Journal 10: Chapter 11

Class dates: 10/29 and 11/3

10/31: 8–9am

Reflection: Black Panther (2018)

1. The impact an insider vs. outsider identity has on leadership: Since reading and discussing Binti, the idea of being an insider or outsider and the influence that has on leadership has been a common theme throughout every other chapter in one way or another. In the beginning, I reflected on different social groups which would make me either an insider or outsider; however, overtime I learned that being an insider or outsider is not limited to social groups or restraints. For example, the way a person thinks can make them an insider or outsider. It is also important to note that because one may physically be an insider, they could be mentally or spiritually be an outsider and vice versa. In Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther (2018) there are several characters that can be seen as both an insider and outsider as well as ones that have the ability to quickly switch between these roles. An instance that comes to my mind is during the scene where Killmonger is dying alongside T’Challa at an overlook at some type of plateau/mountain/highland and Killmonger transitions from being a violent villain to someone who is at peace with everything and everyone around him (including his previous enemy T’Challa). Previously, Killmonger was an outsider to the Wakandan community and leadership. However, upon the last few moments of his life, he reflects on the beauty of Wakanda and how much he wishes he could continue to experience it. As he mentors and activates T’Challa to globalize and share the beauty and wealth of Wakanda with the rest of the world, he creates a relationship with T’Challa that constitutes him as an insider in his own special way.

2) The importance and limitations of mentorship: As we have studied in the previous chapters, mentors and mentorships come in several different forms and have different effects on their mentees. Mentors are essential to leaders and those who wish to develop their leadership due to their ability to activate the mentees potential and also provide wisdom and instruction to them in times of need because the mentor recognizes that need. Two different examples of mentors are Athena and Gramma Tala.

On the one hand, Athena uses storytelling and direct instruction to activate Telemachus’ potential. In this way, I think that it limits Telemachus’ ability to think for himself as he did not have to come up with his own plan. However, this may have been excatly what Telemachus needed because he may have been unable to come up with his own plan. Athena recognized this possibility and fulfilled the need that Telemachus had in order to develop as a leader.

Oppositely, Gramma Tala poses the question of “Who are you?” to Moana which offers a completely open-ended analysis. Moana is able to internalize and think about this question so that she can find the power within herself to reclaim the heart of Te Fiti and her own identity. However, the limitation of this could have been that Moana was unable to reclaim her identity but since Gramma Tala knew Moana was mentally strong enough to recognize who she really is, Gramma Tala knew she could pose that question. Additionally, Gramma Tala returned to Moana in a spiritual version of herself which made it more acceptable in my opinion to pose a question rather than give direct instruction like Athena did. Whether you are religious or not, I think a lot of people imagine spiritual or religion-based beings to provide guidance in “coded” ways that force the mentee to reflect on their own actions in order to find the answer to their dilemma or situation. There are plenty of examples of this but one would be in The Lion King (1994) when Mufasa visits Simba in a time of desperation (identity crisis) and says “Remember who you are”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGQnGQzlAmA

Although Athena provides much-needed guidance to Telemachus, I think that mentorship that includes activation and instruction through indirect guidance (offering a reminder or posing a question) is more effective because of the long-term developmental effects it has on the mentee. Ultimately, the mentee will know be more aware of how to work through their own problems instead of relying upon specific instruction when the time comes.

11/1: 12–1pm

3) What a vision of a better world than the one we now live in might be

• Outreach: What would you like this to look like in visual and experiential terms? Describe for yourself a picture of what it would look and feel like to live in the world that Wakandan social outreach could create.

The social outreach and structures which have spurred off its creation and involvement would be a dominant force in society. For example, vibranium and other resources would be equally shared for the commonwealth of humanity. The sharing of resources would allow for a true sense of community to build instead of fostering greed and personal advancement on the backs of others. There would always be social programs of all sorts for children to learn about culture, technology and much more. In return, this will empower children and adults alike due to the construction and fostering of a broader sense of love for humanity.

• Political: What kind of government do you envision? Who would serve in it? What kind of leadership would you expect from them? (white supremacy not embedded in our constitution/country)

I envision a multi-party government/government system. In a country that is as diverse and varied as the U.S., I think that a structure like this would best be able to provide transparent relations with the masses while maintaining representation and accountability. I am not entirely sure who would serve in it; however, I would want politicians anywhere from Bernie Sanders to Mitt Romney to AOC to name a few. I think it is important to have this variety of political ideologies and representations. In this way, it could catalyze the end of volatile polarity in the U.S. Although I understand that there will always be passionate political divisions, it is imperative to me that people and leaders choose people over politics. Differences would be regarded as learning experiences and there would be an appreciation for how others decipher their own truth and determine their own political outcome/agenda. Currently in the U.S. there a disregard for different versions of the truth mainly due to prejudice and racism. In other words, people stand where they sit. An individual’s personal experience shapes their beliefs and actions and the lack of respect for differing seats and stances needs to end. In the multiparty system that I envision, differences are upheld and respected, not marginalized and ostracized.

11/3: 4–5pm

• Social: What would neighborhoods, schools, public squares look and feel like? What would human interactions look like?

COVID-19 would be taken care to its largest extent possible. People would not have to wear masks because our plan for controlling COVID-19 would have been implemented and successful. Neighborhoods would all have their own community garden, park, and pool. Schools would not be somewhere that kids would fear going to because there would be no school shootings. Also, there would be no suspensions or expulsions (which fuel the school to prison pipeline) and instead children would acquire counseling and rehabilitation services that best fit them. Every child would have and equal opportunity to this. Public squares would be enjoyed by the community through festivals, fairs, and events of many kinds such as: art, music, food, pets, and cultural celebrations. The human interactions that would take place would respect and appreciate the differences of others. Throughout each social aspect, there would be the general feeling of philanthropia or love for humanity. People would genuinely engage with their community members and strangers in a way that builds a larger, national or world community.

• Economic: What kinds of jobs would people do? How would they be compensated for their work?

People would still be doing a lot of the same jobs that we have in present day society, except their wages and salaries would be different. For example, there would be higher taxes that would be accounted for in the employer and salary that you choose to attain. Getting a college degree would provide a sense of job security for certain fields such as being a doctor, lawyer, or accountant but also for art and humanities students too. Every person would be expected to contribute to a greener environment so there would be many jobs created in the renewable energy sector. There would not be any cars or an automobile industry but those jobs would be shifted into the renewable energy job creations as well as public transportation. People in the workforce would be compensated through hourly pay that would be standardized for that job. This means that different companies that do the same thing would all make the same amount of money regardless of their sales or whatever. Leaders of these companies would not be making a ton more than their employees and the leader would almost be more like a figurehead or feature that organized and instructed workers. For example, a robot or technological device of some sort could be the head of a company that way the wealth gap and disparities could be controlled.

• Cultural: What would be the roles of science, religion, art, music, etc. in your vision?

People would be getting and have access to almost every different culture in the entire world. Children especially would be encouraged to study these different cultures as apart of their education. Everyone would be multilingual and would be passionate about learning about and embracing cultural diversity. Racism would not exist and would not be embedded in almost every structure or institution like it is in the U.S. Science would be used to understand the biological role as well as other aspects that science explores. People will be required to learn a certain amount of science but do not have to continue learning about it unless that is their passion or they have interest in it. Religion will be important and people will have the access and freedom to learn about and practice any religion they want; but I think that everyone should practice some form of religion or recurring spiritual practice. The Arts will be the core of all learning and forms of learning. From a young age children will be taught about the vast nature of the Arts and that being artistic does not limit you in any way, shape, or form. For example, you can be an artist and a doctor at the same time. Everyone is an artist in their own way and people will be cognizant of that. I think that music goes hand in hand with this as apart of the Arts. If people want to listen to music when they study or during a test because it helps them focus, then they should be able to and the opposite is true as well.