We The People” and “I Am America”
“We The People” and “I Am America”
“I Am America”, was the image that embodied the efforts against newly elected president Trump (Helmore, 2017). Munira Ahmed’s image was used in posters at rallies and protests all over the country. Her image symbolized the people’s struggle for equality in an atmosphere full of resentment and suspicion of the “other”. Photographer Ridwan Adhami’s portrait of Ahmed was instrumental for the resistance efforts, but it wasn’t until ten years later that the stylized version of the original was used. The poster image was created by American graphic artist Frank Shepard Fairey, “I Am America” was transformed to “We The People”, thus becoming the face associated with the anti-Muslin ban. The poster challenged the notion of American identity. The poster is a stark reminder that America is not made up of one, but of many different cultures. A Muslim woman wearing the American flag as the hijab, is not less proud than any other American of this country. Munira Ahmed love for country and love for God is evident, moreover, her image becomes a “critique” of the dominant culture and the institutions that governs it (Brown, 2017). Her image is strong and definitive of an ever changing America whose values are inherited, becoming a strong part of the newcomer’s identity.
Image by the Theguardian.com 2017
Resources
Browm, B. “The Art of Protest: When It Comes to Swaying Public Opinion, A Provocative Image Can Be a Powerful Tool.” New York Times Upfront. 149. 13: May 15, 2017, pp.18
Helmore, E. “Munira Ahmed: the woman who became the face of the Trump resistance”. The Guardian. January, 23 2017.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/23/womens-march-poster-munira-ahmed-shepard-fairey-interview (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Kingsley, P. “Beyond Obama’s Hope: The Work of Shepard Fairley”. The Guardian. October, 17 2012.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2012/oct/17/obamas-hope-the-work-of-shepard-fairey
Ridwan, Adhami
http://www.ridwanadhami.com/about (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Edited by Maria Cendejas on 10月 1 at 11:26上午
Student 2
Sep 24, 20179月 24 at 9:08下午
The bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan at 11:02 AM in 1945, by a B-29 Bomber. Photo taken by the US Air Force.
This image helped end the war with Japan. Japan followed the “Bushido Code” which meant that they would continue to fight to the death. The Japanese Military followed this code closely and refused to end the fighting, even after the tide of the war was changing. The US dropped this bomb on Nagasaki and another on Hiroshima. This photograph which was immediately publicized showed that the United States would go to extreme lengths to end the war. The Japanese surrendered shortly after. This image helped end a bloody war that cost the lives of thousands on both sides. This is a terrible thing to happen and should never be used again. It should have never been used in the first place. Japan was losing dramatically and I believe that Truman just wanted to see how powerful this new weapon was. This image just reminds us of the terrible war crimes that US committed in WWII.
https://www.loc.gov/item/2002722137 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site
