In a world where oppression is prominent, the fight against social injustice is a constant struggle.
It seems BS ironic that certain human rights are stripped away from minorities, when they should be able to exercise them simply by virtue of being humans. The thing is, humans have an empathetic nature, or at least I like to think we do, so when certain communities are denied their rights, compassion fuels others to combat the issue along with them. We often retaliate the bigotry by engaging in activism such as protests. And protests call for slogans, a tradition that stems from intense sentiments on political outrage, all compressed into brief compelling phrases that make headlines. Now my question is, how effective can a 3-10 word phrase be in battling injustice?
Let us take a look at a couple of scenarios and evaluate the effect each banner has…
Scenario #1
The phrase uses a device I have previously found in poetry, end rhyme, where only the last syllable rhymes. In poetry, end rhyme creates a sense of musicality and flow which facilitates in memorisation, so I assume here it is a strategy to make the phrase unforgettable for people who only catch a glimpse of it, walking along the street. The slogan connotes that people keeping quiet is damning evidence of their position. By isolating the subject it becomes taboo, which indicates that it is a problematic conversation that is not welcome in most platforms, increasing ignorance, and straying further away from possible action.
Scenario #2
This is what is known as a declarative statement. The purpose of a declarative to imply that it is factual, as though it cannot be refuted. Instead it refuses a pragmatic assumption that people in power are stronger. This is corroborated by the capitalisation of all letters, which is a common feature of most protest posters: it roars, demanding to be heard. This expression implies that what common citizens can achieve when they unite for a common cause is stronger and further compelling than the power that authoritative figures yield.
Scenario #3
In this case instead of focusing on the wording, I would like to bring attention to the fact that in a country where only 5% of the population speak English (cited below), the language of choice for their slogans is ironically, English. If a message is effectively transmitted to the intended demographic, the greater the probability that action will take place. Basically, if the activists are protesting in their own language, this issue does not travel out of their region, keeping it within local realms, however, if it is communicated in English, they gain worldwide attention, making it hard for global entities to ignore.
Moral of the story, while a few words is not going to magically eradicate the deep-rooted issue, it certainly will be a call for action, as well as bring light to the situation. Ultimately, protests give a voice to the minorities, who have been silenced for most of their lives.
Image for Scenario 1 https://arts-lab.co.uk/product/silence-is-compliance-print/
Image for Scenario 2 https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/lebanon-main-parties-agree-hariri-reform-plan-amid-protests-over-economic-crisis
Image for Scenario 3 https://ifex.org/coup-and-civil-disobedience-in-myanmar-farmers-protests-and-metoo-victory-in-india/
Statistic for Scenario 3 Bolton, Kingsley (2008). “English in Asia, Asian Englishes, and the issue of proficiency”. English Today. Cambridge University Press.
I enjoyed reading this article and your explanation about using language in slogans during protests and social movements. It is indeed important to speak up about what we believe in.
This is a very interesting blog post. I like how you analyzed the the writing on the banners and showed how much a person can deduce just from looking at them
Thank you, Laila.
Adding a few questions that your classmates might consider in their conversations:
1. Can you recall a memorable slogan (protest-related or not)? What about that slogan (the words, situation, presentation, etc) made it so memorable?
2. Laila highlights the use of English-language signs in non-English contexts. Do you think that social media (and photos of the event) are important to this use of English? How does social media amplify protest causes?
“…it roars, demanding to be heard.” I love this expression! It really emphasizes the power of protesting posters and how efficient they are at enhancing the general public’s awareness when it comes to vital issues. A memorable slogan I recall would be “Our Expectations for You Were Low But Holy F***” during the Muslim countries’ travel ban protests at airports back in 2017, USA. It made me feel relieved that there were people who acknowledged the horrors of Donald Trump at such dark times.
This post attracted me because I wrote an essay about the Texas law about abortion and how the protests happened. I agree with everything you wrote because everyone deserves the right to do what they want without having to cause any type of ruckus or conflicts with one another. It is so amazing how when people protest against something there are always those who are ready to fight with their belief!