Last reading on hooks

In the “Choosing The Margin As A Space of Radical Openness”, hooks talks about how language shapes and form who we are. She mentions that language is a place of struggle.

She emphasizes how she chooses to be marginalized so she does not belong to the group and can speak as an outside source. This is essential because she chooses to put herself to become this outside form of resource.

Respectively, many individuals use their race to justify their opinions regarding race as a topic.  One can find this “justification” on blogs or on social media websites such as twitter. In the article “Who do you think you are: Race Representation, and Cultural Rhetoric in Online spaces” by Andre Brock there were many examples of individuals using their twitter account or blogging account to comment on issues regarding race.  People used their resources to vent or share ideas.  An example of it is when an individuals justified her negative experience with Black people to criticize Ta- Nehesi Coates on his blog about the reverend (Pg. 27, Brocks).

I define “system” in which most individuals are consumed in the everyday lifestyle of getting by, which includes the actions we take every day in order to survive and the groups we choose to associate ourselves with.

I brought up this research article because it reminds me of how important it is to bring yourself outside of “the system” and think deeply and critically about the surroundings around you.

Hook states “Language is also a place of struggle” (Pg 146). This made me think about all the times we look at how language can influence or affect us. For example, media using stereotypical words when talk about minorities. 

As a communication scholar, I agree that it is important for individuals to have a difference in physical space as well as mental space. This is so you can take time to think about how you as a person fit in to the system (the one you question) and also can be able to think about how you associate yourself with the system.

I would like to highlight that hooks article made me realize that I too, should consider to marginalize myself, so I can take the time out to critically analyze my mental versus physical space. Being caught up in school, work, family and friends can sometimes take that away from you. As I start to think about how I associate myself with the “system” I hope I learn to balance the difference between making the right steps and understanding how the “system” can influence or affect us.