Boyd1

JaylynnBoyd

Professor Gillings-Gayle

English 120

28 March 2016

Freedom of Stylistic Expression and Systemic Consequences

  1. Intro
  2. Hook: The issue of self-expression through fashion becomes increasingly complex when considering how appearances can be used as a means to justify systemic racism.
  3. Background info:
  4. David L. Brunsma’shistory and motivationof sagging one’s pants
  5. individual’s personal identity and style that does not need to be limited to a particular ethnic or racial group.
  6. Koppel debate and quote about freedom of expression
  7. freedom of expression is a civil right in the United States; backlash against sagging pants may be racially motived because of the style’s link to Hip Hop.
  8. Thesis Statement: Although individuals should have freedom of choice in in matters concerning personal style, boys who sag their pants face discrimination based on negative stereotypes and as a result should not wear saggy pants in a school setting.
  9. Claim A - Freedom of expression can be extended to personal style and America’s youth is always approached by the older generation as having a distasteful fashion sense.
  10. Some people think that saggy pants make teenage boys seem dangerous
  11. Dembyquote about rebellion, over-confidence and possibly, a disregard for authority
  12. Koppel: “Where oversized uniforms were issued without belts to prevent suicide and their use as weapons. The style spread through rappers and music videos, from the ghetto to the suburbs and around the world.”
  13. baggy pants originated came out of the styles of clothing worn in jail.
  14. Transition: Koppel is correct that saggy pants make teenagers seem rebellious, but these teenagers face discrimination for wearing this style of clothing.
  15. Claim B - Teenage boys face discrimination for sagging their pants.
  16. People associates this style of clothing with criminal behavior and innocent teenagers may be regarded with suspicion.
  17. Example: Trayvon Martin,
  18. Touré Quote: “I’m not saying you can’t wear what you want, but your clothes are a red herring. [Racist people will] blame it on your hoodie or your jeans when the real reason they decided you were a criminal is that you’re black.”
  19. racists can use apparel as targets and symbols to further their cause and easily identify young men as “criminal” or “suspicious.”
  20. Transition to: young men should not sag their pants in school.
  21. Claim C - Students should not sag their pants in school because school is a place where students should practice the skills they need when they enter the “real world.”
  22. You have to dress professionally in the real world
  23. People judge you based on your looks
  24. Keith Boykin quote: “once had a prospective intern … who dressed this way to his job interview with me, and I had to warn him that he would never get a job in most places dressed like a thug.”
  25. This quote shows how a manager may think when he or she hires new employees
  26. Students should practice wearing appropriate clothing that will allow them to be competitive in the job market.
  27. Transition to closing sentence.
  28. Conclusion
  29. Restate Koppel
  30. RestateTouré
  31. Restate Boykin
  32. Restate Thesis statement:Although individuals should have freedom of choice in in matters concerning personal style, boys who sag their pants face discrimination based on negative stereotypes and as a result should not wear saggy pants in a school setting
  33. If/Then statement: If schools discourage sagging pants and explain the advantages of not sagging pants within the school, young men can be better prepared for their future careers.

Works Cited

Boykin, Keith. “The Boxer Rebels.”The New Black Magazine.26 September 2007. The New

Black Magazine.com. 26 September 2007. Web. 27 April 2013.

Brunsma, David L.The School Uniform Movement and What It Tells Us about American

Education: A Symbolic Crusade. Lanham, MD: ScarecrowEducation, 2004. Print.

Demby11, Gene. "Sagging Pants And The Long History Of 'Dangerous' Street Fashion."NPR.

NPR, 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.

Koppel, Niko. "Are Your Jeans Sagging? Go Directly to Jail." The New York Times. 30 August

2007,Fashion & Style sec. Nytimes.com. 30 Aug. 2007. Web. 27 April 2013.

Toure. “The Racial Cold War Is Heating Up.” Time.08 March 2012. Time Magazine. 08 March

2012. Web. 27 April 2013.