Explain how historically marginalized communities have been represented in American culture and how contemporary culture continues to be influenced by such imagery.

Complete the following required* items for Module 2:
*Please be advised that there will be some offensive language and imagery in some of the videos in this module. The use of these materials for this course are not intended to cause harm or traumatize, but they are being presented to prompt both awareness and discussion on how historically marginalized communities have been represented in American culture and how contemporary culture continues to be influenced by such imagery. If at any time, you feel hurt by the videos in this module, please stop watching and practice self care.
Read: Tsione, W.M. (2021). We Should Think Differently About the Preservation of Racist Monuments. Hyperallergic. https://hyperallergic.com/643843/we-should-think-differently-about-the-preservation-of-racist-monuments/
The article recalls the history of Black American iconoclasm, in which Black U.S. citizens damage public art that depicts problematic figures. The article also posits the question, what do we do with offensive public art that honors ideas of racism, colonialism, and violence? The article strears us in the direction of looking at such offensive monuments as opportunities for art, discourse, and education.
Watch: VICE News. (2018, March 26). The Nation’s Biggest Collection Of Racist Objects Are All In A Michigan College Basement [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/jP92cqTxG7I
WARNING THIS VIDEO CONTAINS OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE AND IMAGERY. You are not required to watch this video. This video includes interviews with the Director of the Jim Crow Museum as well as a couple that collects and donates artifacts to the museum. The video shows a sample of the Jim Crow Museum collection which includes art objects that display racist and sexist ideologies of Black Americans. The interviews address why the museum exists and how it contributes to recording unsavory parts of American history.
Watch: Smithsonian Magazine. (2010, March 17). The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/9njHWrMP82k
Gaman is a Japanese word that translates to the enduring of unbearable circumstances with patience. This video shows an exhibition of artworks created by U.S. citizens of Japanese descent while they were imprisoned in internment camps during World War 2.
Watch: Pitzer College. (2013, February 27). Edgar Heap of Birds [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/y4ISoUfLqTo
This video contains interviews of artist Edgar Heap of Birds regarding his project “Native Hosts” for the Pitzer College campus. Edgar describes how he hopes his work prompts students to think about the Indigenous people that inhabited the land before them.

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