the Power of a Story

Sorry I haven't posted this before now, but better late than never I guess...

At ISCORE I attended the "Danger of the Single Story." We watched a video that I thought was really great and brought out the points well. First the single story was defined. It is one perception of of something based on an impression and naivete. It's not knowing or acknowledging the entire truth forming stereotypes, and if people are shown that as only one thing over and over, that's what it becomes. The power of a story depends on how the story is told. They most often emphasize differences rather than equalities. The speaker in the video said "when we reject the single story we regain a kind of paradise." People are made up of many stories, not single ones, and even though they can break and destroy, they can also build up and repair.

After the video we had to think about some things that make up the stories of our own lives. We were given a poem and another but with blanks so we could fill in the spots with our own words to make a story. (I can make copies of what we were handed out if anyone wants it. Just let me know.) Mine went like this...

I am from farms, from Chevy trucks, and John Deere tractors.
I am from the hay barns, black dirt of the fields, and cool cut grass.
I am from the corn, the pastures.
I am from hunting and gardening, from Chainsaw and Daisy and Clayton Lintz.
I am from the opposite side of favoritism, and loving care-giving of Grandma Lintz.
I am from Catholics and Lutherans.
I am from Iowa, Germany, fresh beef, and home-grown garden veggies.

I never did take the time to finish the last couple lines but in just filling it out this far I realized how many different stories make me up and how many more I could put in their place too.


John Carlos was the keynote speaker over lunch. For a little background if you didn't already know, he is a bronze medalist for the US Olympic track team from 1968 and is most remembered for his "Silent Protest" against racism and economic oppression. He and his teammate Tommy Smith both raised a black-gloved fist during the National Anthem during the victory ceremony after winning 1st and 3rd in the 200 meters.

One of the very first things out of Mr. Carlos's mouth was his acknowledgment that he was brought to where he is today by God. He had a vision when he was 8 years old of a championship; not about the medal, but the significance of what it meant for the black culture. He said black history is needed. Not only are they deprived of it, but children today are deprived of it. We need diversity to equal out culture and to remember!

He talked about segregation. It's based not only on skin color, but on ignorance. He really made the point that it is our duty to promote equality. We're all representing the same thing and those who fall for racism are "broken." The "troublemakers" are those who work to fix and change it like John Brown, Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, Rosa Parks, and the list goes on... We need to stand for those who can't/won't stand for themselves.

Mr. Carlos "paid his dues" to tell about who he was and through track and field he had a voice. He said "our country is broke and we as a society need to fix it!" It's a necessity to step up when everyone else is jumping off. He made mention of the Olympic boycott being along those lines. It was like a ripple effect (like when you drop a rock in a pond) through the world. I was a nonviolent act to make a statement.

To wrap it all up, Mr. Carlos made some final comments. "We all live and die, but it's what we do between those times that makes us who we are and what gets accomplished." "God dictates where you're going to be; we just have to be ready." And, "To make a difference, know yourself; get in touch with the man in the mirror."