Media Studies 120 Protest Song Power Point

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Media Studies 120Protest Song Power Point

• An Example By
• Ms. White

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Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix)

• By Kayne West
• Featuring Jay-Z

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Social problem being protested

• West discusses the conflict surrounding the
  purchase and trade of diamonds/ blood diamonds.
• He discusses many of the unseemly realities of
  the world diamond market.
• LYRICS
• Good Morning, this ain't Vietnam stillPeople
  lose hands, legs, arms for realLittle was known
  of Sierra LeoneAnd how it connect to the
  diamonds we ownWhen I speak of diamonds in this
  songI ain't talkin bout the ones that be
  glowinI'm talkin bout Rocafella, my home, my
  chainThese ain't conflict diamonds, is they
  Jacob? Don't lie to me, mayneSee, a part of me
  sayin' keep shinin',How? When I know of the
  blood diamondsThough it's thousands of miles
  awaySierra Leone connect to what we go through
  today

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Is it convincing?

• The remix version with Jay-Z gives greater
  attention to illicit diamond practices than
  Wests original version of the song. The lyrics
  detail some of the atrocities committed to supply
  the worlds desire for diamonds. By the end of
  the song though, both rappers drift away from the
  theme and give in to bombastic proclamations
  about their respective lofty status in the
  hip-hop community.   
• Event The mining of conflict/blood diamonds
• Person(s) involved diamond traders, government
  officials, diamond miners, consumers
• Place Sierra Leone (as well as other African
  countries)
• This is an ongoing issue.

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Historical/ Contemporary Significance

•       Significance in history The blood diamond
  market is a byproduct of the colonization of
  various African nations.
•    Contemporary connectionsThis happens to be a
  contemporary issue.

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Trivia

• Leonardo DiCaprio is filmed a movie called The
  Blood Diamond, which opened in 2007. In it, he
  plays a South African mercenary whos in search
  of a rare pink diamond. The film is set against
  the backdrop of civil war in Sierra Leone in the
  late 1990s.

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Why this song?

• One of my students mentioned to me that he had
  recently had an interesting conversation about
  conflict diamonds with an area jeweler. He said
  that he was made aware of the issue after he had
  read an article explaining the title of this
  particular song.

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External Links

• http//www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html
• http//www.grist.org/advice/ask/2003/02/12/umbra-r
  ings/index.html
• Movie Blood Diamond Trailer

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References

• http//www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kanyewest/diamondsf
  romsierraleone.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamonds_from_Sierra_
  Leone
• //www.youtube.com/watch?vXtPX2kXhu7I