The language of human rights

For my first semester in college I chose a cluster of classes called The Language of Human Rights. The common theme across the classes I have seen is how language can be used to deny or affirm people's right.Language is a powerful tool that we all have no matter which language or dialect we speak we have the power and the right to express ourselves. In my human rights class we discuss an learn about our rights by using the Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In English 101 I've already read 2 books about African American History which pertain to the theme of the cluster. The first, When I Was a Slave edited by Norman Yetman, which describes how every human right was taken from African American and the were enslaved. The next Southern Horrors and other Writings Edited by Jacqueline Royster, which shows how language was used to create a misrepresentation of African Americans that allowed vicious mobs to take over 3,000 live. My linguistics class hasn't gotten into the human right part but I'm hoping in the future it will, but I am earning to think deeper into how language is formed then ever before.

Since this class is a cluster I get to have the same group of people in each class which makes me feel comfortable sharing my ideas. Especially since my integrated course is allowing me to use all the knowledge aqiured in my other classes to create my own representation on human rights which should be interesting.

Bio

Lauren Byron  was born in Harlem, New York on January 15th 1993. She is a Liberal Arts Major at LaGuardia Community College. Her father is African American and her mother is of Puerto Rican decent. Being biracial she got to experience both cultures which has shaped her into the person she is today. She is the youngest of 3 siblings an older brother and sister. For Lauren growing up in Harlem she witnessed many human rights being violated in her community. She is strongly against the Stop and Search policy that violates the rights to privacy of young men in communities like hers and around New York City. She has also seen situations were brains and talents were wasted due to the circumstances they were born into. Lauren would like to dedicate a part of her life to helping inner city kids receive opportunities to better themselves and not fall victim to the streets.

Main Ideas

In the text A Red Record by Ida B. Wells we see many important ideas supported by very interesting situations surrounding lynch law and lynching itself. Anarchy was running ramped in the south, looking at the horrendous crimes against the black community there would seem to be no government or law of the land. Misdemeanors were becoming enough reason for mobs to take black lives. Negro Domination fueled these mobs, in their thinking they didn't want the African Americans to develop and become the dominating society.

Lynch law in All It's Phases

After the war that freed the slaves, life for these men and women did not get better race rage was flowing through white men and lynchings becomes an outlet. In this blog post i will introduce the reading Southern Horrors and Other Writings from the Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells. Through her words, Ida B. Wells was able to bring recognition to the horrendous crimes of lynching and break down the stereotypes surrounding the issue.

Lynching began when the war ended, white mobs began attacking black families by hanging men women and children from trees, cutting men's private parts and then shooting into their lifeless body's. These hate crimes were motivated by race rage the south's white community committed these crimes through a prejudice inspired anger they had for the black race. In a specific passage in Southern Horrors we see how this rage ended many innocent lives. In an article from a white newspaper we read "the white people won't stand this sort of thing, and whether they be insulted as individuals or as a race, the response will be prompt and effectual"(Wells 64). This was written in response to a Mephistopheles Riot that led to 46 African American deaths, 91 African American houses, 12 African American schools along with 9 African American churches. Murder is not a substitute for the law. This sort of "prompt and effectual" procedure does not justify these actions. If the whites felt as though they were such a superior race why did they see it nesesary to torch schools and burn down homes what point were they trying to make? That they had the power to do what they want when they wanted with no repercussions.

The Language Of Human Rights

In my addition to the book i want to incorporate a short story. In this story i would like to portray what the language of human rights means to me. I will show how language is used to take away somebody's rights and to help enforce someone's rights. In this short story i would like to make it relatable to all and use realistic examples that make sense and are actually happening or has happened to prove a point. This point being the importance of language on our human rights.

Human Rights Issue : Abortion . Topic proposal

I chose the topic of abortion because I believe it is a very important women's rights issue and should be recognized in international and national law. The topic is very controversial and in some countries there are many  restrictions such as parental consent, marital consent, only in case of rape and incest or only in the case of women's safety being jeopardized. I will be exploring the supreme court 1972 case ruling of Roe vs Wade, this decision effected all laws throughout the United States that restricted abortion under the violation of the 14th amendment. And i will also be focusing on the "Mexico's reverse roe vs wade case" happening now in Mexico were 18 of the 30 states have passed laws "extending legal personhood to embryo's" . Throughout the controversy of abortion there have been many passionate debates on what is right and wrong , a lot of peoples reasoning against abortion has religious relations especially since 88% of Mexico's population is Roman Catholic which is known to be against abortions. There is no right answer and has a lot to do ones morals this is why this has been a hot topic for so long.

Slavery; Contradictions.

   I just finished the book When I Was a Slave edited by Norman R. Yetman. Through out the reading I am introduced to many different slaves who all have different slave experiences but seemed to all reflect on their connections to the church. Slaves were for the most part kept ignorant because of their masters not allowing them any sort of education and not even being allowed to look at books without getting whipped. But they were allowed to go to church on Sundays but had to sit in the back and not speak a word. They were allowed to hear the sermon but not allowed to hold their own prayer meetings. The slave owners contradicted them selves in allowing them to go to church but not allowing them to praise the god you introduced to them.

  In a specific memoir in the book When I was a Slave from Mary Reynolds she explains what her and others around her prayed for, "We prays for the end of tribulation and the end of beatings and for shoes that feet our feet. We prayed that us niggers could have all we wanted to eat and for fresh meat" (Yetman 107). Religion was slaves only outlet of hope they believed God would one day  help end their oppression and suffering. Many slaves renamed or referred to their oppressors as the devil or saying that when their masters died they went to hell. If many slaves were not taught to read this information was not from them reading the bible it had to come from the teachings of the white preachers. The white preachers of course would not say these things directly but in learning of their gods ways they started to make their own connections.

   The slave owners who brought the slaves to the church wanted slaves who wouldn't give them any trouble, allowing their slaves to go to church allowed the slaves a positive outlet for a lot of their anger and frustration.  The church gave the slaves something to look forward to if they did die a slave God would reward them with a easier life in heaven if they kept their faith in him. But it doesn't make sense why the slave owners would react so cruelty to prayer circles or meetings amongst just slaves themselves. In a different memoir from the book When i was a Slave we get to see what exactly the white preacher would preach to the slaves from William Moore who was born directly into slavery. "A white preacher always told us to obey our masters and work hard and sing and when we die we go to heaven" (Yetman 94).  This isn't a passage from the bible, this was said in directly to try and control the slaves. If slaves were allowed to sit together and praise the lord as a whole without a someone watching it would allows ideas and plans to form together. Slave owners did not want this because if all slaves bonded together they knew they would be out numbered.

  The contradiction between religion and slaves can be looked at in different ways but you have to remember who gave the slave this religion. It wasn't as if they had the choice to pick their own, it was given to them but then at the same time they were beaten for practicing it.

Bootylicious is in the Dictionary .

Bootylicious.

Many believe that Beyonce created this word but there are examples of it being used before the hit by her popular group Destiny's child came out in 2001. But this did help get the word recognized world wide so we can say Beyonce coined  the term. Many words become popular because of celebrity endorsement of the word like in this case.

Bootylicious is actually a blending of two words , Booty - a term with a slang origin for buttocks and -licious taken from the end of the word delicious to create the new term Bootylicious.

To use this term in a sentence would be as follows.

Her shape is really bootylicious.