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Unit 2: Reflective Annotated Bibliography (Good Trouble)
- View and write down main ideas:Â John Lewis, Â CCNY 2019 Commencement Speech
- Read and write down main ideas: John Lewis, “Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation”
- Understanding-Unit-2Â PPT
- Answer below:
- 1. After reading Lewis’s editorial and watching his CCNY speech, what ideas do you think are important? What does he mean by good trouble? Do you think you have ever pursued, or wanted to pursue, good trouble in your own life?
- 2. Write a 1-paragraph Unit 2 topic proposal: what you’re thinking of writing about, why you’re interested in it, what you think or know about it already, and some potential questions you have.
“Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation,” published by The New York Times, explained that the country should be standing up for what they believe in and voting. Lewis wrote: “Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are critical. John lewis conveys his message to the people fighting for equal rights for a better nation. He expressed this by talking about the Black Lives Matter movement that is going on right now. We are fighting for the same rights and equality that he was all those years ago. When covid hit, it felt like we were going to war. We were dealing with the BLK movement, and we were trying to get our name out there. By the way, we have been treated by the police and their community, and there are so many people can do, for example, john lewis by giving his time to dedicate his life to speak on situations like this. Still, enough is enough, and it feels like nothing is changing.
2. Write a 1-paragraph Unit 2 topic proposal: what you’re thinking of writing about, why you’re interested in it, what you think or know about it already, and some potential questions you have.
Something that has been highly triggering that has been happening for years but has been worse than ever nowadays is kidnapping and rape. This is something that I have been looking into for years since I walked into high school. Two sensitive topics but needs to be talked about way more. Watching the news every night has been a routine since I started walking home from school I always wanted to know what was going in the world, but it felt like the rate of kidnapping young woman have been extremely high lately. As a young woman growing up in Brooklyn, New York, still taking transportation, it’s pretty hard feeling safe when you have men trying to hit on you on trains walking home or trying to touch you, and it isn’t cool and should be talked about and has to be stopped. In my years of growing up, I had plenty of experiences where men were extremely very obsessive. No one talks about the woman who has been quiet if they have been raped or touched by men or when they say”no” Plenty of cases are catching dust in police departments and need to be reopened again so women my age can feel safe again.
Hi Cynthia,
Very important issue. How might this be framed in terms of researching a topic? Can this be narrowed down at all?
After reading Lewis’s editorial and watching his CCNY speech, Lewis explained that the country’s soul can be redeemed by getting involved in the democratic process and voting.
John Lewis talks about the Black Lives Matter Movement and how it is fighting for equality and rights for all Americans. We have been treated very poorly by the police and the community, and there are so much people who can do to make a difference. For instance, John Lewis has given his time to speak out against this oppression.
Hi Keon,
Good start here. What issue do you think you might want to research for Unit 2?
1. In the speech, John Lewis brings up his past childhood in the middle. He mentioned that he was 4 years old in 1944 and at that time was segregation. To prove that, he said “When I was growing up in rural Alabama and would see those signs that said White men, colored men, White women, colored women, white waiting, colored waiting.” That just shows what time period he was in at that time. Good trouble means keeping each other safe in a system that criminalizes Blackness. I would pursue good trouble because for example my own ethnic group tend to get involved in chaotic situations and with no use of violence like the salt march.
2. Something I wish that can be prevented was getting involved into a brawl with people who are my enemy. This is something not everyone sees on their daily lives but once or twice it can occur out of nowhere. When someone or a group of people want to deescalate a beef, the best way is to talk it out and not use violence. In news or media, they show someone hospitalized or dead due to violence and to me its scary because my ethnic group use extreme in any conflict and avoid all talking. People who want to deescalate any beef would fight most of the time and the use of violence should end because individuals get hurt and more consequences can occur. It is tough trying to get your patience together but in situations without any violence, you should keep your cool and don’t get angry. The last brawl I was in was 2 days after I graduated High School and after the brawl, my friends and enemies ended up on the citizen app twice on two different locations in Brooklyn. The best way to end any beef is to just talk it out and don’t hurt another human being.
Hi Rafi,
This is interesting. How do you think you might frame this in terms of current events? (Unit 2 asks you to think about a current issue you’re passionate about. )
1 After reading Lewis’s editorial and watching his CCNY speech, The ideas I think are important to me is when John Lewis mentioned ” we need each and every one of us to lead our nation to a better place ” each of us has right to change the by speaking out about injustice , racist , corruption , no matter the cost and when you see something that is not right ,not fair ,not just , you have to speak up and do something about it to change it , or by voting .
getting in good trouble for me as citizen we must stand up and united for the equality and justice of all humankind ,united we stand divided we fall .when we are together we understand , support , and unite with others who may be different than us but in many way the same . wherever their injustice happen or corruption in The world i speak up about on the social media and participated such holding rallies , marches , ect …. when their was BLM protest in new York city i participated and as Muslim and Human being I condemn The violence against UIghurs people in china .
2. Write a 1-paragraph Unit 2 topic proposal: what you’re thinking of writing about, why you’re interested in it, what you think or know about it already, and some potential questions you have. Something that I would like to write and speak up is to stop racist and discrimination around the world For me nobody born as racist person but most of learn that while we were young When our family members or friends express racist opinions, it’s common that we will take on those views ourselves. The problem is that, unless we do something change about it, they can stay with us for a lifetime.
after all There is no biological differences between peoples and no race superior or inferior to another were all the same.
”A person is either your brothers in faith ,or your equal in Humanity ”
Hi Mamadou,
Racism is an extremely important issue. I suggest thinking about how to narrow that down- time period/ place/ group/ policy… perhaps you are interested in prejudice being passed down across generations?
1. The more ideas that were stated in Lewis CCNY speech is the people should get more involved and stand for what they believe in. What he mean by good cause is doing something to help benefit other people by taking risks because it is something that needed to be done. From what I can think, I can’t really think of any good trouble in my life.
2. One thing I want to write about that I am interested is the immigrant kids that are locked up and separated from their own families. I am interested on writing this is because this is truly unfair and cruel to the kids that are apart from their family and will probably see their family again.
Hi Anthony,
Very important and terrible issue. I suggest narrowing down the topic by time and place—
“In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars”. John Lewis witnessed a lot of terror back when he was little. At the time, he said that anything outside his own family circle is a no go area because he knew the state of society was very toxic and selfishly demanding. He even said going for a morning run or going over to the supermarket to get skittles was terrifying. That statement reflects the life that was once lived by a lot of struggling Native, Black, or African Americans.
“If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel’s Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain”. John Lewis goes on to recount the casualties of individuals who were targeted by those who use race, class, age, language, and nationality to seize control of the country. He said “fear constrained us like an imaginary prison”; A way for him to express the dangers that were once residing within these walls that we call The United States of America.
“You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. Millions of people motivated simply by human compassion laid down the burdens of division”. John Lewis expresses his gratitude to the current generation for standing against what is wrong and barbaric and standing with freedom and self-awareness. “So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide”. Letting love and peace move us instead of negative ideals and unwanted hatred. That’s the future that John Lewis hopes to see.
The life of Nelson Mandela is the subject of my research. A noble gentleman who brought a charitable cause to South Africa in order to make it a better place to live.
Hi David,
You’re off to a good start here. Nelson Mandela’s work is a very important topic. For Unit 2, you could think about what aspect to research. Is there a particular area or idea you’d want to focus on—for example, how some of his work relates to current events in Africa or elsewhere?
1.One idea I think is good is that you must never give up on something you believe that requires a change in life. What John Lewis meant by good trouble is that there many things in the world that change is needed in a good way but consequences can come your way. I personally never persued good trouble or in my own life.
2. I think about Writing about Mental health, I think mental health is not only interesting but very important in life, having bad mental health can lead to many problems in life like depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts etc.
In the CCNY Speech, the main idea that john lewis was speaking about was how he was inspired by Martin Luther King to get in good trouble because of it risks he is willing to take. He also goes on about his memories as a little boy growing up in Alabama experiencing segregation and how he didn’t understand it. finally, he talks about how people need to come together to make their counties better
I want to speak about having mental health as a student and the struggle that students go through mentally with school and or life.
I know there is already someone else speaking about this topic but also wanted to share my ideas and what I know and learned about this topic
Hi Victor,
Researching mental health for college students and young adults is an important and worthy topic.
1.After reading and watching John Lewis speech the most important ideas that caught my attention were the fact that mainly people of color were being killed. Back than people weren’t able to speak up for themselves or even speak for other people because of them being so afraid of the consequences. When he mentions “good trouble “ by that he means that when you have an idea of solution about a problem or any situation, you should enforce it more. John is trying to teach many Individuals who are afraid to speak up how to bring their ideas to light, it may make a change one day. I believe that I haven’t pursued a good trouble yet but one day I’ll definitely speak up.
2. Rape is a huge issue around the world today. Most definitely a worldwide issue and can have a huge impact of anyone’s life. There are also many stigmas that comes with rape which is why most people who gets raped , won’t speak up. Nine times out of ten the individuals doing the rape is threatening the victim to never speak up , if not then they are getting bribed. Whether the victim speak up or not it is still a crime.
Hi Mawa,
This is an important issue. Is there a way to narrow it down in terms of time period, culture, movement (for example, #metoo), place, or specifics?
1. After reading Lewis’s editorial and watching his speech, an important lesson he is saying is that it is not beneficial for society to watch injustice happen, and believe it will get better. In fact, he says to get into good trouble. This means that people should stand up for others because they have a moral obligation to do so. People have to act and actively stand up to injustice, even if that means getting in trouble. Personally, if I see someone who needs help, I will help them. I would do this even if I would get into good trouble in my life.
2. A topic that I am interested in writing about is how people in the LGBTQ community are treated in different countries. I recently became aware that it is currently illegal to be gay in many countries in the world. In fact, it is so severe that it is legal to punish being gay with death in some countries. I wonder if in those countries people fight for LGBTQ rights, and how the government feels about people in that community. In addition, I want to know if and how many people escape those countries in order to live freely.
1After reading Lewis’s editorial he conveys an important message Lewis mentioned ” we need each and every one of us to lead our nation to a better place ” this line caught my interest because Lewis is right we can’t lead this nation by ourselves we need to support each other so we can all understand each other and stand as equals. As for the line where Lewis talks about getting into good trouble I think what he means standing in what you believe in even though you know others won’t understand or agree in your beliefs.
2 The topic I’m interested in talking about is the NYC mandate that requires professional basketball player Kyrie Irving to take the vaccine in order to play on the Brooklyn Nets. As some people know that New York is now having jobs require workers to get vaccinated in order to continue their jobs like firefighters, police officers, and other city workers. The mayor has been pushing for this since October and even giving workers a extra $500 incentive in their paycheck for the first shot but not a lot of people is convinced to take the vaccine forcing them to take leave from their jobs without pay
Lamar,
Looks good- please proceed with Unit 2!
1:After watching Lewis’s speech and reading his article he mainly explains the fact that the American people should stand up for the things they believe in . He talks about getting what you want using good trouble . Good Trouble means to fight for what you believe in using things like voting to achieve it .In his article he stated , “America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key”. Personally i have never needed to do this however he is right and this is a good way to achieve what you feel is right without any violent actions
2: One topic I am considering talking about is the black lives matter protests of 2020.
This movement began early 2020 and was related to the high number of colored individuals being mistreated by law enforcement,9 times out of ten resulting in the death of the colored person whether they were innocent or not . This is my motivation to write about this topic because I am also a colored person so it kind of puts a sense of fear in me to know that things like this happen often . This topic also brings certain questions to my head. For example what do colored people feel when they get pulled over or stopped by the police , and will this protest even make a change?
Excellent. Please proceed with Unit 2
ok thankyou and sorry i think i posted my comment twice
1.Some good things to come from this speech is that if you have something that you wanna do then just pursue that. In the John Lewis video when he mentions Good Trouble he means that if there is something you wanna do then no one is stopping you. YOU HAVE NO LIMITS. I have pursued a dream when I was younger I joined a cooking club because when I was younger I always wanted to be a chef. But when I was younger no one thought that I would ever be able to cook. But They were very wrong. Nowadays I’m the best cook you could ever find.
2.Something that I’m thinking about is Mental health for kids in High School. I’m thinking about how a lot of kids address that they suffer with mental Health Disorders and are still being brushed off from all of there Disorders.
Very important, Nigel. Proceed with Unit 2!