Sylvia Wynter's Dream

Multimodal Post | September 22, 2023 | by Kelli-Rae Francis

GET TO KNOW THE WRITER:

Kings, Queens and In Betweens, Introducing………

“KELLI-RAE FRANCIS“

Hello everybody! I’m Kelli-Rae but my friends call me “Kelli” . I am an aspiring photographer, who is very passionate about makeup, fashion and all things beauty related. My love for photography is what drove me to study Digital Media Production at UWI. Another art that speaks to my soul is WRITING. Therefore, when I heard of a course that merges writing and digital media, I knew I had to sign up. I aspire to have a very successful and inspiring podcast someday. Hopefully, completing this course will equip me with the necessary knowledge to do so. Can’t wait to see what’s in store!

My contribution towards this class’ discussion on Amnesia will focus on the mental health aspect, as psychology and mental health awareness are some of my other passions. I am very excited to dig deep and talk about something close to home, Trauma Induced Amnesia.

BUT FIRST! Enjoy at little intro to what the course, Creative NonFiction Writing and Digital Media, has to offer.

MY FIRST COURSE ASSIGNMENT

As a writer, you would expect me to love reading. Well, so sorry to disappoint, because I HATE READING WITH A PASSION. I’m the girl who would rather watch the movie than read the book. And guess what the first assignment for this course required me to do?

Yeah, you guessed it! READ.

They say that misery loves company so I thought to myself “why not share what I read with my lovely audience?”.

For the bookworms, here’s the link to the article about Race and the New Digital Humanities Canon.

DIGITAL HUMANITIES????!!!???

I KNOW! I WAS LOST TOO! Here’s a video that will hopefully end your confusion:

For my fellow haters of reading, I summarized the article for you:

“Due to the development of technology, information has become easily accessible to persons worldwide despite their race or social status. As a result of free access to information, during the 1990s, some shared the belief that those who were formerly denied access to informative materials were able to gain knowledge that could change people of colour’s position in society. They believed that the Internet would finally give a voice to the voiceless. However, despite early efforts and dreams, issues of race and inclusivity have not been fully addressed by the digital canon.

Two types of projects are discussed throughout the article: scholar-led small scale recovery projects and institutional initiatives aimed at bringing lost texts to light. Some projects have thrived while others have been either lost or excluded from the digital canon. Various factors contribute to the lack of inclusivity in the digital canon such as institutional affiliations, funding models and the focus on technological innovation instead of using recovery to reconstruct the canon. 

Emphasis is put on the need to theorise the technological approaches within the digital humanities with the same diligence as the content. The author proposes investigating how to suitably apply technological standards to represent varying constructions of race found in textual materials. Additionally, they call for a revival of the DIY spirit that characterised early digital literary studies to ensure the inclusivity and diversity of digital recovery efforts.”

MY OPINION ON THE ARTICLE:

Some very great points were made. In today’s society, thanks to social media, the voiceless have been given a voice as seen in the flourishment of different movements for marginalized groups such as the Black Lives Matter Movement and The LGBTQ+ Pride Movement. Before social media, persons would have to rely on mainstream media such as radio stations and news outlets. That is no longer the case!

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!! SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW!