Moolaadé Story Essay Example for Free

Moolaadà © Story Essay Seven years ago, a woman and a mother refused to subject her only daughter to be under the atrocious practice of female circumcision. Moolaadà © is the story of this woman, Collà © Ardo, a seditious and strong-minded second wife of Cirà © in a small secluded African village who single-handedly refused to allow five girls to suffer through the customary Salindà © ceremony. She was in opposition with the practice of genital mutilation due to her personal experiences and she didn’t want others to suffer like her. Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Moolaadà © enraged the Salindana, who were the women who performed â€Å"purification† ritual and the male elders who viewed her actions as threats to their values. As a sign of dominance, the men confiscated the women’s radios, which devastated the women because it was their source to news and music outside of their isolated lives. When the five girls escaped the Salindà © ceremony and came to Collà ©, she willingly offered them Moolaadà ©, or protection. Collà © was scarred after losing two children during childbirth due to her own genital mutilation. She remembers the pain she had to go through and the nurse had to open her up to deliver her only surviving daughter, Amasatou. Collà © remained firm that she would never let Amasatou to endure the agony of being cut. Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s interference with the old tradition caused outrage in the dominating patriarchal society who viewed her actions as disrespect to tradition and Islamic religion. The male elders took away the women’s radios because they didn’t want women being influenced by radical ideas. Collà © was intensely pressured by the Salindana and the male elders, including her husband to lift the Moolaadà ©. Her refusal forced her husband to whip her publically but she never once uttered the word. Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s actions reflected her bravery and determination which â€Å"mobilized† the other women in the village to support Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s intentions and realize the horrid effects of purification. She was an intelligent woman who encouraged the other women to realize that the men were oppressing them from the truth by taking away their radios, so the women wouldn’t ponder over unreasonable ideas. Collà © supported her deep-rooted opposition to genital mutilation with evidence that contradicted the men’s inaccurate dictations. While, listening to the radio Collà © had learned that Islam didn’t tolerate female genital mutilation because thousands of Muslim women would go to Mecca for pilgrimage and they weren’t cut, which shocked many of the male elders who still appeared to be ignorant. Through this, the women in the village united together and bonded through the pain each of them suffered through their genital mutilations. There is a sense of relief and happiness that reflect off these women in the end when they burned the knives used to bring suffering to generations of women who feel under the dreadful practice. As Collà © and the village women in their struggles end the practice of female genital cutting, they began their own feminism movement revolutionizing their purpose in society. Both characters having seen the world beyond the village and convinced of the need for change become unlikely allies of Collà © and the village women in their struggles to end the practice of female genital cutting. Such unlikely partnerships forged across ethnic, class, gender and generational lines have historically been crucial to the success of human rights struggles. In the campaign against the practice of female genital cutting, they are essential and Mooladà © shows us why. caused a sudden awareness among the other oppressed women in the village when her husband whipped her publically but she never once uttered the word. Allegedly eradication Unlike many recent Hollywood made films about Africa, Mooladà © is a story about Africa made by Africans from a distinctly local perspective. Yet, it speaks to universal themes of power, oppression and emancipation. In depicting one woman’s struggle to protect others from an oppressive and inhibiting tradition, Sembene brings great sensitivity and nuance to topic that is often discussed from simplistic, patronizing and polarizing standpoints. He deftly explores not only the conflict between local traditional values and the influence of modern ideas, but also the gender and generational tensions within a community largely isolated from the outside world. Although the film obviously seeks to challenge the practice of female genital cutting and raise questions about its legitimacy, it does so with sensitivity to underlying social complexities. It provides a glimpse into the perspective of local African tribesmen who see the practice of female genital cutting as process of â€Å"purification† and older women who see it as a necessary rite of passage for their daughters. However disagreeable their positions may appear, Sembene brings their voices to the story in a way that is neither condescending nor patronizing. Beyond its message, Mooladà © is a cinematic delight. Sembene assembles a group of colourful characters that add depth to his portrayal of rural African life and make for a more compelling storyline. Although this film is essentially about the local tribulations of an African village, it still mange to engage the outside world through two intriguing characters a local itinerant vendor, nicknamed Mercenaire who previously worked as an aid worker, and a favoured son of the village Chief, Ibrahima, who returns home from his studies in France to take a bride. Both characters having seen the world beyond the village and convinced of the need for change become unlikely allies of Collà © and the village women in their struggles to end the practice of female genital cutting. Such unlikely partnerships forged across ethnic, class, gender and generational lines have historically been crucial to the success of human rights struggles. In the campaign against the practice of female genital cut ting, they are essential and Mooladà © shows us why. Ultimately, this movie is not simply about oppression and social turmoil or about progressive citizens and regressive traditions. It is more about the resilience of the human spirit and the tenacity of ordinary people determined to change their destinies. It is an excursion into the dilemmas that confront a society caught in the midst of social and cultural change. For the human rights scholar and teacher, it provides a subtle but invaluable resource for raising awareness about the practice of female genital cutting and offers a means of understanding and explaining a controversial topic to an audience unfamiliar with the social and cultural intricacies associated with the practice. Set in a remote Muslim village in Burkina Faso, Mooladà © is the story of Collà ©, a defiant and strong-willed second wife of an elder in a West African village who refuses to allow four little girls to undergo the traditional circumcision ceremony. After losing two daughters in childbirth due to her own circumcision, Collà © had refused to allow her surviving daughter, Amasatou, to face the ordeal of being cut. Colles moolaadà © stirs the anger of the Salidana, a group of women dressed in red gowns who perform the mutilation. She is also forced to stand up to the intimidation of her husband and his brother and the male elders in the village who see her as a threat to their values. As a gesture of control, the men confiscate the womens radios, their main source of news of outside life. Rigidly defending their traditions and what they questionably see as a practice sanctioned by Islam, they also turn against an itinerant merchant they call Mercenaire (Dominique Zeida) who comes to the aid of Colle in a shocking scene of public flogging. As the issue becomes crystallized, many women rally to Colles support whose courage in the face of determined opposition is of heroic proportions. She is thrust into an unfolding drama of village politics when she offers Mooladà © (protection) to the girls who escape the circumcision ceremony. Mooladà © is the mystical protection which in the local custom can be invoked to provide place of safety. Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s interference draws the fury of her deeply patriarchal community which sees her action as an affront on its culture and Islamic religion. Collà © can lift the Mooladà © with a single word and comes under the intense pressure of the male elders, her husband and some fellow women to do so. Her resolute refusal to lift the Mooladà © draws other women and girls to her cause and sets the stage for a standoff with the village elders that erupts in the centre of the village and shatters the tranquility of the community. Unlike many recent Hollywood made films about Africa, Mooladà © is a story about Africa made by Africans from a distinctly local perspective. Yet, it speaks to universal themes of power, oppression and emancipation. In depicting one woman’s struggle to protect others from an oppressive and inhibiting tradition, Sembene brings great sensitivity and nuance to topic that is often discussed from simplistic, patronizing and polarizing standpoints. He deftly explores not only the conflict between local traditional values and the influence of modern ideas, but also the gender and generational tensions within a community largely isolated from the outside world. Although the film obviously seeks to challenge the practice of female genital cutting and raise questions about its legitimacy, it does so with sensitivity to underlying social complexities. It provides a glimpse into the perspective of local African tribesmen who see the practice of female genital cutting as process of â€Å"purification† and older women who see it as a necessary rite of passage for their daughters. However disagreeable their positions may appear, Sembene brings their voices to the story in a way that is neither condescending nor patronizing. Beyond its message, Mooladà © is a cinematic delight. Sembene assembles a group of colourful characters that add depth to his portrayal of rural African life and make for a more compelling storyline. Although this film is essentially about the local tribulations of an African village, it still mange to engage the outside world through two intriguing characters a local itinerant vendor, nicknamed Mercenaire who previously worked as an aid worker, and a favoured son of the village Chief, Ibrahima, who returns home from his studies in France to take a bride. Both characters having seen the world beyond the village and convinced of the need for change become unlikely allies of Collà © and the village women in their struggles to end the practice of female genital cutting. Such unlikely partnerships forged across ethnic, class, gender and generational lines have historically been crucial to the success of human rights struggles. In the campaign against the practice of female genital cut ting, they are essential and Mooladà © shows us why. Ultimately, this movie is not simply about oppression and social turmoil or about progressive citizens and regressive traditions. It is more about the resilience of the human spirit and the tenacity of ordinary people determined to change their destinies. It is an excursion into the dilemmas that confront a society caught in the midst of social and cultural change. For the human rights scholar and teacher, it provides a subtle but invaluable resource for raising awareness about the practice of female genital cutting and offers a means of understanding and explaining a controversial topic to an audience unfamiliar with the social and cultural intricacies associated with the practice. Set in a remote Muslim village in Burkina Faso, Mooladà © is the story of Collà ©, a defiant and strong-willed second wife of an elder in a West African village who refuses to allow four little girls to undergo the traditional circumcision ceremony. After losing two daughters in childbirth due to her own circumcision, Collà © had refused to allow her surviving daughter, Amasatou, to face the ordeal of being cut.

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Chapter 5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is exactly one month until my eighth grade graduation, and at that point I thought eighth grade would never end! It soon became 2 weeks... 1 week... and before I knew only two days to go and I’m graduating from St.Matthew School.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two days before graduation my dad and I went to the Tuscola Outlet Mall and shopped for my graduation clothes. Since I procrastinated a lot before I finally decided it was time to buy some clothes, it was really hard to find admirable clothes that fit me! So my dad and I both decided that we would try our luck over at Polo Ralph Lauren. Finally, we found some really nice clothes that fit me. I wore Khaki pants with a matching blue shirt. As we were walking out the door, I wondered if I would look good in a tie. My dad agreed that I would look good in a tie, so we drove back home, dropped off the clothes that I bought and went to another store that sells a whole bunch of ties. I found this awesome red and blue tie that looked really good with the blue shirt that I bought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During school the day before graduation, I thought that school was very fun and zestful! In first half of school, all we did was return our books to the teacher and talked about what we were going to do over the summer. The second part of the day was even more fun because we just relaxed and did completely nothing! Once school ended some, a few my friends and I rode our bikes to Greg Broeren’s house. We just played catch and basketball. That night I couldn’t sleep. I was so anxious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next morning I woke up extremely early so that I could have enough time to get dressed with my new clothes. I didn’t really eat that much breakfast, because the seventh graders were preparing us a graduation breakfast. The food was sensational except for the green-watery scrambled eggs. The principal and the head priest both gave a speech on how much the school was going to miss us.( Yeah Right!) As soon as everyone finished their breakfast, we all walked to the gym for the graduation ceremony. I received two certificates, but that’s alright! After the ceremony, we had to sing a song in front of the whole school.

History of African American Music Essay

The result is usually described as â€Å"soul music,† a mix of blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel voices. But, if Ray Charles was one of the â€Å"originators† of soul music, â€Å"Aretha Franklin reshaped it,† by bringing even more of her gospel background to bear on secular love songs (Wade and Picardie 27). By combining popular elements with her stunning voice, her great musicianship, and the feeling for a song that she learned in church, Aretha became one of the greatest soul singers to ever live. Aretha Franklin is a well-known pop, R&B, and gospel singer. She has been nicknamed â€Å"The Queen of Soul† and is an internationally known artist and a symbol of pride in the African American community. Her popularity soared in 1967 when she released an album containing songs â€Å"I Never Loved a Man†, â€Å"Respect†, and â€Å"Baby I Love You. † Throughout her career she has achieved fifteen Grammy Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Legend Awards, and many Grammy Hall of Fame Awards. In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Time magazine chose her as one of the most influential artists and entertainers of the 20th century. She sang at Dr. Martin Luther King’s funeral and at former President Bill Clinton’s inaugural party. Although she has all these accomplishments and awards there are other reasons that have driven Franklin to fame and landed her on the front cover of Time magazine on June 28, 1968. The reasons I believe allowed Aretha Franklin to become so successful are the following: Her family’s involvement with religion, the inspiring people that surrounded her, and the pain she suffered. It is clear that because her family’s involvement with religion would be one reason why Aretha Franklin became as famous as a Gospel singer. Some people would say that her love for religion is unbelievable, but after researching her childhood it is very believable. Her father, Reverend Clarence LaVaugh Franklin lived in Shelby Mississippi and preached while living the life of a sharecropper. As soon as he had enough money, he would move to Memphis, Tennessee to become a pastor of two churches. After a couple of years he attended LeMoyne College, and he studied Education and English Literature. With his education he was able to bring a more liberal view to his preaching’s. Then he moved the family to Buffalo, New York. When he had the resources, he moved the family again to Detroit, Michigan were he settled and became a pastor of a churched called New Bethel Baptist Church. He quickly became one of the most famous pastors in the city of Detroit. Aretha was two years old when they made their final move, she would grow up here and grab the emotion of Church and incorporate it into her music. Aretha Franklin’s mom, Barbara V. Skaggers, served as choir director and pianist. Aretha describes her mom as â€Å"a Superb singer, her voice was clear and distinctive†. (Franklin and Ritz, 6) Her parents taught her how to sing with great pride. This was a big issue because the late ‘50s, early ‘60s was a time of turmoil for African Americans. Her father especially tried to instill pride into her. He was a Civil Rights activist and he was a close colleague with Dr. Martin Luther King. With her parents keeping her involved in Church she was bound to become one of the world’s greatest singers. At around age 12, the father recognized Aretha’s talent as a singer. So he took her on the road with his traveling gospel show. This was important because it shows the kind of support Aretha received from her family. It was said, â€Å"She was a spellbinding performer at the age of fourteen. † (Franklin, 3) So her family really supported and inspired her to become a gospel singer. What also made her a great artist was that she had inspiring people all around her. Aretha grew up in Detroit which at the time was a rousing city or a city of hope for the African Americans running away from the brutality of the South. Though Detroit still had its problems such as race riots, many famous musicians grew up there. Also since New Bethel Baptist Church was so prominent, many musicians and political leaders used Reverend Franklin’s pulpit as a platform to sing or speak to the Black’s of Detroit. Aretha was introduced to classical music by Smokey Robinson’s sister Sylvia Burston. She listened to well known local DJ’s like Ruth Brown and Senator Brystal Brown. When Aretha was younger, she would ride her bike to the local park, and on her way home she would stop by a night club where you could here B. B. King perform. She says, â€Å"You could hear the soft sound of his guitar all the way to the sidewalk (Franklin and Ritz, 22). National and local political leaders would give there speeches. Speakers such as Dr. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. , Dr. Martin Luther King, and Reverend Jesse Jackson would speak powerfully to the church. Aretha was directly influenced by Miriam Anderson, Sammy Davis, and Roy Wilkins. Detroit was overflowing with talent and speakers which I believe also contributed to Aretha’s success. Pain was probably what really drove Aretha Franklin’s success. As stated before, Franklin’s family was highly religious and was continually involved in the Church. But that doesn’t mean that she hadn’t been through a tremendous amount of pain. Early in life her mother and father got a divorce. The father was better suitable to raise Aretha and her four Siblings. The mother moved to Buffalo, New York and tried to make regular visits to see her children. She was supported her children in the best way she could, but when Aretha needed her, she still was not reachable. Matters became worst a few years later when Aretha’s mom dies of a stroke. Aretha described her mom by saying â€Å"she was the absolute lady† (Smith, 3). At age 15 she had her first child and two years later another would come. But Aretha still wanted to go out and be with friends, so her grandmother usually babysat for her periodically. In a time when Black Activism, Feminism, and Sexual Liberation were high, she needed to provide for herself. So when Aretha was old enough and was ready to start performing, she hired a man named Ted White to be her manager. He later became her husband. In the future she would divorce him for a famous actor which would end in divorce, too. Even though in 1968 to 1969, Franklin’s career was rising rapidly. She was still described by her Producer Jerry Wexler as â€Å"a person whose depressions runs deeper than the sea† (Ritchie Unterberger, 3). Then one of Franklin’s highest admirers, gospel giant Mahalia Jackson died. Right after her death a extremely emotional gospel album was released my Aretha â€Å"Amazing Grace† This record was considered to be one of the most emotional records of its time. Much of the pain that Aretha suffered was not really publicized, but still it had to be one of the reasons for her to have such a powerful voice. Aretha Franklin was a successful artist and still inspires musicians today. Her voice is still described as incredible. She has all the awards that she needs to show her talent. Works cited Franklin, Aretha, and David Ritz. Aretha: From These Roots. New York: Villard, 1999. Print. Carroll, Jillian. Aretha Franklin. Chicago: Raintree, 2004. Print

Saint Sebastian Interceding For The Plague Stricken

The artwork that I would like to discuss is Saint Sebastian Interceding for the Plague Stricken, an oil painting done in the 1490s by Josse Lieferinxe a South Netherlands artist. (Saint Sebastian Interceding for the Plague Stricken.) I went to the Walter Art Museum and this image hidden it was in the third floor in the corner. As for the comparison I decided to choose the right, Saint Sebastian and the Bishop Saint, and for the third artwork that we had discussed in class that I’d like to discuss is the Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch. The main image is Saint Sebastian Interceding for the Plague Stricken. However what these artworks have in common is that they have a lot of movement and have the same religion. Also each artwork conveys different the messages and they have a different function. First when I saw the Saint Sebastian Interceding for the Plague Stricken I immediately knew it that the painting had to do with the Black Death. The Black Death is widely known even today because so many people were infected and it’s a major part of history. I remember seeing it in movies, history and documentary channels. The plague killed nearly one-third population of Europe. (The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe Ever.) Another thing I already knew was in the painting Christians were experiencing and witnessing sudden death because of the Black Death. There face expression of the people all seemed to be terrorized and probably the viewers during that timeShow MoreRelatedArt is Life1237 Words   |  5 Pagesturn has given us some of the most awe inspiring pieces of art even to this day. The three pieces of art that have inspired me are â€Å"The Nightmare† by Henry Fuseli, Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs, and Josse Liefernxe’s painting â€Å"Saint Sebastian Interceding for the Plague Stricken†. Widely regarded as Fuselis most prominent work, The Nightmare is an oil painting created in 1781. This painting was influenced by an early pre-romantic movement named Sturm und Drang, which was a German literary movement