Last weekend I was grateful and fortunate enough to participate in the First Annual Twin Cities Brides March Against Domestic Violence. Women and men were asked to wear either wedding gowns or all white and tuxedos or all black in order to symbolize domestic violence. The inspiration for this attire was inspired by the brutal murder of a woman who was killed by an abusive ex boyfriend, on the day of her wedding. She was wearing her beautiful white wedding gown at the time of her murder. The march also became a symbol for other women who had lost their lives to domestic violence, who were never given the opportunity to wear their own wedding gown or enjoy their own wedding day. Mother's, father's, siblings, children and friends came to honor the lives of loved ones slain as a result of domestic violence. Victims and former victims also came to rejoice in the fact that they could still live, learn and find resources for help. This protest became a symbol of literacy to me and others because through uniting with one common goal (to raise awareness about and combat domestic violence) people learned that domestic violence affects all walks of life. No one is exempt, and that there are many many resources available for help. The bystanders watching brides and grooms protest against domestic violence also learned that the issue affects many people and that it can't be ignored. After all, how can you ignore 150 plus brides walking down the streets of down town St. Paul on a rainy afternoon?
Wow, that is really powerful! And that sea of white, which is not a color we associate with domestic violence. I think you are spot-on with your interpretation of the event in terms of literacy; how the world informs us, how we inform the world. As another part of literacy, the field of inquiry fits in nicely here. Why do people kill the ones they "love?" Why do people get married if they end up destroying their relationships with physical/mental/etc violence? I'm sorry I missed this event...
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing, thank you for sharing. This event has a meaning full statement to the world and is screaming it at the top of their lungs how can you not listen. Definitely literacy in peek form and breaking barriers. Domestic violence is scary. It is good to see people speaking out about it and sharing resources with others. Thanks again for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Tracy and Erin in saying that your photo is an excellent example of reading the world. From the choice of color (white associated with something so dark) to the way these people symbolize (and therefore communicate) their protest against domestic violence, you've captured an image that's quite unforgettable.
ReplyDeleteI want to reiterate Tracy's point, too, about our more nuanced definition of literacy, the one that went beyond reading/writing/listening/speaking to include meaning-making, inquiry and language study. There's no question that your photo connects to all of these elements of literacy, from the meaning we, as viewers, can attribute to the image, to the questions the image raises, to the study of language--in this case, nonverbal language.
I've mentioned this to a few people already, and I'll say it again here: Your photo would be a great conversation starter in a classroom. Just show it and ask people to talk about what might be going on before you tell them the event behind it. Have students write quick story, before or after you've revealed the purpose of event.
What kinds of cultural literacies do students' discussions and writing reveal? And how does the domestic violence protest call into question our cultural norms & fallacies?