Work through all of the multi-media interactive components, label each of your responses according to section letters below A-D, and then find a meaningful multi-media element to add to your padlet.  
The media (picture, song, drawing etc...) should be significant in some way or symbolic of,  what you learned here. Come up with a creative title and include your name in a by:line, after the title. 

A.  Listen to Lauryn Hill sing "A Change is Gonna Come," while paying close attention to what feelings and thoughts arise as you listen to the song. (3-4 sentences).

B. Read the song lyrics  here. Then in 4-5 sentences: (Do not do any outside research beyond reading the lyrics, in this section).

C. Conversational Inquiry (2-3 sentences)

 

D. Synthesis: The creation of new meaning – After working through parts A-C (7-8 sentences)

E. Meta-reflection: How is the activity in anyway related to the lecture material from this week and/or the Haas/Flower article? (8-10 sentences) Be specific. I will be looking for a most substantial response in this section.
 

F. Include a multi-media element that is significant in or symbolic of your experience here, come with a creative title, and DO NOT FORGET YOUR NAME IN THE BY-LINE 

E. Share link to Padlet profile on BB by Tuesday 3/1, 11:59pm on BB.

 

 

B.  It is a song meant to liberate people, specifically African Americans. The song was originally written and performed by Sam Cooke during the Civil Rights Movement. The song focuses on obstacles and personal battles that may happen in life when there was no one to run to for help. Also, about overcoming obstacles and your own personal battles within yourself- even when there’s no one to rely on for help. As African Americans we have experienced the tolls of society attempting to rid our creativity, freedoms, and contributions to this world, thus relating to our interpretation of this song.

 

C.  ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ is a single written by Sam Cooke, a famous singer/songwriter who wrote songs detailing his feelings and experiences watching the Civil Rights movement unfold in America. African Americans joined and contributed to the movement in all aspects from protesting, public speaking, and art including this song that is meant to encourage all dealing with the depressive circumstances the United States had imposed on them. Cooke wrote this song not only to uplift and encourage others and himself- but as a positive outlet.

 

D. Our feelings have not necessarily changed however, we do feel joy and pride within the legacy of African American art. Many leaders of the Civil Rights Movement such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X are commemorated for their contributions, while many African American artists are not showcased in the spotlight as often. Hill and Cooke are both black and very talented creators who used their gifts to talk about issues that black people have gone through for many of years. The connection is so important because it shows where we as African Americans have been through and what we still are going through today. Although the renditions were done in differing decades- the oppression remains. All the interpretations are important due to them having similar meaning, but for and from varying time periods. Before we researched the song, our prior knowledge allowed us to infer the songs were related to the many injustices African Americans face. It also showed us that though the lyrics are the same- the inflections of the artist’s voice and their musical freedoms shape their emotions.

 

E. One’s background can affect the way they interpret the meaning of song and how they sing it. Hass/Flower promoted analyzing from a rhetorical lens, rather than just focusing on the content. Also, they studied how one’s background can affect the way they interpret meaning. Relating to the song, before much research was done and excluding our past knowledge of the song- we understood that it was written as an outlet for someone who had nowhere to run, nor no one to help them. After using our prior or “old knowledge” we knew Cooke experienced the Civil Rights Movement firsthand, as it was written during that time, although his rendition would make you think otherwise. His version was calm, and somewhat majestic, slowly accompanied by a symphony of instruments painting a picture of the horrors of being black in America. This could be due to how he reacts to uncertain situations, not revolting to violence but to art mediums. Hill’s version was more upbeat- which may have been influenced by the era of hip/rap she grew up in. Although faster with ad-libs, her message was still consistent with urging others that it has been too long for change to not be here now. Although varying interpretations, and emotions- the messages are still consistent with the struggles of being black in America. The process of breaking down and interpreting the lyrics allowed us to relate to the traits of struggle, but also strengthened and reassured us.

B. Our initial interpretation was always despairing. When we first heard the song it was from some of our favorite movies, for example “Daddy’s Little Girls” written by Tyler Perry. This song was used in the context of oppression and the antagonist being tired. It gave way to an understanding of the scene without words from the actors. The lyrics didn’t change our perspective but did deepen our understanding of what was being said. With the instruments playing in the original song, you lose sight of what is really being said. We knew the song was despairing due to the tune and the note the artist was signing in. By just reading the lyrics it illustrates the actual story the writer was trying to convey which makes the song even more mournful. We personally related the song with the events that recently occurred with the Black Lives Matter Movement. The song, being about the oppression African Americans had to endure in the past can still be portrayed in recent times. Us African Americans are being taught to believe that our struggles are “over” just because we were given opportunities we weren’t allowed to have before. Yet, we have yet to integrate within society. 

C. The artist Sam Cooke is an African American singer and songwriter. He was influenced by racial events and other African American singers to write this song. Like Lauryn Hill, Cooke’s audience were majority African American individuals who were as distraught regarding their current situation as he was. 

D. Our interpretations changed since we were only referencing the African American community. Although the song was in regards to our struggle. It could be used to portray the feelings of other groups that were or still are discriminated against. Such as Immigrants who are still treated inferior to others. As for women, who were denied their rights in the past and whilst given rights are still put at a disadvantage from the male gender. Along with other countries who are still ruled through dictators and silenced, not having the power to speak for themselves. They’re important because it shows the quick development of our interpretations of the song. We strictly associated the song with one group with their problems and there were others who had or still are facing the hardships we once faced and still are facing. The song was written by an African American male who was referencing the hardships African Americans faced then (and now). Yet now, we aren’t the only group that knows of destitution and conflict so the song branches out widely. You can connect both since they successfully translate the meaning of the song through time. This is important because it keeps the meaning of the song the same yet it relays its lyrics to different generations. Sam Cooke wrote the song and was singing to African Americans and influencing a change during the time we were completely separated. Lauryn Hill covered the song to communicate the same message to every ill-treated community during this time where we all struggle to consolidate in a world that forces us to believe that we already are.

E. This activity gave us more of an understanding of Lyiscott ted talks. Lyiscott discussed the African American struggle in thinking they need to conform within a society that has trouble with assimilating us and our ways. Throughout this activity, references from Lyiscott’s talks were what stood out the most to us. Cooke’s song longed for change and practically insinuated its arrival. Yet today, we think we were given change but instead we were thrown a bone in order to keep us quiet. Lyiscott argues with her 5A’s that in this time once you find your voice you begin to establish power and use it to transform the societal institution to become more accommodating and adaptable.

B. Our initial interpretation of the song was that we had to not only listen to the words, but we needed to feel them. As African-Americans we can relate to the struggle that she is referring to. After reading the lyrics we can know that we are not the only ones fighting a battle alone. She gives us a sense of hope that good times will come through every trial we face in our life. 

C. The original song writer was Sam Cooke and the song was from his album "Ain't That Good News". The stakes that he had were being culturally influenced. So his audience had to be the same audience that Lauryn Hill was referring to. His version is also influenced by the events in his life. 

D. Our interpretation of the song did not change drastically. We still believe that both versions gave an emotional outtake on the events in both of the artist's lives. Our original response is just as important as the new one because we can still learn and relate to both artists and both versions. Both tell a story that they want the same audience to hear, and give hope while doing so. We can connect both artists by the struggle that not only they went through, but we have gone through also. Both these artists tell us a story that can be used in making a change in this world. The change being influenced by lyrics and music. 

E. This activity is related to the Haas and Flowers article because it gives an example of a "deeper way to reading". While doing this activity we broke down two versions of a song and expressed how it made us feel. While explaining our thoughts we were using a rhetorical strategy to take a step beyond the lyrics itself. Through these rhetorical strategies we took into account the author's purpose, context, and the effect it had on us as the audience. In Haas and Flowers, they described most readers as good but seem to often miss the point or read critically. By using the rhetorical strategy and breaking down the lyrics into a way that it was comfortable to us we were able to discover this "deeper way to reading". When we interpret these difficult texts we need to be able to read texts like these on several levels. These several levels lead to the meaning that the author was trying to get us to understand.

C. The writer of this song is Sam Cooke, an African-American singer-songwriter, who wrote this song based on not only the injustices he faced, but also the injustices many black people faced in America. What prompted such an influential song was when he was refused service by a whites-only Holiday Inn. Not only a year later the song was released in 1964, the era of Jim Crow, where Sam Cooke could have been harmed or even killed for addressing the issue of racism in America.

 D. Our knowledge and interpretation of the song went from a abstract idea to more concrete after learning the context of the song and it’s lyrics. We now know the specific experiences that Sam Cooke is recalling in his song. However, the feelings towards the song has not changed. It still remains an emotional piece that unfortunately is still very relevant today. Our responses from part A, B, and C are important because our responses didn’t really change. We still feel as though both artists could receive backlash from singing this song and that there is a need for change. We believe that this speaks volume considering Sam Cooke and Lauryn Hill are from two different era’s. 

Although Sam Cooke and Lauryn Hill are singing this song in two different time frames, the message of the song and the call to action is the same. Not only do both artist want to talk about the horrible mistreatment of black people in America, but they all also want you to do something about it, to bring change. Having a new artist interpret a song from 1964 showed us that the war is not yet won.

E. The song “A Change is Gonna Come” relates to the lecture from this week because we must apply rhetorical reading. In order to understand the lyrics, we have to take into account Sam Cooke’s experiences, his motives for the song, and the historical context of the song. The lines, “I go to the movies and I go downtown Somebody keep tellin’ me don’t hang around” is discussing the racism that black people faced. He also talks about not getting support from people he believed would understand but they end up knocking him back down. Sam Cooke is writing about the issues he faces every day. The lyrics to this song are trying to bring about social action because he ends by saying even though things are difficult, black people still have to get up and fight daily to bring about change. The song also has coherence because it has a flow almost like it is going through a process. The song begins by how hard life is, then talks about the experiences that has made it difficult to carry on, and ends talking about how he is going to continue to fight. 

B. (1) Our group's initial thoughts ranged in theme from struggle to a yearning for change and desire to be positive despite the difficulties. (2) The lyrics deepened the understanding among our group that everyone has difficulties and with struggle can come the determination to live differently. (3) Savanna relates to the lyrics in their struggles with being okay with quitting softball and understanding that change can come for them. (4) Ernestasia, on the other hand,  relates to the yearning for change and the feeling that the things you lean on for support can break down but it only makes you stronger. (5) Lastly, Sky relates to the realization that it is your right as a person to pursue the things you want and to strive for your own happiness even through difficult times.

C. Sam Cooke, an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, wrote this song as an expression of Cooke's struggle during the Civil Rights Movement, a time of great stress and importance. I believe as an African American it can at times be dangerous to use forms of expression, especially music, a lot of the musical composition skills in today's songwriting world are taken from the Black Community. Aside from the fear of having your own work stolen or written over as the true original, there is the fear of backlash, especially in an era of civil unrest caused by racial bias. 

D. As a whole, our feelings and interpretations only solidified when diving deeper into the song's content. We agree as a whole that this song is an emotional message regarding the way people face their obstacles and the determination for change that grows with effort. The song shines a light on the obstacles and struggles yet maintains a strong disposition for change to come. It is important to understand our responses from parts A and B just the same as part C since the interpretations in earlier sections laid the foundations for our understanding at this point in the assignment. Both song renditions can be connected by the emotional discourse created by their cadence, sound, rhythm, and lyrics. The two renditions have different sounds to go along with the differing perspectives of their performers. The perspective of the original rendition holds strong views of the Civil Rights Movement era, while Lauryn Hill's rendition holds her more personal emotions and perspectives. It’s highly important to note that with the difference between these renditions, there is a much wider reception to Lauryn Hill’s rendition due to her pre-existing fan base.

E. Our group thought that this assignment had relations to Chapter 6 of WAW. The significance of this is that everyone interprets things differently depending on the way they may be communicated or presented. In providing the variety of interpretational views, it also perhaps inadvertently provides more opportunities to create a personal variety of interpretations and connections to the material. For example, at the end of the song, many could think that sending the message of keep going but the main message was interpreted as trying to grow in the black community by leaning on each other and being let down. The variety of interpretations/connections shown throughout the song also can make way for a wide variation in final interpreted meanings and creates evolving opinions of the material's content.

A. By the end of the song we feel hopeful, motivated and have faith that the rough days won’t last. Lauryn Hill is a well-known African American artist who uses her platform as a voice for the black community. The stakes that she has performing this song is less opportunities and having to work harder to get to where she is.

B. When reading the song lyrics, we interpreted the song as someone going through years of hardship and pain but positively longing for a change and being consistent with their faith and their hope. By reading the lyrics after listening to the song, it deepened our initial feelings because it helped build that connection and experience the artist was trying to explain to their audience. That no matter what struggles they are facing, there’s a light at the end of the road, which represents their faith and hope. With all of us being a part of the black community, we found this song being related to us in many ways. Either being scared of what that change might look like for us or simply praying for one because of the so many obstacles that we have to face and overcome.

C. The artist is Sam Cooke and his song is more personal and political based on his experience and the outrage from his community. What inspired this song was discrimination and during this time, it would be dangerous for a black person to stake their opinion (at the whites-only motel) but he felt that it had to be done. 

D. Since we now know the backstory of the song, my knowledge and interpretation has changed because we found out that this song holds more so a political movement for the African American community. At first, it was just a song about regular everyday hardships but it ties a certain time in black history to segregation. Our original interpretation is just as important here because with more knowledge we can understand the deeper meaning of the song. Also, it shows how much the artist/writer can control how they want their audience to interpret the song. You can connect both artists’ renditions because they are talking about the same issue within the black community. This connection is important because the time frame may hold a greater significance over the other since both songs speak to a different generation.

E.  We found that starting with section A and B, we needed to pull out our own meaning before listening to the song. Then it was a back and forth activity of reading or listening, and pulling out more information as we got deeper. Haas and Flower referred to rhetoric as, “the motivation of rhetors and the context in which the texts they create are written and read.”  So this activity is related because were figuring out both Lauryn Hill’s and Sam Cooke’s purpose. We listened to Hill sing, then took that information and added it to our own thoughts, to put together another meaning. We read a background of Sam Cooke and how the song came about, incorporating that information into another definition as well. So, we were existing in an ongoing conversation about the song and written lyrics, using “multi- faceted interwoven representations of knowledge”, as Haas and Flower would call them. Also talking amongst ourselves to put together yet another meaning in which we shared ideas. It was all about working up different meanings, that made sense to us. 

 

B) Our initial interpretations of the song were that it was very sad, yet the more you read the lyrics it becomes more inspiring and hopeful. Furthermore, we initially interpreted that what Hill is expressing is a rollercoaster. This song is more than just a catchy song, it's the storytelling of a journey.  Primarily based on the 2nd verse, reading the lyrics deepened our initial thoughts of inspiration by introducing this idea of perseverance and how to get over hardships. One way that this ides of perseverance and inspiration is relatable in our everyday lives is when we have bad starts to our days. We wake up with a very bad start to our day that eventually gets better. Specifically, a change has come and changes the spirit of our day.  

C) The artist, Cooke, is a victim, a survivor, and a fighter. He had everything to lose including his record label, his family, ad his life. He even lost his son. However he wouldn’t back down. He knew that singing this song would uplift and bring hope to our people during the civil rights movement. So, with writing this song he carried the stakes of trying to get those involved in the civil rights movement more dedicated and hopeful about the change that this movement would cause. 

D) Our thoughts now compared to our initial thoughts have evolved. We now feel more stimulated, informed, and motivated rather than just inspired about the importance and purpose of the song. Yet, remembering our initial thoughts are still important here because it kind of demonstrates how those involved in the civil rights movement felt throughout the journey, including both before and after hearing Cooke’s song. Although, Hill and Cooke’s versions are sung differently, they connect in many ways. Both Hill and Cooke sing their renditions in such a way that make their songs seem like the retelling of a journey. This retelling of their journey’s is important because it generates their genuine passion for justice and in the world. It also demonstrates how we are all connected to one another as humans and how we can inspire and ignite change in one another.

E)This assignment is directly related to the lecture and article from this week. This meta-reflection allowed us to experience the difference between research focused solely on the content, and research that included diving into the rhetorical structure as the reading from last week proclaimed. We started this group assignment focusing on the content of Hill’s “A Change is Gonna Come”. Much like we did throughout last week, we started by focusing solely on the content of the writing such as Kara in Hass/Flower's article, as she reacted on solely what was at the surface of the media. In our assignment, during section 'B' we were tasked to interpret the song's meaning by only looking at the lyrics. Next, we moved past just the content and dove into how we could relate to the song and how our thoughts evolved over the course of the assignment. Very much like in last week's assignment, we read how Bob, from the article, related the content to his emotions or perspective of the media. Lastly, we dove into the intended meaning of the song and the background of the original artist to observe and understand the larger implication. Almost identical to what we did last assignment where we looked at the Hass/Flower’s research article through a rhetorical lens and dove into the larger puzzle that the author(s) were alluding to.

“I was reading by the river in a tenement

And oh.. my poor eyes, they could hardly focus on words

It's been a long,  a long aesthetic reading

But I know oohh.. a new page is going to come

Awww yes, it will”

 
A. Upon initially listening to the song we felt that it was comforting and hopeful for future progress, by the end of the song those feelings remained the same. Lauryn Hill being both an activist and an artist attests to her stake in performing this song to invigorate hope amongst her audience.

 B. Our initial interpretation of the song is that it was a hopeful song looking towards a better time. Reading the lyrics creates more of a somber overly to our original interpretation, the song still maintains a sense of hope, but the ‘hope’ translates to more of a longing for better through the lyrics. Our personal relationships with the song garner nostalgia, appetency, and sorrow.
 
 C. The original artist is Sam Cook, a Mississippi born singer/songwriter living in the period of 1931 to 1964. Being a direct victim of the discrimination of racial segregation gave cook the impulse to write a change is gonna come in order to captivate his experience and predict a desired future.

 D. Our feelings regarding the song  still remain the same, additional background as a somber heartfelt aspect connecting directly to the civil rights movement. The initial response to Lauryn Hill‘s version is just as important as Sam cooks because they both correlate in the longing for an end to racial injustice. Our initial response acknowledges the issues that Hill would be singing about while our response in part C acknowledged the long standing of these issues as they’ve persisted since the original version written by Sam Cooke. 

  E. This activity is directly linked to what we’ve been learning over the past few days in many ways. In parts A & B we are asked to listen and read the lyrics of Lauryn Hill’s version of a classic. We were to read rhetorically, finding purpose, concepts, history, culture and basically a below surface interpretation of what Lauryn is saying in her song. We synthesized the concepts we were learning into our own frame of reference and added our own personal meaning to it. We engaged rhetorically by looking up information and history of the original song as well as Lauryn Hill’s version. We took the information that we learned from furthering our application of integration and came up with our own interpretation. This allowed for us to form an original idea whilst collaborating with other ideas that have already been published. Throughout the entire activity we practiced cohesion and flow. We made sure that each sentence flowed perfectly into the next, while also  incorporating everyone's ideas into one.

C. When watching the videos and listening to the lyrics Sam Cooke explains the difficulties and issues going on in the world that impact African Americans but he says that things will change soon, no matter how much it takes in the future or in a period of time something will change. The overall meaning of this song is to explain the life that the minority have to live, working their behinds off but still having to suffer to live for their families and the bills, and the roofs on top of their head. But no matter the situation, the unfairness, and also the life they live and have going on no matter the struggles, they believe that one day everything will change.

D. 
When it came to listening to both of the songs and figuring out that they have the same meaning just by different artists and different perspectives, my feelings did not really change. The main topic of both of the songs are to help describe the way that people have to live and what they have to go through in order to provide for everyone including themselves. Both songs dealt with figuring out and mentioning that in the future or when time comes, there will be an answer and everything will be okay. In the past of their life many situations determined the way they think and the way they express their thoughts and also helps view where they are coming from. When we got to the point of listening to the different ways we viewed both songs from a perspective that was similar but was told from two different stories. In Sam Cooke's version with the song being written in an earlier time period the way the song was written and told to the reader was a little different as you can tell both artists are in different periods of time. Also as the song deals with the life of African Americans, you are able to tell that people might go through the same situations but they go through it way differently.

E. When it came to both of these songs and figuring out how two songs can have similar meanings but two different artists and different stories it showed me how writing and certain situations that we go through now are the same. In the world that we live in today many situations were either the same when their was slavery and major racism but if you come to present day the same problems are going on maybe just not as noticeable. The song by Lauryn Hill related to what we have been doing in class with in her song she talks about a lot of hardships people face especially being African American but she always resorts back to her having hope through all of it that things will get better. While doing this activity, we looked at two versions of a song and expressing how we felt about it. We used a rhetorical strategy to look beyond the lyrics themselves. We see the rhetorical strategy by breaking down the lyrics in that we were abl to discover “the deeper way to reading”

The title “A Change is Gonna Come” was familiar but I wasn’t sure if I had heard it before. At the end of the song, I had completely broken down because the song resonated with me so much. I’ve been dealing with a lot of problems lately and the song really hit close to my situation. Some thoughts that went through my mind were how the words seemed to have a mix of uncertainty while also stating that a change will come as a way of giving some hope. Lauryn Hill is the artist who remade this song and, having prior knowledge of her, I had high expectations for the song as the stakes they had in performing it is possibly bringing negative attention to its topic.

The initial interpretation of this song is that the artist is wishing for a change. Reading the lyrics didn’t change my thoughts too much, though reading them deepened my initial interpretation of it because I saw how many times “a change gonna come” was said. It was sort of like the artist was begging for a change in his life but not sure how to go about it. I don’t really relate to it on a personal level besides trying to stay positive when things start looking bad, but it does leave a deep impact whenever it comes to those moments.

The Artist is Sam Cooke and some stakes he faced were getting both criminalized and arrested for speaking out when it came to Civil Rights music and the song he made. Sam Cooke was an African- American musician during the Civil Rights Movement. He used his popularity within the Black and White communities to express his thoughts on racism and segregation and how there needs to be a change within the world.  

My feelings changed from at first feeling a bit confused and uncertain to realization as I finally came to understand the purpose behind the song. I still have a deep connection with the song regardless of the meaning but it’s not as deep because now I know the purpose of the song. I think my original response is as important because it relates to the writing in class and how it is important for the audience to interpret what the author is saying. I can connect with both artists because I would like change in the world to come. It is important because the main reason for the song was to speak for and relate to black people because they are being affected by racism. On top of that, the two artists share a connection even between the two different time periods. There is still hope for change to come with injustices that some people still face and that’s important because it allows people to understand the meaning behind the song better rather than just listening to the words.

This activity is very strongly related to the lecture material from this week. This is due to the fact that both the lecture and the activity have to do with specifically developing and interpreting. During the lecture, rhetorical reading was discussed. Rhetorical reading means putting yourself in the shoes of the specific thing that you are reading for better understanding. Both artists got to express their emotions by using the same song. Due to this had the chance to see two different artists sing the same song and learn to interpret it the way they wanted people to be able to alongside the risks that came with it. It was interesting because it was a different experience hearing the interpretation of the song in both ways of being said vs heard. This helps the reader even better understand and interpret the song by linking the two together.

 A. After the initial listen, we all noted how somber and emotional the song felt. While the guitar is upbeat and happy, there is a juxtaposition between Lauryn Hill’s words and the melody she is singing throughout the song. We wondered if there was a personal backstory that connected Hill to the song. Was she singing about her own personal life? Did a historical event occur around the recording of this song? Based on the tone and emotion of the song, we felt Hill was speaking about her experiences growing up and her experiences as a Black woman in America. B. Initially, we thought the song was detailing the obstacles in Lauryn Hill’s life. When she describes growing up in the projects and her mother struggling to pay rent, Hill lets the audience know that life was not easy for her, yet she knew her life would change. The lyrics tell a story of frustration, loneliness, and tragedy, but at the same time provide a sense of hope and strength. Once we fully examined the lyrics, we changed our opinions about the song feeling somber. The song is about finding hope and knowing things will work out in the end. From struggling with feelings of hopelessness to navigating the transition to college, each of us was able to relate to the song in our own way. We understood the power of remaining hopeful amid obstacles. C. Sam Cooke is the original writer and performer of the song. He wrote the song as a response to racial injustices occurring during the Civil Rights movement. More specifically, he wrote the song after he and his crew were turned away from a white-only motel in Louisiana. He was disheartened by how he and other African Americans were treated in America and wrote the song to uplift his community, but to also express his frustrations. 
D. Our feelings about the song didn’t change, but our knowledge expanded after learning more context. Initially, we thought the song was a somber story of struggle and wishing for change. Now, we see the song as a hopeful battle cry for African Americans. Our original responses are just as important because the initial reaction of the song is where the most meaning is conveyed. As our opinions changed, we were able to build on our original interpretations and deepen our understanding of Sam Cooke’s intent of the song. We can connect both artists to the song because they are essentially singing about the same plight, but with different emotions and generations apart. Hill’s modern take on the song may attract new audiences, but once they understand the full context and learn Cooke’s intent behind the song, they will ask the same question we did. Why are we still talking about change? 
E. As we learned from Hass and Flower, a reader can fully construct the meaning of the text by building multi-faceted representations of knowledge. Although one of us already knew about the song’s original performer and its historical context, we did not let that knowledge guide our collective interpretation of the song. Instead, we created “new knowledge” by asking questions that pertained to Lauryn Hill. What do we know about Lauryn’s background? What personal events were occurring in her life that caused her to sing the song? Was the song about her experiences in the music industry? After asking these questions, we interpreted that Hill was singing of her struggles as a Black woman in America. We kept building on these interpretations by reading the lyrics and asking more questions—performing a conversational inquiry. This was the moment we determined the song was not as somber as we thought. We then interpreted that Hill was singing about hope. Then, after learning more about the historical and cultural context, our interpretations changed again. By imploring this rhetorical strategy, we developed a deeper understanding of the lyrics and both artists’ motives behind the song. 

 

 
 

 
 

 

E. This activity is related to the Haas and Flower article because their reading discussed rhetorical reading strategies. The study conducted, answered the question “how readers try to make meaning out of a text with the use of rhetorical reading?” Throughout this activity we used cognitive strategies to interpret the song A Change is Gonna Come-Lauryn Hill. Multiple-representation thesis was used in part A of this activity, Lauryn Hill's yearning tone in her voice helped us to understand and recognize the themes that she was portraying in the song. Nodes were used in Lauryn Hill's version when we connected the artist's history and background to how she sang the song she performed. Looking at the original singer of the song, we realized how similar, yet different the two performances actually are. When we took a closer look at Sam Cooke's version we were able to compare and also analyze the difference between the artists and their versions. The singers were linked like nodes due to them both performing the same song, and like we stated in part D, they had a connection because of the theme and audience that they reached. 

 

Emroyana Caesar

 A. By the end of the song we had mixed emotions. The melody of the song in addition to the lyrics were very sad and depressing. Yet the song also had a hopeful vision of what’s to come. Additionally we noted that there was a vote of change, fearing death and not knowing what’s after death. The artist is Lauryn Hill who was formerly a part of the hip hop trio The Fugees. The stakes she had in releasing this song is frankly her career. Female rappers don’t get much recognition for their accomplishments off the basis of their sex and this was the late 90s when her career was at its height so doing so could’ve caused a dive due to her fan base do to the type of song it was. Although a very powerful and meaningful song it isn’t something upbeat and joyous which is what most people want to listen to when it pertains to hip hop.

B. Our initial interpretation about the song was that it was about change and long suffering but that there would be a brighter day to come. As black women we are heavily connected to the song due to not only having to be black and suffer the inequalities but also being a woman and the injustice that comes along with that. After reading the lyrics we realized that Lauryn's particular rendition was about her upbringing and change.

C. The artist was Sam Cooke. The stakes that he had in writing the song was also his career but in a different capacity to Lauryn. Sam Cooke was a musician during the Jim Crow/Civil Rights Era and he was signed to RCA records. If he put out music that was deemed harmful which would be simply because of racism then he could’ve lost his record deal rendering him unable to provide for himself and his family. Additionally during that time civil rights activists and others alike that spoke out on the injustices of Jim Crow were dealt with negatively and violently so he was also risking his livelihood.

D. Our feelings, knowledge and interpretation of the change hasn’t changed much from reading and listening to Lauryn Hill's rendition to listening to and reading Sam Cooke's version. Lauryn Hill's version was a little less tragic but it had the same general theme of change and better days coming. Both songs also had the overall message of showing the possibility of growth and change. The only major difference we’d say we noticed that caused a slight change in opinion was the context. For Sam Cooke's song his experience was more personal and first hand. He experienced racism during Segregation and Jim Crow and although a world renowned musician he wasn’t given the decency and respect to be allowed entry into a motel which is part of what fueled the creation of the song. Additionally because of the time it was during the Civil Rights Movement he got to see and experience the changes that were coming. So upon hearing Sam's song it had more meaning behind it but it still had the overall theme of change and for Lauryn hill the same thing.

E. Haas and Flower explore  Rhetorical context as representation not only as verbally articulated ideas, but visual images, emotions, or linguistic propositions. They also focus on the way readers make connections with writings. The article directly relates to the process of forming an emotional connection to one of the most influential songs in black history. In both song versions, as listeners and readers of the song lyrics, we are able to connect both songs with the need for change. Change is long overdue to both artists, who feel like at some point have been discriminated against. Being discriminated against is the song's most emotional connection. As a group, we compared emotions of being a black man during segregation to Sam Cooke’s version of the song. Cooke’s lyrics of his version and tone reflect his hopes and fears for the future generations. 

B. This song is written to express and convey the experience of Black Americans; telling the story of the African American struggle all the while pushing the narrative of hoping that one day things will be different. Reading these lyrics invoked a vulnerability within us as we find ourselves having to brush off all of the odds placed against our community; however, reading the lyrics also gave us a new understanding about how the song talks about the Black struggle. One line that stood out was, “Just like the river I’ve been running ever since” because of its clever use of imagery to convey the struggle the composer hopes to make the listeners aware of; another lyric was, “It’s been too hard living, but I’m afraid to die” because of the juxtaposition used to show a feeling of no escape. Our experience as teenage, female, and Black Americans allowed us to connect to the lyrics about always feeling drained from our identity but being hopeful that one day we’ll see and experience change. 

C. The original song was written and performed by Sam Cooke, a soul and R&B artist from the 60s. As a black man in America, most likely growing up in the age of Jim Crow and the civil rights movement, hatred towards Black people was extremely evident and at what seemed like a boiling point.  Having grown up in the times: 1930’s, 50’s and 60’s, he had a definite sense of the terrible realities of racism and discrimination. Cooke’s inspiration to write this song must have come from all that he experienced and needed to highlight in order to ensure that black Americans could be hopeful for equality.

D. After doing more research, we now have the understanding that the song was written with the intention of acknowledging and relaying Sam Cooke’s experience as a Black man in the United States, which many can relate to, while also encouraging the people both within and beyond his community to remain hopeful that better days were to come. Our original interpretation in part A and B is just as important as this discovery because it was our interpretation and understanding of the song with the information we were limited to. While context is important when doing analysis, prior knowledge and an untainted opinion, parts A and B, can help to avoid losing too much of our own voices in our writing. Despite their differences as people existing in different time periods, Hill and Cooke are able to identify with each other through their art. This connection is important because it intensifies the passion and meaning behind the art. Additionally, despite Sam Cooke and Lauryn Hill both being black, the experiences of Black women in America are very different than those of Black men. We believe that both interpretations are just as important as one another because they bring a more whole understanding towards the song. There is this yearning sense for a peaceful life that both artists articulate effectively. This connection is very important because at its center is the consolidation of the past and the present in order to look forward into the future.  It allows for the two artists to express themselves creatively as individuals, while also allowing them to represent themselves as a part of the same community. 

E. We recognized the connection between this assignment and the lecture material from this week after being asked about my interpretation of the songs. By asking questions about individual interpretation and how two different artists can connect, this activity is helping us to read more rhetorically and comprehending the material in comparison to surface level reading and understanding. We also believe this activity incorporated the TedTalks by Lysicott as a new way of learning how to receive information. For example, Lysicott talks about how she utilizes hip-hop culture as a way to allow students to learn more about what they are studying, in addition to allowing the students to explore their individual creativity by challenging the institution and traditional ways of giving students information. This activity poses a similar challenge as it requires us to examine a culturally significant piece outside of traditional pieces of literature used in most classrooms. Subsequently, this allows us to engage different ways of understanding, prior knowledge and experience, and our individual comprehension skills in order to flesh out appropriate responses. Additionally, when Lysictott presents her 5 A’s of paradigm principles, the first paradigm that she explores is awareness which we see Sam Cooke do throughout his well-composed lyrics. This activity, like mentioned in this week's lecture, uses the multiple representation model and reading strategies in order to be completed. One could say that just as literacy is delivered by sponsors, Sam Cooke’s lyrics acted as sponsors to propagate change. For example, parts A and B appear to be very similar, nearly the same; however, once we began to flesh out my responses and thoughts, we were better able to not only understand what we were being asked but also what was read. This activity and this week’s lecture have helped to not only read what we see, but to also look beyond what is written on the page. Overall, using the synthetization techniques and breaking down the material in different modes of interpretation truly aids a reader in the efforts to comprehend text. 

A)  This song awakens a full body experience of emotions whenever I hear it. It is so powerful in its message and its delivery, that everybody in the African American community feels this so deeply. Initially, I feel great sadness and heartbreak for my people and the journey we have come and the battle we are still fighting. By the end of the song I feel a sense of gratitude, not in the sense that our fight is over; but in the fact that I am learning about this song now as I sit comfortably in my home at my four year university, that my people have some so far in their fight. The artist, Lauryn Hill, is a very popular black r&b artist and she took upon the risk of recreating a song that is so heavily valued and respected in the African American community. 

B) Our initial interpretation for this song was that they were ready for change to happen and almost knew it was happening. After reading the lyrics the feeling for the song changed because it is obvious while reading the lyrics that she and her brother were going through tremendous times and are hopeful that change is coming to make their lives more bearable and easier. Another thing that we noticed while reading the lyrics was that it was really hard living in her situation but she did not want to die because she doesn't know what is up in the sky and I interpreted this as the mystery after death because no one truly knows.  I can personally relate to this because I have seen people throughout work that are struggling but some of the people that I have talked to also are very optimistic that change is coming and can affect all of them and boost their lives.

C) After researching the background information in addition to what I already knew about the song in its originality sung by the great Sam Cooke. Sam Cookie was a very influential and talented musical artist during the 1900s. Like the average Black man during that time, he faced hardships as it related to racial injustice. In this song he wanted to use his voice and talent to shed light on this struggle, something he knew everyone in the African American community could relate to. In writing this song he took the risk of expressing the truth about the black American experience, during a time where our opinions were not widely accepted.

D) Being truthful, our interpretation of the song did not drastically change over the course of this assignment. I grew up in a house with my grandfather who felt the impact of racism and brutal acts of hatred against black people greatly. He relates to Sam Cooke and his music because of his life experiences, so that is all I grew up listening and learning about. I was very familiar with Cooke and this song, and the weight the words and song have on my community. Since the beginning of this assignment until now, we still believe this is one of the most powerful songs in the Black community as it relates to our long fight for equality and justice. Our original responses in part A&B are just as important as part C, because one was before we read the lyrics and background history of the song but in both instances my feelings about the words are valid. Lauryn Hill and Sam Cooke are both very influential black artists in the music industry who use their art to paint the African American experience. We see Sam Cooke's version of this song as the original exploitation of the injustice African Americans endure. Similarly,we interpret Lauryn Hill's remake of this song decades later as a reminder that Black people are still going through these hardships, and still pleading for a change. Lauryn Hill uses her art as a continuation of the hope in the Black community as we still fight in white America today. 

E) One of the lecture videos from this week was a Ted Talk by a lady named Jamilia Lysicott who detailed the necessary steps that educational, political and general social institutions need to take in order to create better opportunities for it’s people of color who have historically been disregarded by those very institutions. This very idea is expanded upon in a poetic way within the lines of the song “A change is Gonna Come.” While writing the song, Sam Cooke was experiencing first hand the effects of systemic racism that at the time was prevailing as segregation and blatant racism. At the time, racism not only took an emotional and mental toll on those oppressed, but also took a “physical” toll in the sense that those political and social views hindered people of color from getting quality opportunities that someone of a “higher status” would have had available. Lysicott talks about what she calls the “5 A’s” (awareness, agency and access, actualization, achievement, and alteration and action). These 5 pillars help us visualize the process that these already established infrastructures would have to undergo in order to bring about real change that is not temporary but everlasting.  

2. Our initial interpretation about the song was that it was about change and long suffering but that there would be a brighter day to come. As black women we are heavily connected to the song due to not only having to be black and suffer the inequalities but also being a woman and the injustice that comes along with that. After reading the lyrics we realized that Lauryn's particular rendition was about her upbringing and change

3.The artist was Sam Cooke. The stakes that he had in writing the song was also his career but in a different capacity to Lauryn. Sam Cooke was a musician during the Jim Crow/Civil Rights Era and he was signed to RCA records. If he put out music that was deemed harmful which would be simply because of racism then he could’ve lost his record deal rendering him unable to provide for himself and his family. Additionally during that time civil rights activists and others alike that spoke out on the injustices of Jim Crow were dealt with negatively and violently so he was also risking his livelihood.

4. Our feelings, knowledge and interpretation of the change hasn’t changed much from reading and listening to Lauryn Hill's rendition to listening to and reading Sam Cooke's version. Lauryn Hill's version was a little less tragic but it had the same general theme of change and better days coming. Both songs also had the overall message of showing the possibility of growth and change. The only major difference we’d say we noticed that caused a slight change in opinion was the context. For Sam Cooke's song his experience was more personal and first hand. He experienced racism during Segregation and Jim Crow and although a world renowned musician he wasn’t given the decency and respect to be allowed entry into a motel which is part of what fueled the creation of the song. Additionally because of the time it was during the Civil Rights Movement he got to see and experience the changes that were coming. So upon hearing Sam's song it had more meaning behind it but it still had the overall theme of change and for Lauryn hill the same thing

5. Haas and FLower explore  Rhetorical context as representation not only as verbally articulated ideas, but visual images, emotions, or linguistic propositions. They also focus on the way readers make connections with writings. The article directly relates to the process of forming an emotional connection to one of the most influential songs in black history. In both song versions, as listeners and readers of the song lyrics, we are able to connect both songs with the need for change. Change is long overdue to both artists, who feel like at some point have been discriminated against. Being discriminated against is the song's most emotional connection. As a group, we compared emotions of being a black man during segregation to Sam Cooke’s version of the song. Cooke’s lyrics of his version and tone reflect his hopes and fears for the future generations. 

Joslyn Crosby

Zanasia Williamson

English Group Project

Part A:

The title “A Change is Gonna Come” was familiar but I wasn’t sure if I had heard it before. At the end of the song, I had completely broken down because the song resonated with me so much. I’ve been dealing with a lot of problems lately and the song really hit close to my situation. Some thoughts that went through my mind were how the words seemed to have a mix of uncertainty while also stating that a change will come as a way of giving some hope. Lauryn Hill is the artist who remade this song and, having prior knowledge of her, I had high expectations for the song as the stakes they had in performing it is possibly bringing negative attention to its topic.

Part B: 

The initial interpretation of this song is that the artist is wishing for a change. Reading the lyrics didn’t change my thoughts too much, though reading them deepened my initial interpretation of it because I saw how many times “a change gonna come” was said. It was sort of like the artist was begging for a change in his life but not sure how to go about it. I don’t really relate to it on a personal level besides trying to stay positive when things start looking bad, but it does leave a deep impact whenever it comes to those moments.

Part C:

The Artist is Sam Cooke and some stakes he faced were getting both criminalized and arrested for speaking out when it came to Civil Rights music and the song he made. Sam Cooke was an African- American musician during the Civil Rights Movement. He used his popularity within the Black and White communities to express his thoughts on racism and segregation and how there needs to be a change within the world.  

Part D:

My feelings changed from at first feeling a bit confused and uncertain to realization as I finally came to understand the purpose behind the song. I still have a deep connection with the song regardless of the meaning but it’s not as deep because now I know the purpose of the song. I think my original response is as important because it relates to the writing in class and how it is important for the audience to interpret what the author is saying. I can connect with both artists because I would like change in the world to come. It is important because the main reason for the song was to speak for and relate to black people because they are being affected by racism. On top of that, the two artists share a connection even between the two different time periods. There is still hope for change to come with injustices that some people still face and that’s important because it allows people to understand the meaning behind the song better rather than just listening to the words.

Part E:

This activity is very strongly related to the lecture material from this week. This is due to the fact that both the lecture and the activity have to do with specifically developing and interpreting. During the lecture, rhetorical reading was discussed. Rhetorical reading means putting yourself in the shoes of the specific thing that you are reading for better understanding. Both artists got to express their emotions by using the same song. Due to this had the chance to see two different artists sing the same song and learn to interpret it the way they wanted people to be able to alongside the risks that came with it. It was interesting because it was a different experience hearing the interpretation of the song in both ways of being said vs heard. This helps the reader even better understand and interpret the song by linking the two together.

 

B - Our initial interpretation of the song deepened when we read the lyrics, because the tone in the singer’s voice made the lyrics sound a lot more hopeful and optimistic than they seem written out. Everyone has problems and faces adversity though, but life goes on. That is the part that we relate to the most. Sometimes you keep getting hit with the same lessons until you learn, and that’s when things start to change.

 

C - This song was written by Sam Cooke and was inspired by various different events in his life. More specifically, he felt like he had to write this song/tell this story after him and his crew were turned away from a “whites-only” motel in Louisiana. This is a powerful song about the Civil Rights Movement and the lives of African Americans.  

 

D - Our feelings about the song changed as we gained more knowledge of the background story of both the songs. In our initial responses we talked about how we found the song to be a hopeful one for both artists in their respective situations. After reading the lyrics and background story though, we realized that the song has a lot of impact on other artists and our community as a whole; especially because, the problems that we are fighting today during the “Black Lives Matter” movement are some of the same issues Sam Cooke and the rest community had to go through. Our responses in parts A and B are just as important as part C though because it shows how meaning can differ depending on the context clues the reader has or how the author relays their message. 

 

E - This activity is related to the Haas/Flower article because it shows that even though Lauryn Hill and Sam Cooke are similar words with similar messages, their meanings are both completely different. Also, depending on how much context is given to the reader plays a part in how the audience interprets the meaning.