tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9010086309974781816.post7641880477856276963..comments2013-05-14T17:38:17.881-07:00Comments on GW English 3810: 20th Century U.S. Black Freedom Movements Class Blog: Was Oral Expression Better? Elizabeth Pittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257158252306308004noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9010086309974781816.post-71856846782596686352013-03-28T15:14:02.218-07:002013-03-28T15:14:02.218-07:00I think that this post ties in well to our previou...I think that this post ties in well to our previous discussions of art and authenticity. An important point that I want to make in response to your question about the strength of black poetry and music is that artistic expression is always up for interpretation. Sometimes what a song lyric means to a song writer will not translate as the same thing to its listener. While you can argue that something is then lost in its intended meaning, one of the best parts of music is that it can mean so many different things to so many different people. Obviously a certain element is lost in translation when a poem is read from a piece of paper rather than from the mouth of its author, but art helps to exercise the mind of the receiver. During the Civl Rights Movement artistic expression pushed the envelope of society, it made people question justice and equality- it made people stand up and act. Oral expression may be better, but it does not diminish the value of a piece of art. Molly Finerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11935839325204361603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9010086309974781816.post-69651659934272531672013-03-28T00:38:57.006-07:002013-03-28T00:38:57.006-07:00Amanda, you bring up an interesting topic. I do be...Amanda, you bring up an interesting topic. I do believe Baraka's criticism are true to an extent, that black literature holds an element of white structure because often editors and publishing boards were dominated by whites and therefore, could force the author to rewrite his or her novels to cater to a wider white audience. But then his criticism makes me wonder though, what is black literature? I've read novels by the works of Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and Richard Wright, and while reading them, I never got the impression that they were styled to imitate white literature (but I'm white, so this could explain it) or that it was weak for that matter.<br />Certainly, I do think oral art carries strength through the use of AAVE because one can hear emotions and tones that are otherwise left out in writing, and just these sounds are enough. <br />I'm not sure if it's easier to seem more authentically a part of black culture by using some mediums over others, but there are propensities to choose certain mediums over others. I notice that speeches and sermons are much more revered by the black community than by the white community. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com