – The White Boy Shuffle
Symone Pryor – From a Black Woman to Black Women
Lila Zermeno – Carmen and Jenny

Third World Liberation Front Strikes of 1968

Emri Bullock – Then and "NOW"
Brenden Carini – The Disconnect Between Social Justice Advocates and Law Enforcement
Autumn Kobayashi – San Francisco State University Student Strikes of 1968: Powerful Imagery
Kevin Pennick – The Price of Moloch
Blake Sorensen – An Ineffective Presidential Address
Taylor Vivona – The Need to Protest

Photography & Artwork

Audrey Parker
Jude Anderson
Jackie Perez

Our Changing Environment

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Samantha Garcia Contreras is a second-year student who wrote this piece for "Cultivating Curiosity: Explore Your World, Your Identity, and Your Future" with Professor Jason Jackl. She wrote this paper for the I-Search assignment in hopes of providing a new perspective on the damages that the meat industry is doing to our environment. While her plan isn't to convert anyone to a plant-based diet, she does hope to inspire readers to make small changes to their lifestyles as any effort is better than none.

Samantha Garcia Contreras
Meat Industry: Behind the Scenes

Red meat, chicken and fish are most commonly used to represent protein in America's diet culture. While there are a variety of protein sources from animals to plants to seeds, Americans most commonly resort to animals. According to Durisin and Singh in their article Americans' Meat Consumption Set to Hit a Record in 2018, "the average consumer [would] eat 222.2 pounds of red meat and poultry [that] year." As a new vegetarian, I've seen and read many articles and documentaries discussing the effects of eating meat on the human body and on the environment. The more I learned about all the negative effects that came with eating meat, the more passionate I became about educating others as well. Various news outlets and organizations such as The New York Times and The Seattle Times, talk about how the meat industry is taking America by storm while the environment is left to deal with the aftermath. These outlets along with organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund are dedicated to educating people on having a sustainable lifestyle and on the things they can do to help undo the damages being done by the meat industry. These sources truly depict what the meat industry is doing and provide credible statistics that are backed by research.

On the surface, the meat industry seems like it does no harm, but it plays a big role in air pollution. According to Clean Air Council in their article, Meat Industry, it's been observed that "factory farms produce significant air pollution in almost every stage of their operations," meaning there is no point in time where producing meat does not harm our environment in some type of form. Because the demand for meat is high the production is never-ending and is something that has been occurring for decades, which means this type of pollution has never stopped. The article Meat Industry, published by the Clean Air Council states, "Something as simple as nitrogen fertilizer consumes the ozone layer while the manure of the animals emits ammonia among other corrosive gases." While on paper this may not seem like a lot of damage being done, this is only a portion of the pollutants that come along with the production of meat in the industry. The production never stops, the pollution adds up with the millions of animals being raised as livestock. In accordance with climate reporter Brad Plumer in his article, The Meat Business, a Big Contributor to Climate Change, Faces Major Tests, "Agriculture accounts for 9 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock responsible for roughly two-fifths of that." As the size of the population increases, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions will inevitably increase. This will result in more pollution and damage to the environment, all while scientists encourage citizens to do what they can to decrease their carbon footprint to help control global warming.

From raising livestock, poultry, etc. to the production and waste management at each step of meat production, some damage is done to our environment.

The meat industry is the main culprit behind deforestation. Deforestation has been a problem for decades and is simultaneously increasing along with the demand for meat. An abundance of land is being cleared off to be used as feed crops or pasture. As expressed by Rainforest Partnership's team, in their article The Beef Industry and Deforestation, "The beef industry is the biggest cause of deforestation in every country in the Amazonian region," and will continue to be the biggest cause as long as the demand is there." As these forests are being bulldozed, animals are losing their homes which for some has led to extinction or becoming endangered. As reported by Palotoa Amazon Travel in the article 10 Endangered Species of Amazon Rainforest Wildlife, "In the Amazon, animals such as jaguars, golden tamari, the South American Tapir, amongst other animals are forced to deal with the consequences caused by deforestation driven by the meat industry." These animals have called the Amazon their home and are unable to quickly adapt to a new environment as theirs is being destroyed. As reported by the World Wildlife Fund, in its article Deforestation and Forest Degradation, forests benefit our environment and "help people thrive and survive by, for example, purifying water and air and providing people with jobs." These forests do so much more than we realize; they produce oxygen, clean the air, and are home to so many animals. If no efforts are made to conserve our forests, we will no longer be able to claim these benefits and will have to pay the consequences. According to Fred Pearce in his article Amazon Watch: What Happens When the Forest Disappears? "These consequences look like rising temperatures and low rainfall, essentially deforestation causing 'a giant change to the water and energy balance.'" If this pattern continues, there may reach a point where there are no more forests and trees to bulldoze.

As I continued my research, I also learned about the meat industry's waste management. According to Food Print's article, What Happens to Animal Waste? it was found that livestock and poultry "produced 369 million tons of manure: this was almost 13 times more waste than that of the entire US population of 312 million." We are not only filling up landfills with the trash we produce, but the animals that are being bred for food are also filling up lagoons with manure. While it is good that manure is all being stored in one spot like a lagoon, manure is not the only thing going inside and it does not all stay in the lagoon. FoodPRint's article states that "lagoons contain manure along with 'bedding waste, antibiotic residues, cleaning solutions, and other chemicals, and sometimes dead animals,' and because they are not lined with a substance strong enough to hold this, it's all able to leak into groundwater." The manure that the animals exert is oftentimes used as fertilizer in crop fields, which can be looked at in two ways. They are not dumping into a lagoon which is good, but they are using it as fertilizer for crops that grow food that we then eat, which is a bit unsettling.

When manure is used as fertilizer it is dumped onto the chosen field but is not done in a way that gives the land proper time to soak it up, so it leaks into the rivers and streams nearby. According to FoodPrint's article, What Happens to Animal Waste? all this manure can be traced to be the cause of "Environmental heavy metal contamination (stemming from metals used in feed), including copper, zinc and lead." It is not okay for the meat industry to continue disposing of livestock and poultry manure in this way as it degrades the quality of our land, water and air. Fortunately, the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act are meant to regulate these procedures, unfortunately, "The original rule has gone through several updates as a result of lawsuits, most recently by the National Pork Producers Council." These big corporations hire lawyers to find a loophole in these regulations to not have to do what they require. While the acts may not have as strict regulations as they once did, they still help reduce the damage being done by the meat industry.

From raising livestock, poultry, etc. to the production and waste management, at each step of meat production, some damage is done to our environment. I was inspired to take further steps to ensure that I can do my part, such as changing my lifestyle choices/habits. While we may not have the same resources and power to reduce the damage being done to our planet, there are still plenty of things that we can do to ensure we are doing our part. For starters, reducing meat intake can be something to consider that will help the environment by lowering the demand for meat. A new trend called Meatless Mondays is growing in popularity among households. Some people even go as far as changing their diet to a vegan or vegetarian one. There are also a lot of meat alternatives that make this easier such as Beyond Meat and Impossible meat to name a few. In addition to lowering consumption of meat, you can choose to buy meat locally, instead of buying from a big corporation. Buying corporate meat means it must travel miles to reach your plate which can contribute to air pollution. Buying locally means your meal does not have to travel far and you can support your community simultaneously. Another way to contribute to our environment is to educate and inform yourself on environmental policies and do things like calling legislatures, and signing petitions that help add and keep these policies in place. As consumers and citizens on this planet, it is our duty to do what we can for our environment to ensure it stays in a livable condition. As kids, we are often taught to leave things the way they are upon receiving them, so let us try to implement that to our planet.

Works Cited

"10 Endangered Species of Amazon Rainforest Wildlife." Palotoa Amazon Travel, 8 Aug. 2019, www.palotoaamazontravel.com/10-endangered-
species-of-amazon-rainforest-wildlife/.

"Deforestation and Forest Degradation." WWF, World Wildlife Fund, n.d., www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation#:

Durisin, Megan and Shruti Date Singh. "Americans' Meat Consumption Set to Hit a Record in 2018." The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times Company,
2 Jan. 2018, www.seattletimes.com/americans-meat-consumption-set-to-hit-a-record-in-2018/.

Meat Industry. Cleanair.org, Clean Air Council, n/d/, cleanair/org/public-health/meat-industry/#:

Pearce, Fred. "Amazon Watch: What Happens When the Forest Disappears?" Yale Environment 360, 17 Oct. 2019, e360.yale.edu/features/amazon- watch-what-happens-when-the-forest-disappears.

Plumer, Brad. "The Meat Business, a Big Contributor to Climate Change, Faces Major Tests." The New York Times, 17 Apr.
2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/climate/meat-industry-climate-impact.html.

Team, RP. "The Beef Industry and Deforestation." Rainforest Partnership, 26 Aug. 2020, rainforestpartnership.org/the-beef-industry-and-
deforestation/.

"What Happens to Industrial Agriculture's Animal Waste?" FoodPrint, GRACE Communications Foundation, 15 Sept. 2020,
foodprint.org/issues.what-happens-to-animal-waste/.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

Jude Anderson is a third-year majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Cinema. They are queer and non-binary, and a lot of art they make centers on their queerness. Jude currently lives with their dog, Bean, in Portland, Oregon, and they spend most of their time reading, writing, taking pictures, and watching movies and television shows.

Fenced In - Sunflowers
Jude Anderson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julianna Enriquez is a first-year Freshman who wrote this piece for "Cultivating Curiosity: Explore Your World, Your Identity, and Your Future" taught by Professor Jason Jakl. Climate change and social injustice were the inspiration behind her work because these are heavy issues that need to be addressed and her essay touches on a small portion of the overall issue.

Julianna Enriquez
Fast-Fashion is Hurting the Earth

Whether a person keeps up with seasonal trends or pulls out the first piece of apparel they fish out of their drawers, everyone is somehow connected to clothing. Besides the pandemic, the next biggest issue in the world is climate change or pollution. Many people don't realize it, but clothing, specifically fast fashion, has raided millions of closets and is doing damage to our wallets and the environment. Fast fashion is the mass production of clothing that is both cheaply made and highlights current trends from high-fashion designs. When investigating how to end this impact on our planet, society doesn't give as much recognition as it should towards this cause. Big corporations find ways to excuse the wrongdoings of these trends, but there are a lot of options that society doesn't take into account to counteract their proposals. What does fast fashion do to the planet? How can we tell if we are participating in fast fashion? Are there other ways to reduce our carbon footprint solely based on the clothes we wear? Clothing in an essential item that generally goes unnoticed in the destruction it produced for the earth, and bringing more awareness to this issue, it will allow others to think twice before buying. I became more aware of this topic only a few years ago, and for me, fashion is an art that I'd like to be more involved with. In all honesty, before I became more educated about the production of clothing through social media, I had my fair share of unsustainable pieces in my wardrobe. While social media educates its audience on the dangers of fast fashion, these online sources ironically play a significant factor in the advertisement of these cheap clothing by collaborating with known influencers that will showcase the low price of these items. Cheap and cute clothing will allow followers to recognize admirable qualities of fast-fashion; however, many aren't informed of how unethically made these products are.

Chances are, if consumers aren't knowledgable about the brands you shop from, you're probably a victim of fast fashion.

Fast-fashion is a term that describes the unethical and unsustainable practice of clothing brands that participate in mass production at a low cost. While it may sound like producing a lot of clothing at a low cost is beneficial for the growing population of our country, it ultimately increases the amount of pollution, endangers third-world countries, and produces chemicals that can lead to serious health conditions. Specifically focusing on the aspects of how fast fashion interferes with our environment, A Netflix documentary directed by Andrew Morgan, The True Cost, showcases what goes behind the scenes to produce the hazardous materials that are embedded into the clothing. While cotton produces the majority of the fast-fashion material, Larhea Pepper is an organic cotton farmer of an inherited business and she describes how other inorganic cotton industries provide their material: “Cotton plants are now roughly 80% GMO, and have weed killers/chemicals that spread onto the whole farm instead of spot spraying weeds'' (24:40). This affects the workers that typically don’t receive any protection from the pesticides and over time, it gives workers certain cancers, body defects, permanent health issues, and birth defects for women. Not only are these chemicals affecting the workers, but the synthetic fibers also end up in the ocean, the meat that people eat, and the chemicals linger in our clothing. The environment also is highly affected by the overproduction of the chemicals that seep into the soil and damage the connection between micro-bacterias and nature along with producing more pollutants that contaminates the atmosphere.

Chances are, if consumers aren't knowledgable about the brands you shop from, you're probably a victim of fast fashion. Personally, I am self-aware about shopping sustainably, but it is inevitable to make mistakes or see that the average person would have a hard time being fully sustainable. Sustainability is a process that dedicates positive change in the fashion industry to make it more ethical for our communities, environment, and overall planet. Elizabeth Segran, a senior staff writer at Fashion Company has a Ph.D. that emphasizes women and culture. In Sergan’s article, What’s the Carbon Footprint of Your Closet?, she emphasizes how much CO2 goes into our closets unnoticed, but if modified, it can help save our planet one step at a time as she states, “ … The manufacturing of textiles—the majority of which goes into clothing—accounts for 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, which is more than all international flights and maritime shipping trips combined.” A common misconception that arises is how little our clothes impact the environment. As someone who takes pride in having 95% of their closet being second-hand or by sustainable companies, I took a “fashion carbon calculator” quiz on Thredup, the website that Segran based her information on. My fashion carbon footprint detects that I still contribute to roughly 277 lbs of CO2 annually. This translates into 1.7 flights from SF to LA, yet my footprint is 83% less than the average consumer while an average consumer produces roughly 1620 pounds of CO2 per year. The short quiz asks simple questions such as how many loads of laundry you do per month, the estimation of how many items you buy in a year, and how you purchase your clothing.

Fast-fashion has also contributed to the amount of textile waste that has been harming our planet. Another insightful article is produced by Deborah Drew. She is the Social Impact Lead for WRI's Center for Sustainable Business, and in her article, What We Know—and Need to Know—About Sustainable Fashion, Drew explains the large amount of textile waste that is thrown away annually: “One study estimated between 40,000 square kilometers (just bigger than Switzerland) and 120,000 square kilometers (just bigger than Nicaragua) of textile scraps are leftover from manufacturing.” Imagine fashion trends that are gone through quickly that end up being in a landfill. In the 60s, runway fashion was making clothing for two seasons per year, and that number has increased over the past few decades to roughly 52 seasons. Taking a depiction of how big Nicaragua is and seeing the amount of trash that is only made from textiles can showcase the issue that we have created will only get bigger. Since the rate of production is rising, there will be a higher amount of disposal as time progresses without even acknowledging that it takes years for clothes to decompose.

The majority of people have a difficult time in trying to choose the right pieces to invest in sustainable fashion without breaking the bank. Amy De Klerk, Harper’s Bazaar’s digital fashion editor, informs others in her article, 10 Simple Steps to Being More Sustainable, on the simple yet impactful ways people can change their mindset when they continue on with purchasing clothes: “Spend the bulk of your money on pieces that will see you through more than one season. Jeans, T-shirts, classic dresses, timeless coats, and jackets will make for a much more sustainable wardrobe.” Klerk goes over the “30 wear test” that allows a person to inspect a piece of clothing and ask yourself if you’ll be able to wear it over 30 times before purchasing. This is a simple hack that can bring consumers’ attention to smart shopping and buying essential items. I find that this test can be a guideline in choosing which transitional pieces are worth your investment and other trendy pieces could be second-hand items for more budget-friendly alternatives. Certain fashion brands will inevitably produce apparel that is dangerous to the Earth, the workers, and the consumers. This will allow people, as buyers to shop with more consciousness and would hopefully decrease the state of toxins that are floating through the atmosphere. My research made me more informed about this subject, and it has allowed me to bring recognition to this matter for my small community of friends and family. The result of my inquiries has led me into becoming an advocate for this issue. As much as I participate in this way of sustainability, it would be great for me to branch out and inform others on what is going on in the world plus give tips on how people can incorporate this into their fashion habits. While my topic revolved around fast-fashion being a major cause of global warming, I would like to know how I can decrease my carbon footprint even more. Learning more about fast-fashion, I was shocked to see how badly this industry treats the world like a trashcan. I would like to incorporate more sustainable habits in my daily life and teach people how to be more aware and get educated on how we can sustainably wear fashion. Readers can help by shopping smarter, reusing old clothing for other purposes, limiting the amount of clothes to shop for, and more!

Works Cited

Drew, Deborah. "What We Know-and Need to Know-About Sustainable Fashion." World Resources Institute, 8 Sept. 2020,
www.wri.org/blog/2017/09/what-we-know-and-need know-about-sustainable-fashion.

Klerk, Amy de. "10 Simple Steps to Being More Sustainable." Harper's BAZAAR, 22 Apr. 2020,
www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/what-towear/a41158/how-to-be-sustainable-fashion/

Segran, Elizabeth. "What's the Carbon Footprint of Your Closet? This Handy Tool Will Tell You." Fast Company, 15 Jan. 2020,
www.fastcompany.com/90451694/whats-the-carbon-footprint-of-your-closet-this-handy tool-will-tell-you.

The True Coast. Directed by Morgan, Andrew, The True Cost, Life Is My Movie Entertainment Bullfrog Films, 2015.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

Jackie Perez is a third-year Visual Communications & Design major with a minor in Animation. Although her creativity divides itself into different forms and mediums, she loves to create when given the opportunity. Most of the inspiration she has while taking photographs stems from the idea of capturing a piece of time, a moment of emotion, or a beautiful composition but that all depends on the desired outcome.

CeCe In the Rose Garden
Photography by Jackie Perez

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Yesenia Zuniga is a second-year student who wrote her piece for Professor Denise Battista's "San Francisco" class. Zuniga was born in the Bay Area and moved to Arizona as a child. She frequently visited the Bay Area, building a strong connection to the area. After watching The Last Black Man in San Francisco, she wrote about gentrification and its effects on minorities. Zuniga hopes to pursue a career in broadcast communications and teach critical theory studies.

Yesenia Zuniga
Nobody Wants to House Us: An Analysis of The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Director Joe Talbot and actor Jimmie Falls are two childhood friends who grew up in San Francisco. In retrospect of their struggles living in a continuously gentrified city as lower-income families, they produced the critically acclaimed film, The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019). The movie tells the story of Jimmie Fails and his best friend Montgomery "Mont" Allen, two young Black men, battling to reclaim an old Victorian house allegedly built by Fails' grandfather, only to learn the city is no place for people like them. The film introduces a range of characters that reflect on Talbot's interpretation of gentrification while incorporating his childhood memories and San Francisco's disenfranchised neighborhoods. Talbot's film successfully reveals the damage done to minorities by gentrification and its harsh effects on one's identity.

Gentrification in San Francisco has diminished the heartfelt relationship between people of color's identity and where they call home.

Gentrification is the process of neighborhood change in lower-income housing and often leaves racial and educational demographics in disparities compared to the contrasting, more expensive real estate investments. The Urban Displacement Project explains that "gentrification is associated with displacement… often families of color may find themselves facing rent increases evictions, or other displacement pressures and left with no other choice to move to suburban or even ex-urban areas" (Gentrification Explained, 00:04:22 – 00:04:50). Minorities often live in less expensive living communities, have less funded resources and education. Because of this, real estate investors take advantage of the less expensive property and profit from this. As a result, minorities are flushed into the streets or more rural areas due to their inability to pay for rent that costs more than their monthly income. Veklerov explains The Bay Area Economic Council institute by indicating, "In 2015, the average home sale price in the Bay Area was $766,394, while the nation's was $247,600" and UC Berkeley reported that 60% of San Francisco's county minorities live off an "extremely low" income while Glasmeier who implements a living wage calculator demonstrates the minimum yearly dual-income needed for an average family of 5 is $128,127. This data informs the reality of living in San Francisco as a minority. It is becoming unrealistic for a minority family to live in San Francisco due to the expensive wealth gap between minority income and housing prices.

The first protagonist of the film is Jimmie Fails, a third-generation San Franciscan. He lives for the city and thrives in the streets that helped raise him and contribute to his many familial memories. Jimmie spends his time fixing an old, battered Victorian house that is owned by a White couple. The house previously belonged to his grandfather, who allegedly made the home where he raised his kids. Jimmie's grandfather lost the home long ago due to financial issues while struggling to stabilize his family's living. The new owners of the home throw food at Jimmie, detest the free services he does to keep the house in shape, and threatens to call the police on him. The White couple represents the new demographic of San Francisco, the wealthier White inhabitants. Jimmie's identity to the homeowners is threatening. They find his identity foreign to the city; from their perspective, someone like Jimmie is an alien in their neighborhood or even a threat. They never bother to invite Jimmie into their home, or question his love for the house, despite Jimmie spending money for a place that is not his. There is nothing but unconditional love towards the house Jimmie doesn't physically own. Still, spiritually, he is tied to the house and history related to his native San Franciscan identity. The tension built by the neighbors' hostility towards Jimmie makes the audience uncomfortable, knowing Jimmie has nothing but respect for their home. The audience understands Jimmie's identity as a young black man in their predominantly White neighborhood doesn't sit well with the White neighbors. This mass displacement of people like Jimmie's family forces minorities to move far away from their jobs and commute long hours to get to work. The city becomes a land of burden and loss to people of color, especially those who lived generations there and have a deep love for the city. Jimmie's endless love for the city is shown through his living standards. He lives beside Mont, his best friend who lives in the highly polluted area of Bayview. He lives with Mont, but he shares a room with Mont as well, sleeping on the floor beside him. Like many minorities in love with their native cities, Jimmie will live in the most impoverished conditions to stay alive in a city, pushing them out.

Gentrification in San Francisco has diminished the heartfelt relationship between people of color's identity and where they call home. Jimmie's father lost his family house due to high demand in the housing market, which stranded his family without a home and landed him in his current living space, single room occupancy housing. Wanda Fails, Jimmie's aunt, represents the more level-headed and angered demographic of gentrification victims. She shows no love for San Francisco and eventually moved far away from the city and kept only her father's belongings of the house. The film reveals that she lives outside the city in a remote town, far away from San Francisco. Unlike Jimmie and his father, Wanda comprehends that the city shows no love for lower-income minorities. She doesn't hesitate to leave when the city floods with college-graduate entrepreneurs, unlike her brother, who is comfortable living in San Francisco's most impoverished conditions. In the ending scene between Wanda and Jimmie, Wanda recounts the tale of their family house. She explains, "I believe you can make this place yours… but if you leave, it's not your loss, it's San Francisco's. Fuck San Francisco” (01:44:37- 01:44:44). Wanda reminds us of the double-edged sword of gentrification. Real estate and the economy flourish while thoroughly flushing out communities of color and destroying families in the process. Wanda reminds Jimmie that his love and deep roots in San Francisco are worth fighting for, but the complicated situation of gentrification makes her understand Jimmie's abandonment of the house. Jimmie now understands why Wanda felt no remorse when leaving the city that raised her; all it did was throw her family out. Wanda was also in love with her family's house but soon had raw hate for the city after losing it in the face of high-demand Bay Area housing. Nothing good is associated with San Francisco and Jimmie's family once they realize how neglected they were, and many gentrification victims empathize with this scene. Jimmie's family was a monarchy in their Victorian house, but they soon became peasants in public housing with little resources in a city that betrayed their love.

In the film, we meet with Jimmie's best friend, Mont Allen. Mont proves to be a loyal friend, as he houses Jimmie and spends time in the city with him. Mont represents the good, eccentrically artistic, and intellectually impaired population of San Francisco. Mont's character is unique, as viewers can assume he represents the socially inept of San Francisco, a vast demographic left disenfranchised by the city. Mont often spends his time writing and eventually performing a play for his community. He is an artistically inclined man, which symbolizes the unique artsy history associated with San Francisco. Mont lives with his grandfather in Bayview-Hunters Point, a historically polluted part of the city. Chris Roberts of Curbed SF interviewed director Joe Talbot of the historical significance of using Hunters Point in his film, specifically the preacher icon in the beginning. At the beginning of the film, we see a girl approaching a preacher-like character on top of a box. He says, "Why do they have on these suits if we don't? This water was dirtier than the Devil's mouth for 50 years, and now they wanna clean it." (00:01:39 – 00:01:54). Minority housing is often in areas of high pollution and has little public health resources. This scene shows the polluted conditions of Bayview-Hunters Point as it is littered with debris blowing everywhere. The preacher is symbolic of the environmentally controversial history of Bayview-Hunters Point and heavily resembles the Nation of Islam minister, Christopher Muhammad. Chris Roberts says in A Tour of 'Last Black Man in San Francisco' Locations with Filmmaker Joe Talbot” how he "who spent years agitating against property developer Lennar Corporation's alleged violations of air quality controls. "Lennar Corporation is a national home building company accused of violating various air quality laws during its numerous construction projects, specifically those near Bayview-Hunters Point. Muhammad believed Lennar's Bayview-Hunters Point housing projects left children with deadly respiratory problems from the demolition debris. This quote brings attention to an overlooked side effect of gentrification, pollution. His character reminds us of the unfortunate and unbearable conditions minorities are forced to live under. When real estate investors gentrify the area, quality control becomes the main priority for their wealthier, newer inhabitants.

Bayview is known for its high radiation and pollution levels while being home to a significantly sizeable black population. Black families like Mont's are forced to live in lower developed and dangerous areas because it's all they can afford. Mont's house serves as a symbolic ode to non-gentrified areas that house people of color, a place of hazard and environmental negligence. Speaking to the Commonwealth Club of California, Director Joe Talbot explains the history of Bayview and why it ties into themes of gentrification. He explained, "now there's a cleanup effort, why now and not all those years?" (00:14:20 – 00:14:24) when referring to his childhood home. He explains how the demand for new housing birthed concerns over health and the low environmental conditions in Bayview. Nobody seems to be bothered by the pollution dangers of minority housing until a wealthy White demographic decides to take the land over.

In the film's last segment, Jimmie hops on the Muni with a couple of first-generation San Franciscan women. They appear to be young and college-educated. The ladies mock San Francisco as they refer to it as poor and not in their budget. Jimmie interjects and explains, "you don't get to hate it unless you love it" (1:46:30 -1:46:36). Jimmie reminds us of who originally owned the houses and built the land of San Francisco. It wasn't the college entrepreneur, White-collar worker, or real estate agent, but communities of color and free-spirited thinkers. Jimmie is a third-generation San Franciscan who will no longer be able to call the city home. Yet, these women possess the privilege to work at well-paying jobs in one of the wealthiest cities in America. Their presence contrasts significantly next to the current generation living in San Francisco.

The film concludes with Jimmie finding his meaning of home, rowing far away from San Francisco, abandoning his love and Mont's side. The ripple of gentrification has successfully displaced Jimmie and cut all emotional ties from San Francisco. He is choosing to row away in the murky water far from a city he fought so hard to love and make his own. Jimmie has given up, starting a new life elsewhere from a place he used to call home. The new face of San Francisco no longer consists of the historical LGBT+ community, lavish communities of color, or the socially liberated revolutionist, but instead is replaced by the upscale White-collar worker. The Last Black Man of San Francisco reminds us of the city's real founders and the love they brought to the bay's city.

Works Cited

Commonwealth Club of California. (4 Sept. 2019) Last Black Man in San Francisco. Director Je Talbot and Jimmie Falls.,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td1O8Njs1uA&ab_channel=CommonwealthClubofCalifornia

Glasmeier, A. K. (2021). Living Wage calculator. Living Wage Calculator - Living Wage Calculation for San Francisco County, California.
https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/06075.

Roberts, Chris. A Tour of 'Last Black Man in San Francisco' Locations with Filmmaker Joe Talbot. Curbed SF, Curbed SF, 1 Aug. 2019,
sf.curbed.com/2019/8/1/20732560/last-black-man-san Francisco-locations-joe-talbot.

Talbot, J. (Director). (2019). The Last Black Man in San Francisco [Video file]. United States: A24.

Veklerov, K. (2019, February 8). Bay Area housing prices push low-income minorities farther out, study finds. San Francisco Chronicle.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-housing-prices-push-low-income-13596075.php.

YouTube. (2017). Gentrification Explained. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0zAvlmzDFc&ab_channel=UrbanDisplacementProjet.

Bubble Blitz
Jackie Perez

Embracing Identity

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Daniel Antunez is a second-year student, majoring in Cinema with a double minor in Latinx Studies and Race & Resistance. He wrote this essay in "Cultivating Curiosity: Explore Your World, Your Identity, and Your Future" taught by Professor Christy Shick in the Fall of 2020 because he had been at the receiving end of homophobic comments despite his sexuality being heterosexual, so he began questioning why this is. Why does a man comfortable with his masculinity become shamed by both men AND women alike?

Daniel Antunez
Becoming a Man in the 21st Century

Remembering the times of being a boy brings back tons of unforgettable memories. Entering our teenage years, we were introduced to YouTubers like Vanoss Gaming, PewDiePie, SkyDoesMinecraft, and many more. But not all of our childhoods were warm and fuzzy, especially growing up in the early 2000s with the recession affecting our families, mass school shootings becoming normalized, and social media being the drive for success and recognition. The pressure placed on our generation became noticeable when we started to see the rise in suicide rates and depression amongst our own peers. As boys, we looked to our dads and online influencers to navigate and grasp the meaning of all of this.

...many of us were taught to "suck it up" when we were upset, fulfill our parents' standards, or face being emasculated, or being told to "be a man" when we're in trouble.

Our dads are the direct source of our knowledge since they have the experience in becoming a man. They show us character, strength, and resilience, teaching us life lessons that our moms wouldn't be able to fully understand from a man's perspective. When we were learning new tasks, our dads were there at the forefront to teach us, even if they yelled at us for not holding the flashlight in the correct position. We take in every ounce of our dad's input because who else better to teach us how to become a man than our own dad, who literally is one.

Our maternal figures can become helpful in balancing men’s masculine side by guiding boys to embrace our feminine side. They’re able to accomplish this by teaching boys creative and emotional expression, empathy, consideration for others. I grew up with mostly women in my life, which was a significant part of helping me grow to be more compassionate, respectful, and understanding towards not only women but also people themselves. Obviously, one's parents have a lot to do with the integrity of the child's view towards other people, but growing up being the only boy out of all female cousins and older sister has a different impact on boys versus growing up with all men/little women. I enjoyed things that would be considered "feminine," like playing dolls with my cousins, acting, fruity-smelling perfume, and novels. I was very emotional and animated growing up but as I got older, the excuse of a "he's just a little kid" transitioned into "stop acting like a girl." Depending on the culture one grew up in within one’s family, many of us were taught to “suck it up” when we were upset, fulfill our parents' standards, or face being emasculated, or being told to "be a man" when we're in trouble. Little did we know that these comments growing up encouraged us to keep our weaknesses and fears to ourselves, even from those we care for most like our own family. Covering up our fears and insecurities leads us to internalize all of those troubling thoughts instead of expressing them so we can be tough like our dads and not seen as "weak." Because we want to be strong like our mom or dad, we are subconsciously closing ourselves up to "keep face" as a man.

Besides our own parents, we also look towards our peers to navigate our lives to have another support system while indirectly comparing where everyone else is in their journey to manhood. At one point in time, I used to envy other boys for one reason or another because just like women, we as men also want to fit in. And in doing so, like many other men, I faced the dilemma of having to prove myself to be “man enough” and put on my “Macho Mask.” As successful as it was for the initial impression, I found it difficult as a young boy to pretend to be something I wasn’t, which was Macho. When being who I was slipped through the cracks, I was met with comments like “Stop being Gay bro” or “Quit acting like a Girl.” Before you ask yourself, no I’m not gay, and though it's not an issue being a gay man, expressing one's feminine side often becomes associated with being gay since we as “Straight Men” are expected to not express vulnerability unless it's anger. This continues the cycle of men constantly trying to prove to other men, and themselves, that we’re “man enough.” And when men don’t fulfill these expectations, we either spend our entire lives trying to prove it or killing ourselves after giving up trying. This is why we as men, need to come and support one another to realize it’s okay to be vulnerable and uplift each other no matter if you “meet the quota.” Are you less of a man by showing empathy and love? Of course not! The only way to truly break the cycle from this toxic culture is to start with ourselves for our future sons.

What becomes a challenge for men is when they were never shown how to embrace their femininity to fulfill their own masculinity. “Some men get shocked into sensitivity-when they lose their jobs, their wives, or their lovers. Others learn it through a strong marriage, or through their own children,” explained Jon Katz in How Boys Become Men. Once men are forced into emotionally vulnerable places where our “feminine traits” are needed the most, men either rise to the occasion and adapt or crumble within hetero-normative beliefs. Hetero-normativity is the belief that heterosexuality is the default, preferred, or normal mode of sexual orientation, which unfortunately affects men’s perspective of becoming comfortable with their feminine side when there is any sight of being labelled as “gay” or “sus.”

“Masculinity” has always been misinterpreted with a negative connotation associated with toxic masculinity. Being macho, greedy, and violent are some of the examples of what toxic masculinity looks like. Toxic masculinity involves cultural pressures for men to behave in a certain way that limits their emotional, physical, and verbal expressions. This perspective was largely promoted in wild western movies in the early 1950s with big and tough cowboys like John Wayne or James Stewart who remained silent when in trouble and handled business with their gun on their hip. Meanwhile, this social attitude of a rigid, aggressive, and emotionless image for men was expected or else taking the risk of being emasculated. In our Gen Z time (the early 2010s), we watched gaming or reaction compilations on YouTube. The Anti-Defamation League recently found out from analyzing over 330,000 videos and 350 YouTube Channels that YouTube’s algorithm has been funneling people to Alt-Right videos. The alt-right is what’s traditionally associated with White supremacy, pushing for a White ethno state and promoting hyper-masculinity. Those who affiliate with the “intellectual dark web” justify White supremacy on the basis of eugenics and “race science” as well as justify misogynistic ideals that women aren’t funny or should stay in their place but try and pass it off as “just a joke.” Basu says in YouTube's algorithm seems to be funneling people to alt-right videos how this embers of the alt-right claim to not support White supremacy, though they believe in conspiracy theories about “replacement” by minority groups.

Recommending videos with alt-right ideologies is damaging to young boys that are still developing their world view, just about to become productive members in our society with such bigoted ideas. This isn’t some conspiracy because I also was on the receiving end of these videos with titles like “CRAZY FEMINIST LOSES HER MIND”, “REAL MAN?”, “IM AN ATTACK HELICOPTER” from YouTubers like LeafyisHere, Xbox Addictionz, Vanoss Gaming, and many more that became gateways into the deeper Alt-Right pipeline in the algorithm.

With full transparency, I fell into this pipeline and their jokes became normalized in my vocabulary and I internalized these ignorant views towards feminists and the transgender community. I unlearned these beliefs as I began educating myself about the history of the feminist movements, the general biology behind transgender folks, and unlearning misogynistic perspectives in college. This helped me become a better man to support, understand, and be a better father/husband to my future family so the values of respect, love, and compassion are passed on.

If you had or have felt those beliefs, or still struggle with disassociating yourself from toxic behaviors, I want you to know that it's not your fault. It's not your fault because it was up to our parents and society growing up to not pass on misinformation or reinforce unhealthy tendencies. We trusted what we were told to be “a man” and believed adults always knew what was best for us, even if it was literally killing us. Being a man in the 21st century is difficult. Despite the strides made by Generation Z towards becoming more accepting of men embracing femininity, there are still older generations who have yet to understand that. So instead of shaming men for feeling apprehensive of these new expectations, we should educate men and create a more digestible methodology from their traditional perspective of “What it means to be a Man.” As men, we need to also hold other men accountable for their acts of misogyny and educate them, or else the cycle won’t improve. Not many men have been exposed to primarily women in their childhood as I have, so educating young boys/men about women’s history, boundaries, and empathy of women’s perspectives will undoubtedly change how men treat women.

One difficulty I and many other men face is the lack of support from more feminists instead of the current propaganda of “all men are trash” or when men come out as gay or victims of assault or become vulnerable to personal experiences. The feminist movement’s big goal is to dismantle misogynistic double standards in the patriarchy embedded in our government system affecting both men and women alike (though women are affected disproportionately higher); Reminding men and feminists alike of these goals is crucial to getting to the source of the issue with support from men as allies to hold toxic men accountable who are contributing to the patriarchy. With more art, music, and cinema coming out, dismantling machismo culture, we need to, in turn, create awareness of the need to support men’s mental health and stop the cycle of toxic masculinity affecting EVERYONE.

Works Cited

Basu, T. "YouTube's algorithm seems to be funneling people to alt-right videos". April 2, 2020.
from https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/01/29/276000/a study-of-youtube-comments-shows-how-its-turning-people-onto-the-alt-right/.

Katz, Jon. "How Boys Become Men". Glamour. 1993. http://wohlstadterj.faculty.mjc.edu/E50%20U3%20How%20Boys%20Become%20Men.pdf

Roettgers, J. "How YouTube's Far Right Is Using Classic Influencer Tactics to Promote Its Views". September 18, 2018,
2020, from https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/youtube-far-right-influencers-1202946918/.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Audrey Parker is a second-year Studio Art major from Palm Desert, California. Although sculpture is her favorite medium, she values having knowledge and experience in a wide array of mediums. While these pieces were not completed for a class assignment, partaking in the Foundation of Painting course at SFSU drove her to focus on oil painting more in her free time.

Untitled
Audrey Parker

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marianna Lira is a senior who became passionate about this topic junior year when she took "Communication and Masculinities" with Ryan Lescure. Through reading Butler's and countless other scholars' works, she became very suspicious of gender roles, inspiring her to write this essay. Now she looks back at this stage of getting to know gender performativity fondly.

Marianna Lira
What Is Masculinity?

My whole life, I wanted to be a boxer. I thought that being able to punch correctly would be cool and useful, so I told my mom very excitedly one day that I’d like to sign up for boxing, to which she responded, “that’s not for girls.” I was very confused; I had seen women in the boxing ring before, so I kept questioning her until she burst out, “it’s just not lady-like.” This was my first time experiencing the concept of certain things being feminine or masculine. We all have a moment like this when we realize men and women are different. But what if these differences are all made up; what if masculine and feminine aren’t even the only options? The ever-changing idea of masculinity is completely made up by society and repeated “gender performances.”

But what if these differences are all made up; what if masculine and feminine aren't even the only options? The ever-changing idea of masculinity is completely made up by society and repeated "gender performances."

If masculinity is forced on men, it must first be discussed how the concept of a man came to be. This idea is well explained through the eyes of Judith Butler, the godparent of gender performativity. In their book, Gender Trouble (1990), they often use the term construction to refer to the idea that a man or woman is created, not born (48). To understand this, we must make the distinction between sex and gender. Sex has to do with the genitals we are born with, but according to Butler, “There is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender; …(gender) identity is performatively constituted by the very “expressions” that are said to be its results.” We can see this from an early age: girls do ballet, boys do football, girls’ toys are babies, while boys’ toys are action figures. Butler is not the only one to claim that gender is created. In every article I read, there is some notion of sex being biological and gender being created. One such article was by Simon Warren, Is That an Action Man in There? Masculinity as an Imaginative Act of Self making in an English Primary School Classroom. Warren brings up a case where a colleague argues that they have never raised their son “stereotypically,” but he has still grown to play in a masculine way. While the colleagues argued about what could have caused this, he notices the “normal model” (that boys and girls are created differently and therefore will play differently) was never argued while the idea of performativity was constantly re-explained. This is because of a lack of understanding regarding Butler’s social constructionism. This is a significant implication because, as Anthony Rotundo says in, American manhood: transformations in masculinity from the Revolution to the modern era, “gender is one of the great cleavages that divide our society.” This can be seen in almost every aspect of life; we gender everything from food to work. If gender is socially constructed, then what keeps these constructions alive? This points to another concept known as gender performativity.

...we gender everything from food to work. If gender is socially constructed, then what keeps these constructions alive?

Gender performativity was also a concept first thought of by Butler. Where gender constructionism is the idea that gender is created, performativity is the actual act of doing it. There are examples of gender performativity in many societies, one being the ancient Greeks, whose ideas of what makes one masculine vs feminine can be seen in this chart created by Scott Rubarth in his book Competing Constructions of Masculinity in Ancient Greece (2013).

Many of these ideals are still performed by men and women today and can be seen played out in much of society. Hard, powerful, attacker, hunter, all the words that have the negative connotation of being “coarse” go to the masculine side. This is negative because it affects the way boys go into the world, making them feel the need to not show emotions and creating toxic masculinity; however, this list is not comprehensive. Meaning in order to be ‘a man’ many gay men hide their sexualities. All the while feeling wrong because of their departure from the traditional man. In an anecdote from Ian Davis and Mark Vicars’ article Across intergenerational masculinities: Straight divisions, gay multiplications, “I had experienced my first emotionally negative becoming - becoming gendered, becoming othered simultaneously. Whilst accumulating the trappings of masculine hegemonic honor I was also realizing the pain of becoming a different kind of man than was currently represented around me.” In this the man describes feeling not right, something many will feel in their life because of gender performativity and the roles we are given to play.

It may be confusing as to why people choose to repeatedly play these roles if they are only that—roles. Why would people continuously choose to perform something that has no actual science behind it? According to Warren, it starts with socialization. They see the jobs mom and dad have, they see what their peers do, they see the certain roles they are placed in school. Rotundo describes how boys give each other props for committing “acts of bravery” while punishing boys for showing any sort of emotion. This is like training a dog, you give it treats when it does something right and hit it when it does something wrong. After so long, the men/ boys begin to perform acts that get them “treats” and stay away from acts that get them punished.

Another reason that men perform their gender is because if you are the ideal male (cis, heterosexual, strong, etc.,) then you are given special privileges in our society. Historically, men have always had the upper hand, according to Rotundo; this can be seen in the colonial tradition of men getting to choose their wife while women do not get to choose their husband (9). This is a historical example, but today, we still have the man give the ring, not the woman. Related to this is the glass escalator discussed in Christine L. Williams’ article The Glass Escalator, Revisited: Gender Inequality in Neoliberal Times, SWS Feminist Lecture. The glass ceiling refers to a barrier that women must break in order to reach higher positions in any field dominated by men; whereas men have the glass escalator, which is an invisible flight of stairs that advances them in typically feminine careers. This is because even in female-dominated professions, male traits are desirable. According to Rubarth, men are often the voice of the past, citing that much of ancient Greek feminism is seen through the eyes of male writers (22). This means men have shaped the world and its history, which puts their role in the forefront and the women in the background. Because of this, men are more scared to show their more feminine side because they know this world was not built with women in mind.

Men can be especially scared to show their more feminine side if they already have a “strike” against them. Being a person of color, LGTBQ, poor, or any of the marked identities can cause a man to have a lower standing in the world. This is where intersectionality comes into play in the performance of gender. Even in the study of masculinities, the non-White experience is often ignored. To discuss intersectionality, we must analyze the concept that was just explained: the glass escalator. When it was first released, the concept said White men ride the escalator and other men of color have it different, without even discussing how or why it was different. However, Williams, again, describes this further in her article, where she points out that White male nurses are often confused with doctors while Black male nurses are confused for janitors. This shows the difference between the White male and the Black male experience. Race is not the only part that plays in intersectionality either, sexuality is a big part of how men are treated and perceived. A gay man’s maleness is often altogether called into question. Because of these reasons, men of marked identities often double down on masculinity in order to squeeze out any privilege possible from the social ladder.

These examples support the feminist theory of the Unitary that Butler created (38). A theory that explains women and men do not have equal experiences as one another and therefore they should not be put under one term. However, males, especially children, are expected to fit in any way that they can. Warren explains that while some of the boys used football to fit in, other boys chose very masculine careers for career day (183). This shows right here that these boys are experiencing masculinity differently; however, still within the scope of traditional masculinity. This doesn’t even take into account the examples discussed in the earlier paragraph about intersectionality. Considering both intersectionality and the unitary, it’s hard to define what exactly the experience of a man is.

This decision of “what a man is” is really up to interpretation of the society that a person is in. In the beginning days of the U.S after the revolution, the idea of what makes a man was very different from what it is today. Rotundo describes the perfect man as “pleasant, mild-mannered, and devoted to the good of the community” (36). This is very different from the rough and individualistic image we have of men today. Even in different societies, there are differing ideas of what a man should be, such as with Rubarth comparing the masculinity of Athens and Sparta (22). In Athens, political power was seen as the greatest thing a man could have while in Sparta men are trained from birth to be ruthless fighters. This parallels the argument of what makes a real man today. Some see the blue-collar worker as the manliest while others see the man making the most money as the most manly. These differing views of masculinity call into question even further whether masculinity even exists. How can someone be a man when there are so many differing views on what makes one?

How can someone be a woman when there are so many differing views on what makes one? What if I were to say those are not the only two options. These two options we are given are called the binary it is a double-sided mask with masculine on one side and feminine on the other: everything masculinity is not, femininity is. This binary, according to Warren, can be seen in the way we discuss men and women, “reason/emotion, subject/object, and rational/irrational” (48). Most people do not possess all of one side of the dichotomy, they are a wonderful mixture of the two. This is where the terms nonbinary and gender queer come in, people who identify with either both or neither of the sides of the binary. This is something that more and more people are identifying with as our world becomes more gender conscious.

So, does masculinity exist? It does, but only as a set of repeated performances that uphold an ever-changing standard. It is upheld by institutions and more importantly, us. What if tomorrow we all refused to perform gender, we became conscious of our learned behaviors, and we stop ourselves from enforcing gender upon others? Masculinity would cease to exist. Next time you find yourself ruminating over if something is feminine or masculine remember, it’s nothing more than an illusion.

Works Cited

Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York, Routledge, 1990.

Davis, Ian, and Vicars, Mark. “Across intergenerational masculinities: Straight divisions, gay multiplications.” Qualitative Research Journal, vol 14, 2014, pp. 79–88.

Rotundo, Anthony. American Manhood: Transformation in Masculinity From the Revolution To the Modern Era. New York, 1993.

Rubarth, Scott. “Competing Constructions of Masculinity in Ancient Greece.” Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts, vol 1, no. 1, 2013, pp. 21–32.

Warren, Simon. “Is That an Action Man in There? Masculinity as an Imaginative Act of Self-creation.” Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, vol 27, no. 1, 2003, pp. 4–18.

Williams, Christine L. “The Glass Escalator, Revisited: Gender Inequality in Neoliberal Times, SWS Feminist Lecture.” Gender and Society,
vol. 27, no. 5, 2013, pp. 609–629.

Fenced In – Pride 2018
Jude Anderson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Thembi Nkosi is a sophomore who wrote this piece for "Writing the First Year: The World, the Text, and You" taught by Professor Brandon Diaz. Kosi's intention. for this essay was to show how reality inspires fiction as the human experience is weaved into stories so that we can be critically aware of and emphatic to people's truths. This essay digs deep into a novel that alludes to what it means to be Black in America.

Thembi Nkosi
The White Boy Shuffle

Whether it be one’s family, social media, or a superpower nation, one’s immediate community influences one’s character and cognizance. In Paul Beatty’s, The White Boy Shuffle, America, along with its systems, history, and citizens, poses as the immediate community that influences the growth of the protagonist, Gunnar Kaufman, in this bildungsroman. One can consider this novel conveying the transformation of a teenage Black boy as he journeys from the beaches of Santa Monica to the urban streets of West Los Angeles, as Americana because it contains distinct cultural aspects that are uniquely American namely: law enforcement’s habitual engagement with African American boys solely because of their race, the relegation of African Americans to rigid character roles by the dominant White perspective and the symbolic notions of the “safe” gated community and the “dangerous” ghetto community. It is these cultural elements that subsequently contribute to the protagonist’s crisis of identity.

Firstly, Beatty illustrates law enforcement’s habitual engagement with African American boys solely because of their race. For example, the officers of the Santa Monica Shore Patrol say to the protagonist that he must “try [to] imagine a future behind bars” when he and his friends mess around on the beach (25). Though they are all caught by the officers at some point, the implication of this phrase has a different meaning for the protagonist as compared to his White counterparts due to the racist presumption that regards African American boys as potential/active criminals. As a Black boy, he is introduced to the idea of prison by an authoritative figure because there exists the possibility of him ending up there as a result of the biased nature of law enforcement, which is a distinct cultural component of America. This culture is so prevalent in the states where the older Black generation introduces the idea of prison to the youth first as a preemptive tactic so that they know how to behave when engaging with White police officers.

...the older Black generation introduces the idea of prison to the youth first as a preemptive tactic so that they know how to behave when engaging with White police officers.

GBP News, written by Pria Mahadevan, Emilia Brock, and Virginia Prescott, claims that the tactic they use is known as “The Talk,” which details how to best “survive… police encounters” so that one does not end up incarcerated. White and Black authority figures introduce the notion of prison to African American boys because of the dominant culture that incarcerates them as a result of bigotry. Not only is the protagonist introduced to the idea of prison, but he is also confronted with the possibility of it when two police officers visit him after moving to Hillside and tell him that his father will “get to visit [his] *ss in jail without being stripped- searched” (Beatty 47). Again, there is this belief of an incarcerated future for a Black American boy, but this time it is coming directly from the mouth of law enforcement as opposed to the Shore Patrol officers, who are not a government body. The police officers assume that the protagonist is a criminal even though his “criminal” history consists of childish games on the beach in Santa Monica, so the only plausible reason behind their assumption is their flagrant racism (Beatty 25). This event in the novel is supported and derives from the reality and history of the United States that comprises numerous cases of racial profiling enacted by law enforcement targeting African Americans. Alexi Jones, a writer for the Prison Police Initiative, reports in their article titled “Police Stops are still married by racial discrimination, new data shows” that in 2015, the Bureau of Justice Statistics constructed a report that detailed how African Americans are “more likely to have multiple contacts with the police” as compared to White and Hispanic Americans regarding traffic stops. Based on law enforcement’s frequency with interacting with Black Americans, it is then clear that they criminalize Black Americans. These statistics highlight the unfair treatment of Black American boys by the police, which subsequently inspires the protagonist’s encounter with them in his new home.

Moreover, after being introduced and confronted by the idea of prison in the form of patrol and police offers, the protagonist then actively experiences police brutality when his father beats him up to the point of hospitalization due to him aiding his friends in escaping with a stolen safe (Beatty 137). It is safe to say that Gunnar’s father assaults him, not only because Gunnar is his son, but because Gunnar is Black. This is evident when his father relays to him that “[he] refuse[s] to let [him] embarrass [him]…with…[his] n*ggerish ways,” and so he then inherently associates blackness with criminality just like his White counterparts as he infers that the act of stealing is something that is “n*ggerish” (Beatty 137). His White coworkers influenced his skewed perception of his race because they compromise his immediate environment, shaping his behavior and interaction with Black people represented by his son. This particular event is borne out of the American culture that deems Black boys as “criminals” and rationalizes their criminal-like actions. Therefore, the author showcases the culture of obsessive engagement that African American boys experience with the police due to their race. The protagonist, in the novel, is confronted by them as a child, as a teenager, at home, in a parking lot, and two starkly different cities. This contributes to his crisis of identity as he is aware of the racial imbalances in the country which influence law enforcement, and he is also aware that these imbalances will make it difficult for him to live a peaceful life.

Secondly, the author portrays the relegation of African Americans to rigid character roles by the dominant White perspective. For example, the protagonist is referred to as the “funny, cool black guy” by his White peers in Santa Monica (Beatty 28). In this White-dominated environment, his peers view him as this stereotype, which infers that he has no freedom to be anything else. This character role assists in separating him from being similar to a “Caucasian juvenile,” and so the author infers that if the protagonist is not humorous, then he will be regarded as someone who is threatening and disruptive to the societal order—like a criminal (Beatty 27). It does not go unnoticed that in America, most of the successful comedians that I am aware of that have garnered an insurmountable amount of fame because of their humor are African Americans such as Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, and Kevin Hart are to name a few. They are essentially the “funny…Black [men]” of America. In a way, their success highlights the existence of this stereotype because from the perception of the dominant White gaze, represented by Hollywood and the protagonist’s peers, if Black people are entertainers, then they are less “threatening,” less “criminal,” and henceforth are regarded as “cool.” Furthermore, there exists the stereotype of basketball being a sport primarily for African Americans. For example, in the novel, the protagonist’s close friend, Nicholas, attains recognition with regards to the sport both in Hillside and in college. His reputation comes from him never missing a shot which is evident when he makes a clean shot at one of the games when it was “impossible to see the basket” because it was nighttime (Beatty 94). Robert E. Hall, in The Ball Curve: Calculated Racism and the Stereotype of African American Men, asserts that African Americans dominate basketball as they account for “over 75% of NBA players” and due to the derogatory history of the US, there exists an antecedent stereotype—that of the “dumb Black”—that attempts to justify the athleticism of these Black basketball players and their success in the sport (109). It claims that African Americans can “run faster and longer and to jump higher” as compared to White people because of their genetic history and anatomical make-up (Hall 109). These two stereotypes horridly infer that what they may “lack” in academics, they make up for in sports. Kurt Streeter writes in his article for The New York Times, Is Slavery's Legacy in the Power Dynamics of Sports? revealing the result of this way of thinking by disclosing how White coaches, general managers, and league executives scout and recruit a high percentage of Black basketball players while being descendants of this racially biased culture and are in turn influenced by it (Streeter). The stereotype of the “dumb Black” present in American society creates a culture where African American men are praised for their feats in basketball and are simultaneously attached to the sport to the point where it is viewed as part of their identity while other areas of achievement are dwarfed and/or not taken seriously. This is seen with Scoby because the only time the novel mentions his academic prowess is when the Boston University recruiter comes over to Gunnar’s home and assures him that his grades warrant a full scholarship. Aside from that, he has “German and Japanese scientists” as well as several departments within the university studying and investigating his abilities in the sport (Beatty 164, 192). This role of being one of the best basketball players confines him because of his unique skill in it. Moreover, there exists the habit of profiling Black Americans as criminals. This is seen with the protagonist’s engagement with the Shore Patrol, the Hillside police officers, and his father. In each engagement, he is either viewed as a potential or active criminal. The formulation of gangs and the “war on drugs,” in the US inspire this stigma which criminalizes the majority of the African American community by law enforcement and the dominant White culture (Small 897). Deborah Small, in her article The War on Drugs Is a War on Racial Justice, details how Black men in the US are imprisoned at a rate of “20 to 57 times” more than White men for drugs even though “24 million Americans, who are mostly White, use… cocaine” (897). The culture of stereotyping Black people as criminals in America then influences the protagonist’s interaction with the police in the novel because they continuously associate him with criminality. Consequently, the author illustrates the rigid roles Black Americans are forced into by the dominant White perspective by showing the stereotypical and ignorant way in which the protagonist is viewed by his White peers and law enforcement and how Scoby is primarily noted for his basketball talents because of the society that attaches a Black identity to it. This culture influences the protagonist’s crisis of identity because he is aware that he is not given room to grow and discover who he is; instead, he is forced into limiting roles that are born out of a society that relegates his existence to dehumanizing categories.

Lastly, the author presents the symbolic notions of the “safe” gated community and the “dangerous” ghetto community that are components of American culture. For instance, in the novel, Santa Monica is a White-dominated area where one can “walk to school in the fog” and “ignore crossing guards” which infers that one can feel safe while traveling in areas of obscurity and break a few laws without any hassle because one has assimilated into the environment (Beatty 35). The only conflicts that the author has when in Santa Monica are with his little sisters and the Santa Monica Shore Patrol which suggests that he is not in any danger when messing around in this community because he is only at qualms with his family and non-legal authoritative figures (Beatty 25). Furthermore, when in Santa Monica, Gunnar can look people in the eye and not be attacked because it is a social norm to do so (Beatty 52). Looking someone in the eye conveys a sense of comfortability and attentiveness and since it is a norm to do so in the protagonist’s experience with the community, it means that people are comfortable with one another and they feel secure. Santa Monica can then be referred to as a “gated community” according to Stanley D. Brunn’s article Gated Minds and Gated Lives as Worlds of Exclusion and Fear because if there is one important attribute a gated community has, it is that it has security (7). This is most prevalent in their “uniformed security personnel,” such as the Shore Patrol. Hillside, on the other hand, can be regarded as a “ghetto” community due to its lack of security. For example, the police officers intrude in the protagonist’s home and interrogate him on his non-existent connection with a gang (Beatty 47). They are the people who are supposed to provide security, and yet they pose a threat to the members of Hillside. After all, they assume that everyone there is involved in criminal activity because the majority of the community is Black. So even before one can break the law, one is assumed to have already broken it and is subsequently treated as such. Additionally, the conflicts that arise in Hillside can result in serious damage. This is seen when the protagonist is “contorted into a bloody fetal mess” in a department store by the Gun Totin’ Hooligans just for greeting them (Beatty 57). One cannot even look someone in the eye in Hillside because of the culture of suspicion that exists within the community. This suspicion exists because of how American society views Black people as criminals – as people who are “guilty until proven innocent” (Beatty 53). Therefore, the author presents the symbolic concepts of the gated and ghetto community with Santa Monica and Hillside respectively, and shows how each of their senses of security defines the behavior of the residents that live in each community. This culture contributes to Gunnar’s crisis of identity because, in Santa Monica, he is presented with a false sense of security as he is still a Black boy in America. This has multiple implications which are highlighted when he relocates to Hillside, where he realizes the gravity of being Black in a Black neighborhood in America.

Paul Beatty’s, The White Boy Shuffle, can be considered Americana because it presents distinct cultural aspects that are uniquely American such as the obsessive engagement of the police force with African American boys, the racial stereotypes that relegate Black people to rigid character roles and the concepts of the gated and ghetto community which affect the behavior of the people in each community. These cultural elements influence the protagonist’s crisis of identity as all of them emphasize the struggles of being Black in America.

Works Cited

Beatty, Paul. The White Boy Shuffle. Picador, Henry Holt and Company, 2002.

Brunn, Stanley D. "Gated Minds and Gated Lives as Worlds of Exclusion and Fear." JSTOR, Springer, 2006, www-jstor-
org.jpllnet.sfsu.edu/stable/41148062?Search=yes.

Hall, Ronald E. "The Ball Curve: Calculated Racism and the Stereotype of African American Men." JSTOR, Sage Publications, Inc., Sept. 2001,
www-jstor- org.jpllnet.sfsu.edu/stable/2668017?seq=6.

Jones, Alexi. "Police Stops Are Still Marred by Racial Discrimination, New Data Shows." Prison Policy Initiative, 12 Oct. 2018,
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2018/10/12/policing/.

Mahadevan, Pria, et al. "The Talk' Is A Rite Of Passage In Black Families. Even When The Parent Is A Police Officer." Georgia Public Broadcasting,
26 June 2020, www.gpb.org/news/2020/06/26/the-talk-rite-of-passage-in-black-families-even-when-the- parent-police-officer.

Small, Deborah. "The War on Drugs Is a War on Racial Justice." JSTOR, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001, www-jstor-
org.jpllnet.sfsu.edu/stable/40971924?seq=2.

Streeter, Kurt. "Is Slavery's Legacy in the Power Dynamics of Sports?" The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2019,
www.nytimes.com/2019/08/16/sports/basketball/slavery-anniversary-basketball- owners.html.

Ready. Set. Go!
Jackie Perez

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Symone Pryor is a junior who wrote this as her final assignment Sophomore year for her class, "Telling Stories: How the World Writes "You," taught by Professor Jolie Goorjian. The assignment was to take a subject and write about them from a certain perspective and how it affects them. She decided to tap into a bit of introspection and touch on the subject of social injustices within the Black community.

Symone Pryor
From a Black Woman to Black Women

Who am I? A Black woman. How do I see myself? Through one eye I am stronger than most but through the other I am the weakest member of our society. According to my peers, I am at the forefront of many social injustices, standing up for what is right. When another unjust killing is brought to our attention, we are there to stand up. When a policy does not sit right with us or makes us feel forgotten, our voices never fail to be used. The side effect of this is that I am also perceived as aggressive or animalistic at some points. The same people we defend seem to forget and turn their backs on us. The same victims we defend fall victim to amnesia when it comes to defending us. So, you asked who I am. My answer is never ending. I am everything in the background. I am Bernice from the City of God, crying in despair as I watch my partner lose his life, yet I must go on to avoid my own demise. I am expected to stay strong through the years of trauma that will follow me into the next step in my life. I am the protector. I stand as a wall hoping that, when I am seen, no one steamrolls their way into somewhere they do not belong. I am the lecturer, making sure that whoever’s voice quivers in fear for their rights is still heard in the loudest crowd.

I am the lecturer, making sure that whoever's voice quivers in fear for their rights is still heard in the loudest crowd.

I am the punching bag—the reliable kind—the kind that no matter how hard you punch, you expect me to take more because, for some, that stands true. These roles are embedded in me, in us. The roles may look different on all of us, but they reside in us because, if not, we will fall into the category of weak. All these things that I am do not deter the negatives glares I receive. Yes, I am the protector, but if I protect too hard against some, I become a victim of those unjust killings I spoke about. Yes, I am the lecturer, but if I speak too loudly or I speak too much truth I am liable to find myself behind bars, or underground. Yes, I am the punching bag, but if I swing too much or if I decide to fight back, I am cut down from the ceiling and left to build myself back up from the ground. What do I do when this happens? I do as I said I build myself back up. I remind myself of my purpose. I remind myself of the ones who do fall victim to the sad truths of our strength. That is me, though, but I know there are others who cannot deal with anymore. Women like Jory from Disgraced, for example, she witnessed something that could break anyone's heart and tells the other person who would be most affected yet the person she is trying to help turns on her because of her success. Her truth is turned into lies all because someone else's words held more weight than her own. Of course, our view of self is distorted, how can it not be with the issues we face on a daily basis? How could we have the clearest view of ourselves if it is through a dusty cracked mirror. Am I all the things I said I am? Yes. Do I want to be them all the time? Absolutely not. My willingness to fall into those roles varies on a daily basis. It is tiring being a protector, a lecturer and a punching bag. It is tiring being deemed aggressive all because I am not afraid to bow down to who I am talking to. You know what never varies? Who I am. I am strong and I am weak because I am human. I am a Black woman.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lila Zermeno is a sophomore studying Business Marketing with a minor in Latinx Studies. This piece was written for the Metro Academy course "Health and Social Movements in the United States in the 20th Century," taught by Professor Olive Mitra, in response to the prompt: How has history shaped you? Coming from a family of immigrants, she was inspired to write a piece highlighting the strength of the Chicana community. Zermeno would like to dedicate this piece to her Mom, Grandmother, and Latinx women everywhere.

Lila Zermeno
Carmen and Jenny

On November 11, 1970, a baby girl was born. Although she was only minutes old, she resembled the type of doll one might see displayed in toy store windows, with her curly bright red hair, rosy cheeks, and pale skin containing glimmers of golden freckles. It was the first child of my grandmother, and she wept at the sight of her daughter, Jenny. She quickly held her newborn daughter against her bare, tan chest.

My grandma Carmen Valdez was 20 years old when she found out she was pregnant with my mom. Carmen worked at a movie theater in Los Angeles, a 30-minute walk from her home. She had immigrated from Yucatan, Mexico, with her husband to the United States when she was only 19. She didn’t speak any English, but like many immigrants, she had a dream of having a family in America. My grandma recalls working at the movie theater concession stand and remembers only Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) working all the non-management jobs alongside her. Her boss, Ernie, was a sweet, older White man who was friends with the theater owner. My grandma worked long hours, constantly cleaning and spending her lunch breaks watching movies to slowly learn English. Ernie also spent his breaks watching movies, and through that, they developed a friendship. He found my grandma’s questions about American culture amusing, and my grandma liked that she had someone to help her with her pronunciation and understanding of English words.

She was an immigrant, alone, scared, who barely spoke any English. It was through pure luck she was able to give birth at that hospital.

When my grandma told Ernie she was pregnant, he reached out to his friends who owned the movie theater. They were a husband and wife who happened to be doctors at a local hospital. The wife came by the movie theater on my grandma’s lunch break and brought with her an interpreter. They asked her questions like, “How long have you been pregnant? Is this your first child? Where is your husband?” Carmen explained that she didn't know how long she had been pregnant. She had no insurance, so she never went to the doctor. This was her first child, and her husband worked two jobs to support her and their future child. Whether it was pity, admiration for my grandmother’s work ethic, or just the friendship my grandma had grown to have with Ernie, the wife told my grandma to come to the hospital she worked at to give birth when she was ready.

The hospital was Cedars Sinai Medical Center. It was a private hospital located in Hollywood. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian would later have their children here, and icons like Elizabeth Taylor and Larry King would draw their last breaths. When my grandmother showed up to give birth, she couldn't believe how beautiful the hospital was. Rich, White wives of millionaires filled the maternity ward, all wearing designer slippers and silk robes. Their husbands brought them flowers and gifts that filled their room. Carmen gave birth alone because her husband couldn't miss work; she only had socks to wear around the hospital and an oversized shirt to wear as a dress. The other mothers gossiped that no Mexican immigrant could give birth to a beautiful redheaded baby. They asked nurses to check to make sure that the baby was hers and that it hadn't been switched with another mother. She was an immigrant, alone, scared, who barely spoke any English. It was through pure luck she was able to give birth at that hospital.

I’ve heard the story of my mother’s birth many times. As someone who comes from a Latinx household, storytelling is a gift passed down from daughter to daughter. My first memories are ones lying in bed with my mom giggling at the stories of her childhood. As I fought against the waves of sleepiness that would carry me away every night, I mumbled, “Please, just one more story, mommy.” Her stories were always those of her childhood. She was the oldest girl with three younger brothers, which meant every story had them as signature side characters: Americo, the brainy one, Harry, the ladies man, and Johnny, the sweet little brother. Together they ravaged the streets of LA, picking lemons off unsuspecting trees in neighbors' front yards, pulling each other on wagons to get free lunch at the park, and wrestling so hard with one another that 40 years later, they still have the scars to argue over who won.

As my grandmother gave birth in that hospital, thousands of other immigrant women gave birth in hospitals all across LA county. But unlike my grandmother, who went on to have three more children, many of these LatinX mothers left these hospitals after being sterilized without their consent. Women were forced to face the sudden reality that they were unable to ever have any more children. According to the film No Más Bebés, behind closed doors, doctors credited this act as a way to stop overpopulation. Those who performed the sterilization thought, “How could these immigrant women who spoke hardly any English be able to financially provide for any more children?” In their minds, doctors were giving one less child of immigrants “undeserved” citizenship. What they didn’t realize, or just didn't care to think about, was the disastrous physical and emotional impact it would have on LatinX women for whom so much of their culture revolves around a large family unit.

Some of the women who were forcibly sterilized filed a lawsuit in 1978. “Madrigal v. Quilligan was a civil rights class action lawsuit filed by 10 Mexican American women against the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for involuntary or forced sterilization. The plaintiffs involved in Madrigal v. Quilligan were residents of East Los Angeles, a predominantly Latinx population with inadequate medical and educational resources,” according to A Latinx Resource Guide: Civil Rights Cases and Events in the United States: 1978: Madrigal v. Quilligan from the Library of Congress. Each woman explained how at the time of the sterilization, they hardly spoke any English, and no hospital staff spoke Spanish fluently. A Latinx Resource Guide stated “Unauthorized sterilizations among Mexican women with minimal English proficiency rose at the County Medical Center during the 1970s.” They shared testimonies of unknowingly signing the paperwork in exchange for receiving pain medication after giving birth. Others were also told that the process could be reversed since they were told that "tubes would be tied," which in translation to Spanish for them meant that they could be untied. According to A Latinx Resource Guide, “Among the victims were Dolores Madrigal, who claimed that doctors pressured her into signing a sterilization consent form while she was in labor, and Jovita Rivera, who signed the concession document without being counseled on the consequences of sterilization.” Doctors were accused of having an intention to lower the birth rate of Mexican women in California and trying to control the population. The Chicana women wanted compensation, sterilization counseling, and consent forms in Spanish. However, as documented in No Más Bebés, “on June 7, 1978, the judge sided with the hospital at the Central District of California.” The judge claimed that there was no deliberate intent of the doctors to hurt the women. This case began during the Chicana movement, which clashed with the Chicano and women's liberation movement. Since the Chicano movement was led by men who had a very sexist approach, women’s needs became secondary to ending racism. Regarding the Women's liberation movement, while Chicanas wanted to have truly informed consent of sterilization with a waiting period, White feminists opposed this. Instead, they wanted consent straight away. They did not take into account whether the individual could speak English and could fully comprehend the purpose of sterilization.

As a child, when I heard the story of my mother’s birth, the retelling showed only the beautiful parts, like what a pretty baby my mom was. The racism of other mothers at the hospital was told with a humanistic approach through rose-colored lenses. But as I grew older and learned more about what it means to be a minority in America, the fairytale faded, and as more details were revealed, the story grew darker and darker. It wasn’t until my freshman year at SFSU when I took the class about LatinX healthcare and learned about forced sterilizations that I called home and asked, “Where was grandma planning on having you before talking to Ernie?” that the realization hit that my mother’s birth story was so much more than a fortunate opportunity to have a birth in a nice hospital. If my grandma hadn’t given birth at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, she planned to give birth at the USC hospital and would have most likely been someone doctors considered a candidate for forced sterilization. My mom would be an only child, and my grandma wouldn’t have the huge family filled with grandkids she has today. I would have never grown up hearing my mom and her brothers' stories that eventually caused me to beg and beg for my own little sibling.

Although the case Madrigal vs. Quilligan didn't have the outcome it intended, it changed the way hospitals operated. The Latinx Resource Guide explains that there are now hospital forms in different languages, patients under the age of 21 have 72 hours to make decisions on sterilization, minorities are better informed of their rights regarding sterilization, and bilingual counselors are provided at county hospitals. This historical event provides context for minority women like myself to continue to question the authority that doctors hold over patients and how it enables exploitation. It also demonstrates how racism is prevalent in our medical system and the impact that bringing awareness to this issue can have.

Works Cited

"A Latinx Resource Guide: Civil Rights Cases and Events in the United States: 1978: Madrigal v. Quilligan." Research Guides, guides.loc.gov/latinx-
civil-rights/madrigal-v-quilligan.

No Más Bebés, Directed by Tajima-Pena and Renee, Independent Lens, 2015, www.nomasbebesmovie.com/.

Third World Liberation Front Strikes of 1968

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Emri Bullock is a Freshman who wrote this piece for "Cultivating Curiosity: Explore Your World, Your Identity, and Your Future," taught by Professor Jennifer Beach. The inspiration to choose this particular poster came from her desire to take every opportunity that she can to talk about racial injustice in society and push to continue to improve it.

Emri Bullock
Then and "NOW"

When I applied to San Francisco State University, one of the things that drew me to it was the diverse nature of the campus and its curriculum. I appreciated the number of classes that would allow me to learn about my ancestors, my own culture, and everything that crafted who I am as a person. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the minority students in the late 1960’s. The curriculum was biased and lacking in diversity, and if this was still true of the curriculum, I wouldn’t have felt as connected with the campus when I was researching and doing applications as a high school senior.

The fist is raised to the word "NOW" to symbolize not only the equality but also joining together and unifying for a purpose.

"NOW"
Berry McDowell — SF State College Strike Collection

The San Francisco State Student Strike, also known as the Third World Liberation Front Strike of 1968, was a revolution and a fight for change amidst an oppressive world. Not only was there a drastic difference in the demographic makeup of the campus population, but the curriculum itself was not diverse either. While the campus had a Black Student Union (BSU) and the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) as minority organizations, the campus had few to no Black Studies classes. Clubs and organizations weren’t enough to compensate for the lack of diverse classes and lack of representation of the campus community; these reasons birthed the SF State Student Strike. I found that this poster by Berry McDowell was successful in relaying the message of power, of revolution for change, and of equality during the Civil Rights Era. The poster McDowell created in 1968 shows a fist raised and split down the middle, one half black, and the other white as a sentiment to unified solidarity. This poster was shown off as part of the San Francisco State University Strike, then known as San Francisco State College Student Strike. The fist is raised to the word "NOW" to symbolize not only equality but also joining together and unifying for a purpose.

People who joined the protests in solidarity knew and understood that they all needed to fight for the same thing: the human right to be treated equally, with respect, and to not be oppressed or discriminated against. According to Karen Bates and Shereen Meraji, authors of The Student Strike That Changed Higher Ed Forever, “When the Asian and Latinx students heard about that deal, and they wanted similar treatment. But the administration told them they would need to ask the Black students to share part of their allotment." Unity to improve minority conditions is the altogether primary message that the “NOW” poster and its author were trying to relay. The other way that McDowell’s poster’s message could be interpreted is that instead of just all the minority students and staff joining together, they should join together with White allies willing to do so. This poster could have been directed at different audiences for different reasons. For instance, the creator could have wanted the board and staff at SF State to see it because the protesters wanted their demands met, the curriculum changed, and they weren’t going to wait any longer for change to come. The curriculum was extremely biased and, in a White-dominated society, those who determined the curriculum at the time thought White history was the only one worth learning about, even for minorities. On the other hand, when bystanders and the general public saw this, it encouraged people to join the fight and become allies. It was a biased and discriminatory society that desperately needed change.

The Civil Rights Era was a time that commanded the attention of millions across America. African Americans and other minorities alike were rising in revolt against a society that has been oppressive for years. It was a time to remind people that the only difference between others, is the color of their skin. The Student Strike was a pebble amidst the avalanche of revolution for change.

November of 1968 was a tumultuous time. The United States was 13 years into the Vietnam War, Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated and the Black Panther Party was demanding systemic change for Black communities plagued by poverty and police brutality, (Ehsanipour).

The White majority watching the strike unfold refused to believe that everyone is of the same worth, and that’s still a prominent issue today. While there are these new options and opportunities with the Ethnic and Africana Studies departments, oppression, bias, and discrimination are still present everywhere today. For example, I went to middle school in a majority White area and there was a huge lack of diversity in the demographic of the school, both students and staff alike, and in the curriculum as well. In history class, we would barely talk about minorities, and when we did, it was very minimal. We would spend time with a very short chapter, talking about the basics of Black history—that barely scratched the surface—compared to the long 10–20-page chapters on White history during class. Other times, the teachers would talk about parts of Black history insensitively towards the few Black students in the class. By a few, I mean either it was just myself in a class or me and one other Black student. I think the insensitivity comes from not coming in contact with people every day whom this history belongs to, therefore there is a lack of sensitivity or understanding of necessity. It wasn’t until high school that I saw a more even amount of diversity with the electives available and the school’s population. Then, college came around and it was even more vast and diverse in every way.

Even though oppression and discrimination are still around in every sense, I still believe that the “NOW” poster, in its display of racial unity, was successful for the mere fact that there is now an Ethnic Studies department on campus, but also, when you look back on this event in pictures, there are so many different races in the crowds during the strike that came together.
Discrimination, oppression, and bias will always be around despite improvements in society over time because there will always be people who have biases—conscious or not—that are deeply woven into the systems of society. The Student Strike is a testament to changing things for the better where possible.

Cross-cultural and cross-racial solidarity were critical parts to the success of the strike. I believe that, because of the times, the board and staff of San Francisco State would not take a group of minorities very seriously. Maybe they thought the BSU and the Third World TWLF were just trying to stir up trouble where the staff and board deemed unnecessary. However, that thought process changes a little with White allies, meaning the staff and board were more willing to listen. White allies already had their history and culture as courses by default, so why be an ally? It’s because everyone should fight for the same goal: the equal rights every human being deserves. Therefore, the San Francisco State Strike was a success.

The San Francisco State Student Strike pushed for the diversity and equal representation that SFSU prides itself on now by celebrating the roots of its community members. The San Francisco State Mission Statement says: “From the heart of a diverse community, San Francisco State University honors roots, stimulates intellectual and personal development, promotes equity, and inspires the courage to lead, create, and innovate.” San Francisco State now acknowledges and values its diversity which leads to personal development. The Ethnic Studies department provides a place for people to learn about their ancestors’ language, history, culture, and is a place for students to really learn about themselves.

The College of Ethnic Studies was established in Fall 1969 through the efforts of a number of dedicated students, faculty, and community members. The four departments -Asian American Studies, Africana Studies, Raza Studies, and American Indian Studies- offer over 175 courses each semester to meet the needs of 6000 students. (College of Ethnic Studies).

The statement goes on to say that the other most important thing besides celebrating diversity, is giving back to the community that houses the campus. “SF State encourages its students, faculty, and staff to engage fully with the community and develop and share knowledge. [...] With the unwavering commitment to social justice that is central to the work of the university, SF State prepares its students to become productive, ethical, active citizens with a global perspective.” Giving back to the community of your college or university is the start of being innovative in the real world.

The “NOW” poster, as opposed to the other posters in at the strike, seemed so simple but had so much depth and so many directions in which the interpretation of it could have gone. The poster can reach and speak to different audiences for different reasons. The “NOW” to protesters meant no more waiting as a sign to the people in charge of the curriculum that the enrollment options were unfair, but it was also a major symbol of unity with protesters and joining allies. It meant that they were more than just their skin.

Works Cited

Bates, Karen Grigsby, and Shereen, Marisol Meraji. "The Student Strike That Changed Higher Ed Forever." NPR, 21 Mar. 2019,
www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/03/21/704930088/the-student-strike-that-changed-higher-ed-forever.

College of Ethnic Studies. Welcome - College of Ethnic Studies, 2021, diva.sfsu.edu/collections/coes.

Ehsanipour, Asal. "Ethnic Studies: Born in the Bay Area from History's Biggest Student Strike." KQED, 30 July 2020,
www.kqed.org/news/11830384/how-the-longest-student-strike-in-u-s-history-created-ethnic-studies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brenden Carini wrote this piece for "Cultivating Curiosity: Explore Your World, Your Identity, and Your Future," taught by Professor Jennifer Beach.

Brenden Carini
The Disconnect Between Social Justice Advocates and Law Enforcement

Officer Down on "Bloody Tuesday
SF State College Strike Collection

The San Francisco State University student strike was an event that, somehow, I’d never heard about prior to taking this class. The SFSU strike was a historical event where students fought for the right to have equality within education. Students wanted to have more diverse courses and this is how the College of Ethnics Studies was born. This artifact, which was taken during one of the protests, shows a 23-year-old police officer named Paul Juul, who was struck in the neck with a brick by a protestor, lying on the ground presumably incapacitated, while other officers try to help him. The contents of this artifact raise a lot of thoughts and questions, many of which I’ve still not been able to find the answers to. Regardless of whether or not there’s more information out there on this artifact, with the information that is provided it’s very clear that this photo is trying to send a message to the viewer, showing the reality, and seriousness of violence brought along from the protest. And while there is no information on what happened prior to the picture being taken, it’s still possible to have a discussion around this artifact to form different assumptions and views as to what could have led up to the scene we see presented, as well as the possible motives behind it.

This artifact was photographed on December Third, 1968, by a man named Nacio Jan Brown, who was an avid anti-war photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area. That being said, it’s safe to assume that he was attending the protests to get photographs and documentation of the event for the press, and he very possibly could have been a protestor himself, as he was involved with Social Justice movements to some degree as well. One could guess he had specific goals in mind when taking this picture, as well as a particular message he wanted it to convey. For me personally, when I look at this artifact, it really makes me think of the disconnect between social justice advocates, and law enforcement, and the constant butting of heads that’s been going on between these groups for literally generations. It really goes to show how little things have changed, in regards to law enforcement relations, which is sad to see, but also understandable in this current climate. Another thing that comes to my head when I see this is in regards to the officer’s condition. Regardless of what the officer did before this, unless he killed someone, he doesn’t deserve to die, especially when you take into account that he was only 23 when this photo was taken. I’d like to believe that he’s alright, and he made a full recovery; however there’s no further information regarding the officer at all, so no one really knows.

...it's unfortunate that there is no end-all be-all conclusion to what unfolded in this photo.

Something important to consider when looking at this artifact is who was the audience that the photographer wanted to appeal to. The primary audience, and consumers of this artifact were younger “enlightened” people, who were actively protesting, or at least involved in some way, even if it was just keeping up with the current state of the strikes. The violent, and controversial nature of this artifact makes me think that it probably got a lot of exposure from the more right-leaning, conservative people as well, which could have hurt the overall effectiveness of the message by turning off a lot of viewers to the cause, once they started seeing violence towards the police. From the little bits of information that I do have on this artifact, it states that the photographer, Nacio Brown, primarily worked for more underground press companies; however many mainstream magazines and newspapers have come to use his photos over the years. With this in mind, the picture probably reached an even larger audience than originally intended, which most likely led to a multitude of different opinions being formed regarding the image. However, before coming to any judgment, it’s important to attempt to understand the background.

One thing this artifact is very much lacking, is context. Context is extremely important, and it can make all the difference in a situation. With that being said, it’s important to keep context, or the lack of it, in mind when forming an opinion on this image. If you do not like police officers, It would be very easy to not care about context, and just jump to the conclusion that this officer must have done something violent, discriminatory, or racist beforehand, thereby justifying what happened to him in the photo. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are an advocate of the police, it would be easy to assume that this poor officer got attacked by a violent student or protestor, for no reason. However, both of these conclusions are unfair, and don’t take into account context in any way, rather they satisfy your own beliefs while leaving out evidence and reasoning. But, even without the context of this specific situation, you can use the context of what was going on at this time, and knowledge of how the police were treating minorities, and advocates during the 60s, to come to the consensus that this officer probably got what was coming to him. I still think that that’s not a very fair conclusion, because while, generally, police officers were very discriminatory, and violent during this time, there’s no evidence to suggest this specific officer did anything wrong, besides the uniform. Because of this, it’s important to keep an open mind when discussing this artifact, as nobody really knows the true conclusion.

This artifact’s lack of background information is very frustrating, and it’s unfortunate that there is no end-all be-all conclusion to what unfolded in this photo. Because of this, however, it’s even more crucial that we all keep an open mind, when viewing and discussing this artifact, as to not rule out any possibly accurate information. Even without the context, the message that this photo sends is a powerful one, and especially in today’s current climate, when the public's relationship with the police is already not great. It’s possible to look at this picture as a symbolic representation of the constant battle between the police, and the people, as we desperately try to find some sort of common ground, only to turn around and go back to the old ways. I think this picture just goes to show the consequences of division as a nation, and the dangers of opposing ideologies, when there is no sense of, or even desire for “common ground” or unity. This specifically rings true even today, where we are becoming more and more divided, despite “attempts” to unify the American people, by bringing awareness to all different walks of life. It’s saddening to think about, but when you consider why it is the way it is, you can’t really blame the people for feeling how they feel. To bring all people together is a lot easier said than done. However, I believe it’s a necessity in order for our country to thrive in the future, and it has to start with educating all types of people on things that they maybe aren’t too experienced with or have a lot of knowledge about already, which is something San Francisco State University has been striving to do since these strikes. No matter where you’ve come from, or what you’ve experienced, I can’t stress enough how important it is that you don’t judge people based on what they look like, and you are respectful of everyone’s experiences, otherwise there will always be a divide.

Works Cited

About Nacio Jan Brown. Rag Theater, www.ragtheater.com/about-nacio-jan-brown/.

Meredith Eliassen for Nacio Jan Brown https://www.ragtheater.com/about-nacio-jan-brown/

Officer down on ‘Bloody Tuesday. Officer down on "Bloody Tuesday" - SF State College Strike Collection,
diva.sfsu.edu/collections/strike/bundles/235891.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Autumn Kobayashi is a graduating senior, class of 2021, majoring in Studio Art. This essay was written for "Rhetoric for Social Action" taught by Professor Jennifer Beach. As an artist, Kobayashi finds inspiration from movements for justice and change, alongside the imagery and designs made to support these movements.

Autumn Kobayashi
San Francisco State University Student Strikes of 1968: Powerful Imagery

Imagery and design work have all played an important role throughout history in the evolution of social justice movements. Today we see flyers for protests, posters at demonstrations, and resource design layouts all made to inform people on how they can make a difference or how they can express their passion for a certain cause. Keeping Open by Dennis Beall along with Haya Education were both noteworthy poster designs that aided in the momentum of the SFSU student strikes of 1968. Before the school was well known for its substantial Ethnic Studies college, San Francisco State University was not adequately providing education focusing on Black and Indigenous history and culture.

By the mid 1960s students would grow more enraged by the lack of support and diverse student body. The students of San Francisco State University in 1968 would no longer accept a passive education for students of color that was lacking in diversity, accessibility, and Indigenous culture and history programs. The President of the University S.I. Hayakawa in his dictatorial leadership, did not support the students and remained apathetic through the bulk of the strikes. The participating students and staff would not take no for an answer and would stand their ground against riot ready armed police officers willing to take violent measures against students.

...both posters utilize imagery of blood dripping from the baton to illustrate the police brutality the students were faced with during the strikes of 1968.

"Haya Education"
SF State College Strike Collection

This first poster titled Haya Education was made in 1968 for the use of the student strikes, with its bold colors and composition this print would certainly make a statement at a protest. Unfortunately, Haya Education was listed without credit to the artist though it is understandable it could have been considered a risk at the time. Not only does the imagery comment on Hayakawa’s choice to allow police brutality against the school's student body but I believe it is also a play on words for "Higher Education". Haya Education is aimed at school president Hayakawa and the administration at SFSU with a goal of working to convince them of their improper use of power and lack of compensation.

"Keeping Open"
SF State College Strike Collection

Keeping Open made by Dennis Beall, depicts a police officer holding a baton. Similar to Haya Education, both posters utilize the imagery of blood dripping from the baton to illustrate the police brutality the students were faced with during the strikes of 1968.

Dennis Beall at the time, worked at SFSU and is known as an educator, printmaker, and curator. During his time at SFSU, Beall “produced a body of abstract expressionist color lithographs, which were created from single stones and transparent color washes” (Dennis Beall, The Annex Galleries). This design was also created for the strikes to highlight the mistreatment and injustice the students were fighting against.

Both of these posters are an example of how important art can be when it comes to social justice and protesting injustice. Visual art brings so much value to social justice movements in the sense that it is a useful resource for spreading information. Haya Education and Keeping Open are very successful in their meaning and their composition. Due to the amount of attention these strikes had gotten through the media, other schools found themselves inspired and motivated to begin strikes for the same purpose. These powerful actions were able to make a difference and SFSU and other schools by creating designated seats for students of color and implicating programs for ethnic studies which is now a huge part of the University’s identity. The imagery that became the face of many strikes in 1968 are still relevant to our current day situation. There have been some measures taken to better the situation of this institutional racism embedded in every system in America since the 60s, but how much can we say has changed?

Line of police officers on campus lawn, 1968
Terry Schmidt - SF State College Strike Collection

BLACK LIVES MATTER, Oakland, CA 2020
Erik Saevi

While acknowledging the accomplishments of Black Indigenous people of color throughout history and the progress made, there must also be a constant state of self-analysis if you are not of the affected groups. In the past year, I have seen more support and resources be implemented in social programs for more marginalized communities than I have ever taken notice of before. Having said this, there is still an overwhelming amount of injustice and oppression threatening the lives of Black Indigenous people of color as well as many other POC. There is so much work to be done in unlearning the ingrained racism within the United States of America. No amount of White guilt or performative activism will change the history of genocide and abuse in this country, what can be done now is educating oneself as well as listening and uplifting the voices of those affected by systemic racism.

These posters were made to protest against the harm and injustice students were put through at SFSU and were successful with their design elements and powerful statements. In the 2015 revised mission statement of SFSU it is stated that the university “equips its students to meet the challenges of the 21st century. With the unwavering commitment to social justice that is central to the work of the university, SF State prepares its students to become productive, ethical, active citizens with a global perspective”. Here it is abundantly clear the university is working to change its ways and is aiming to focus on an inclusive, introspective, and equitable environment for its students and staff. With my time at San Francisco State University, I have found that the staff wants their students to succeed and find their place in a global perspective to persevere against injustice.

Works Cited

Academic Senate, 2015, senate.sfsu.edu/policy/revision-mission-statement-policy.

Artist, Unknown. Haya Education. Academic Technology Archives, School of Art, San Francisco State University, 1968,
diva.sfsu.edu/collections/strike/bundles/210969.

Beall, Dennis. Keeping Open . Academic Technology Archives, School of Art, San Francisco State University, 1968,
diva.sfsu.edu/collections/strike/bundles/210922.

Beall, Dennis. Dennis Ray Beall Biography: Annex Galleries Fine Prints. Dennis Ray Beall Biography | Annex Galleries Fine Prints, 0AD,
www.annexgalleries.com/artists/biography/149/Beall/Dennis.

Erik Saevi, Medium.com, 1 June 2020, medium.com/@ERIKSAEVI.

Saevi, Erik. Photo Essay: Outrage in Oakland as Protesters Demand Justice and Change.

San Francisco State University, Administration. Revision to Mission Statement Policy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kevin Pennick is a junior in the Broadcast and Communication Arts department. He wrote The Price of Moloch as an analysis of an artifact from the 1968 San Francisco State strike. This paper was for "Rhetoric for Social Action" taught by Professor Jennifer Beach.

Kevin Pennick
The Price of Moloch

"Moloch"
SF State College Strike Collection

During The San Francisco State strike of 1968, turmoil and a desire for change inundated the campus. One of the most vivid expressions of this rage, the strike posters, successfully captured the essence of the struggle for the creation of the School of Ethnic Studies. I was lucky enough to view a wide selection of these colorful artifacts in the SF State Strike Collection online. The poster that most stood out to me is titled “Moloch.” It is a searing indictment directed at our economic and political system here in America. It may be an obscure reference, but it does not fail to spearhead its essence to the viewer. The poster’s anti-capitalist sentiment ties in with the anti-imperialist views of many of the strike’s organizers. The Moloch poster is an important and effective artifact because this vibrant image contains a powerful anti-capitalist message that remains relevant under our current socio-economic conditions.

The Moloch Poster is an important and effective artifact because the vibrant image contains a powerful anti-capitalist message that remains relevant under our current socio-economic conditions.

The SF State strike posters were made by student strikers, on campus, under the supervision of Art Faculty member and print-maker, Dennis Beall, and were a collective effort among the students (“Strike Poster”). The artist of this poster is unknown and for a good reason: out of fear of being targeted by law enforcement and the administration, students kept their names off of the posters (“Strike Poster”). The visual theme of many of the posters utilized radical aesthetics inspired by the Black Arts Movement (“Strike Poster”). The evocative and revolutionary stylings of the strike posters undoubtedly were an effective way to broadcast the students’ demands.

The image on the Moloch poster is a pig’s head composed of words describing the American status quo and various labels attributed to them. Behind the pig’s teeth are American Flags accompanied by burning flames. It contains a quote from the poem, “Howl” by Allen Ginsburg, which reads, “But Moloch’s price was too high, and the People Burned their own Children to please him.” Its foreboding theme is contrasted by colorful and eye-catching typeface to create a beautiful juxtaposition. According to Isidore Singer and George A. Barton’s article titled Moloch (Molech) and written for the Jewish Encyclopedia, it is a pagan god based in ancient Hebrew tradition. A death cult was said to have formed around Moloch, and he is mentioned in the Old Testament. He is known for the form of tribute required by his devotees: the sacrificing of children. The children were said to “pass through the fire to Molech,” and this has been interpreted to mean the burning of children. It is believed that these sacrifices were held to appease Moloch after committing sin according to Singer and Barton. The mythology makes for a fearsome image.

Moloch ties into the message of the poster through the idea that capitalism is itself a death cult. Karl Marx alluded to this in Capital by explaining that, “[c]apitalist production…only develops the techniques and the degree of combination of the social process of production by simultaneously undermining the original sources of all wealth – the soil and the worker” as cited in John Bell’s Dying for Dollars: Capitalism is a Death Cult. The “soil” he refers to being our planet and “worker” representing the working class. Destroying the very essence of what drives it, capitalism only leads to its own demise, and we see that in real-time through vast income inequality, the housing crisis, and climate change—just to name a few.

Imperialism is one of the central aims of capitalism and was a constant theme of the 1968 strike. In the midst of the Vietnam War, the strike was initially sparked by the firing of SF State Professor and Minister of Education for the Black Panther Party, George Murray, as noted in Jason Ferreira’s 2018 interview titled “1968 The Strike at San Francisco State” with Socialist Work, San Francisco State University Professor Jason Ferreira describes how “ [Murray] was linking the Black liberation struggle with the struggle of the Vietnamese people.” Furthermore, he points out the connection between the initial organizers of the strike, the Black Student Union (BSU), and the Black Panthers. The BSU, who shared members with the Black Panthers, helped facilitate the organization of another student union instrumental in the strike known as the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) according to Ferreira. Due to the influence of the Panthers and George Murray on the BSU and TWLF, the strike was infused with an anti-imperialist stance. These views, coupled with resistance against the Vietnam War, helped create the anti-capitalist sentiment that is present in the Moloch poster.

The Moloch poster was an expression of those anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist ideals in which Moloch represents the insatiable capitalist system while the working class and, in this case, SF State students, are the children to whom he is being fed. This poster’s purpose was to awaken its audience to that reality. The poster’s audience included allies such as faculty, labor forces, community leaders, and the community at large. Its mission was to radicalize people, and art is a useful way to convey a radical stance. Especially in politics, a message is much more potent to someone when it is aesthetically appealing and speaks directly to them. It adds beauty to the message and makes you want to be a part of it. This is summed up in the quote by writer Toni Cade Bambara, a trailblazer of the Black Arts Movement, which reads, “The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible” in Andrea Gonzales’ Making the Revolution Irresistible. Revolutionary images have an appeal and glamour to them that establishment politics do not have. This was present in the Moloch poster, and it was one of the reasons it stood out to me. No one can get through to the youth like their peers, and art was an excellent avenue to express their radical views.

The Moloch poster was created amidst the social upheaval, and the 1968 San Francisco State strike was characterized by radical thought. A quote from one of the strikers' manifestos, No One is Free Unless Everyone is Free Everybody Out!, captures that sentiment, declaring that, “[w]e are trained not to question the assumptions underneath the classroom babble, because to challenge and tear down those assumptions would be to make ourselves free. The men who run and finance San Francisco State hire our brains and kill our spirits because they have an empire to administer, and we are the tools.” The protest was full of revolutionary vigor, and it surfaced in several forms, one being art. Art, in this context, is inspiring and arguably more effective than text or theory. Images are easily digested and act as a powerful propaganda tool. “Moloch” is a piece of revolutionary art.

It doesn’t surprise me that the artist would use the Moloch metaphor to liken an indifferent, destructive force like capitalism to a pagan deity who required child sacrifices. College students are the children of those who devoted their lives to this system, whether by choice or not. The point here, though, was not about immediately overthrowing capitalism. Rather, it was relevant to the Black Student Union and Third World Liberation Front's demands which drew attention to the grand underlying specter of capitalism while pushing for immediate radical action. In terms of effectiveness, strike posters aren’t supposed to generate immediate results regarding the issue at hand; They are crafted to encourage us to think critically. As it sits in the archives, the Moloch poster’s message will continue to resonate with and radicalize students well into the future.

Works Cited

Bell, John. "Dying for Dollars: Capitalism is a Death Cult." Socialist.ca, 1 September 2020, https://www.socialist.ca/node/4162.

Ferreira, Jason. Interview by Julien Ball & Melanie West. Socialistworker.org, 13 December 2018, https://socialistworker.org/2018/12/13/1968-the-
strike-at-san-francisco-state.

Gonzales, Andrea. "Making the Revolution Irresistible." Black Women Writers, 17 November 2020,
https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/blackwomenwriters/?p=909.

"No One is Free Unless Everyone is Free Everybody Out! and Strike Action Today." Paul J. Leonard Library Digital Collections, 7 November
1968, http://digital- collections.library.sfsu.edu/digital/collection/p16737coll7/id/439.

Singer, Isidore & George A. Barton. Moloch (Molech). Jewishencyclopedia.com, https:// www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10937-moloch
molech.

Strike Posters. SFSC Student-led Strike Materials in the J. Paul Leonard Library, https://libguides.sfsu.edu/sfscstrikechron/posters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Blake Sorenson wrote this piece for "Cultivating Curiosity: Explore Your World, Your Identity, and Your Future," taught by Professor Jennifer Beach.

Blake Sorenson
An Ineffective Presidential Address

The San Francisco State Student Strike was a vital part of history, as it sparked the first Ethnic Studies Program in the nation. The 1960s was a time of civil unrest in the United States, as figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were fighting for equal rights and the desegregation of the country. The Civil Rights Movement also inspired other protests and strikes to occur throughout the nation, as they were all fighting for the same goal. The San Francisco State Student Strike was an event that happened during the movement. One piece that pertains to the Student Strike is an address that the president at that time, John Sumerskill, distributed to all faculty and staff in 1967. Even though the address is dated nearly a year prior to the events at San Francisco State, the artifact is still very important as it shows us the state of the college prior to the strike. There are always preceding circumstances that lead up to major events, and this address is able to show the reader the status of the college prior to the strikes taking place.

There are always preceding circumstances that lead up to major events, and this address is able to show the reader the status of the college prior to the strikes taking place.

The context that the piece is able to give is what truly makes it important and impactful, as it shows why John Sumerskill was unwilling to bend to social change. Sumerskill was largely unsuccessful in his address, as a year later, the student strike would take place.

The author of the Address to Faculty was the president of the college John Sumerskill. He was the president for a short period of only two years, as he got his position in 1966 and then resigned shortly after the beginning of the student strike. From the artifact, it is evident that Sumerskill is a man who prioritizes the pursuit of knowledge more than anything else. Sumerskill is also willing to use his power to keep a learning environment that he deems safe. This is exemplified with his banning of the school newspaper Open Process because it published “material which some faculty and students and many in the outside community found offensive” (3). This act from Summerskill is very alarming, as it shows a willingness for the president of the college to rule over the school with somewhat of an iron fist, which is something that occurs during the student strike.

Sumerskill’s main purpose in his address was to simply gain support from the faculty. He does this by relaying his goal and mission, and giving examples of him doing his best to try and accomplish his goal. Summerskill wants to make sure that they are bettering themselves as a place that educates students and tries to get the teachers on board with this. He believes that Open Process would hinder the learning environment, so he banned it. He also states how he believes the social justice movements that are sweeping the nation will also deter students from learning on the campus. Sumerskill is trying to make sure that all students and faculty will be on board with trying to fend off these social changes that he thinks will ruin his learning institution. To try and gain support, he outlines how he has “helped” the learning environment with the banning of Open Process. He is trying to show the teachers that this is an example of him doing something that he does not want to but has to for the better of the school. While this logic is flawed, he then tries to continue using this same idea with the pursuit of social changes. He states that he would “speak out clearly and forcefully for the preservation of these freedoms'' but then goes on to say he is “disappointed” for people affecting “the conduct of our educational business” (3). Again we see him try to agree with the social change but also denounce it on his campus because he views it as a hindrance to learning. This is ultimately a very hypocritical point from Sumerskill.

The audience of this address is very obvious, as the artifact is titled Address to Faculty. However, when looking at what Sumerskill is saying, it should be titled Address to Faculty Who Do Not Agree With Me and Are Not Going to Support Me While I Reject Social Change. Sumerskill is trying to gain support from anyone who may not agree with his suspending of Open Process and is also trying to get ahead of the social movement issue by addressing it in advance. Sumerskill does not need to address faculty that agrees with him, and the entire purpose, gaining support, does not pertain to the faculty members that already support him and his actions. While it is addressed to the entire faculty, Sumerskill is clearly trying to speak directly to those who have had problems with his actions and those who he anticipates will have problems with his actions in the future.

This address is dated September 1967, about a year prior to the San Francisco State Student Strike. During this time, there were large movements dedicated to social equality and justice. We know that Sumerskill is aware of this, as he mentioned “the civil rights revolution” (3). This is important because it is a very polarizing period, one in which many people had very strong belief systems surrounding the social justice movements. Sumerskill confirms this by saying that “the fears, the suspicions, and the anger” (5) are what America was filled with. Because of this, we can assume that San Francisco State was also in a state of indecisiveness and tension. California was under the lead of Ronald Reagen, who was vocally against the student strike while also clearly having a large portion of the population be in favor of the social changes. California was bound to be an area where there were large amounts of disagreement about the progressive social changes. This is definitely a reason why Sumerskill was so willing to try and be ahead of the game on social issue topics. He wanted to try and get his entire faculty on the same page so that way they would hopefully be able to get the students on the same page and not disrupt the pursuit of education.

Overall, Sumerskill’s address was not effective. The student strikes would occur later, and he would step down as president shortly after that. His purpose of not allowing social justice to disrupt his classes was a failure, but in all actuality, Sumerskill’s goal of SFSU becoming a better learning institution was achieved. San Francisco State was the first school to open a college of ethnic studies. His Address to Faculty did not help bring about these changes, and also did not prevent the protests, so it was largely ineffective. However, when we look at the San Francisco State Student Strike, this artifact can be useful as it shows that tensions between students and faculty were already high and that the issues of the protests did not just emerge out of thin air. We are also able to get insight into the viewpoint of the people in power in this scenario. Whether the reader agrees with Sumerskill or not, it still gives us a look into the time period and the psyche of the president of the university. While ultimately failing in his attempt to stop radicalized change, we know that the events of the San Francisco State Strike truly did help it become a better and more inclusive educational institution. The strike was able to give so many new opportunities to students across the nation, as well as starting the very important college of ethnic studies, which was the first in the nation at that time. Sumerskill’s address to his faculty shows the ineffectiveness of the rhetoric of the opposers of the strike.

Works Cited

Summerskill, John. "Address to Faculty." University Archives, J. Paul Leonard Library, San Francisco State University. 1968-1969 San
Francisco State College Collection.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Taylor Vivona wrote this piece for "Cultivating Curiosity: Explore Your World, Your Identity, and Your Future," taught by Professor Jennifer Beach.

Taylor Vivona
The Need to Protest

"'Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.' — JFK"
Howard Levine — SF State College Strike Collection

This artifact is a piece of SFSU history and its story and message are still in action today.

The students protesting were non-violent, yet the police came in and used excessive force and unlawful arrests to dispel the crowds and discourage strikers.

"The Student Strike that Changed Higher Ed Forever"
Karen Bates — SF State College Strike Collection

This is an example of a peaceful demonstration. These protestors aren’t attacking anyone; there was not violent rhetoric, at least in the early stages of the strikes, and the police had yet to get involved.

The first sentence of the SFSU mission statement states, “From the heart of a diverse community, San Francisco State University honors roots, stimulates intellectual and personal development, promotes equity, and inspires the courage to lead, create, and innovate.” The student strikes, through peaceful revolution, fought for the fourth ideal presented in this excerpt, the promotion of equity, and through their struggle, changed their school. This mission statement stands for a campus which devotes itself to the betterment of its students and equality amongst them.

"San Francisco State Bloody Face"
Jan Brown — SF State College Strike Collection

The image of a police officer pinning down a student with their face covered in blood is a shocking and very violent image. This photo displays the unwarranted use of force and suppression of peaceful action. The students protesting were non-violent, yet the police came in and used excessive force and unlawful arrests to dispel the crowds and discourage strikers.

This is “making peaceful revolution impossible” at its core.

Black Lives Matter protesters walking by the burning Minneapolis Police Department's 3rd Precinct (2020)
Amanda Kaufman

The disallowing of peaceful revolution inciting violent revolution cannot be any more evident than it had been during the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The suppression of peaceful protest bottled up under the violence enacted by the police forces until it exploded in fire and rage among the people. This is the quintessential example of what the poster was trying to portray, and to that effect, the poster was ultimately successful in getting its message across.

Works Cited

Bates, Karen Grigsby, and Shereen Marisol Meraji. "The Student Strike That Changed Higher Ed Forever." NPR, 21 Mar. 2019,
www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/03/21/704930088/the-student-strike-that-changed-higher-ed-forever.

Jan Brown, Nacio. "San Francisco State bloody face." San Francisco State Strike Collection, 1968.

Kaufman, Amanda. Photos: George Floyd protesters storm Minneapolis police precinct, set fires, May 29, 2020.

Levine, Howard. "Those Who Make Peaceful Revolution Impossible Make Violent Revolution Inevitable," School of Art, San Francisco State
University, 1968-1969.

Karina's Graduation
Jackie Perez

About the Editors

Kathy Nguyen
Kathy Nguyen is an upcoming senior majoring in English: Professional Writing & Rhetoric with a minor in Asian American Studies. She enjoys reading and painting as her hobbies. She has a passion for writing and creating on multiple media platforms.

Emily Ann Taylor
Emily Ann Taylor is a graduating senior majoring in English Literature and minoring in Education and Professional Writing & Rhetoric. She wanted to be an editor for Sutro Review because she saw the opportunity to take advantage of her last semester to be a part of something bigger that fostered creativity within the community. She knew the opportunity would fuel her passion for helping others by encouraging them to express themselves, especially in these stifling times.

Ethan Tran
Ethan Tran is an upcoming senior majoring in English: Professional Writing & Rhetoric with a minor in Journalism. He has a passion for communicating through writing in all mediums and hopes to pursue a master's degree in Technical Communications. Some of his hobbies consist of raising plants that will never live past a month, drawing manga, reading Haruki Murakami, and studying English punctuation.

Robin Meyerowitz
Robin Meyerowitz is a Lecturer in the English department teaching Composition courses. In addition to teaching and working on Sutro Review, she spent the pandemic lockdown baking gluten-free scones, watching multiple series on Netflix and Hulu and traipsing across the city with her dog, Winston.

From raising livestock, poultry, etc. to the production and waste management at each step of meat production, some damage is done to our environment.

Works Cited

Chances are, if consumers aren't knowledgable about the brands you shop from, you're probably a victim of fast fashion.

Works Cited

Gentrification in San Francisco has diminished the heartfelt relationship between people of color's identity and where they call home.

Works Cited

...many of us were taught to "suck it up" when we were upset, fulfill our parents' standards, or face being emasculated, or being told to "be a man" when we're in trouble.

Works Cited

But what if these differences are all made up; what if masculine and feminine aren't even the only options? The ever-changing idea of masculinity is completely made up by society and repeated "gender performances."

...we gender everything from food to work. If gender is socially constructed, then what keeps these constructions alive?

Works Cited

...the older Black generation introduces the idea of prison to the youth first as a preemptive tactic so that they know how to behave when engaging with White police officers.

Works Cited

I am the lecturer, making sure that whoever's voice quivers in fear for their rights is still heard in the loudest crowd.

She was an immigrant, alone, scared, who barely spoke any English. It was through pure luck she was able to give birth at that hospital.

Works Cited

The fist is raised to the word "NOW" to symbolize not only the equality but also joining together and unifying for a purpose.

Works Cited

...it's unfortunate that there is no end-all be-all conclusion to what unfolded in this photo.

Works Cited

...both posters utilize imagery of blood dripping from the baton to illustrate the police brutality the students were faced with during the strikes of 1968.

Works Cited

The Moloch Poster is an important and effective artifact because the vibrant image contains a powerful anti-capitalist message that remains relevant under our current socio-economic conditions.

Works Cited

There are always preceding circumstances that lead up to major events, and this address is able to show the reader the status of the college prior to the strikes taking place.

Works Cited

The students protesting were non-violent, yet the police came in and used excessive force and unlawful arrests to dispel the crowds and discourage strikers.

Works Cited

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From raising livestock, poultry, etc. to the production and waste management at each step of meat production, some damage is done to our environment.

Works Cited

​Chances are, if consumers aren't knowledgable about the brands you shop from, you're probably a victim of fast fashion.

Works Cited

Gentrification in San Francisco has diminished the heartfelt relationship between people of color's identity and where they call home.

Works Cited

...many of us were taught to "suck it up" when we were upset, fulfill our parents' standards, or face being emasculated, or being told to "be a man" when we're in trouble.

Works Cited

But what if these differences are all made up; what if masculine and feminine aren't even the only options? The ever-changing idea of masculinity is completely made up by society and repeated "gender performances."

...we gender everything from food to work. If gender is socially constructed, then what keeps these constructions alive?

Works Cited

...the older Black generation introduces the idea of prison to the youth first as a preemptive tactic so that they know how to behave when engaging with White police officers.

Works Cited

I am the lecturer, making sure that whoever's voice quivers in fear for their rights is still heard in the loudest crowd.

She was an immigrant, alone, scared, who barely spoke any English. It was through pure luck she was able to give birth at that hospital.

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The fist is raised to the word "NOW" to symbolize not only the equality but also joining together and unifying for a purpose.

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...it's unfortunate that there is no end-all be-all conclusion to what unfolded in this photo.

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...both posters utilize imagery of blood dripping from the baton to illustrate the police brutality the students were faced with during the strikes of 1968.

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The Moloch Poster is an important and effective artifact because the vibrant image contains a powerful anti-capitalist message that remains relevant under our current socio-economic conditions.

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There are always preceding circumstances that lead up to major events, and this address is able to show the reader the status of the college prior to the strikes taking place.

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The students protesting were non-violent, yet the police came in and used excessive force and unlawful arrests to dispel the crowds and discourage strikers.

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