Friday, December 15, 2023

Train Graffiti and Spatial Justice

When I was young, my parents spoke fondly of Tucson, AZ, where I was born. I only ever lived there a year, so I never remembered much about it. I later revisited the city on one of the many annual road trips my family used to take. One of the first impressions I had of the city was just how much graffiti there was, particularly in our old neighborhood. We lived in an adobe row house that had been built in the early 20th century for the railroad workers, next to the train tracks. My parents told stories of how the house would shake like a bomb had gone off whenever a train approached, followed by a deafening “choo-choo.” But rather than the stereotypical poverty-stricken storyline that often accompanies neighborhoods adjacent to railroads, my parents described that time as simple and romantic—a dusty, bohemian scene reminiscent of the Old West. The colorful and persistent graffiti on the trains especially caught my eye.


I’ve never really given graffiti much in-depth thought beyond appreciating its aesthetic. After watching “Bomb It,” I’ve realized that much like other art, graffiti has meaning. Graffiti is unique because it is illegal, which adds a whole element to its creation. It serves a double purpose, because it is both what a specific piece is representing, as well as a way to gain power within public space.

This is especially true for graffiti on trains because they are not stationary. It is as if the graffiti is a way of gaining spatial power wherever the train goes, rather than just tied to one specific place. Therefore, the artist’s work will be seen by a more diverse, possibly larger group of people.

Furthermore, while the railroad system in the United States is not very glamorous and often overlooked, they are still one of the most common entities associated with industrialization. Graffiti serves as such a strong juxtaposition when featured on trains, as if it exists to rebel against and exploit the capitalist systems that led to post-industrial crumbling infrastructure. Graffiti on trains may be illegal but it serves as an underground public art that not only gives a voice to the marginalized but amplifies and carries it beyond their personal mobility. 

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Fracking Affects Your Athens Community

Rural Appalachia is a major site of fracking because it is “abundant in natural resources”, which is a similar reason the region is most popular for coal mining. Like coal mining, fracking is a major industry and a major source of employment throughout Appalachia. Fracking is also extremely hazardous, creates toxic waste, is prone to mass spills and leaks, and creates long term effects for workers, surrounding populations, and the environment/Earth.

A study outlines that fracking contributes to toxic air pollution and hazardous ground-level ozone layers. High concentrations of volatile organic compounds which are known to be carcinogenic are found in the air surrounding fracking sites. The study says that, “More than 200 airborne chemical contaminants have been detected near drilling and fracking sites. Of these, 61 are classified as hazardous air pollutants, including carcinogens; 26 are endocrine-disrupting compounds that have been linked to reproductive, developmental, and neurological damage”(Concerned Health Professionals of NY). Waste-fluid from fracking is a significant source of water contamination. PFA chemicals (polyfluoroalkyl substances) found in fracking waste water are tied to cancers and other health effects are another major concern. Fracking waste can also contain radioactive matter, and the ODNR found that "fracking waste can be found in the environment for thousands of years and cause bone, liver, and breast cancer" (Dani Kington, Athens County Independent). Leaks and discharge of waste affect not only communities around the sites, but the land and wildlife as well. Waste-fluid injection wells are a major source of contamination in groundwater, and are also usually placed in low-income and marginalized communities.

I find it alarming that our own home of Athens County is an example of a community at risk of the harmful effects of fracking. Athens County is one of the poorest counties in Ohio, being a rural area lying in the Appalachian belt. In the past year, a fracking waste injection site in Torch, Ohio was suspended due to unsafe Class II injection wells. Faulty and unsafe wells can heavily affect our groundwater, and Appalachia is no stranger to hazardous chemical leaks affecting water sources, specifically referencing DuPont out of Parkersburg. The Athens Independent says that, "Activists refer to Appalachian Ohio as the region’s “dumping ground for toxic waste.”". I feel like many weren't aware of these wells in the first place, let alone know of their possible hazards. 

Health effects are not the only form of harm done by fracking. Economically alone, fracking affects adults in Appalachia due to a decrease in jobs after the fracking boom. Tied with other economic issues that Appalachians face, access to jobs, food, housing, transportation, and more can cause significant harm to families. Economic disparities exacerbated by fracking contribute to a growing problem of STD’s and crime (Concerned Health Professionals of NY).  Adverse birth outcomes, long term serious health issues, cancers, and more affect those near fracking sites. Overall, its clear that environmental justice is a major issue for already historically disenfranchised Appalachians. Through continued neglect of land and their resources, they are at a disadvantage. Effects from fracking harm their ability to thrive in a multitude of ways, and clearly impacts their beautiful land and their people for generations. This environmental issue is no doubt an illustration of power dynamics. Capitalist companies are given priority and lenient regulations to further productions etc.etc, while the communities they are in are suffering. Our lawmakers and policymakers are allowing this, I have strong hope for Athens County and Appalachian activists to continue in fighting the neglect and unsafe practices happening here!

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

GATS & Graffiti as a form of activism in public space

Reflecting on this semester's materials, Shabazz's (2016) speech about how place, space, and mobility matters in the fight for social justice stood out to me. Throughout his speech Shabazz (2016) traces the proliferation policy and laws of confinement throughout the history of the Black liberation movement. What stood out to me the most in this speech was that he highlighted Hip Hop's role in creating space for Black civic engagement, despite redlining practices that left school art programs underfunded. Accordingly, during the rest of the semester, I couldn't help but think of how graffiti (one of the four elements of hip hop), as a tool for civic engagement and it's relationship to geography and social justice. In this post, I discuss how graffiti makes meaningful contributions to other material we discussed throughout the semester. Specifically, graffiti writers like GATS are deeply interwoven into spacial memory, and visually represent resistance to hegemonic oppressors through art and space. 

"Welcome to West Oakland" iconic sign painted by GATS

GATS, (graffiti against the system), is a graffiti writer from Oakland who is a part of the group PTV (punks, thugs, and vandals). GATS is famous for the mask seen above, which takes on a lot of different variations. I have not only seen GATS' work up and down the west coast, but in almost every state I've visited. While GATS' political involvement is evident in the acronym, you do not need insider knowledge to be able to identify that graffiti engages people politically. Specifically, the act of directly reclaiming space (e.g., painting it) is a more active form of engaging in politics in that there is no waiting around for bureaucrats to make the wrong decision, there's no research to build a case for more grass or playgrounds, it spits in the face of the whole process of democratic decision making. "I can't think of a way that is a more direct way of speaking to people than writing it on a wall" (I am Other). 

          


        "I am Other" (part 1, 2, & 3) takes place during the height of the Occupy Wall Street movement             and detail GATS' graffiti philosophy while he works alongside other artists in the community. 

It comes as no surprise that graffiti art decorates protest routes as it is a symbol for unrest. Throughout the semester, we talked in-depth about social inequities that do not get adequate attention and go unresolved for decades. While I can not say graffiti is a solution for any of these (e.g., homelessness, ableism or racism in public space), I can say that it draws the attention of policy makers and provides us the opportunity to engage in unbridled freedom of speech. The video "I am Other" is a great example of how space, art, and activism coalesce and can be voiced through graffiti. Unlike traditional ways of engaging in politics, like attending town hall meetings or voting, graffiti is a direct way to engage in public discourse by reclaiming shared and private space. 

Graffiti is not intended to include everyone, and my point is that neither are the built spaces and places throughout the US. The bureaucratic machine is one that is slow turning, and my question is why not transform space ourselves? If the government does not take us into account, if the accommodations created simply further the colonial project and do not make housing more affordable or accessible, if the design of our environment locks kids indoors or makes them fearful of being outside, then why not paint over it? Why not make their idea of what we need from public space more "unattractive"? The visual landscapes that we walk through, in public and in private, are dominated by corporations, advertisements, and otherwise ugly, meaningless material. What makes monuments to capitalism worth our compliance? Graffiti artists take agency in these spaces and create something that is representative of themselves and their community; regardless of what anyone else might think of it. 

Monday, December 4, 2023

The Impact of Resistance on Well-Being

In class, we have been talking about resistance, and the power of the individual to influence their environment and push for change. We have discussed how resistance can take many forms, including activities of daily living such as dress, cooking, home-making, and more. It can also include larger scale resistance like protests, boycotts, or strikes. In recent media, these larger forms of resistance have been categorized as destructive or harmful, and smaller acts of resistance have been labeled as insignificant. Externally, this may or may not be true, depending on the context and the inertia behind a movement, but internally, resistance can impact an individual’s well-being and happiness. Arguably more significantly, resistance can directly save lives and protect individuals.

            Following World War I, the Nazis were scared of contagious diseases, and a Polish doctor resisted by creating a fake Typhus epidemic, saving an estimated 8,000 people from death or imprisonment over three years. Historically, countless doctors have enlisted in programs like Doctors Without Borders, or abandon their practices in order to assist those who have been impacted by violence or war. Resistance within the medical establishment continuously serves to outright protect individuals and further social justice movements.

 



 

Socially, inclusion within resistance movements has also led to an increased sense of satisfaction for many. Resistance is necessary within a context of power, as the two forces coexist. When power is being used or exerted on others, resistance is the natural antithesis as individuals advocate for themselves and any substandard living conditions or treatments. Engagement in resistance against powers that harm or negatively impact an individual can offer a sense of community, and help bolster the individual’s sense of self-worth through accomplishment.

Smaller acts of resistance, like a woman wearing pants in the 1930’s, may not have as obvious of an impact as doctors saving lives, but these small acts of resistance shift the paradigm, and can articulate new ways of thinking and new social norms. It is a method of challenging socially determined “truths” in order to change policies, procedures, and cultural norms to create a better and more socially just future.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8984666/

 

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-a-fake-typhus-epidemic-saved-a-polish-city-from-the-nazis