Debunking Myths

An Economist debunks 3 Anti-Immigration Myths

Undocumented

Your classmate Priscilla's brother made this film as part of the Documenting Justice series.  She agreed to allow me to share it with your blog group as well!
Undocumented-Carlos Estrada

A Girl Like Me

I was unable to show this in class...during our discussion of Privilege and Microaggressions
A Girl Like Me

The Word that is Never to be Spoken?

There's a long used saying that " sticks and stones can break my bones,  but words can never hurt me." Quite possibly, that is solely dependant on the individual,  and some people are hurt by words, because that is the way we communicate what we are feeling. We have covered some pretty intense topics and spoke quite openly about them. I don't intend to stop that trend today, but I would like to approach my topic from a lighter angle.

 I have included a 5 min video clip from the Dave Chapelle Show. Many of you are probably familiar with his comedy. He often used controversial and taboo topics in his skits, and people of all races were completely drawn into it. It was almost liberating, in a sense, to see these topics addressed outside of debate or political forum.  This short clip is called "The Niggar Family" (spelled with an 'ar', pronounced the same) and the Family  happens to be white. Niggar is their last name. He even reintroduces the tension at the end of the video.  I think it brings attention to the fact that words sometimes only possess the power that "we" give them over us. One you tuber commented that when a word no longer defines you, it ceases to be offensive.

However, I know people who feel just the opposite. I even have a relative that says no one should ever use the "n" word. Ever. I can't say that trying to irradicate it from language will acheive anything. It is a part of our american history, and will likely never be forgotten. Censoring it from speech will only succeed to lock in the negative connotations associated with its use. I do think that the "n" word, even when used derogitorily, is not worth the vailidation of an aggressive or militant response. I hope you enjoy the video, and I'm really looking forward to your comments.

http://youtube/-17JJChM6IQ

Free to Be Who You Are

I recently read an article titled "Biracial, and also black" written by Martha Jones, a professor at the University of Michigan. The article can be found on Cnn.com along with a slideshow of 26 famous people who are also biracial such as Frederick Douglas, Bob Marley, and Slash of Guns and Roses. I will attempt to add a link. Keep your fingers crossed.
Biracial, and also black

In her article, Jones discusses the one-drop rule and what it had meant to her until she saw a change of self perception in her students. I feel that this article ties into our class discussions about white privilege, slavery, and racial discrimination in a relevent way. Since the majority rules, no one gets to dictate who they are, but the minority has no such luxury. I think that it can be hard for people to understand that  a person of mixed heritage really belongs in a category all their own and that being pressured to make a choice constitutes giving up a part of yourself, or at the very least, hiding it. I have always checked 2 boxes, even when I was gotten onto for doing so. Gradually, I see changes in that I am more often offered a box that allows me to indicate who I truly am in a way that allows me to represent both sides of myself.

This is a changing society, and Jone's article serves as proof of that. Although negative attitudes in regards to race still persist, each generation is further educated to the detriment of those attitudes. I hope for the sake of my children and all those after us that discrimination will eventually be irradicated in our society. It would be quite an advancement if people were able to see more similarities than differences when they face one another.

Allies, privileges, and mistakes

The term “ally” has been thrown about quite a bit lately in relation to social justice movements, such as LGBTQ+, anti-racists, economic justice, etc. What truly makes an individual an ally? There is a clear distinction between merely being supportive and acting as an ally.  One can be supportive and want someone to succeed without having to stand with that person publically. 

I personally believe one of the most important actions an ally can take is not to speak for an individual or group, instead speak with—there’s a difference. This past week’s reading touched on “The White Savior” role many allies can take on, perhaps at times, unintentionally.  Don’t assume you know what is best or fully understand issues or discriminations others may be facing.  Communication and an honest evaluation of one's position are important for allies. Mistakes will be made, but that is part of the process. Don’t be afraid to ask. It is better to ask in embarrassment than to hurt or disrespect in ignorance. 

The following read is not a comprehensive “how-to” on becoming an ally, but an important take on privileged allies. It touches more, well, brusquely on the topic of allies’ mistakes. An excerpt from the link attached below: 

If you are a person of privilege who recognizes the reality of this imbalance and strives to make your community a more accessible and welcoming place to those who aren’t as privileged, you might identify yourself as an ally.

You are wrong.

http://www.southernfriedscience.com/?p=16054

 

The Power of the Privileged

Describing class and white privilege makes one group newly acoountable. As a level of power, many may ask how can I lessen or even end it? Most class oppressiveness is unconscious. When one is oblivious about its existence, it makes it that much challenging for them to see how could they be an oppressor toward what they may see as general success. The notion that everyone can just pull themselves up by their bootstraps, in hopes of acquiring all that life has to offer, is false. If one lacks the foundation and resources to do so how is this possible?


http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/10/list-of-upperclass-privilege/

White Privilege in NASCAR

First I will start by saying that I am an enormous NASCAR fan. I love to read about and study the history, culture and those odd chain of event circumstances. I love the cars and the sounds and the smells of burning rubber and fuel. But I have never been a fan of the stigmas that comes with the term "NASCAR fan". As soon as I tell someone that I am a fan, you can imagine many of the assumptions that come with that. I was reading a book called, Sport, Spectacle, and NASCAR Nation: Consumption and the Cultural Politics of Neoliberalism, when I came across a sentence that really turned some gears (pun intended). "Whiteness in the United States can be understood largely through the social consequences that it provides for those who are considered to be non-white."(98) We all know that.

Wendell Scott, from Danville, Virginia, was the first African American to race and NASCAR's top level and(in 1964) the first to win a race. There were, of course, people that were not pleased with the fact that he even raced amongst them. Then there were those who were willing to help him and his very small and underfunded race team. He never had the nice expensive cars that would have enabled him to show his true talent. Sponsors and many car owners helped him along the way, but it was difficult for them to put their full support in him due to the social climate of the time. White privilege. They didn't have to help. The companies and owners were better off staying away from him instead of risking the public backlash. Even more sad was the fact that many drivers and fans alike didn't really see him as a person. They saw him more as a side attraction. "A black man driving that car. Who woulda thunk?"

Despite all of the objections and obstacles, Wendell Scott came away with a pretty healthy stat sheet at the end of his career. His one win would not go into the record books without controversy though. It took 2 hours after the race for him to convince them that he was the winner. Another African American would not win in any of NASCAR's top 3 series' until 2013.

Darrell Wallace Jr. from Mobile, Alabama broke the color barrier for the first time in nearly 50 years. (Side note: One of the most interesting things is that Wallace won in Martinsville, Virginia, which is only 27 miles away from Scott's hometown.) So, does this mean that white privilege had been wiped way in NASCAR? Possibly. Some analysts argue that it is more of a class privilege simply because of how much money it cost to get into racing even at the lower levels. But to it seems that it would be difficult to spark interest in people that have no vested interest in a sport. Okay so we have a black driver. Cool. We have a few women. Cool. Whats next? How do we get the sponsors that would interest other types of people to see the value in the sport. It is getting better, but still has quite a long ways to go.

Great article on Salon today. It's not too long and touches on the incident with Oklahoma State player Marcus Smart, as well, as tying in the just-missed debacle of the Zimmerman/DMX boxing match.

We all want recognition as human beings. The problem: Only one group can force its desires on the rest of us.

Brittney Cooper


http://www.salon.com/2014/02/11/the_vile_pain_of_racial_taunts_marcus_smart_dmx_and_white_supremacys_sick_power/

"Unacceptable" Hair

In Mark Smith’s book, How Race is Made, the reader is presented with an observer of Southern race relations thoughts that Blacks “wanted to look white—have straighter hair” (100). Whiteness set the standard, and efforts to “become” middle-class (read: White), coupled with the recognition of Blacks as consumers, created a market, as well as an avenue, for Blacks to obtain hair straightening products. The texture of one’s hair could be altered to silky, soft and more “white, thus undermining a commonly held white stereotype about the natural coarseness of black hair” (101).  

The texture of Black hair is used to further the false ideas of inferiority. Whites employment of this racist belief is not surprising, considering the many other racist sensory experiences determined substandard. And Blacks “who did not wish to ‘whiten,’ and were proud of their looks, were often the target of criticism” (100).  Sadly, that criticism and discrimination is observable today.

For example, young Tiana Parker was removed from her school for having dreadlocks. The schools policy states that dreadlocks, mohawks, and afros are not allowed and considered distracting. Tiana is accused of being a distraction. This happened in September 2013 and smacks of the racist logic from the Jim Crow South Smith presents in his book. 

A similar story is that of Vanessa Van Dyke. A young girl threatened with expulsion from her school for wearing her natural hair in a “distracting” manner-- just this past November. "Distracting" is beginning to remind me of a word Smith highlights: "crowding."

The history of race and its construction through the senses has affected the way society operates today. The current state of race relations in the U.S. has improved, but there is still work to be done. I would like to end on a positive note from one of my favorites, Mellisa Harris Perry. Her message to Tiana Parker, and other girls with hair deemed 'unacceptable,' is uplifting, inspiring, and one that needs to be heard.

How Race is Made Through Senses

Race and prejudice is a hot topic in this nation and it seems that it always will be. People all around the world continue to be judged based on preconceived notions that have been passed down through generations. To understand why this happens, we must take a look at what exactly causes people to assume these terrible things. Mark Smith, (whether you agree with his style or not) definitely brings a different perspective to the table. Studying his work on how the former slaveholders used senses to determine race and who was "inferior" can be tough to analyze, critique and overall a hard pill to swallow. So… here goes nothing.

As previously mentioned, slaveholders used their senses to attempt to keep control of workers. According to Smith, they would use their sight (obviously) to see what the workers were doing but to also help judge how healthy they were. He gives an example of how one slave had gained a little weight and had particularly oily skin. This led the master to believe that he had been eating "good meat". Smith spends a tremendous amount of time on smell and the stigmas that are placed on it. If a person if forced to work in the hot sun for endless days without being able to bathe or wash their clothes, then they are obviously going to possess an offensive odor.

It is no secret that most slaves were not allowed to learn, to read, or become educated in any way. Therefore, if the race of a person was ever in question, the white people could often tell if the person was an escaped slave or a free person. I remember hearing another example from a previous class that helped the slave traders determine who was to be brought to the U.S. The traders would lick their sweat. Yes, lick sweat. They would do this to judge the salt content in their bodies to help determine if the person could survive the long trip. (the more salt content the more likely they were to survive.)

Whites, that first saw the Africans, quickly noticed that their senses were much better than their own. In general, the Africans could see farther, distinguish sounds better, smell better and feel much more accurately. According to Smith, this led the whites of the day to see these enhanced senses as "animalistic". Much like the Sarah Bartman piece explains, they believed that anything outside the white mindset was inferior. I personally believe that the whites took this as a threat. They saw that another type of people were better at virtually everything that comes naturally to humans. It seems that the white people thought they could not trust the African natives because they may use their senses to retrieve information faster. I believe that they were afraid and egos became a big player in the situation.