This is a guest blog post by De La Salle Academy's Social Justice / Community Service eighth grade class highlighting resources they have researched and chosen to recommend to you, the reader! Led by Ms. Nadine Carroll, the students held weekly meetings in the library to discuss social justice issues important to them.

By reflecting on contemporary events of famous individuals who use their public status in activism—such as Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers—the students sought to demonstrate that recent activism is part of a pattern of celebrities using their power to seek change. With bibliographic instruction and discussions facilitated by Ms. Carroll and Mr. Jonathan Waechter, the students researched the history of past famous figures whose actions are mirrored in activism by current stars.

Listed below are resources recommended by the students that emphasizes former luminaries’ activism and its effects on the world today. Each resource is complemented with the student’s perspective, reflection, and takeaway.

Come visit the Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd St, Room 67, to see their display of books (as seen on the right) and other materials that the students wished to feature. All materials are part of the circulating collection of the library and are available for check out!

Game, Set, Match: Billie Jean King & the Revolution in Women’s Sports (e-book)
Reflection by Grace

“This e-book with 6 chapters, an epilogue, and a prologue, is a great source to learn more about Billie Jean King and the history and social development of women’s sports. Billie Jean King, according to the book, stated that she loved being a successful tennis player because she could 'make social change' with her platform of fame while being a tennis player and an advocate for both feminism and gay rights. King was also 'living a lie,' according to the book, since she remained secretive about being attracted to other women for most her life and career. She did not want to harm the reputation of women’s tennis, nor did she want to be rejected by her family. The idea of a gay tennis star was incomprehensible to the world during the majority of King’s tennis career. The book also talks about an interview with Billie Jean King through which she states, 'My job in the match… was to change the hearts and minds of people to match the legislation of Title IX [the law that prohibits discrimination because of someone’s sex in any government-funded organization or activity] … to get going towards a world where we had equality for both genders.' Billie Jean King continues to support equity for both men and women. There is even a stadium in Queens named after her called the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.”

Discovering Marlon Brando
Reflection by Christelle

“This documentary on Marlon Brando covers every subject from his troubled childhood living with an abusive father and alcoholic mother, to his use of the raw emotion he felt in the moments of abuse to strengthen his skills in acting. It explored his tremendous talent in the art of acting as well as his many contributions to the civil rights movement. The documentary talks about his stance on Native American rights as well as his participation in the march on Washington and other marches with Martin Luther King Jr.  It mentioned that he joined picket lines that protested against the housing laws implemented on the Native Americans. It also mentioned his background with segregation growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, the effects it had on him, and why it influenced him to join the civil rights movement. He fought on behalf of many minorities and used his platform to protests injustices within these communities.”

Hollywood Connection: Audrey Hepburn Remembered (via Kanopy)
Reflection by Ashley

“A film called Hollywood Collection: Audrey Hepburn Remembered is an hour long movie/film that shows her talent as an actress and as a Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations International Children's’ Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The film also shows how she travels around the world to help unfortunate children with specific parts focusing on her UNICEF work. Audrey Hepburn used her fame as an actress and when she started working for UNICEF in the later years of her life, she gained fame for that too. She was aided by UNICEF as an adolescent after the war, so she became an UNICEF ambassador. UNICEF was founded in 1946 to help children by protecting their rights and well being and mainly go to developing countries to help out with community service programs in health care, children's’ education, clean water, and hygiene. This source is sufficient because it mainly focuses on Audrey Hepburn’s humanitarian work as opposed to her actress life.”

Ray Charles: The Makings of a Soul Legend (via the Atlantic Records website)
Reflection by Jaden

“There have been many musical greats who have stood up for social justice over the years, but one example of a persistent supporter for social justice in music history was Ray Charles, the creator of soul. An article by Ebonie Smith for Atlantic Records gives a brief overview of his life, how he became blind at an early age and got into music to first make financial ends meet, but gradually gained commercial success from it. It also tells how Charles fused many different types of music together to create soul music. Not only was the recently invented music category of soul new, but it also shifted and changed the relationships of the races to a more amiable and community-like way. The article tells that due to inventing the music genre of soul, which resulted from fusions with other types of music, Ray Charles also broke the chains of racial segregation and discrimination, as he created a mixture of many cultures embedded in the music used to create soul. These aspects of the article are also reasons why I chose this resource as my online source.

The article is a good choice for the online/blog resource because it goes into depth about what Ray Charles faced while becoming the person that he is known to be. It tells about how Charles protested against social injustice, mainly racial discrimination and segregation, such as the time when he refused to play a concert in Georgia due to the fact that he would have to play in front of a segregated audience. Also, not only does it mention real, material events to support Charles’s beliefs for social justice, but the article talks about how his music also shaped the culture of America. It states how Ray Charles’s soul music improved the relationships between races, and destroyed the chains of racial discrimination. The article explains how Charles expressed what he, as a member of the African-American community, felt and dealt with in society: through his music. Due to these reasons, I believe that this article is a solid choice for an online resource.”

In Depth with Graham Bensinger - Jim Brown: Breaking Racial Barriers for Black actors (via YouTube)
Reflection by Maren

“In this interview, Jim Brown talks about breaking racial barriers for actors. He stated that ‘filming a romantic scene all day is harder than a 60-minute football game.’ This is because he is breaking racial barriers on screen rather than playing a segregated football game. Jim Brown said he had learned to deal with segregation in the past while on the football field but he had never been expected to or assumed he would ever be one of the first two actors to perform a bi-racial love scene on camera. When filming the love scene it was considered ‘hard’ for actor Raquel Welch as she was a white actress and was taught the stereotypes of black men while Jim Brown said he was a gentlemen and very respectful. He also said that after shooting the love scene on the first day he did not expect to go back to professional football because he did not want to return to a place where there was still segregation though he did enjoy football. While he did many marches to prevent urban gangs and the harassment towards convicted felons on the field, acting was another way that Jim Brown stood up for Civil Rights for Black people. He stood up as an activist in not only 100 Rifles but also the Dirty Dozen.”

42 (DVD)
Reflection by Isaias

“The movie shows how Jackie Robinson dealt with racism. The video shows how a person from the opposing team called out Jackie Robinson for being black and said he does not belong in the major league baseball field. The video also shows how Jackie Robinson’s friend stood up for him when he confronts the opposing player telling him to stop. The video shows how Jackie Robinson cannot fight back, but the video also shows Jackie Robinson's skill in baseball and how he was unfazed by the verbal abuse he received. This a great resource because it shows how Jackie Robinson was forced to stay passive and how he relied on his friend.”

Rolling Stone Biography on Tupac Shakur
Reflection by Junior

“Tupac Shakur, (also known as 2Pac), was a famous and successful rapper who was known for his violent, but meaningful lyrics. The biography provides details on his childhood, early life, and career. While his 1995 album, Me Against the World, became extremely successful, Shakur served time in prison. Tupac became the first artist to reach Number 1 on the Billboard charts while serving a prison sentence. The hit single "Dear Mama" gave a depth of feeling that led some critics to reconsider this work as a rapper. Tupac was released after serving just eight months in prison and was looked upon as a meaningful rapper.”
(Rolling Stone is accessible via the catalog)

They Didn’t #TakeTheKnee: The Black Power Protest Salute That Shook the World in 1968
Reflection by Temi

“The article that I found is based on Tommie Smith’s most popular protest. The article starts off comparing Tommie’s protest to Colin Kaepernick’s protest. The article compares both protests by saying ‘They didn’t #TakeTheKnee. Instead they raised a fist.’

In Colin Kaepernick’s protest he kneels down (takes a knee) and in Tommie Smith’s protest he raises his fist in silence, similar to Colin’s silent protest. Tommie Smith and his teammate John Carlos both won the gold and the bronze medals in a 200-meter sprint. As they both showcased their medals along with the person with the silver medal, the national anthem began. Both Tommie Smith and John Carlos had planned out their string of protests carefully. While they walked to their podiums they removed their shoes from their feet to protest poverty. Then they wore beads and scarves to protest against lynchings, and lastly, while the national anthem played, they lowered their heads in defiance instead of singing along to the national anthem and they both put up their fists, each wearing a black glove. Many faces were shocked while many were angry and disappointed. After showing such defiance, both Tommie Smith and John Carlos were asked to leave the stadium.

In an interview after their most popular protest, John Carlos said, ‘I looked at my feet in my high socks and thought about all the black poverty I’d seen from Harlem to East Texas. I fingered my beads and thought about the pictures I’d seen of the ‘strange fruit’ swinging from the poplar trees of the South.’ Carlos also shares his experience while he protested with his fist up, ‘As the anthem began and the crowd saw us raise our fists, the stadium became eerily quiet. There’s something awful about hearing fifty thousand people go silent, like being in the eye of a hurricane.’

When John Carlos and Tommie Smith returned to the United States, they were suspended from their U.S. track team and they received many death threats. Both Tommie Smith and John Carlos do not regret their actions, in fact John Carlos said, ‘I had a moral obligation to step up. Morality was a far greater force than the rules and regulations they had.’”
(Washington Post is accessible via the catalog)

USA Today: Hank Aaron Defends Colin Kaepernick: 'Give Him a Chance'
Reflection by Ricardo

“Hank Aaron, baseball legend, was recently interviewed based on the situation with Colin Kaepernick and the kneeling down. Aaron says it is right for Colin Kaepernick to take a knee during the national anthem especially because he is an athlete so he uses his fanbase and popularity to influence others especially young ones to do the right thing and stand for justice instead of discrimination. During the interview, Hank Aaron said he wishes more people would stand up for what they believe is right and what they think should be done. Aaron believes people who have not said anything are bystanders and aren’t using their fanbase right by using their popularity to influence the way others think. This interview would be very attractive to the people today since an elder that once played in the MLB and holds a rank in the Hall of Fame judges the way people are living today and incorporates the rumors and topics that are going on today. People today follow these sports and most likely know about these issues because of social media. The interview also attracts people who are interested in other sports besides baseball and football. The interview can also be heard by people of all ages because it includes a person living in the 20th and 21st century and he is able to differ the characteristics of both.”
(USA Today is accessible via the catalog)