Below is a video that started why I became so engaged and curious about this issue and this video is also where I analyzed and reviewed my Rhetorical Analysis.
The Voice of A Target
by: Andrea Santos
Do you know how/what it feels like to be a target? A target by society and a target of the one who are supposed to protect you. They are targeting you based on your race or your skin color. Hence, you have a lot of questions why they are always targeting you. “Why? Why am I a target? Why are they targeting me?” is the abiding question of young men of color today. We all know how huge an issue Racial Discrimination is in America, mainly back in the mid-20th century. The most prominent issue was the racism of African-Americans. Many people have said that society has changed. Racial Discrimination has been long gone and that issue was addressed. Although apparently it is still evident in the eyes of people who are still experiencing it. Racial Discrimination is still evident because the youth, particularly young men are aware that they are being targeted on a daily basis and this is highlighted from a short video by Just Us Project. Kiri Laurelle Davis, an African-American filmmaker, collaborated with Rootstrong a non-profit organization presented a short PSA video titled “Our Lives Matter” regarding young men of color voice out what they feel being a target. Davis created an interesting video concerning the brutality and extrajudicial killing, murders of young black men to the police in September of 2014. Davis gathered ages 3 to 17 African-American and Latino boys to courageously question and take a stand against racial targeting. These young boys are holding a target sign with a statement or an image of their inquisition. An empathetic music was also played in the first part of the video, this is to advocate viewers a feeling of compassion, showing them how these young men feel about being a target.
Through the persuasion of creativity and a passion in film and advocacy, Davis directs a message to inform the longing presence of Racial Discrimination and the brutal killings of these young men thus urging an end to this issue. Kiri Laurelle Davis efficiently used ethos, pathos and logos to inform the police and the public that Racial Discrimination is still visible. Further, this information can also provide a voice for these young men that are being targeted.
The first African-American boy that was shown in the video asked the question “WHY?” This query is the main question of every human being facing an obstacle in their lives, inquiring situations that are happening to them. Through this query it is first shown that there is a social issue that is being addressed. This acknowledges the pathos of Davis’ informative video, showing the young men especially small kids who are aware and encountering Racial Discrimination on their everyday lives. Davis further promotes pathos by showing the shame and confusion of these young men. They eagerly asked the questions, “Why are the people that are supposed to protect me attacking me? Why are you afraid of me? Why am I afraid of people who are supposed to protect me? Why do you only stop if it is me?” These accusations are thrown by the young men in her video to elicit the inequity they are getting from the people who are “supposed” to protect them. Thus, informing the people who are to protect them, the police for that matter if they are doing their job which is to protect and be lawful to all citizens. This conveys how ruthless they are to them. The injustice is so evident if these young boys know this happens to them or other people who they might know. This also shows the viewers’ great sense of compassion for the young boys because in a very young age, they are well-informed about this, realizing it and suffering from this matter. Other questions that demonstrate pathos that they voice out was, “Why do you have low expectations of me? Why can’t I breathe?” This greatly shows the discrimination the police or the society have for them and how lowly they think of them. Because of their race they are being downgraded and patronizing to be weak people. Their statement of “Why can’t I breathe?” convinces the police and the society that it’s too much to handle and there has to be an end to this issue.
Davis greatly used ethos for her video to establish the reader's trust. The first few inquisitions from the young men that she filmed were “Why are you following me? Why my hoodie is makes me look suspicious? Why does my music make me dangerous?” Davis informs that they are being discriminated based on how they look and what interests them. They are also being discriminated because of how they are, even if they don’t know them as a person. Moreover, she further employs ethos by astonishing the viewers of how driven and eager the young boys are to achieve their dreams and aspirations. They confidently said the statements “Because I have dreams. Because I can change the world. Because I will make a difference. Because I can lead the country. Because I am determined. Because I am a scholar”. This remarkably persuades the viewers that they should not be abused, killed and downgraded because they are not nothing. They are something. They are determined human beings who have a goal in life and they will achieve it and be successful someday.
Kiri Laurelle Davis also highlighted from the young boys the statements “Because I have a family. Because I have a future. Because I am someone’s friend, brother, son. Because someone loves me. Because my life matters too. All lives matter and so did theirs. This builds the logos in her video. Logos which employ reason and logic. These clear statements show that viewers, especially the police must know already. She’s convincing and forcing the audience to think about the families and all the lives that was lost and how the families are now without them. Additionally, they should know that everyone has a future and indeed all lives do matter. Lastly, the end statement of the video was “Justice or Just Us” strikingly persuade the viewers that if there is really Justice in our country or in our community or it’s just the “important” people that matters and has it?
Hence, through a constructive and varied use of pathos, ethos and logos, Kiri Laurelle Davis creatively and strongly gave a Voice for the young men who experience, who suffer and died from Racial Discrimination from the police and the society. She successfully helped express and voice out how this issue affects the lives of the young men. From making a significant and descriptive video this means of communication can help change lives by shaping people’s perspective of them and maybe someone will make a change. Because this issue is ignored and put to the side, she informed people that this is happening to the young men and it must be stopped. From Davis’ informative video gives us realizations that there are people living with this situation. What if we were in their shoes? Picture yourself being them and imagine being a target. Now, do you know how/what it feels like to be a target?
WORKS CITED:
Davis, Kiri Laurelle. “Our Lives Matter”. Youtube.com. 21 December 2014. Web. 29 October 2015.