On the first day of Freshman Inquiry Seminar class, Ms. K passed out a sheet with two distinct pieces of media and asked us how we felt about it. At first, I was confused as to why these two females were being compared when clearly they had nothing in common except for the fact that they were both being escorted by four men. After Ms. K went over the historical background behind the two pictures, I was furious. Ruby Bridges was the first woman of color to attend a public school, while Betsy DeVos is a billionaire who became the secretary of education in 2017. DeVos is facing opposition to the changes she wants to implement in public schools. These changes are a result of her preference for Charter Schools over Public Schools. How could somebody dare to compare these two struggles after all the hardships African Americans went through in order to obtain the right to education? The least they deserve is respect, and comparing Ruby Bridges to Betsy DeVos does nothing but disrespect the legacy of Ruby Bridges and the activists who did everything in their power to provide African Americans with the same legal rights as the rest of the American population.
The first piece of media, “The Problem We All Live With” by Norman Rockwell, is a painting illustrated on the issue of the January 14, 1964 magazine “Look.” Rockwell was inspired by the commemorable walk of Ruby Bridges which desegregated the all-white William Frantz Elementary School. The six-year-old was surrounded by four US Marshals because she was being treated violently by individuals who did not accept the fact that the segregation had been put to an end. On the wall beside her, there is a tomato splattered as well as two discriminatory words. The purpose of the painting is to inform and encourage young women of color to pursue an education. Although Bridges was not accepted, she stood tall, proud, and walked with purpose, which shows other females like her that they should not be intimidated by what others think of them. However, the second piece of media, “Trying to Trash Betsy DeVos,” is a cartoon by Glenn Mccoy published on February 13, 2017. The purpose of the cartoon is to inform the public that Betsy DeVos is not wanted in public schools and as a result is facing opposition. It depicts Devos being escorted by four men perhaps, her guards, the words “conservative” and “NEA” (National Education Association) are written on the wall beside her, and just like in “The Problem We All Live With” a tomato is splattered on the wall.
“The Problem We All Live With” falls into several categories, but the most relevant are nonfiction and empowerment. It is nonfiction because the painting is a visual representation of what really happened when Bridges first walked into William Frantz Elementary School. The piece of art also falls within the category of empowerment because I’m sure that when other females saw how unaffected by her surroundings and focused on getting her education Ruby was, they must have been inspired to do the same. Although I enjoy nonfiction media because it accurately shows what is happening instead of the fantasies that other genres portray, my favorites are those with empowering females that make their own choices. Personally, I have never been into politics. Back when I lived in the Dominican Republic, I got to experience how self-centered and egoistic politicians are. Their campaigns are based on false promises to get voters to blindly follow them; when they finally get the power they desire, they pretend like nothing was promised. Seeing the political cartoon “Trying to Trash Betsy DeVos” just reminded me why I hate politics so much. It is rude how the cartoonist drew a satire out of such a delicate situation just to attract attention.
Looking at pictures, reading books and watching movies about racism angers me a lot. What irritates me the most is that even after years of being abolished it still lingers in our society. A clear example of it is our current president Donald Trump who is known for making multiple controversial statements about minorities. Additionally, his cabinet is mostly composed of white men, an issue that has been a hot topic of discussion lately. Seeing how Bridges was being treated reminds me of how Pecola Breedlove was treated on “The Bluest Eyes” by Toni Morrison – a book that demonstrates the effects of racism on the black community. In this story, the characters who belong to the black community are forced to accept the status (of outsiders) which had been imposed by the white community. I connect how Pecola felt to how Ruby must have felt after being treated so violently.
Seeing the cartoon comparing Ruby Bridges to Betsy DeVos affects me so much because as a woman of color, I recognize that I would not have the opportunity I have today of pursuing an education in the medical field if it would not have been for all those individuals that fought in the civil rights movement and finally desegregated schools. Seeing the painting of Ruby Bridges encourages me to do my best to get my degree. My desire and drive to become a doctor used to be solely based on getting a better future, this painting inspired me to make use of all the resources that are offered to me in honor of those females that were not given the opportunity to pursue an education.
The experience of viewing and discussing these two images in class showed how the interpretation of art varies depending on your personal experiences. There is a numerous amount of attitudes and audiences in America. I feel more connected with “The Problem We All Live With” because Rockwell’s targeted audience is young females with a historical background similar to mine. On the other hand, there are many people who support Glenn Mccoy and what is depicted in his cartoons. Although everybody is entitled to an opinion, I cannot seem to understand how the criticism that Bridges faced as a result of her skin color could be remotely similar to DeVos’ criticism based on the decisions she has made throughout her career. Betsy DeVos is not welcomed in public schools but she is not Ruby Bridges.
After observing and evaluating the historical painting that showed Ruby Bridges on her first day at a public school and the political cartoon comparing Bridges and DeVos, I started to think about public education and how much I and millions of children and teenagers have benefited from it. Betsy DeVos’ decisions could threaten the very same system that Ruby Bridges and many others fought to obtain. It is ironic how the person who is trying to destroy the public education system is being victimized by being compared to the person who is the reason why so many females of color have access to education now. After analyzing the two artworks, my dislike for politicians and how they use individuals for their own advantage is even stronger.
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