Tag: california

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Beauty, Imagination and the Pursuit of Justice

Norman Rockwell’s painting “The Problem We All Live With” depicting Ruby Bridges – the first black child to attend an all white elementary school in the South. Image from the website of the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Art has been used for centuries to point to the world we deeply desire and to the worlds we deeply don’t.

People often equate art with beauty and beauty in its variety of forms often moves us towards justice.

Beauty is universal. At any given moment in your life you have access to a form of beauty. It could be the love of a family member, a stunning sunset, a color, a meal, a painting, a speech, any small thing you observe during the course of your day. It is this exact universality of beauty that moves us to recognize justice should also be universal. Society should have equal access to justice in the same way we all have equal access to beauty. Beyond its universality, the experience of beauty alone causes a “radical decentering”. This de-centering allows humans to no longer see themselves as the focus of their surroundings and allows them to begin to see the inequalities around them.

This piece is an homage to the Civil Rights Movement, based on the “I am a Man” march that took place on South Main. Marcel Lovelace modernizes history with bright colors and a graffiti-style.

Part of creating a more just society is visualizing a more just society. This can take the form of seeing things you no longer want to be a part of your society as well as seeing the things you do. In this way visual representation is pivotal to establishing a more just society. As humans we naturally emulate, desire to reproduce, and partake in the beauty we see around us. What better way for us to learn how a person should be treated or esteemed, than by seeing it in action? We use representational justice to achieve societal justice.

A pivotal part of our society’s work for human equality in the United States has been the use of images. Art and images help us to respect the full spectrum of human life. Indeed, art often puts to us the choice to keep a limited view of humanity or embrace a more expanded version. America’s progress requires images, requires art, because of the way it conjures our imagination about what a society could be.

Holding hands during Martin Luther King’s Civil Rights’ Rally in 1963

“The endeavor to to affirm the dignity of human life cannot be waged without pictures, without representational justice.” -Sarah Lewis

Resources:

Lewis, S. E. (2016, Summer). Vision and Justice. Aperture, 223, pp.11-14

Scarry, E. (1999). On Beauty and Being Just. Harvard University Press.

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My Favorite Disney Tips

1. Afternoon at TRADER SAM’S

If you’re gonna be at the park for a few days or are a SOCAL local then I highly recommend checking out TRADER SAM’s. It is on the Disneyland Hotel grounds and is accessible without a park ticket. It’s a great place to escape the heat in the AC and grab an adult beverage. It’s still chock full of Disney vibes. It’s tiki themed and there are some pretty fun shenanigans the bartenders get up to for each beverage ordered.

2. Take the Monorail In

Depending on which side of Downtown Disney you are entering from, the monorail is a great way to to beat the crowds and save yourself a few steps. It will shuttle you right to Tomorrow Land. If you ride it in in the AM, it sets you up perfectly to grab your hard copy of the FASTPASS for Space Mountain. It’s also a fun way to orient yourself to the park and surrounding properties.

3. The Beast’s Library

This hidden gem is a must see for Beauty and the Beast fans and people looking for an air conditioned break. This tucked away spot is found in The California Adventure park in the back of the Sorcerer’s Workshop at the Disney Animation Building in Hollywood Land. You can find out what character you are from the film and watch the Beast and rose change in the interactive display.

4. Single Rider

Having been to the parks multiple times solo, single rider is a must know, but it can also be a great hack in groups as well. Indiana Jones, IncrediCoaster, Cars, Matterhorn, and many others offer it. Often times you may still wind up sitting with a friend too!

5. Carthay Circle Lounge

I’m going to round this list out with another air conditioned place to get adult beverages because we are still in the last throws of summer heat here in SoCAL. This spot is a great way to get some Disney history about the Snow White premiere and to kill a little time feel 1930s classic.

Hope you enjoyed the tips and recommendations! If you wind up using any of them, tag me on Instagram @mainstreetmarahute !