Journal 11!!!

Oct. 29th

9:40am

Quiz Day!!!!!!!!

The discussion of Moana has been a lot of fun because we’ve all gotten to discuss our favorite pieces of the movie as well as how we have related to it. To start off today’s class, we took a quiz because you know what day it is…THURSDAY. I have to say that it was the easiest quiz from the entire semester. I don’t know if it’s because it was a movie or because it had songs in it but either way that was an easy A.

After the quiz, we were split into groups to discuss our song rewrites that you saw in my last journal. Then once we shared our reasoning behind our lyrics, we were split into groups again to discuss “Cultivating Self-ful Leadership.”

My group included: Windsor, Khameelah and myself.

Here is what we discussed and our answers to the questions posed by Professor Sandridge.

Group Six (Windsor, McKaila, Khameelah)

What is the “calling” that your group members in particular and your generation in general (as you imagine it) are hearing right now? Note, it doesn’t have to be one calling; even your group members might have more than one.

• Gen Z is pressured to get a college education, pass all their classes, and become a productive member of society. But not all of Gen Z wants to follow that cookie-cutter lifestyle. College is not for everyone and pushing it on Gen Z(who is already predisposed to mental health issues) will just be a waste of time, money, and energy.
• The call to break generational careers and lifestyles. For example families that may be full of doctors and lawyers and then you want to be an artist or poet or in the performing arts but instead feel like you have to be/follow that mold set in place by the generations before you.

What are the limitations or objections to responding to that calling that you face from those now in charge (as Moana did from Chief Tui)? What do you feel you may do to overcome these objections? What is the “reef” you are going to need to “go beyond”?

• One limitation is that if going in a different direction, there is backlash or we are told that we are just kids. As if that invalidates our opinions, wants, and needs. To overcome these objections, Gen Z just needs to keep doing what we are doing, speaking out, taking to the streets, taking classes, whatever makes us happy.

What talents do you currently possess that are not being used to lead others?

• (Windsor) playing the violin definitely is not a talent that can be used to lead others.
• (McKaila) my art and writing is definitely not being used to lead.
• (Khameelah) My ability to remain calm and patient in certain situations aren’t currently being used to lead.

What interests do you currently have that are not fueling your ability to lead others?

• (Khameelah) I find myself spending a lot of my time on my phone or watching TV, when i probably could be doing something more beneficial such as leading or mentoring others.
• (McKaila) My desire to be alone and spend time by myself definitely alters my ability to lead as well as my fear of what other people will think of me and how they’ll view me as a leader.
• (Windsor) my hyperfixations definitely prevent me from being able to leave because I get so caught up and fixated on talking about my interests that I forget what I am supposed to be doing, like right now.

What changes do you need to make in your life to reach your calling? E.g., changes in your major, your career path, your place of work, your social circle(s), your residence, etc.?

• (Khameelah) Some changes that I need to make would have to be figuring out a work-life balance and being more efficient with my time management skills. In order for me to reach my calling I feel it’s imperative that I’m in control and organized with my time.
• (McKaila)Changes that I would need to make would be my place of work and my residence because living at home surrounds me with a family that has a set ideal for who I should be and that negative energy is not it. Plus, my workplace is the same one as my mom so being surrounded by family can have its pros and cons when it comes to developing yourself and reaching your own personal goals.

Nov. 2nd

7:45pm

OUR ASSIGNMENT IS TO WATCH BLACK PANTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was so excited to complete this assignment because not only do I love this movie, but my whole family loves it as well. We all got together and ate dinner while watching the movie which created some much needed family bonding time during this craziness that everyone is facing at the moment.

Part of the assignment after watching the movie was to compare the leadership development of T’Challa and N’Jadaka (Killmonger).

• T’Challa was a kind and thoughtful leader that cared about the well being of his country. He lead with the opinions and advice of his people in order to do what was best for everyone. During the challenges for the throne, he offered a way out and provided mercy by sparing M’Baku’s life. You can see that he struggled with feeling “not good enough” and having a sense of imposter syndrome but his father helps him through it while in the Ancestral Plain. An area where he struggled though was opening the doors of Wakanda with the outside world. He felt that the country would be destroyed and used despite there being people out there that need the help of Wakanda.
• N’Jadaka was a leader for the outsiders. He was abandoned at a young age after his uncle killed his father so he grew up in the streets of America as a young black man and saw the trials and tribulations that black people faced everyday outside of Wakanda so he wanted to liberate them. His way of leading though was far too aggressive and “my way or the highway” kind of style. He wanted to be the last king and reign over the people that left him so he burned the herb that made new kings. He cared more about the people of the outside world than the ones in his own country and was fueled by revenge so I believe that those were his downfalls in leadership.

Describe a better world after the Wakandan Outreach centers would be built.

• I believe that these centers could provide education to those that live in various areas that are too dangerous for schools, to those that are too poor to afford it and provide equal opportunities at successful futures for all children no matter skin color, sexual orientation, family background and financial situation. There would also be centers that adults could go to to be better equipped in their jobs and that would train the government on other ways to settle international conflict other than waging wars on opposing sides. It would also train police officers in social environments on how to handle interracial confrontation. It would help police academies weed out the racially biased trainees so that they aren’t recruited and there will be less police brutality. The outreach centers would also provide higher tech for the schools in the areas to better the learning experiences for all students.

Nov. 3rd

9:40am

Class Discussion on the movie.

Here are the notes I took from the class which include favorite scenes, key passages and comparisons amongst characters in the movie and previous characters we have read about in the class.

Alivia: M’Baku coming and helping the other tribes despite the differences between them in order to help the majority and fight for the greater good.

• He’s trying to help them fight kilmonger to make sure there is no “dictatorship”(Terry)
• Why does he end up siding with T’Challa?
• (Terry) Wakanda knew about M’Baku and his tribe and let them be but Killmonger wanted them to listen to him no matter what. M’Baku also had respect for T’Chala because he let him live during the trials/ritual combat.
• (Arbin) It showed leadership for M’Baku to go to someone he was against to get help and for T’Chala to provide it. They both are invested in the Jabari people.

Killmonger is clearly an outsider and has challenges connecting with people.

• He wants to lead to liberation and the empowerment of African people but the people are afraid of the greediness of the outside world.

Kamilah: Killmonger’s death scene. T’Challa showed leadership by offering to save him despite their differences but Killmonger’s request for his death was to be put in the ocean with his ancestors because he believed that freedom/death was better than bondage which changed people’s perspectives on his intentions and their own idea of freedom.

• Ollie: This scene is a cool parallel with the scene between T’Challa and M’Baku with him offering him his life. M’Baku had people he needed to lead so he chose life but Killmonger chose death because he believed he had nothing more to lose.

Arbin: Killmonger in relation to Ned. Ned also has a conflict within his community but his executions make him seem against his people and challenged in his own leadership like Killmonger. Also, they are insider/outsider figures because they have the leverage to rival a full blown insider whether by blood or identification but their outside ideals make them outsiders and how they feel that they are left alone when in reality there are people that want to support them and help them.

Professor: Killmonger experiences the dehumanization of the lifestyle of a black man outside of Africa and faces the judgement and difference of ideas and mentalities when he comes to Wakanda.

Terry: Killmonger having to experience oppression for being black in America, he is looking for inclusivity and understanding amongst his people as well as for the people outside of Wakanda. He wants to spread Wakanda’s resources to those who need it.

• Anger and Passion are synonymous when fighting for something but when the balance is upset, the anger can overcome and ultimately hurt others and yourself.

Jalah: W’Kabi and Neoptolmous can be connected because W’Kabi went against T’Challa to avenge a death and went about it wrong but Neo went against Odysseus to right his wrongs in order to form their leadership.

Arbin: Tchaka is to Killmonger as Odysseus is to Philoctetes. T’Chaka abandons Killmonger after killing his brother/Killmonger’s father like Odysseus abandons Philoctetes.

Arianna: Shuri is working to help the CIA man fly the plane and helped him build his strengths as a pilot and brings out his talents and courage.

1st ancestral plain moment — T’Challa needs to know how to be a King and asks his father how to be a leader. VS. 2nd ancestral plain moment- T’Challa comes and confronts his father for his abandonment and his failure and fights as a leader with independent judgement.

Kayla: The women of Wakanda built up this women empowerment theme and showed how they were the backbone of the entire country. They were warriors and the right hand to the King. They helped mold T’Challa’s mentality and leadership skills.

Terry: The women held up the innerworkings of Wakanda. Without them the country would not survive.