In case you are wondering, no I am not that old lady that is trying to convince you that salvation is only through Christ. I am, however, celebrating the Messiahs that shape our identity. In this modern era, instead of celebrating the diversities of our societies, we somehow end up marginalizing and distorting minorities. In
Disability, Mairs writes, "I've been consciously searching for representation of myself in the media". She experiences the lack of authentic portrayal that disabled people get. Even if they are depicted, their disabilities seem to define their characters.It is as if their whole essence dwindles down to something that is out of their control and can happen to anyone. Following in the same footprints, recently, the Academy Awards suffered backlash for having no nominees of color in the major categories. The event that is supposed to represent the achievements of film and its contribution to our country seems to be missing an integral part. This negligence of genuine representation is reinforced by the the media; African Americans are mostly depicted as "thugs", "drug lords", and " unintelligent". Other minorities also experience this. For example, in movies and shows, Arabs are one of three B's: Belly dancer, Bombers, or Billionaires ( based on my experiences so far, most of the Arabs that I have come across are neither of these: they are hookah lovers). This systematic misportrayal of minorities can lead to a divided nation where minorities themselves feel lost because of the lack of representation and role models. Growing up, we all need someone to believe in, someone that can show us that we can do whatever we want to do, and most importantly someone that has experienced similar obstacles, someone who would be our
savior. In
Champion of the World, Angelou writes, " My race groaned. It was our people falling". The unity that Angelou's community exhibits, stems from the lack of African American role models that they could have looked up to . So Joe was
their Messiah. He was an African American that could debunk what the white society expected from him and other African Americans. Here are my
"Messiahs":
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| Fairuz, the epitome of grace, captivated and united people with her enchanting voice |
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"The Jeanne D'arc of the Levant", Nazek Al Abid ( whom my grandma is named after) fought against the French occupation in Syria
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