After learning about de/constructing gender and sexuality, I was astonished at how dope the different women we saw expressed themselves. For example, graffiti artist Jerk was really dope. In the video that we saw, she embodied the opposite of what society says a woman should be. She was tagging a wall that was sketched to be a hairy vagina. The different fonts that she used also challenged what people see as acceptable for women. Her fonts had many sharp edges and very bold. Society would expect for her fonts to be very curved and delicate. The fact that she was tagging a female body part says a lot about how much she wants to defy society. She was very much aware of her risks as a graffiti artist however, her decision to prove people wrong was more important. This is something that is truly admirable.

Listening to Cardi B’s song in class and listening to it was definitely a different experience for me. I listen to her songs a lot and I do listen to her lyrics, but having those questions in class did help me see her words and message from a different perspective. In both of these cases we see how women are constantly fighting to be respected and valued in the midst of a society who is always going against them. In the Morgan reading, he mentions how the stories of female MC’s “focus on the importance of love and care for themselves and the future of their community, children, family, lovers, and so forth” (Morgan 134). This is reflected onto artists nowadays, including graffiti artists. I feel as though their desire to defy societal standards are a way of loving and caring for others than themselves because they are educating people and defending themselves. As a result, more light is shed on the equality and recognition they deserve.