Rationale and Objectives
Since seeing the film "13th," I knew I wanted to form a curriculum unit surrounding the concept of mass-incarceration and its effects on all parts of American society. What sources can students look at to further study the cases some of the interviewees of the film make? What statistics, or other theoretical or actual considerations should we take into account when studying this ever-affecting aspect of the modern American condition? Why are we just now making revelations like the film makes (some of my students gasp at some of the "revelations" of the film)? Things like: fully a third of men of color in this country end up involved in the criminal justice system. And while fully two thirds of my students are people of color, this statistic affects everyone, everywhere, and should be taught to everyone, everywhere. This represents a lingering and dangerous gap in humanities curricula, perhaps everywhere, particularly in New Haven. Imperative instructional considerations include the reasons behind mass incarceration, and how we might act and teach and live to improve it, including ruminating on the important distinction between a political issue and a moral issue, and the societal clouding of that distinction, including in the age of the current presidential administration and indeed past administrations.
It is essential for Americans to be aware of what their tax dollars pay for. The success of prisons as a business in America makes evident the tacit faith of the populous in said prisons' effectiveness in keeping our society in order. But does the average American student, for example, have the full range of information regarding what happens inside our justice system, how, and to whom? This curricular unit will work to educate my students – and any students of a teacher who decides to utilize it – with the awareness and information needed to judge for themselves the truth about how our justice system works, or doesn't work.
This is a multi-discipline (both social studies and English) humanities unit, and it will be multi-media (at very least, both film and book sources will be drawn upon). It will be important to incorporate the film and book, but also the wisdom of black artists and leaders in the study of this national condition that affects predominantly men of color. The perspective that philosophers, attorneys, politicians, teachers, musicians, writers – doers – have always had a bead on it and continue to, will therefore be a prominent theme. When during the course of our lives do we have these epiphanies, these awakenings? For our nation, the awakening is happening far too late for many men of color, especially those already caught up a system that consumes them. This unit will be intended as a foundation from which to hopefully come to it sooner for my students – whether they be a target of it, or have a friend, loved one, or simply a fellow human, known or unknown, who is.
I believe Duvernay’s film is poised to be a seminal modern source for not only these themes, but as an exemplar of opposing viewpoints. She includes testimony of experts in many fields: academia, politics, law, activism and formerly incarcerated. She includes the opposing political viewpoints, even exploring that of a representative for a big-business lobbyist. However, she does all this in a way that these testimonies seem to complement each other: i.e., the interviewees at times seem to be “arguing” with each other about particular points and topics, a very interesting style that is worth scrutiny by students.
I believe Forman’s book is poised to be a seminal source for modern black thought and perspective. It forces a culture, nay, cultures – both African-American and indeed American, still differentiable yet also not, and not necessarily opposing – to look inward and evaluate. Reflection and perspective on historical experience is constant, evaluating and re-evaluating legal decisions, cultural tensions and the reasons behind them, and prompting the reader to judge said actions, decisions, policies, and mistakes. One thing I hope to accomplish in this unit is to focus closely on the concept of tension, and the need as modern Americans to force ourselves to look hard at the hard things to look at. In his book, Forman does this and brings the reader along with him, matching meaning to form.
Both sources used in tandem are meant to simultaneously guide students through different narrative, rhetorical styles while teaching them, roots to impact, the tale of modern criminal injustice.
My time at Yale with Professor Forman and other teacher-scholars has imbued me with even more vigor and enthusiasm for the topic. It is therefore my goal to extend not only the knowledge, but also this enthusiasm to students. I have shown the film before to mixed reviews but most students at very least are moved by it, as has been gleaned through testimony, class discussion, and response projects. While studying African-American History and Literature, a focus on the history and current state of mass incarceration will bring a lot of it together in a hopeful push towards at very least awareness. There will not be beauty without pain. There will not be accomplishment without struggle. Much like the experience of the African-American.
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