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ChrisConlon

MediaandSocialMovements

RonDouglas

16February2011

AsYoungmentionsinthebeginningofchapter3,thefocusofColumbiaRevolt

shiftedtocoveringtheeventsthattookplaceduringthepredominantlyWhitesit-in,

ratherthanchroniclein-depththeactualreasonforthesit-in.Youngclaimsthatthough

theinitialprotestagainstbuildingaprivategyminarareHarlempublicparkwas

initiatedbyBlackandLatino/aactivistsandstudents,thefilmendsupmarginalizing

themandfocusingmoreonwhattheWhitepeopleweredoing(Young111).The

demandsofthecommunityactivistsandevendetailsofthegymareshelvedinorderto

covertheeventsofthesit-in.ThisiswhyYoungarguesthatsincethecatalyticevents

inspiringtheprotestaregrosslyovershadowedbytheprotestitself,theactivismtaking

placebecomedilutedandatbestisasocietalcritique.

Havingnotseenthisfilm,thatisasfarofanexaminationofYoung'sinterpretation

asIamwillingtodiscuss,butthinkingaboutthiscritiquebroughtmetonoticeit

elsewhere.FirstlylookingattheBattleinSeattle,itbecomespainfullyobviousthatthe

police/protesterinteractiontakesabackseattotheissuessupportingtheprotest.Only

viewingitforthefirsttimeacoupleweeksago,Icannotrecallevenoneissuediscussed

inalengthenoughtoremember.Onlywhenbeingpreviouslyprimedwithknowledgeof

thisprotestdoeventsbegintocorrespondwithactualissues.Otherwise,itmanifestsas

adramajustcataloginghowpolicebrutalityandprotestordefianceinteractedatthe

endof1999inSeattle.

RealizingthatitisunfairtojustlookattheBattleinSeattle,sinceafterallitisa

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drama,IthenmovedtoBreakingtheBankandThisisWhatDemocracyLooksLike.Both

ofthesedocumentariesdoamuchfairerandlegitimateoverviewoftheWTOprotest,

butstilllettheirinitialcausesandinspirationslipawayfromthembycoveringtheriot

policeinteractionsextensively.Nearlyeverysceneduringthecenterofthefilmshinges

onimpendingarrestorpepperspray.Thoughthisisobviouslymoreinterestingand

noteworthytoadocumentarian,itgreatlyovershadowstheentirereasonforshowing

upandprotesting.Thegoaloftheactivistfilmmakersisultimatelytodisseminatethe

causethattheyareinvestedin,whichisunderstandablywhytheywouldchooseto

coverthemostinterestingtopicrelatedtotheircause,inthiscasepolicebrutality.But

thishappensatthecostofomittingrelevantmaterialimportanttothe'why',rather

thanesitisthe'how'.YoungsumsthisupwhendiscussinghowNewsreelwishedto

inspireactionaroundtheircausesofinterest.Sheclaimsthatthisis"bestbeachieved

bymakingshortfilmsfeaturingrapidfireactionandstartlingimagery."(Young110).

Anditistrue.Peoplearemorelikelytobeinspiredbyavisceralvideoordramatization,

ratherthanbypureinformation.ButaswithColumbiaRevolt,itlooksliketherewill

alwayscomeatimewhentheprotestitselfbecomesmoreimportantthanthecatalytic

issue.

Thisconceptisalsofoundincontemporarynewscoverageoftheconsecutive

protestsinthemiddleeast.Ihavereadseveralarticlesfrommostoftheseevents,even

fromdifferentprovidersofnews,butIcanpassonlittlemorethanthreeconvoluted

wordsaboutwhytherewasevenaprotestinthefirstplace.Nowifsomeonewastoask

meaboutthephysicalprotest,Iwouldhavemuchmoretosay.Againheretheprotest

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hasovershadowedthecatalyticcause,whichisunderstandableforglobalnewsmedia

butnotexcusable.WhilereadingthesearticlesIstillhavequestionsandwouldliketo

readmorebutwouldhavetogolookingforitelsewhere.

Theonlyfilmwehaveseensofarthissemesterthatcouldrefutethisargumentis

theDeathofFredHampton.Thisfilmalmosttakespainstocontinuebuildingthecause

oftheBlackPantherPartyupuntilFredHamptonismurdered.Ofcoursethe

documentarianswereinterestedinbuildingthefilmupfortheclimaxofHampton's

murder,butthatisadecisioninpost.Thedocumentarywouldallowmuchmore

exposuretothecoreinterestsoftheBlackPantherPartyifitwerecompletedbefore

FredHamptonwasactuallymurdered,whichseemstoshowthroughinmuchofthefirst

half.Inthisfilm,emphasisjumpsaroundfromissuetoissuesuchascoveringthefree

breakfastprogramandtheBlackPanthermeetingsthroughoutthefilm,untilitlocks

ontoHampton'smurder.Unliketheotherfilms,Ifeelleftwithamoresolid

understandingofwhypeoplegatheredtogetheranddecidedtotakeaction.

Youngmentionsthisconceptinreferencetorace,specificallyhowinproteststhe

actionsofWhiteactorscantendtoovershadowthatofpeopleofcolor,buteasily

appliestojustlookingathowmuchofanactualissueiscoveredinafilmthatiscovering

it.Asseensofar,itlooksliketheeventstakingplaceasaresultofcollectiveactionon

anissuearemorewidelycoveredthantheissueitself.

Sources:

Young,Cynthia.SoulPower:Culture,Radicalism,andthemakingofaU.S.ThirdWorld

Left.DukeUniversityPress:DurhamandLondon.2006.

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