Prompt for Critical Reflection 4: Romeo is Bleeding
“I love you. Love is action, it’s not a feeling. It’s what you do. Love is a choice. Whatever choices you make play out in your actions. Love and fear can’t exist together- it’s one or the other. You have to practice love- it’s small things, it’s a day-to-day, choice-by-choice practice. If each choice you make isn’t out of love, there’s an opportunity to reconcile that with the next choice you make.” Donté Clark.
What? Think about the stories you heard in Romeo is Bleeding and interpret them within the same framework that you used for your unfolding narrative project. (Pick 2 of the 5 types of “capital” described below. Make sure to address the bolded last question in the 2 of that you choose to respond to.)
- Aspirational capital: How did the creative process the youth participate in create a way for them to reflect their hopes and dreams? Use a specific story or person to illustrate. What are the challenges the youth face and must confront in order to build capacity to achieve their aspirations (or even have these hopes and dreams?)
- Familial capital: What are the personal human resources in the lives of these youth — extended familiar and community networks? What are the shared challenges and structural issues that make this network so essential to the success of youth? What structures need to be changed in order to support and strengthen this network’s capacity?
- Social capital: How do the youth in this film stay connected and utilize their social contacts to support and promote their education and interests? Why is social capital so important to confront the challenges that these youth face and what are these challenges?
- Navigational capital: Navigational skills and abilities empower youth to maneuver within unsupportive or hostile spaces and environments. What is an example from this documentary of how a person or people used their navigation skills? What are the issues and challenges these youth must navigate?
- Resistance capital has its foundations in the experiences of communities of color in securing equal rights and collective freedom. How are these youth engaging in social justice and working for a change in their community? What are the root causes, the unjust structures and systems, that must be addressed in order to secure equal rights and well-being in the Richmond community?
“You are not alone in your struggle. The process of writing (or any art form) and sharing leads to self-discovery and community building. Going through that struggle and having the courage to document it and put it out into the world is how you 1) identify self and 2) build the kind of community you’re looking for.” — Donté Clark
So What? Describe three aspects of these stories that are similar and/or different from your own narrative.
Now What? How has this documentary impacted your thinking about why it is crucial that a living democracy is composed of many voices and addresses the interests of all people and extends far beyond a Thin market-driven Democracy?
“This is a lifestyle, for me at least- from when you wake up until you lay down. The more you know, the more responsibility you have. This is an ongoing process- try not to overthink, do what’s in your heart, put it out there creatively, learn from it, then jump to the next one. Your purpose in this life is to love and show love, so if what you create is out of love it’s gonna work, period.” — Donté Clark
