Journal #17

Language has been used in a variety of ways to challenge ideological norms. It's as simple as Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks use of the word "no" when challenged on a bus. The word alone gave way to a huge boycott and stream of new protesting that went against the status quo at the time. This lead to the upbringing of Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous speeches. Without simply standing up for themselves, segregation wouldn't have been abolished as well as the use of slavery. Even the congregation of people willing to help free slaves or join in on protests back then shows how powerful the use of communication and language was used. Also, when writers were predominantly male and female writers were looked down upon, the use of male surnames show how language went against the status quo. People didn't know that editors were enabling female writers to publish books under male names, and were often surprised to know that they had so much potential.