In the English language we use words to describe and express meaning within our writing. However, some of these words can be interpreted with different meanings relating within its usage and context. For instance, “Black Lives Matter” is a phrase created to represent a movement that continues to be a problem in our society “black lives.” Why choose the word matter? How does matter correlate to the significance of justice and race to represent black lives? In the book Citizen, by Claudia Rankine and the Spike Lee Film, Fight the Power, both depict/interpret the meaning of “matter” of racial injustice in their writing and film. Rankine’s writing in her vignettes relates to various “matters” of stereotypes and stigmas towards black people in media, law enforcement, and everyday interactions while Lee’s film relates to “matter” of events that occur throughout the film which leads to significance of one characters death.
In order to understand the significance of “matter” in Rankine’s vignettes and Lee’s film we must identify the term 's actual definition. Matter is defined as, “an affair, etc., of concern to the person or persons specified; (one 's) cause, concern, or affair. Here we can see how “matter” can relate to an individual or an event .
Another way “matter” can be defined is in legal context of the Judicial System. In many instance we use legal terminology for the courts to interpret and create new laws or further define its implied meaning. In legal context matter is defined as, “a subject of contention, dispute, litigation, etc. Cf. sense 13a.Freq. more explicitly, as matter in dispute (also matter in question, matter in variance, matter in difference). There is also an exception in U.S. Law states “matter” can be used as synonym for case. In law we deal directly with the subject-matter of cases that are brought to court. The court will listen to both parties and interpret and apply the law to determine the decision of the case. In recent years race has played a major role in the violent killings of unarmed black men and seeking justice. In legal language the context of words are used in different stylistic ways to refrain from it’s actual meaning or by given it new meaning within it context. …show more content…
In the book, The Alchemy of Race and Rights by Patricia J. Williams describes the usage of of words as floating signifiers in legal language as, “a model of inductive empiricism, borrowed from-and parodying-systems analysis, in order to enliven thought about a complex social problem” (7). To enliven is to decrease that matters importance or lighten the gravity of the crime/offense that an individual has committed. An example of complex social problem Williams may be referring to could include race. In Rankine’s scripts and vignettes she explores various “subject matters” of how race and justice are portrayed through misrepresented stereotypes in our society. Each encounter describes acts of dehumanization in ordinary places like grocery store, doctors office, or on tennis court. In some instances, these statements or acts made by others are unintentional or just plain ignorant. For instance, Rankine matter of factly describes the harsh criticism towards famous tennis pro Serena Williams during her tennis match. Her frustration towards the ref was due to bad calls against her that resulted in her losing an important game. You may ask why is this important? It’s important because of one simple word that always seems the be of subject matter and that is race. Everyone in the stadium knew the calls were bad “though no one was saying anything explicitly about Serena’s black body, you are not the only viewer who thought it was getting in the way of Alves’s sight line” (27). The term race has been engraved into the minds of people and giving it definition and meaning when in reality it doesn’t. All people are part of on race being the human race, however the shape it 's been given is to divide us by use of its context. To ignore the subject matter of race would be to agree that it’s normative behavior in our society. The Civil Rights Movement has taught people how far we have come from matters of race but that we also have a long way to go. People should learn to come together and not let “race” divide us.
In order to understand the significance of “matter” in Rankine’s vignettes and Lee’s film we must identify the term 's actual definition. Matter is defined as, “an affair, etc., of concern to the person or persons specified; (one 's) cause, concern, or affair. Here we can see how “matter” can relate to an individual or an event .
Another way “matter” can be defined is in legal context of the Judicial System. In many instance we use legal terminology for the courts to interpret and create new laws or further define its implied meaning. In legal context matter is defined as, “a subject of contention, dispute, litigation, etc. Cf. sense 13a.Freq. more explicitly, as matter in dispute (also matter in question, matter in variance, matter in difference). There is also an exception in U.S. Law states “matter” can be used as synonym for case. In law we deal directly with the subject-matter of cases that are brought to court. The court will listen to both parties and interpret and apply the law to determine the decision of the case. In recent years race has played a major role in the violent killings of unarmed black men and seeking justice. In legal language the context of words are used in different stylistic ways to refrain from it’s actual meaning or by given it new meaning within it context. …show more content…
In the book, The Alchemy of Race and Rights by Patricia J. Williams describes the usage of of words as floating signifiers in legal language as, “a model of inductive empiricism, borrowed from-and parodying-systems analysis, in order to enliven thought about a complex social problem” (7). To enliven is to decrease that matters importance or lighten the gravity of the crime/offense that an individual has committed. An example of complex social problem Williams may be referring to could include race. In Rankine’s scripts and vignettes she explores various “subject matters” of how race and justice are portrayed through misrepresented stereotypes in our society. Each encounter describes acts of dehumanization in ordinary places like grocery store, doctors office, or on tennis court. In some instances, these statements or acts made by others are unintentional or just plain ignorant. For instance, Rankine matter of factly describes the harsh criticism towards famous tennis pro Serena Williams during her tennis match. Her frustration towards the ref was due to bad calls against her that resulted in her losing an important game. You may ask why is this important? It’s important because of one simple word that always seems the be of subject matter and that is race. Everyone in the stadium knew the calls were bad “though no one was saying anything explicitly about Serena’s black body, you are not the only viewer who thought it was getting in the way of Alves’s sight line” (27). The term race has been engraved into the minds of people and giving it definition and meaning when in reality it doesn’t. All people are part of on race being the human race, however the shape it 's been given is to divide us by use of its context. To ignore the subject matter of race would be to agree that it’s normative behavior in our society. The Civil Rights Movement has taught people how far we have come from matters of race but that we also have a long way to go. People should learn to come together and not let “race” divide us.