Picking Cotton Reflection Assignment Citlali Anzaldua PSYC-4342-90L Spring 2024. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Kathleen McWhorter April 14, 2024 Picking Cotton delves into the harrowing journey of two individuals bound together by a miscarriage of justice that challenges our perceptions of truth and fairness. Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, a white college student, endures a horrific assault that shatters her sense of security. 2010). The. In her quest for justice, she is determined to put the perpetrator behind bars. During a police lineup, she identifies Ronald Cotton, an innocent Black man, as her attacker with unwavering certainty (Thompson-Cannino et al. 2010). The. This decision, made in the traumatic aftermath …show more content…
The memoir likely resonated with my own life experiences, where I’ve shown incredible resilience and empathy (Thompson-Cannino et al. 2010). The. The story of Ronald Cotton's wrongful conviction and Jennifer Thompson's journey from victim to advocate could have echoed my own struggles and the adversity I’ve overcome, like my eye surgeries and the challenges that came with them (Thompson-Cannino et al. 2010). The. The book might have also challenged some of my core beliefs, particularly around the criminal justice system's reliability, much like I've learned to question and confront through my medical journey (Stenzel 2016). Ronald and Jennifer's story highlighted for me the critical need for empathy and understanding, reinforcing my commitment to bring those values into my future medical practice (Thompson-Cannino et al. 2010). The. As I've faced food insecurity and am determined to address such issues, the book's themes of injustice and the power of redemption might have struck a chord (Thompson-Cannino et al. 2010). The. It could have strengthened my resolve to fight for those who are often overlooked or misunderstood by systems meant to protect them (Stenzel 2016). Moreover, the resilience shown by Ronald could have reminded me of my own strength in facing personal challenges, reinforcing the idea that perseverance and hope are vital (Thompson-Cannino et al. 2010). The. The memoir might have also sparked a deeper appreciation for the human capacity to forgive and the potential for growth and change, which I likely value highly as someone aspiring to heal and help others (Thompson-Cannino et al. 2010). The. In essence, "Picking Cotton" might have been a mirror reflecting my own experiences and amplifying my beliefs about justice, empathy, and the importance of personal strength. It reaffirmed my dedication to making a positive impact in the world through my chosen path in medicine, armed with the
This book gives me a conceptualized idea of what the mental impact in fighting an oppressive force feels like, as well as the necessity to have “warriors” that fight despite personal impact. While I pride Melba Pattillo Beals on her courage and perseverance, I would also like to pride her on her ability to overcome and better the life of the youth in Little Rock after she was
" I'll catch picked up for one cop," encapsulates that, denies Jasper basic rights and safety only based on his Inborn identity. This refers to exposes the deeply ingrained biases within association, illustrating the challenges faced by individuals like Jasper the one
Living in close proximity to Till's hometown and being the same age as him, Moody felt a more personal connection to his tragedy, igniting her anger to fight for racial justice. Through Till's story, Moody sheds light on the systemic injustices that fueled the Civil Rights Movement and underscores the urgency of confronting racial violence and discrimination. Anne Moody’s “Coming of Age in
Characters’ attitudes are portrayed in numerous ways. In Mark Dunn’s novel, Ella Minnow Pea, the characters’ attitudes and personalities are portrayed distinctively, especially as letters fall from a sign of a pangram and become banned from speech and writing on their island. Dunn employs word choice and symbolism in order to convey the attitudes of his characters. Dunn uses symbolism to convey a character's attitude. In the beginning of the book, Georgeanne reports her son's teacher for speaking a banned letter.
Corruption is a relevant conflict in today's society. Corruption is the dishonest conduct of those in power. In the novel Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, the author uses examples of totalitarianism, conflict, and characters to create the theme that governments with excess power are corrupt. The belief in Nollope was enforced in Ella’s society and created a corrupt government.
The evolution of Melinda’s tree sculpture reflects her psychological healing process. Through art, she finds a non-verbal way to express her emotions, which becomes a stepping stone towards regaining her voice. Mr. Freeman’s words underscore the importance of self-expression for psychological health and reinforce the idea that reclaiming one’s voice is a vital part of recovery from trauma. Melinds’s gradual transformation and eventual courage to confront her past not only signify personal redemption, but also shed light on the broader impact of speaking out against injustice and the ripple effect it can have within a
Within a week, till would be dead at the hands of a group of whites headed by two half-brothers. Till who had grown in Chicago with his mother and was unfamiliar with segregation rules of the south even though his mother talked with him about the differences before she put him on the train. Then too, till was just a young man who liked to joke around with friends and was always up for a dare possibly on a dare, till either wolf whistled or flirted In some way with the white female clerk. He may have just been trying to impress his cousins and new friends, but move would cost him his life and his mother would lose her only child. Four days later, the female clerk would tell her husband and him and his half-brother would kid nap till from his relatives home and cruelly murder him by shooting him in the head and wrapping a cotton gin fan around his neck with barbed wire. They threw his mangled body into the Tallahatchie River where it wasn’t found until three days after the murder. His mother was only able to identify his mutilated corps by his father’s ring which he wore on his ring finger. The two murders were tried by all white juries and were acquitted of the crime and even bragged about it in a national publication, but till did not die in vain because his murder such an innocent “crime” sent shock views through the nation when his open casket displayed for thousands of mourners
Analysis Through the lens of the Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, this story serves as a powerful illustration of the impact of traumatic experiences and the importance of empathy and understanding in fostering personal growth and societal
After the first few days of work Mrs. Burke immediately brought up the murder of Emmett Till, an African American boy who was savagely beaten by a group of white men because he whistled at a white woman. Mrs. Burke said, “Negroes up North have no respect for people. They think that they can get away with anything.” She was sending Anne a message as if she better watch herself and not get out of hand because of what can happen to African Americans her age. This intimidation bred Anne’s hate for the men who murdered Emmett Till and all the other whites who murdered African Americans, but she also hated African Americans for not standing up and doing something about the murders. Mrs. Burke stereotypes Anne when she is looking for a tutor for her son Wayne. Anne was able to complete Wayne’s algebra problems in no time, which came as a surprise to Mrs. Burke. She assumed that Anne was incapable of completing her white son’s problems. Anne and her brother also face prejudice from Mrs. Burke when she loses her coin purse. Mrs. Burke asks Anne if she has seen it then goes outside to harass Junior, Anne’s brother. Anne watched Mrs. Burke as “she shook him down and turned his pockets inside out.” Mrs. Burke assumed that either Anne or Junior would have stolen her coin purse because of their skin color. After this incident, Anne decides to quit her job, “I am not coming back…we work Mrs. Burke so we won’t have
(Lee) Everyone knows that Atticus is a very respectable man, but representing an African American in court when he has his kids to deal with? The people of Maycomb county think there’s too much kindness shown to this man. Scout, Atticus’s daughter, knows this first hand because of the bullying she’s received at school about her father being a “nigger-lover”. Some may argue that even though Atticus is taking the case his empathy isn’t changing anyone’s perceptions of people, but that is wrong. "Scout, said Atticus, nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody… You aren't really a nigger-lover, then, are you? I certainly am” (Lee). With this conversation, Scout realizes, by asking that question, that her father is doing something no one else in the town would dare to do. This revelation leads her to also find out that just because someone has dark skin, they are just like everyone else. Atticus, as well, knows that what he is doing is going to eventually affect his children in the right way because of how he’s going against the current popular views in society. Atticus’s empathy breaks the chains of racism against Tom Robinson
In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life” (Lee 295). When an innocent black man is convicted based on his skin color, something must be wrong with the community. Also, when comparing both races, white people often have better living and recreational conditions, such as houses and churches. When Cal takes Jem and Scout to church, Scout notices many things that are ‘odd’ to her.
Oh, Mom. Oh, Honey by Deborah Tannen is irrevocably an eye-opening article into the complex gender relationships more so mother-daughter relationships. In her research, Tannen explores the conversational differences from a feminist standpoint. Her point of interest is the expression of interpersonal relationship based on conversational interactions within the gender. As she investigates, conversations interactions within her sex are very complicated, and as a result, fraught relationships.
Sometimes no matter how innocent we are, no one believes us. The issues of race, justice, and equality presented in To Kill A Mockingbird more than 50 years ago, prove to be prevalent even in today's day and age. Despite our countless advancements and progress in numerous fields, we, as a society, are still fixated on and adhere to the primitive and outdated ideas that plague humanity from moving forward. The unjust boundaries and barriers of appearance and status we put up for ourselves, will only lead to our own downfall. Though Tom Robinson's tragic story was fictitious and set in the past, the principle and the premise of it was not, as we see in the story of African American teenager, (unnamed) . Time is the only factor that separates the tragic fate of these two people, who suffered the same prejudiced and discriminatory treatment, despite being completely guiltless.
In recounting the event, they contemplate what went wrong and what they would have done differently if given the chance again. That evening has a profound effect on the lives of the three survivors, who have problems emotionally dealing either with what happened that evening or the consequences of their actions that evening, especially in the issue of if the justice system was
By the distasteful comments and treatment given by others, Steinbeck portrays how black people are vulnerable victims of racial discrimination and are disparaged. In the book, Crooks once had a glimpse of hope in George’s “dream plan”.