The Power Of Visual Rhetoric - Using Kinetic Typography To Learn About Black History & Civil Rights

Source: Versa

Kinetic typography and motion graphics are bringing to life the soaring oratory of the Civil Rights Era like never before. During the 1950s and 60s, many landmark speeches stood out in their power to persuade the conscience of a generation. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in particular, crafted brilliant language to inspire a burgeoning movement and to convince an at-time reluctant populace. During February’s African American History Month, the words of Dr. King are widely studied. Yet rarely before has the rhetoric of his writings emerged in such vivid portrayal as in the motion graphics below.

Kinetic typography is the combination of motion and text. Via animation, fonts take on lives of their own, scaffolding or cascading across canvases with the addition of music and/or narration. The zoom of calligraphy and the staccato of letters become at once mesmerizing and educational.

Dr. King’s addresses, when read quietly for homework, do feature his eloquent use of classical references and repetition. In silence, however, they do not achieve their most compelling effect. Like Shakespeare, his verses are meant to be heard, to be experienced, to be savored.

Source: Ryan Blackwell

When Dr. King’s words appear in the dynamic interplay of typefaces on the screen, the music and color and locomotion all elevate his passages to new heights. They take on an urgency, a potency of expressiveness, and a linguistic might. They crystalize the commitment of the freedom fighters pushing for fair housing, fair employment, fair public service. They honor the ardor of those who sacrificed much for so many.

The three videos in this post contain engrossing representations of Dr. King’s most moving rhetoric. In each case, he builds phrases and arguments in a powerful crescendo about human dignity and natural rights. His “I Have A Dream” speech may be his most famous, yet his final speech, “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop,” and his final sermon, “The Drum Major Instinct,” may together feature his most masterful craftsmanship with verbiage and values, rights and reason. By adding motion, the designers of these videos bring Dr. King’s messages to life.

The Drum Major Instinct (visualization by Versa)

Martin Luther King (kinetic typography) from versa on Vimeo.

I've Been To The Mountaintop (visualization by Ryan Blackwell)

I Have A Dream (visualization by Deco, EMAV 2012)

For more resources and ideas about lessons for African American History Month, check out "Let's Talk About Race."

Understanding Race: Are We So Different? – A Welcome Resource

Source: Race: Are so different?

We want to follow up our previous post on the topic of race with an excellent resource for educators. “Race: Are we so different?” was developed by the American Anthropological Association in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota. It was the first national traveling exhibition to tell the story of race through biological, cultural, and historical points of view. The exhibition was also the winner of the American Association of Museums’ Excellence in Exhibition Competition in 2008.

Although the exhibit no longer travels, its website is a treasure trove of resources for educators, and it does not shy away from addressing the topic head-on. "Race" seeks to explain the differences among people to reveal the “reality – unreality – of race.” It looks at it through three lenses: history, human variation, and lived experiences.

The interactive timeline of the history of race in the United States streams color-coded articles according to government, science, and society. Each opens to a detailed account for that event with related primary sources, links to other information, and a glossary of terms for that particular article.

Source: Race: Are we so different?

There are six components on the Human Variation page, prefaced with this quotation by biological anthropologist Janis Hutchinson: “When you begin to understand the biology of human variation, you have to ask yourself if race is a good way to describe that.”

Source: Race: Are we so different?

The exploratory topics include The Human Spectrum, Our Molecular Selves, Race and Human Variation, Only Skin Deep, Health Connections, and the Human Variation Quiz. Any one of these is a perfect opportunity for learners to explore and discover more, but the Human Variation Quiz tests the understanding as it relates to the concept of race, with ten true/false questions that might not be what many believe to be true.

Source: Race: Are we so different?

Perhaps the most powerful page for opening the conversation about race with kids is the section on Lived Experience, with a poignant statement by historian Robin D.G. Kelley: “[Racism] is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look.”

Source: Race: Are we so different?

The learning extensions in this section reflect a cultural point of view. Kids will get it. Two in particular are the Sports Quiz that tests the knowledge of facts and stereotypes, and the video segments exploring the standards of beauty imposed on today’s black girls on A Girl Like Me.

Source: Race: Are we so different?

We stand firmly in our commitment to lead the discussion regarding race as well as bias, diversity, and inclusion with our kids. The more open the conversation, the more likely we can help dispel associations with racial implications. It’s all about giving voice to the tough questions and concerns of our learners to serve the greater good.

Another resource recommended by Michael Schneider (@SchneiderMF) is Race - The Power of an Illusion from PBS.

Let's Talk About Race

Source: Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester

February is African American History Month.  We celebrate the amazing men and women who contributed to the cultural fabric of the United States. It’s a time to reflect on their struggles, accomplishments, and contributions. As teachers, we make every effort to weave the importance of this into our curricula regardless of discipline. Yet, as educators, do we get to the heart of the matter and talk about race? Isn’t African American History Month as much about race, as it is about heritage? We think so.

Michael I. Norton and Evan P. Apfelbaum published The Costs Of Color Blindness in the Harvard Business Review last year. The companion video to this article offers a detailed insight into this research. It invites the viewer to participate in an activity to illustrate the reluctance to identify individuals by race. The study found, with the exception of young children, most people are uncomfortable with making a direct reference to race.





Interestingly, when color is reduced to black and white dots for each image, the responses changed. Participants had little trouble with using a dot to identify color, as opposed to identifying race based on black and white faces.

Source: The Costs of Racial Color Blindness

This inherent reluctance indicates a greater social dynamic surrounding the issue of race. Instead of avoiding the topic, we should openly acknowledge it. The more we integrate this into the conversation, the easier it is to discuss it without racial implications. We need to take the lead. This video resource is a good place to start. It could be used with middle or high school students, at a faculty meeting, or as a professional development workshop.

We need to be more straightforward and candid in our approach to educating our learners and talking about race and social attitudes. Especially when high profile cases such as the George Zimmerman shooting of Trayvon Martin, and the more recent shooting of Jordan Davis by Michael Dunn over loud music, have racial overtones based on biases and stereotypes.

Source: The Costs of Racial Color Blindness

We want our learners to be a nation that believes individuals should  “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. To do that, we need to be open and frank in our discussions about race.

Implicit bias lies in us, like it or not. We all have thoughts and feelings that occur outside of our conscious awareness or control. Raising awareness about it is where education comes into it. There are many resources available to delve deeper into implicit social cognition.

Source: Project Implicit

One is Project Implicit. It investigates the gap between intentions and actions. It provides a host of research and demonstration websites to try tests on a range of topics. It also offers education and training services on implicit bias, diversity, inclusion, and more.

Source: TCP

For our younger students, we recommend the lesson by Nina Miller using Julius Lester's book, Let's Talk About Race, on the Teaching Children Philosophy website. It offers guidelines and questions for a philosophical discussion using story, race, and equality.