I Am Alfonso Jones — Lecture Notes: Author, Context, Rhetoric, and Essay Prep

Context and Logistics

• Course focus: reading and analyzing the graphic novel I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina (author) and John Jennings (illustrator; linked to Black Panther visuals).
• Book access and formats: available as ebook, via Amazon, or at Howard University bookstore.
• Immediate deadlines: the book should be finished this week; for Week 3 in Canvas, directions posted; a proposed paper topic and outline is due on Sunday; rough draft due on Sunday, September 14. Dates were adjusted slightly for clarity.
• Live questions: instructor asks for a show of hands to gauge how many have purchased the book; use a safe space for questions.
• Clarifications on late work: if unforeseen circumstances delay submission (e.g., mailroom delay), no late penalties apply; there is no late policy in the class.
• Class logistics: next sessions will provide additional clarity on assignments; a virtual keynote with the author is scheduled for September 30.
• Quick course orientation: aim to prepare for Essay 1 with a focus on audience, context, purpose, and preparation for analyzing Medina’s techniques in the graphic novel.

Author and Illustrator

• Tony Medina (author): from New York; award-winning poet and activist; director of creative writing; part of the First-Year Writing program's faculty.
• John Jennings (illustrator): associated with the visuals of The Black Panther movie; co-creator for the graphic novel.
• Publication context: I Am Alfonso Jones (graphic novel) published $02/2017$; notable as the first young adult graphic novel to tackle police brutality head on.
• Historical timing: release occurred four years after the initial Black Lives Matter movement began (the movement is traced to early 2010s, the key moment being 2013).
• Significance: the work functions as both literature and social commentary, addressing real-life incidents of victims of color and police violence.
• Visuals and outreach: a visual emphasis in the course includes showing Medina’s background through a newsletter slide that features the author’s image and mentions upcoming public appearances (e.g., September 30 keynote).
• Contextual references: the course notes also reference Tomi Adeyemi and Dr. Carol Boyce Davies, indicating broader departmental planning and related readings.

Historical and Cultural Backdrop

• Trayvon Martin case overview:
  • Trayvon Martin was $17$ years old when killed in $2012$ in Florida; incident sparked national conversations about race and policing.
  • George Zimmerman was a volunteer neighborhood watch participant who pursued Martin; 911 advised not to follow, but Zimmerman argued there was an altercation.
  • Zimmerman was acquitted due to Florida’s Stand Your Ground law; the case helped catalyze the Black Lives Matter movement (formed $02/2013$).
• Visual rhetoric and media portrayal:
  • The session discusses how media images can convey messages without explicit statements (visual rhetoric) and how certain images can unjustly shape public perception of victims.
  • Contrasting images are shown: a negative representation (e.g., a “threatening” image) versus a familial image that humanizes the person (e.g., a photo with his father).
• Black Lives Matter (BLM):
  • BLM is described as a continuation of civil rights-era struggles, focusing on racial justice, systemic reform, and the use of digital activism (real-time videos, social media) to document police violence.
  • The movement began in $02/2013$ and, as of the discussion, persists into the current era; there’s a reflection on whether such movements can ever end.
• Civil Rights Movement (CR Movement):
  • Timeline: 1954–1968; roughly $1968-1954 = 14$ years.
  • Focus: dismantling legalized segregation (Jim Crow laws) and achieving codified civil rights.
• Comparative takeaway:
  • Similarities: both are grassroots, demand racial justice and systemic change, rely on mass mobilization and public protests, and face opposition from politicians and media.
  • Differences: CR Movement aimed at legal desegregation and state-sanctioned discrimination; BLM targets systemic racism embedded in policing, criminal justice, and social institutions beyond law.
  • Tactics: digital activism and real-time documentation emerged with BLM, expanding beyond the capabilities of the CR Movement.
  • Leadership: CR Movement featured centralized leadership (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks); BLM uses a horizontal, decentralized model to empower communities.
  • Shared takeaway: both represent waves in the broader struggle for justice; CR focused on civil rights, BLM on human rights, dignity, and systemic equity.

Audience and Purpose

• Target audience for I Am Alfonso Jones:
  • Primary: young adults, teens, and students like you.
  • Secondary: educators, parents, policymakers, and anyone concerned with justice and systemic racism.
• Why a graphic novel format matters:
  • Discussion prompt: What makes a graphic novel powerful for these audiences?
  • The collaboration with John Jennings and the Black Panther visual influence adds cultural resonance and accessibility to tough topics.
• Scene scale and tone: initial scenes are bright and hopeful (e.g., Alfonso’s life before the shooting) before the turning point; use of color and panel structure to convey mood shifts.

Visual Narrative and Key Scenes

• Characters and setup:
  • Alfonso is a 15-year-old boy who dreams of playing Hamlet in a school production; he longs to reconnect with his father and has a crush on a girl named Anita.
  • The visual tone at this stage is bright and optimistic.
• Turning point: Alfonso is shot by an off-duty officer who claims to have mistaken a hanger for a weapon.
• Panel analysis (three-panel sequence):
  • Left panel: funeral officiant’s line about the treatment of Black youth and running in American contexts.
  • Middle panel: a brutal line about consequences if one runs from police; the line emphasizes the fatal risk and systemic injustice.
  • Right panel: the speaker notes that an unarmed citizen, a child, is shot and killed, and that this is a reflection on slavery and ongoing injustice.
• The impact of visual rhetoric:
  • The three-panel layout compresses a heavy moment into a compact, impactful moment; the visual composition and dialogue evoke immediate emotional response.
  • Observations from students highlight themes like the emotional weight of the scene, the imagery of crying, and public protest as signs of communal impact.
• Aftermath and magical realism:
  • Following the funeral, Alfonso enters a magical realism phase: a ghost-train guided by victims of police killings.
  • The train scene echoes the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman’s legacy as a metaphor for escape toward freedom, even through death.
• Thematic motifs to track for Essay 1:
  • Memory, systemic injustice, and collective witness are framed through the ghost train motif and the memorialization of victims.
  • Harriet Tubman reference underscores themes of liberation and remembering the past to inform present struggles.

Narrative Techniques and Thematic Analysis

• Purpose of I Am Alfonso Jones:
  • Memorialize victims of systemic violence and educate readers about the impact of police brutality.
  • Inspire collective action, dialogue, and advocacy for change via cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural engagement.
• Visual and textual interplay:
  • Medina uses both text and illustration to heighten emotional impact and to illuminate complex social issues.
  • Notable moment: Alfonso reaching for the suit, a metaphorical “frozen” moment that prompts viewers to reflect on injustice.
• Key themes to analyze for Essay 1:
  • Memory: how scenes preserve the memory of victims and confront audiences with ongoing violence.
  • Systemic injustice: how structures of policing and law enforcement contribute to unequal treatment.
  • Collective witness: communities bearing witness and sharing responsibility for justice.

Essay Preparation and Rhetorical Framework

• Essay 1 objective:
  • Write a proposal with a topic, and outline a structure for the essay.
  • Analyze audience, purpose, and strategies; integrate visual and textual analysis.
• Guidelines for the proposal and outline:
  • Identify a pivotal scene and discuss how Medina uses audience, purpose, and strategies.
  • Demonstrate how typography, panel layout, color, and imagery support the message.
  • Include a thesis statement and a plan for analysis.
• Use of artificial intelligence in brainstorming:
  • The instructor demonstrates asking AI for a list of rhetorical devices and definitions.
  • Emphasizes to always fact-check AI responses and to avoid using AI to write the paper; AI is for idea generation.
• Example list of rhetorical devices (from AI brainstorm):
  • Pathos (appeal to emotion); Metaphor (figurative language); Irony (contrast between expectation and reality); Rhetorical Question (a question for effect, not to be answered).
• Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos):
  • Ethos: credibility and trustworthiness of the author/illustrator; contextual credibility via the Black Lives Matter era.
  • Pathos: emotional connection with the audience through scenes of injustice and grief.
  • Logos: logical reasoning and evidence of systemic racism and the need for justice.
• Application to Medina’s work:
  • Ethos: the author’s activist background and the collaborative credibility with John Jennings’ established visuals.
  • Pathos: scenes of grief, funeral panels, and the ghost train invoking empathy.
  • Logos: the narrative presents causal arguments about systemic racism and the need for reform.
• Next steps and deadlines:
  • Sunday: submit a proposal with a thesis and outline; include a pivotal scene analysis and discussion of audience/purpose/strategies; integrate visual and textual analysis.
  • Sunday (the following week): rough draft due by midnight on September 14.
  • Optional: use the class chat or GroupMe to connect with peers and share resources and progress.
• Additional discussion prompts:
  • Consider how cross-cultural conversations and global perspectives (e.g., Black diaspora experiences) enrich understanding of the text.
  • Reflect on the proverb: "If the lion does not tell its story, the hunter will" and its relevance to telling Black stories through Medina’s work.

Practical Details and Classroom Culture

• Class resources and events:
  • September 30: virtual keynote with Tony Medina (author).
  • Newsletter references: the department highlights future scholars/readings (e.g., Tomi Adeyemi, Dr. Carol Boyce Davies, Dr. Daniel Black).
• Accessibility and collaboration:
  • A GroupMe/Google chat link is circulated for class communication and to facilitate book sharing and group study.
• Reflection on the learning process:
  • Emphasizes cross-cultural dialogue and critical thinking about media representations, memory, and justice.
• Final reminders:
  • The graphic novel is a relatively quick read (approximately $150$+ pages) but not a traditional novel; plan time accordingly.
  • If you are waiting for mail delivery, communicate with the instructor; deadlines can be adjusted without penalty when due to circumstances.

Key Takeaways for Exam Preparation

• I Am Alfonso Jones operates at the intersection of literature and social commentary, using graphic narrative and visual rhetoric to interrogate police brutality and systemic racism.
• The work is situated within a historical continuum: Civil Rights Movement (1954–1968) and the Black Lives Matter movement (started $02/2013$), illustrating both continuity and evolution in strategies for justice.
• The target audience is primarily young adults; the graphic novel format is chosen to maximize impact and accessibility for this audience.
• Central scenes (e.g., the three-panel funeral sequence and the ghost-train afterlife) demonstrate how panel layout and imagery convey magnitude, memory, and justice more powerfully than words alone.
• Essay 1 will require a close reading that combines textual and visual analysis, anchored in a clear thesis about theme, audience, and purpose, using ethos/pathos/logos to frame argument.
• AI tools can aid brainstorming rhetorical devices, but must be fact-checked and should not replace original analysis.
• Practical class processes (deadlines, extensions, keynote events) are part of the learning context and contribute to the student’s ability to engage with the material critically and historically.