Why I Dropped Everything And Started Teaching Kendrick Lamar’s New Album

Brian Mooney

When Kendrick Lamar released his sophomore album, To Pimp A Butterfly (2015), I was in the middle of teaching a unit on Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye (1970). My freshmen students were grappling with some big ideas and some really complex language. Framing the unit as an “Anti-Oppression” study, we took special efforts to define and explore the kinds of institutional and internalized racism that manifest in the lives of Morrison’s African-American characters, particularly the 11-year-old Pecola Breedlove and her mother, Pauline. We posed questions about oppression and the media – and after looking at the Dick & Jane primers that serve as precursors to each chapter, considered the influence of a “master narrative” that always privileges whiteness.

Set in the 1940s, the Breedlove family lives in poverty. Their only escape is the silver screen, a place where they idolize the glamorous stars of the film industry. Given the historical context…

View original post 2,152 more words

Mirror Symmetry: Man or Beast

tigerThe created individual resides in the wispy and blossoming snowstorms looking out the door of his balcony to the world around him. He listens to soft sound of the wind brazing the screen door and soaring through the trees. The mentality of attempting to understand the grounds of the complicated belief of the individual resides. A residence of reflection is the pillar of what has created the unknown to mankind. He, the traveller realizes to lower the expectancy level for any circumstances and is also informed to be the unknown. The unknown and unexpected has the same emotions towards each other. In order to receive such gratitude with pleasure, the first step must be embrace gracefully: low expectancy level.

 

A specimen can be the deep emotion within a victim to glamourize the identity that many travellers yearn. As the unforgiving soul, what does meaning hides anymore?

 

The tiger still remains on the other side searching for the sweet life but is not entirely concrete on whether he should part from his journey.

 

The individual, momentary ponders on the thought of previous conversion he formerly had with a friend of complicated belief. The complicated belief is human behaviour and mentality. Shortly after, the individual reflects on the conversation in a dream to awake and realize the hidden puzzle to the dilemma.

 

Is this the first step forward for the unforgiving soul that resides in the tiger and the man?

The Meaning of Contentment & Mental Health/Physical Health

MentalHealth

A young adult urgently requires the necessity of discovering balance within their lives. As societal creatures we encompass the capacity to further our paths by enduring a heavy load on the daily. The western society is and has engrained into individuals subconsciously the key elements of happiness. In example: the most common elements implemented are higher education, employment and the typical settling down with marriage. Regarding those components they are not horrible components however, the real question is whether we have loss the soul in the process of attempting these items?

The main function of society is to embrace the constant flow of human nature within the western culture. The constant flow is often noticed as the go-go-go mentality and the “hurry” individuals who are able to create positive outlook. The added stress that people embrace so dearly is slowly deteriorating our overall health: mental and physical. Majority of time we burn ourselves without acknowledging the time we need for ourselves. As speaking from experience, I have encountered this dilemma on many scenarios where I was overwhelmed of how much I have push myself physically and mentally. In all honestly, it has driven to the point of saying “Hey, Tevin, slow down for the rest of your life”. The individual meaning of slowing down has broadened to many different topics.

The one and main topic of slowing down is discovering balance and after balance come contentment. As I stated earlier every individual is discovering the way of “to fit in” into society and become similar to others. Well think about these factors when they are contributing to our health and have created stress and therefore take a toll on our expenses.

Stress, stress, stress, and people we deal with it on the regular basis, yet we choose the previous lesson we learned about managing and handling the pros and cons of stress. The balance of life comes in waves as everyone wants to become involved in so many events and program. I feel like I am preaching but I would to pass on a message to there because there is a need for balance in all of our lives. As in contentment, individuals must embrace the now and the present moment. As for those individuals in the mental health community, question yourself “Do you have a balance in your routine and your path to wellness?”

The Key To Happiness

Speaking from experience of trial and tribulations encountered throughout the years. Genetics is irrelevant, age does not determine wisdom, experience does.

Speaking from experience of trial and tribulations encountered throughout the years. Genetics is irrelevant, age does not determine wisdom, experience does.

The passion drives the urgency in the constant nature of being. The meaning of urgency is to rush pass the process. As the means appears, is to surpass the past and focus on the future.

What happen to the present? Does it have any presence within society?

We develop this notion to place emphasis on what righteously deserves value. Are people losing the image of our identity as the value increases to a major factor?
The vast level of intensity is related to the modernist culture of the individual. He begins to notice the simple complexity of nature and well-being. The selection to ability to articulate the patience required. Well respected is he who solemnly does abide the ordinary standard of environmental shift. A shift into the wrong direction, as the honest passion fades slowly into the background. The background of invisible air and the atmosphere of the religious titles. The same religious titles that claim there is end to all means.

He solely lives for himself and the company he keeps, more or less has become the family he needs. However, he still does not even know how to pronounce the word “home” in his ordinary vocabulary.

A particular day concludes the variable of motion and emotions developed throughout the individual. A preparation has been created for the college life once again in short of a few days. As he creates a challenge for the professors at a disposal and to further his intelligence, they never able to solve the equation; yet claim to be Gods.

What is the soul in every human? What defines our characteristics? Is it the same as our persona? As we continue to search for an internal meaning

What is the soul in every human? What defines our characteristics? Is it the same as our persona? As we continue to search for an internal meaning

Incidentally, it is the reality of the currently dilemma, when they are reiterating the common language in history. A suggestion is to gather the information on a daily, and existent within the altering culture. It is in our nature to repeat history but in a subliminal and misguided relevancy. One can look and might think or suggest they are right based on the information given to them.

What is knowledge as someone takes a gander of the text? The philosophy states that if an opinion is held down then it become knowledge. Never mind the statement, a philosophy professor state in the beginning that philosophers do not state opinions. Oh! Wait do not forget opinions are unsupported and biased. “Views” should be the term to consider be the proper.

What happen to attempting to figure out the answers of life? The problem is the dialogue need to gather about the individual process. Do not confuse with a belief or spirituality because to have both creates ignorance.

Ignorance is blissful towards he who has chosen the disconnection from the crowd and ventures in the unknown.

A Metro Safety Net?

image

Awaking from the nocturnal and conscious state only to analyze the repetitive dream that occur for the past two nights.

 A freelancer discovers his hard work finally paying off. As the work accomplished is being passed around through the neighbourhood to be finalized and established. The line of work is steady flowing on different entities. A new artist statement evolves to the present era.

Can these be visions or premonitions on New Years Eve? He slowly rises to his feet to and escapes immediately to the computer. He always attempts to plan out his day, however he never able to meet them. As though something else comes up but instead he greets his friend and decides to work on his writings.  As he resides in the common area, he is generating thoughts on improving each coming year. The reason he does this is because he is restless. The idea of remaining in one spot for his life bores him entirely. Killing him softly with the thought alone as he has always traveled from state to state.

A misguided family history of moving every grade during his school years has molded the person into what he has become.

So his friend want him to come with him while he makes a couple errands around the town. The initial stop is a coffee run and onwards into the snow. He hops on the bus with his friend while conversing about the agenda. Yet sitting on public transportation on the way back he does his daily reflection about the past, present and future. As a distant family is messaging in the background and blocking out background noise.  However, he must remain in the present moment with the main objective to enjoy the night entering the new years.

As the thought of school starting in less than a week, is seeping in the back of his mind. The school mentality is a normal routine in urgent need of a switch up.

The finally thought is a question. Is this home? If not then where is home?