What is everyone thinking about all of this craziness about cops killing our young black men again?  How many in the past week ?   I'm sick......

Jesse Williams speech.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/27/entertainment/jesse-williams-speech-bet/index.html

So what is everyone thinking about our Grey's Anatomy star's speech?

Hollywood

http://thinkprogress.org/culture/2016/05/10/3776893/hollywood-pushing-diversity-will-asian-latino-actors-left/

Hold Employers Accountable for Equal Representation

Discrimination in the workplace is ever present and it seems as if it is up to those being discriminated against to create change in the workplace. It does not help that the courts have only made it harder to fight employers due to the constricting of the definition of discrimination. This article talks about a possible solution to make employers accountable for equal representation, in hopes that discrimination will decrease as a result.

Cohen, P. (2013, April 1). A Simple, Legal Way to Help Stop Employment Discrimination. The Atlantic. Retrieved from: http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/04/a-simple-legal-way-to-help-stop-employment-discrimination/274519/

Positive strides in Italy

Here is another act of discrimination in European soccer, however this comes with an appropriate and positive response from a crowd of people. Whenever the Senegalese defender, Kalidou Koulibaly, of Napoli touched the ball, the opposing Lazio fans would boo. This postponed the game for several minutes, but stuck a nerve with supporters of Napoli. Italy being a somewhat powerhouse of prejudice has seen their own supporters reflect negatively to national stars such as Mario Balotelli. However, the supporters of Napoli show a glimmer of hope as in the next game they supported their player and wore Koulibaly masks in protest of racism. The solution to these ongoing acts of discrimination towards players that are not Caucasian could be a stadium ban with games without fans. This act proves that there are strides of improvement, but what else has to happen?

Butler, M.(2016, February 7), Napoli fans wear masks of Kalidou Koulibaly in protest against racism. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/07/napoli-fans-support-kalidou-koulibaly-masks-protest-against-racism

Intersecting Selves

Being an athlete, being a women, and being African American each come with their own set of labels.  Intersectionality looks at how these labels come together to affect our everyday experiences.  An African American women, not only has to be wary of the stereotypes attached to being a women, but also those attached to being black.  It’s like she has two strikes against her.  Being an African American woman would also significantly affect her individual experience as an athlete due to the stereotypes surrounding gender and race within sports.

Today “race and gender can be used in a way that both consciously and unconsciously trivializes the athletic efforts of African American female athletes and the mainstream media further constructs racialized and stereotypical images of these athletes” (Withycombe, pg. 479).  Like their male counterparts, the athletic ability of African American women in sports is often attributed to their supposed “racial physical advantage,” rather than to the work and training that they put in.  This notion can be extremely damaging for these athletes, as their work is not being acknowledged nor encouraged.

In 2011, research conducted by Jenny Lind Withycombe, sought to shed light on the experience of African American female athletes.  The research collected statements of African American women, who participate in division I sports, on their experiences with gender and race based stereotyping in the sporting space.  In one interview, a participant noted how “hyper-vigilance over one’s image—Is an essential part of being an African American woman and athlete—[and]—she specifically notes that they cannot “give” the media or society confirmation of the stereotypes that haunt their past and present lived experiences” (Withycombe, Pg. 485).  The fact that women in this position feel that it is necessary for them to constantly monitor themselves, speaks to the little progress that has been made in “debunking the myths of the African American Woman.”

It is important to recognize how the intersection of labels in our society today can affect peoples’ everyday lives.  To read more on how the intersection of race, gender, and athletic stereotypes effect the lives of African American women in sports, follow the link below to the aforementioned research.

Withycombe, J. (2011). Intersecting Selves: African American Female Athletes’ Experiences of Sport. Sociology of Sport Journal, 28, 478-493. Retrieved from http://fitnessforlife.org/AcuCustom/Sitename/Documents/DocumentItem/06_SSJ_28-4_2011_0021_p478-493.pdf

Racist Chant from the College Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVjbYFqhAfM

This is a quick video discussing a racial remark made towards a Kansas State basketball player. Opposing fans are one of the worst parts about playing sports as they will do just about anything to get into your head and throw you off of your game. This racial remark made in 2012 took a second to say, but the repercussions created conflict and damage that last a lot longer than the time it took to utter the phrase.

Breaking into Ballet

“Ballet has long been the province of the white and wealthy” (Copeland, pg.1).  Ballet is a great example of how some sports today, are still very difficult for members of different races to break into.  Beyond skin color, one must achieve and maintain the traditional physique that is expected of a ballerina.  One must also be able to afford the hefty price tags associated with training and equipment.  The combination of the physical and economic requirements in ballet, create a barrier that prevents people from diverse backgrounds and physical builds from entering the ballet world.

Misty Copeland is making waves in the ballet world.  She is one of the first African American ballerinas to successful break onto the professional scene.  As a result, she has had to push back against every obstacle thrown her way.  She worries about “what the ballet world thinks about [her]” and “whether [she] will ever be accepted and seen as a well-rounded artist deserving of respect” rather than just as “the black ballerina” (Copeland, pg. 1).  Copeland hopes that her claim to fame will not be simply the color of her skin, but rather her mastery of the art.  Her presence in the ballet world is changing the standards for the sport and opening new doors for greater diversity in ballet in the future.  However, Copeland finds herself in the position of feeling like she has to prove that her ability can speak for itself.

This speaks to the privilege that white dancers have in ballet.  They do not need to justify their presence on a stage as tied to their ability.  The stigma that can be created around the illusion of being given a pass due to racial backgrounds, can be extremely discouraging and ward off further participation of nonwhite dancers.  Copeland argues that this pushes her to work as hard as she can to prove her place.  She feels that she has to make sure that she is the best, or she will be casted aside.

Copeland, M. Ballet Star Misty Copeland Talks Overcoming Racism and Body Shaming on Her Way to the Top. Teen Vogue. Retrieved from http://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/misty-copeland-ballerina#1

Why is the default White?

A system of white privilege, for example, is white-dominated, which means the default is for white people to occupy positions of power. White-dominance doesn’t mean that all white people are powerful, only that the powerful tend almost always to be white, and when a person of color occupies a position of power, that will be noted as an exception to the rule (as when Barack Obama is routinely identified as a black President and not just ‘the President’).



http://www.agjohnson.us/glad/what-is-a-system-of-privilege/

24 Questions Black People Have For White People

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuVMJmC0V98

Just an extra I found in my browsing!

The People vs. OJ Simpson

The series, The People vs. O.J. Simpson, became an addicting show I could not help to stop watching. It seemed as if I watched it at the best time because I am also in this race and ethnicity class. At the beginning, it seemed as if OJ was doomed; it was obvious he killed Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. During a time of racial conflict in California, OJ Simpson was lucky. The "race card" was used in order to salvage OJ's life. Lawyers, supporters, and family irreverently put up the race card each time OJ's name was brought up.

I do not want to spoil the rest so I recommend you all watch it. Racial discrimination is real and America was blind to it at the time. The show can be seen on FX.

The Roots of Prejudice in The Workplace

 In the 18^th century, the level of reasoning required to read and write was held as the key difference between man and animals.  This way of thinking connected a man’s humanity to literacy.  During this time many people in the United States utilized that way of thinking to justify slavery and the mistreatment of African slaves.  Since there were laws in several states preventing slaves from learning to read and write, this justification created a paradox.  Slaves were put into a position where they could not prove their own humanity.

In 1772, Phyllis Wheatley’s book of poems came into question when she tried to get it published.  She had to prove to a panel of white men that she did indeed write the poems herself, and that she was capable of creating original works despite her being a slave of African descent.  To admit that a slave had produced eloquent poetry would also be to admit that she was not the animal that many argued all slaves were.  This moment and historical context is important when considering racism in the workplace today.

Although literacy is still an important requirement for the workplace, it no longer carries the same connection to humanity as it did in the past.  However, the concept of justifying prejudices in the workplace with biases and stereotypes based on speculation rather than fact, still take effect today.  There is a need for minorities to actively challenge prejudices and prove their competency in the workplace in ways that are not necessary for their white coworkers.

Gates, H. (1986). Race as the Trope of the World. In H. Gates, Race, Writing and Difference (pp. 4-13). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Is a broke white person still privileged?

This article says they are. I read this at the beginning of this second half of the semester and I thought I posted but didn't so here it is.  Even if a white person isn't born with a silver spoon in hand, being white still allows for privileges to allow success.  Yes work is involved but it is still easier!

Very interesting read.


http://occupywallstreet.net/story/explaining-white-privilege-broke-white-person

How to Prevent Racism in the Workplace

The article provides an in-depth step-by-step instructions on how to prevent racism in the workplace. First, the company should write an anti-discrimination policy that addresses racism, including the consequences for acts of racism, in the workplace. Further, the company should hire employees of all races and ethnic groups and make them aware of the policy against racism and discrimination during the hiring process. Employees should be promoted based on merit and race and other irrelevant factors should not be considered. Employees should be trained on racism and discrimination yearly to be reminded on how to conduct themselves in the workplace. An anti-discrimination committee focusing on anti-racism projects should be established. Additionally, team-building sessions should be held as they will provide a chance for employees to learn more about each other. If any instances of acts of racism occur, they should be handled and treated identically according to the anti-discrimination policy. This ensures all other employees that the person in charge is acting on an unbiased foundation that is fair and just and intolerable of such behaviors and actions. Further, open communication should be highly encouraged in the workplace as this will promote employees to report any acts of racism. Lastly, the company should use an anonymous reporting system to report racism so employees do not fear or retaliate.

Although this is one of several many articles that provides some sort of procedure or advice on how to prevent racism in the workplace, I do not believe this will get rid of racism in the workplace altogether. Racism exists outside of the workplace and it gets brought to work because we live in a society filled with thoughts and acts of racism. I think the solution to preventing racism in the workplace goes deeper than simply thinking of how to remove it directly from the workplace, but how to eliminate it innately.

Frost, Shelley. How to Prevent Racism in the Workplace. Chron. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/prevent-racism-workplace-10258.html

The Sociology of Discrimination - Employment

I stumbled upon an article called "The Sociology of Discrimination" in regards to employment in the workplace. It states that in today's society, it is much harder to identify acts of racism which can pose many problems for solutions that need to be made. The article focuses heavily on measuring racism and inequality. Knowing how to measure it and identify it is the most important step of all. Once racism and its effects are identified and measured, solutions can be made. The article listed below descriptively describes how racism and discrimination can be measured!

Article Here

Works Cited

Pager, Devah, and Hana Shepherd. "The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets." Annual Review of Sociology. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 10 May 2016.

Updated Solutions to Racism in the Workplace

In order to alleviate workplace discrimination, one method one be to have a discussion with your supervisor, filing a complaint, or even filing a lawsuit. When having a discussion with the supervisor, they also have the option to terminate the discriminating employee or move them to another department. Counselling through organizations are also available for victims of discrimination.  One should bear in mind that there are acts that exist to protect the rights of people in the workplace, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Disabilities Act, and the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The EEOC evaluates the grievances of workers and works to uphold the acts and equality. The EEOC also grants a 'notice to sue' if they dismiss the claim after 180 days. States also have their own laws to prevent discrimination that mirror federal laws, and one would need to contact the local field office of the worker's commission or labor agency. However, if the claims are unsuccessful, a person is able to sue (although it may be more costly and take many years to settle). Those who succeed in their case will be compensated accordingly for the damages of discriminatory conduct.


As for other ways to prevent racism within the workplace, one may impose their own anti-discrimination policy that carefully addresses racism and the consequences in the workplace. Their may be training programs in place for employees to avoid racism, and a committee devoted to anti-discrimination projects. If racism occurs at work, you let all employees know of the situation and how it will be dealt with, so that everyone is reminded of the policy. Notwithstanding, if there is a system in place that people can submit reports anomalously and regularly, we can take steps to weeding out racism within the workplace.

 Reid, S. (n.d.). Solutions to Discrimination in the Workplace. Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://work.chron.com/solutions-discrimination-workplace-11040.html 

The Time People Confused Me With Another Asian

Recently I had an interesting life experience that Professor McDonnell encouraged me to share. As a member of the tennis team, I am subject to advertising for the Bryant Men's Tennis program. At one of our recent matches, I noticed I was on the promotion posters for the match. As I looked closer I realized that under my picture they had put the name of my teammate Phillip Kim. Phillip happens to be the only other Asian player on the team. It became kind of a joke amongst the team but did not resonate with me til later on.

Possible Solutions for Racism in Pop Culture

While there will not be an overnight fix to the problem of racism in pop culture, but there are ways to combat it over time. These are some potential solutions to racism that I have come up with.

Boycott 

I think the biggest thing to remember is that the pop culture industry's main goal is to make money. The best way, in my opinion, to make change happen is by cutting the industry off from its life source: money. If there is a movie that casts a white man as a character with a Native-American background, do not go see that movie. Do not buy products from that movie. By actively boycotting that movie, and gaining traction from other people as well, it makes a statement and effects box office numbers, ratings, etc. The same concept can be applied to music. For example, if an artist releases a music video that perpetuates racial stereotypes, disassociate yourself with that artist. Do not spend any money on their merchandise. Do not listen to their music. Without fans, a celebrity is nothing. One person alone will not be able to shift the system. We need to band together in order for that to happen. Which leads me to my next idea...

Post it! 

People like to pretend that race doesn't exist. It seems like people are afraid to talk about race and address that there is a problem unless they're the ones being oppressed. Let's change that! The way to reach the largest audience is through social media. We need to use this tool to our advantage. It's easy to make content go viral and reach millions of people. If you keep posting about issues of race in pop culture, and tagging the people who are at fault (i.e. the casting agencies, specific celebrities, owners of the corporations that produce movies), eventually they will get the message. If enough people are coming together to make their voices heard, eventually changes will be made.

Find Alternatives

If you look hard enough, there are alternatives to the cookie cutter music and movies that are popular in dominant culture. By ignoring the mainstream media and finding media that represents values you hold, represents all races, and promotes equality, you are bettering the problem for yourself. You are refusing to feed into what dominant culture wants you to think and are thinking critical about the message you receive.

A common theme is that enough people need to get on board with these solutions to make them work. Theoretically, these solutions could solve the problems with enough support and a loud enough voice.

Solution to NCAA Exploitation

The massive profits of the NCAA and the incredible salaries of college athletics coaches begs the question, why are players not being paid? The issue has been long debated and even been brought to court. A 2014 court case known as the O'Bannon case ruled that the NCAA rule that athletes were not allowed to be paid violated anti-trust laws. This decision allowed universities  to offer basketball and football players to trust funds that could be tapped into after graduation. This would give players the opportunity to share in the profits that they brought in. This ruling does not mandate that players could be paid, but it did make it a possibility.

Strauss, B. Tracy, M. (August 8, 2014). Nytimes.com. NCAA Must Allow Colleges to Pay Athletes Judge Rules. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/09/sports/federal-judge-rules-against-ncaa-in-obannon-case.html

Data Collection as a solution to Racial Profiling

Fifteen years ago a study was conducted to examine whether police treated minorities different than they treat whites. In July of 2015 Governor Raimondo passed a law to help discover if racial profiling exists. The Law requires police to collect data on race at traffic stops and requires all police departments to submit annual report to the Department of Transportation Office of Highway Safety. The collection of data will reveal if there are trends of racial profiling in the police departments. Additionally, this will act as a method of accountability for police departments. Departments cannot continue to discriminate without revealing discriminatory trends that will be met with corrective actions.

Gregg, K. (July 14, 2015). ProvidenceJournal.com. Raimondo Signs Legislation to Curb Racial Profiling, Requires Police Collect Data on Traffic Stops. Retrieved from http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150714/NEWS/150719640

Racial Profiling History and Manifestation

The issue of racial profiling is not a recent problem, in fact racial profiling dates back to the 1700's. Racial profiling is rooted in stereotypes and assumptions that have been projected upon entire races. Racial profiling is the use of race, ethnicity, or national origin by law enforcement as a factor in deciding whom to investigate, arrest, and detain.

In 1704 South Carolina founded the slave patrol. In this patrol white men policed black slaves on plantations and hunted for escaped slaves. Black people had to show passes to prove they had permission to be off the plantation, or they had to carry freedom papers if they were freed slaves. Black people were the targets of interrogation and harassment by white patrols. Like in modern day racial profiling it is the color of a persons skin that makes them subject to discriminatory treatment,not their actions. After slavery black men were forced into convict leasing through the black codes. Convict leasing meant that criminals would be leased to work on plantations or private corporations without pay for the duration of their sentences, The black codes targeted black people to control black populations and through numerous laws forced blacks back into forced labor. 

The current incarnation of these same discriminatory policies are taking place through The War on Drugs. This war places increased scrutiny on black and urban neighborhoods for anti-drug efforts, despite the fact that whites and blacks use drugs at similar rates. 

the historical and present day policies of discrimination occur through acts of racial profiling for the purpose of racial subjugation and control. 

Rushing, K. (March 1, 2013). Huffingtonpost.com. Dissecting the Long, Deep Roots of Racial Profiling in America. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-rushing/dissecting-racial-profiling_b_2740246.html

Community Commissions as Solution to Discrimination

In Ferguson after the death of Michael Brown a 16 person commission was established to examine the criminal justice institution and push for reforms. This panel was started by the Governor of Missouri. The commission presented over 150 reforms that would help to reduce inequality in the state. These reforms included expanding and improving social services, and establishing strict standards for use of police force. The one downside of these commissions for reform is that there is no way to ensure that any of the proposed reforms will be passed.

Horowitz, A. (September 14, 2015). Huffingtonpost.com. Ferguson Commussion Calls For Broad Reforms To Address Racial Inequality. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ferguson-commission-report_us_55f68350e4b077ca094f785a

History of Racism in the Workplace

For many years, African Americans have been denied jobs and subjugated to lower paying jobs because of race, and have been victims of discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 offered equal employment opportunity on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, and national origin. Employers could no longer discriminate in hiring or firing, wages, and promotions as well. Under Title VII (enacted in the 1960s and 1970s), victims of discriminate may file charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate a charge and determine whether or not discrimination has occurred. Furthermore, the Supreme Court Decision in 1971, Griggs vs. Duke Power bolstered the effectiveness of Title VII since any practice that had a discriminatory effect in the workplace would be prohibited. However, in the 1980s, the Supreme Court reduced the remedies of the civil right laws concerning employee discrimination. In 1989, the court made a set of decisions that would make it more difficult to secure equal employment opportunity. Almost overnight, it made it more difficult for victims of job discrimination to vindicate their legal rights. In any case, the 1989 case of Wards Cove Packing Co. Antonio established an employer's use of practice that has an adverse impact on minorities is unjustified. Additionally, Patterson vs. McLean Credit Union stressed the importance of a non-discriminatory hiring process, but not employee benefits. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 re-established the broad scope of Title VII, and provided international victims limited money for compensation of injuries, wrongdoings, and deter recurrence. In 2000, Reeves v. Sanderson, a jury may find unlawful discrimination if a plaintiff provides an 'adverse job decision' that is later found to be untrue. There is also the elimination of English only policies, and those who speak with an accent. Also, there has recently been an influx in mandatory arbitration policies, where employees sign away their litigation rights. In general, it does not allow for public or job discrimination; however, more laws must be formed to protect the rights of workers going forward.

Employment Discrimination. (n.d.). Retrieved May 09, 2016, from http://www.civilrights.org/resources/civilrights101/employment.html

Possible solutions to racialized issues in sports

This article seeks to examine the importance of super-star athletes speaking out on issues of racism and why it is so crucial to speak out now more than ever.  

"St. Louis Rams players Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Jared Cook, Chris Givens and Kenny Britt took the field during pregame introductions in the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" pose used by protesters in Ferguson, in reference to the Michael Brown case."

"NBA superstars LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving and others wore "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts during pregame warm-ups to put a focus on the Eric Garner grand jury decision. Kevin Durant also wrote "Black Lives Matter" on his game shoes before the nationally televised game between his Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers." 

While racism is still a very prevalent issue in the sport world, perhaps more athletes speaking out, wearing clothing or taking interviews about these issues will draw more attention to the fact that this is a problem we need to fight directly.  The most important outlet is through education and awareness.

Why are there still reported incidents of racism in the professional sport leagues?  The sports world has brought people together for centuries to spectate some of the greatest athletes in the world compete in massive arenas, regardless of skin color or nationality.  More importantly this article recognizes and names some of the owners of nationally branded sports teams for saying and emailing racial and insensitive slurs.  What an embarrassment.  People in such a high power position who are making executive decisions are the same people who feed into the narrow-minded and ignorant ways of racist Americans,

"Sport can continue to use its powerful platform for social change."  With millions of people watching, we need more athletes talking.  A potential solution to combating racism in the sport world - start talking about it and spread the word.

Lapchick, R. (2014, December 30). Racism still Evident in Sports World. Retrieved May 09, 2016, from http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/12093538/the-year-racism-sport

Discrimination in Death Penalty

In Louisiana there is a serious discrepancy in the use of the death penalty for white and black criminals. An examination of all death penalty sentences imposed since 1976 in Louisiana found that capital punishment use is heavily impacted by race. In Louisiana a black man is 30 times as likely to be sentenced to death for killing a white woman than for killing a black man. Regardless of an offenders race death sentences are 6 times as likely when the victim is white rather than black. The Supreme Court was presented with a study that found people accused of killing white victims were four times as likely to be sentenced to death as those accused of killing black victims. The court ruled 5-4, that this did not demonstrate a constitutionally significant risk of racial bias.After retiring, the Judge who delivered the ruling opinion stated he should have voted the other way. In addition to being consistently racist it is also highly prone to error. For example, of the 155 death sentences the state handed down since 1976, 127, or 82% were later reversed. These errors are the result of major errors in trial that violate constitutional rights. While Louisiana's results are terrifying, many other states are not significantly better. Nationwide the reversal rate for resolved death sentences is 72 percent. The death penalty represents an irreversible level of punishment. for a system like this the level of error is unreasonable and immoral.

Editorial Board, (May, 9 2016). NYtimes.com. Louisiana's Color Coded Death Penalty. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/09/opinion/louisianas-color-coded-death-penalty.html

Possible Solution to Racialized Issues in Pop Culture

I believe one solution to this problem is through the diversity of various programs that create and develop careers in pop culture. For example, I think performing arts institutions or acting academies need to diversify their student population in order for minority groups to have the same opportunity to grow. Schools or programs that teach students about directing and producing should be a mix of races, not all white students. It is important that institutions change the way they are admitting students to be fair in all races. If minorities do not have the same directing education as white students, then they will not be able to get the job. By including all races in the developmental stages of a career in pop culture, then I think its best they allow a more diverse group to begin and basing talent off of their abilities not their skin color.

History of Racial Inequalities in Pop Culture

It's hard to pen point an exact time throughout history to show when pop culture began its issues on racial inequalities. In my opinion, the most appropriate and significant place to start this discussion is in the invention of television its ability to broadcast all across the country. Although other pop culture events occurred through the circus, plays and musicals, and of the sort. I believe the development of television truly catapulted the issue of racial inequality in the United States into popular culture. As entire families sat together to watch various tv programs, they became conditioned to seeing white actors and actresses. The end of African American segregation and the introduction of color tv correlate in time and viewers began seeing the lack of diversity tv programs had.

Through the development of tv, minorities especially African Americans, were devalued and not given the same opportunity as whites. Stemming from traces of segregation, powerful white tv channel owners, began integrating stereotypes, racial humor, and racial satire into their broadcasts. The white directors would stereotype almost all black actors on tv and those racial views began to spread like wildfire throughout the United States. The popularity of African Americans being depicted as characters from the age of slavery solidified these issues of stereotyping and inequality. The tv programs allowed viewers to view African Americans in that same light despite legislation to ensure they were treated equal.

Although we have come a long way from the racial messages and hurtful stereotypes in the history of pop culture, there is still an undeniable continuance of racial undertones in the industry today. Fortunately, there are some actors from minority cultures breaking down barriers and gaining slow success. However, those actors do struggle to find the same opportunities as white actors, directors, singers, and producers. Modern pop culture has made significant gains in the blatantly racist comments, remarks, and roles it once presented in history, but activists are trying to fight the racial inequalities still present in pop culture.

"Scandal" (TV series), social constructs and BlackLivesMatter

The most recent episode of Scandal (ABC, May 5th--Shonda Rhimes) talks about race as a social construct and BlackLivesMatter. For readers that may think that pop culture does not add to the dialogue, think again. Shonda Rhimes regularly pushes her viewers to think about race, racism and racialization, but often indirectly and subtly. In this episode she was overt and direct. Interesting--everyone should watch it.

"8 Dirty Secrets About the Racial Divide in America's Schools"

The following slide show by Paige Brettingen, includes horrific facts about the educational system in the United States, including dropout rates, differences in teacher salaries, graduation rates, and the differences in classes offered. I feel that this is an overlooked issue, so I hope that this provides some insight into what is actually going on in our educational system. Even though these statistics have improved in the recent years, the numbers are still disproportionate among the races.

http://www.takepart.com/photos/racial-divide-schools/education-equity-america

Brettingen, P. (2013, March 12). Education Equity in America. Retrieved May 08, 2016, from http://www.takepart.com/photos/racial-divide-schools/education-equity-america 

"Do the Right Thing"

I thought that it would be interesting to examine race portrayal in an older film, so with recommendation I chose to watch Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989). The film won numerous awards, including MTV Movie Silver Bucket of Excellence Award (2006), NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (1989), NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (1989), Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director (1989), Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Film (1989), and Gotham Independent Film Classical Film Tribute Award (2000).

For those who have not seen the movie, I have decided to include a brief synopsis and link the trailer to the movie below:
Salvatore "Sal" Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito), becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.

Throughout the movie, there are multiple references to racial misinterpretations and stereotypes. There are five main racial groups in the plot of the film: African-Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, Whites, Italian- Americans, and Asians. While watching the film, I started to make a list of the racist remarks made, but rather than trying to keep track, I have the found the clip that best sums them up. It is important to note that these "rants" are not said to the targeted group, but are supposed to represent the inner thoughts of each racial category. The cut to the final character, Mister Senor Love Daddy, is important because he is telling the radio listeners to "cool out" and "chill" in the context of the scolding hot temperature that day, but also to calm down with the racial tensions.  

The character's in the movie coincide with the racial stereotypes discussed in Race & Racisms by Tanya Maria Golash-Boza. Since the setting of the film is in a disproportionately African-American neighborhood, the majority of the slang is directed toward this group. The term "brothers" is used a lot and violence is a key aspect in the film, two very stereotypical characteristics of African-American men. One scene in particular shows Buggin' Out getting his brand new Air Jordan's scuffed by a white man, Clifton, and then preceding to scream at him about being in his neighborhood. Clifton says that "as I understand it is a free country, a man can live wherever he wants," a complete misrepresentation because of structural and institutional racism. The racial inequality in housing results in large groups being confined to one area, hence why they react so angrily to the man being in their "territory." Another racial stereotype is exemplified in Tina's character. She is a young Hispanic woman with a child. In the film she is the only character that is sexualized, fulfilling the role as mentioned by Golash-Boza (102). The shop vegetable shop owners are also portrayed as "corrupt business owners" in the film, another common representation (102). 

Overall, I found the film to be very good and intriguing. I do not want to spoil too much about the plot line, but I will leave you with one final quote from the film, "those that'll tell don't know, and those that know won't tell." 

Golash-Boza, T. M. (2016). Race & Racisms: A Critical Approach. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Lee, S. (Director). (1989). Do the Right Thing [Motion picture on DVD]. United States: Universal Pictures.

Hillary Clinton at Black Girls Rock.

Not sure where this fits so I put it here.  Hillary Clinton talks at this year's Black Girls Rock award show.  She mentions barriers and system racism that is holding back black women.


http://www.bet.com/video/blackgirlsrock/2016/highlights/hillary-clinton-introduces-black-girls-rock-founder-beverly-bond.html

However, I found this on Black Twitter (I didn't even know this existed!) with their view on Clinton's appearance.

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2016/04/black-twitter-wasnt-feeling-hillary-clintons-blackgirlsrock-appearance/

Black Lives Matter.

It has been 10 years of this show (I've only watched the last 3) and coincidentally on this one the founders of The Black Lives Matter movement get an award.



http://www.bet.com/video/blackgirlsrock/2016/acceptance-speeches/community-change-agents-award-black-lives-matter-founders.html

Promotion of Racial Tolerance Through Music

The "King of Pop," Michael Jackson (1958-2009), released the album Dangerous in 1991, which featured the hit song "Black or White." The song hit number one on the billboards top 100 on December 7, 1991 and remained on the charts for 20 weeks. The single received the "Billboard Music Award for No. 1 World Single" in 1992. This prestigious award was won by Whitney Houston for "I Will Always Love You" (1993),  Bryan Adams for "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (1991), and Sinéad O'Connor for "Nothing Compares 2 U" (1990).

The song's lyrics speak to the issue of racism, a system of prejudice and discrimination. Through this song, Michael made the statement that regardless of someones race or ethnicity, we are all the same. Rather than discriminating against one another, we should be embracing different cultures, promoting equality, and opposing racist remarks. Do not simply acknowledge the problem, but do something about it.
Some important lines from the song include:
"It don't matter if you're black or white"
"I ain't scared of your brother, I ain't scared of no sheets"

"I'd rather hear both sides of the tale. See, it's not just about races"

"Don't tell me you agree with me, when I saw you kicking dirt in my eye"

New Opportunities on the Horizon for Minority Tennis Players

Tennis has historically been a progressive sport in several ways.  It is a leader in gender equality, offering equal pay for men and women at grand slam tournaments, but continues to prevail as a predominantly white sport.  Although four out of the five highest ranking American women (Serena Williams, Madison Keys, Venus Williams, and Sloane Stephens) are African-American, we rarely see this fact being acknowledged.  This is punctuated by the lack of media coverage of Keys and Stephens.  The Men’s side is even worse, with only one African American player, Donald Young, currently breaking the top two-hundred men’s players and only two black men ever winning a grand slam title.  Despite the impact that the Williams sisters have had on African American recognition and diversity in tennis, we are still not seeing a large increase in minority participation.  This is largely due to the high costs of the sport, but there are other forces at play in this as well.

Martin Blackman, the U.S.T.A’s current head of player development, has spoken out on how the U.S.T.A is trying to increase opportunities for minorities in tennis.  To aid in this effort, the U.S.T.A. identifies promising players and provide the resources to fast-track their development through placement on “excellence teams.”  This strategy has seen some backlash due to suspicions of the system continuing to favor white players.  Blackman negates this notion and explains that the U.S.T.A. “want[s] to see the best American Players doing as well as they can” and “the only way we can do that is to deepen and widen the talent pool” through “reach[ing] out to more nontraditional tennis families, especially in minority communities” (Blackman).        

With the recent placement of Katrina Adams as the first African American president of the U.S.T.A., tennis is sure to see a shift in diversity the near future.  The Williams sisters are a great example of the untapped potential of kids with atypical tennis backgrounds (i.e. children from low income families) and how making efforts to support them can result in athletes that raise the bar for their peers across the globe.  Blackman, in his role, hopes to create new ways for the U.S.T.A. to invest in the development of young tennis players across the nation, regardless of economic background, so that more minority athletes will gain access to opportunities in the sport.

Rhoden, W. (2015). Beyond 2 Black Champions, a Void for the U.S.T.A.. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 2 May 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/07/sports/tennis/beyond-serena-and-venus-williams-a-void-for-the-usta.html

Analyzing African American Appearences on Sports Illustrated Covers in the 90s

The study cited below looks at the correlation between the participation of African Americans in sports to their presence on Sports Illustrated covers over the course of time between 1990 through 1999.  Lumpkin sought to prove the existence of a connection between the levels of participation of African Americans in different sports to the number of cover appearances.  The results reveal that African American men were pictured on the cover more often for sports like basketball, boxing, and track, than their Caucasian counterparts.  These sports were also the ones with the highest African American participation at the time.  The study shows how higher participation rates in sports increases the visibility and opportunity of African American athletes.  Unfortunately this is also a reason that they have a harder time being recognized for their accomplishments within sports that are dominated by other groups.  Being able to get more endorsements in certain sports, discourages participation in others from increasing.

Lumpkin, A. (2007). A descriptive Analysis of Race/Ethnicity and Sex of Individuals Appearing on the covers of Sports Illustrated in the 1990s. Physical Educator, 64(1). 29-37.

http://bryant.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=24808525&site=ehost-live

Muslims for Trump have a message and it’s not what you think.

Posted April 13^th this video is a must-watch whether you support Sanders, Trump, or Kim Kardashian. Keep in mind the video uses emotional stimulation and psychological triggers, but there is still an important message behind all of that.

               The reason why Trump is gathering so many supporters is because Americans are sick of being taken advantage of. While we work our tails off in a college we’re overpaying for, to get jobs which underpay us, our money is being taken from us and spent on foreign wars in order to make politicians and billionaires like Trump even richer. Americans seem to believe Trump is above the politicians because he doesn’t take donations or need lobbyists, but it’s only because he has the money himself. The 400 Americans who possess the majority of the nation’s wealth are destroying the country, and Trump is the embodiment of that 1%. ‘Make America Great Again’ resonates within so many of us, but Trump isn’t the answer. Building a wall isn’t the answer. “If we want to make America great again, we have to do it by caring about each other as much as we care about ourselves.” Socialism isn’t the answer either, it is a recipe for disaster, but it is time the citizens of the country came together, apart from politics and the media dramatics, and decided what is actually best for us.

Mexicans are not our enemies. The reason why so many of them are coming to America is because of free trade agreements which have destroyed their economy. Our war on drugs in Mexico has killed more civilians than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. We’ve been conditioned to fear radical Islam’s, but you’re more likely to be crushed by your furniture than to be killed by an Islamic terrorist. Yes, Chinese are coming and taking our jobs but it’s because so many of America’s huge corporations are going overseas to avoid paying taxes here and chase higher profits. Our misplaced anger is being directed to people who are just like us. Whether Mexican, Asian, African, white, black, or green, what we all have in common is that we all want what’s best for ourselves and our families. It goes back to age-old morals and values. As our generation grows up, many of us will be having kids within the next 8 years. We need to take a step back and ask ourselves. Is Trump the kind of man we want our kids to aspire to grow up and be like? It seems that he stands for the opposite of almost everything I’ve ever learned about being a good man. After we neglect kindness and morality, wisdom and intelligence will be soon to follow, and without wisdom our country is doomed.

https://www.facebook.com/ArmyAnonymous/videos/651047031717913/

A Historical Perspective of the Criminal Justice System

When looking at racial disparities in the criminal justice system, it is important to think about the historical context which has led us to the world that we live in today. Looking back all the way to the 1860’s when slavery was abolished in the United States. W.E.B. DuBois believed that “with the end of slavery, the number of black convicts in the South rose substantially, in large part because of vagrancy laws passed in the aftermath of emancipation” (Golash-Boza, 2016, p. 220). This was just the beginning of the unequal distribution of minorities incarcerated.

Jumping ahead to the 1970’s this disparity worsened after President Richard Nixon declared the War on Drugs. This war resulted in the mass incarcerations of drug users, which overcrowded the prisons and awarded the US one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. Golash-Boza writes that the “zealous enforcement of drug laws disproportionately affects people of color, even though whites are actually more likely to use and sell drugs” (p. 220). Police are targeting crack cocaine users over powder cocaine users, because the majority of crack cocaine users are predominately poor and black, where the majority of powder cocaine users are white. The incarceration rate for crack cocaine to powder cocaine is reported to be 18:1 (Palamar, Davies, Ompad, Clealand, & Weitzman, 2015). Reinforcing the stereotype of increased drug use by minorities, the police have also targeted the neighborhoods where minorities reside rather than white neighborhoods, which results in more and more blacks and Hispanics being incarcerated than whites. 

Prisons were and are still today overcrowded with non-violent drug offenders. From the 1970’s to today, crime rates have remained the same to some decline, while incarceration rates have skyrocketed. This is the root of the disparity in the criminal justice system, because minorities are automatically expected to break the laws and be sent to prison. It has occurred throughout the United States’ history and it does not appear that anything has been done to change this mindset today, so what can be done to combat this inequality?

Golash-Boza, T. M. (2016). Race & Racism A Critical Approach. New York: Oxford University Press.

Palamar, J. J., Davies, S., Ompad, D. C., Clealand, C. M., & Weitzman, M. (2015, April 1). Powder cocaine and crack use in the United States: An examination of risk for arrest and socioeconomic disparities in use. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 108-116. Retrieved from: http://www.drugandalcoholdependence.com/article/S0376-8716(15)00049-6/abstract

The Whitewashing of Hollywood

Have you ever been watching a movie and noticed that a white person was portraying a character of a different race? If you haven't, then you haven't been to the movies recently because it happens all the time. In an article written by Tom Brook for BBC, he explored the countless times that white people have taken on the roles of Native American characters, Asian characters, even black characters over the course of Hollywood's dominance. 

My first question was, why? This problem has a simple solution, cast people in roles who share the background of the character they are portraying. Alas, it is not that simple. Hollywood is run (primarily) by old, white men and they create the stories that they want to see. These generally feature a white male hero. Yawn.

The arguments that are in favor of whitewashing Hollywood are kind of pathetic. These are some of the ones stated in the article. "White stars in Hollywood have the biggest pull at the box office, therefore a producer will cast a white actor in order to maximize returns." "Many argue that the preferred course of action would be for the industry to cast the most qualified actor for the role." Are you joking? These arguments serve the sole purpose of perpetuating white power. I have a hard time believing that whites make a movie more valuable. Representation is a huge issue here. If an Asian woman saw a movie that featured a strong Asian female lead character, I firmly believe she would be more inclined to go see this movie (which sounds awesome, by the way) than if it were featuring a run-of-the-mill white woman. 

Bottom line, Hollywood has no excuses for continuing to whitewash movies. Everyone deserves to see people they can relate to in movies. 

Where are all the black women?

Recently, we watched a video regarding black women in society today. It features three Bryant students, Charde Hunt-Jeanty, Christina Watts, and Desire Marshall. This video is described by the creator, Kevin Martins, as, "A tribue to black women. Too often overlooked and under appreciated, too often left out of history lessons in classrooms across America, and too often asked to bear society's burdens without acknowledgement." To fully understand the remainder of this blog, please watch the video.

The conversation our class had with the three women was as eye-opening as the video. As a white woman in American, I cannot truly understand the plight of African-American women. What the women in the video shared with us in our conversation helped me to understand a little bit better.

One of the women said something that really stuck with me. When asked what it was like to be a black woman in America, her response was that she feels her black everywhere she goes. She's fully aware of her surroundings and recognizes what is necessary for her do in order to succeed as a black woman in America. She also went on to say that she worries about the black men in her life, such as her brother. It is interesting because it sounded like black people, in a way, operate as one and look out for each other. You do not see that with white people. We are not united by the color of our skin, we compete and aren't afraid to tear each other down to hoist ourselves up. It is an interesting juxtaposition that I hadn't realized occurred.

To me, I define white privilege as not having to think about the fact that we are white. I am able to go about my day without having to worry about whether a shopkeeper will think I am stealing. I am able to be angry and be validated in my anger. I am able to know that I can get the goods and services that I need without worry. That is white privilege. Each woman spoke of a different aspect of being black that a truly would have never considered if they did not mention in. Not because I am ignorant, but because it never had to cross my mind. I feel bad that I did not realize so many things about being black. That leaves me with the question, how do we fix this? I am not sure of the answer to that.

Trump Rally full of racism right here in our backyard.

Last Tuesday, April 26, 2016 Rhode Island held its Democratic primary. I was at the polls early in the morning, proud to be a African American woman who is able to cast my vote.

Later that day, I was scrolling through social media and I come across a post that my niece posted. She was sad that there was such hatred and prejudice shown right in our area.  She had posted a video that was from a Trump rally the day before at the Crown Plaza here in Warwick, RI.

Well the video was taken down to protect the victim, but feel free to click on the link below to see an edited version and read the article posted in the Providence Journal.   No matter what your political party is, I hope that it would still be disturbing to you when you come to the realization that in this year, 2016, after we have had seen our first African American President be elected into office, twice in fact, there is still such hatred.

Listening to the chants "Build the wall", "ten feet higher" made my blood boil under my colored skin. You see, the reference though I am African American, still hits home as I am married to a Mexican born man.  He is a citizen.  His whole family are legal citizens who work and pay taxes just as the white man next to me.  However, we still have to deal with this kind of thing.  Something that a white person doesn't have to experience, ever. Maybe this can be added to Peggy's McIntosh's list of examples of  white privilege, Having to explain our origin.

http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160428/two-charged-with-assault-after-altercation-at-trump-rally-in-warwick

Stereotype threat

This article talks about the experience that Steele described as stereotype threat. Fascinating and difficult.

Goguen, Stacey. (April 18, 2016) How Can a Stereotype You Don't Believe Affect You? The Brains Blog. Retrieved May 3, 2016 from
http://philosophyofbrains.com/2016/04/18/how-can-a-stereotype-you-dont-believe-affect-you.aspx

NAACP Leader Ratted Out as Not Black

In the summer of 2015, NAACP President Rachel Dolezal was brought to the public eye when her parents classified her as actually being a white woman and not African American. As many know, NAACP stands for "The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People." As the leader of the association, Rachel appeared to look African American. Though actually German and Czech, Rachel changed her appearance. Her parents state "Rachel has wanted to be somebody she's not. She's chosen not to just be herself but to represent herself as an African-American woman or biracial person. And that's simply not true" (USA Today). The issue here is not Rachel's activism or willingness for change, but she lied to the association, society, and her family. The USA Today article reveals before and after pictures of Rachel and it is apparent that she changed her hair, skin color, and past life. Rachel stated that she "does not consider her biological parents her real parents" (USA Today). Though it is hard to pinpoint why Rachel went through this racial transformation and began classifying herself as partially African American, it is ethically wrong. As the leader of national association, she may have taken the position away from another African American who truly was being ethical and honest. It is great that Rachel Dolezal feels passionate about equal justice for all, but she most definitely went about it in the wrong manner.

USA Today Article

Works Cited

Viydo, Shawn Chitnis Taylor, and Lindsay Nadrich KREM-TV Spokane Wash. "Parents out 'black' NAACP Leader as White Woman." USA Today. Gannett, 12 June 2015. Web. 03 May 2016.

Their Moving and Powerful Words...

What Charde Hunt-Jeanty, Christina Watts, and Desire Marshall had to say in the video and in class was extremely moving and powerful. Their voices were full of strong emotion. I was able to feel the anger, yet passion, they felt towards the issue at hand. However, that leads to one of the topics that they brought up during the discussion: black women and the anger they carry and voice. One of the guest speakers was explaining how black women are not "allowed" to be angry, where if they were to try to strongly address a matter, they are often told to "calm down." Further, one of the guest speakers was describing her childhood: her mother raised her to never express her anger and to always stay calm because it had a strong association to being an African American and her mother wanted to assimilate her into a "white" lifestyle. I can't help but feel so angry at this and how wrong it is that an individual would not want to express her real emotions just because society says she can't, or that society will judge her if she does. I truly believe that everyone should be able to freely express themselves in whatever manner they desire, especially if they feel strongly about a certain matter.

History of White Privilege

According to Golash-Boza, white privilege is defined as "advantages associated with being categorized as white" pg 51.  

In the 1930s W. E. B. Du Bois wrote about the "wage of whiteness." But the concept really came into its own in the late 1980s, when Peggy McIntosh, a women’s-studies scholar at Wellesley, started writing about it. In 1988, McIntosh wrote a paper called “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies,” which contained forty-six examples of white privilege. (No. 21: “I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.” No. 24: “I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the ‘person in charge,’ I will be facing a person of my race.”).  

She came up with these rules as she would ask herself daily what did she have that she didn't earn?  These examples have since been read by countless schoolkids and college students.    

At age 79, McIntosh still works at Wellesley and is founder of organization called SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity). 

http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-origins-of-privilege

Possible Solutions for Privilege

In the simplest form, privilege refers to unearned advantage; something that you are born with rather than something that you must work for. Arguably, the most common form of privilege is white privilege which refers to the specific advantages associated with being categorized as white. In the United States,“whiteness is an unmarked identity; whereas blacks, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans are constantly reminded of their race” (Golash-Boza 52). This concept derives from earlier work by W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963), who observed that "white workers in the United States over time came to see themselves as white like their bosses, as opposed to developing working-class solidarity with recently freed black slaves" (Golash-Boza 51). Overtime other historians and sociologists have built upon his original observations. When mentioning race in the modern day United States, people are referring to non-whites because the idea of "whiteness" has become normalized. In order to propose solutions to combating white privilege, we must recognize why it is important to think about. Race & Racisms provided the following reasons:

1. If we want to understand racial oppression, it is crucial to understand how it looks from the other side.
2. White privilege often remains invisible, and by bringing it to light we can develop a better understanding of how racism works in our society.
3. It is important to keep in mind that not all whites experience privilege in the same way (53).

After reading the class textbook and numerous articles in the news about real instances of white privilege in effect, I have come up with a few probable solutions to this issue.

1. Include education about race and ethnicity in school curriculum to help prevent the development of racial prejudice. Possibly in a workshop form that is mandatory for all students. 
2. Improve workplace culture by implementing the laws designed to counter racial discrimination. Increase consequences for those that do not follow legislation.
3. Draw attention to racial issues in the United States, as opposed to neglecting them. Encourage discussion about privilege and racism to improve understanding about how this is embedded in our society instead of avoiding the "uncomfortable topic."
4. Encourage people to become active/observant bystanders and stand up for fairness when there is clear racial bias.
5. Use social media to publicize racial inequality and inspire others to promote equality through movements such as "Black Lives Matter."

Golash-Boza, T. M. (2016). Race & Racisms: A Critical Approach. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Zenit St. Petersburg and the Russian Fanbase

Zenit St. Petersburg is a soccer club that within the last couple of years has become a Russian powerhouse in the sport. The financial takeover of the team saw more talented and diverse players come to the club. Russia is composed of a predominantly white population and is also not the most accepting society. These introduced players were and still are victims of racial abuse from both the other players and fans. In the case of Zenit, they are not only targeted by the opposition’s fan base, but their own as well. In 2012, fans of the club wrote an open letter to the team demanding them to not buy any non-white or homosexual players. This does not seem like a real fan base to me. Sports fans come together as a community to support their team; these fans accept others that are supporters of their club. They win, together. They lose, together. Celebrate, together. Stand, together. Yet this morale is lost when the color of skin or sexual identity of their players is not accepted. Fans watch soccer because it is a beautiful game, the talent of the players awe’s everyone and brings chills to their spines. Instead of respecting and applauding these marginalized players (because some of them are brilliant), they are booing and taunting them. Hulk, a Brazilian who is arguably one of the best players in the league, has been subject to these racist acts for over three years and it is not likely to stop. His responses have been to blow kisses back at the crowd which shows that he will not pay attention to their narrow-mindedness. These discriminatory acts are contradictory to the movements of UEFA (Union of European Football Association) by promoting fair play and their “No to Racism” campaign. These culprits do not realize what they have got, the resurgence of quality in the league will quickly dwindle as players will not want to be subject to this intolerance. It will be interesting to see the conduct of the fast approaching Euro 2018 held in Paris this summer.

“Zenit St Petersburg’s Hulk accuses Spartak Moscow fans of racist abuse”. The Guardian. (September, 2015). Retrieved May 2, 2016, from http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/sep/27/zenit-st-petersburg-hulk-spartak-moscow-accuse-racist-abuse

One Solution to Police Violence is Training

Training of police officers is becoming increasingly difficult in a time of ever increasing budget cuts. Police training could help police to understand the significance they have in our society and how their actions affect us all. Training has been reduced and trimmed down to focus only on life and death self-defense skills that police may need in the worst case scenario situations. When all police are trained in is how to shoot and handcuff individuals, it is no surprise that these are the actions that are carried out most frequently on the job. An officer will always resort to a skill that they know.
To further demonstrate the issue, the state of Florida allocates just 67$ per officer, per year for training. a recent study found that the Justice Department has reduced grants to local police forces by 43 percent since 2010. This inadequate funding for police training leads police to acting out the things they are trained in. Those things are generally the violent self-defense that police are taught for life-threatening situations. In all probability police do not need to use their weapons as often as they do, but this is all they have been taught. The heart of the issue lies in the lack of funding to adequately prepare officers for non-violent altercations. Changing this could have massively positive impact in police encounters with all members of society.

Swarts, P. (January 13, 2015). Washingtontimes.com. Police Need Better Training and Community Relations, Presidential Task Force Is Told. Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/13/police-brutality-solutions-are-training-community-/?page=1

Shake it Off, Or Not? - Taylor Swift Video Seen as Racist

Taylor Swift, one of the biggest names in pop culture was accused of being racist all because of her music video Shake it Off. There is major debate over the topic- some find offense while others think the whole thing is straight up blown out of proportion. The Washington Post published an article of Swift's mishap and weigh out both sides of the problem. The article states that there's been an "ongoing and interesting debate about white pop stars (Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, etc.) and whether they've misappropriated black culture in their music videos" (Washington Post). Is it appropriate for white pop stars to have fun and dress up in their music videos, or is it taking it too far when they decide to French braid their hair and wear big hoops? Is it reverse racism and / or a little harsh for these white pop stars to be considered racist? Taylor Swift is definitely not the only white female to be seeing doing this in her music videos, so who is to blame? These are deep questions and sometimes can never be answered. It is hard to decide who is right or wrong, or if there is even an issue here at all.

The Washington Post article along with the video are listed below in this post. I would really like to see people's comments and opinions on this topic!

Washington Post Article
Shake it Off Video

Works Cited

"Is Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ Music Video Offensive? That’s What People Say, Mmm Mmm." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 02 May 2016.

TaylorSwiftVEVO. "Taylor Swift - Shake It Off." YouTube. YouTube, 18 Aug. 2014. Web. 02 May 2016.

In Class Presentation - Where Are All the Black Women?

On Thursday April 28th, 2016, three young Bryant University students presented an outstanding video to the Race & Ethnicity class. These three women, Charde Hunt, Desire Marshall, and Christina Watts, all three who are African American women, spoke out on the constraints that occur when being both African American and a woman. By starring in this video "Black Woman," these three young ladies spoke with passion, intellect, and strength, revealing why it can be conflicting at times to be both a lady and darker skinned. Though these women have such strength in the video, they also reveal soft emotion which reflects their hardships. The video speaks for itself and all three women did an outstanding job both in the video and in the presentation on Thursday. The video is listed below:

Click Here for Video "Black Women"

Race, class and academic achievement

Rich, Cox and Bloch (April 29, 2016) "Money, Race and Success: How Your School District Compares." NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/04/29/upshot/money-race-and-success-how-your-school-district-compares.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news 

Rich, Cox and Bloch provide an exploration of the intersection of race and class as it relates to academic achievement gap. There is an interactive feature that allows you to type in a school district to see the nexus of race and class and school achievement. This ought to give pause and motivate us all to fight for better, much better, public schools, everywhere.

"The ghost metaphor"

JENÉE DESMOND-HARRIS (New York Times, April 29, 2016; Opinion Pages) in "Racism is Real. Trump Helps Show it" talks about a powerful metaphor developed by sociologist, Tomás Jiménez, "the ghost metaphor: (quoted in para 11). This metaphor refers to the "quandry" people of color face when they experience racism and want to draw attention to it.  Jiménez says “It haunts every aspect of your life, but nobody else sees it and they don’t believe you” (para. 11). The flip side of this is privilege and also connects to the ghost metaphor--those with racial privilege do not experience the racism, don't feel a need to draw attention to it when it happens to someone else, but if they do, expect that people will believe them and are not likely to be haunted by it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/opinion/campaign-stops/the-upside-to-overt-racism.html?_r=0

Where are all the black women?

Charde Hunt-Jeanty, Christina Watts and Desire Marshall, students at Bryant University, created this moving, powerful and poignant video, "Where are all the Black Women." They shared the video with us and joined in our class dialogue. We thank them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7J_BEhWFyM

Fourteen Examples of Racism in the Criminal Justice System

Racism is all throughout the criminal justice system. Not only is it involved during sentencing, and prison but it’s also involved when it comes to police stops, getting out on bails, jury selections, parole and freedom, and much more. People continue to argue that the criminal justice system is not racist, but almost all the numbers say otherwise.

This article talks about racism and breaks down each section that I mentioned above, trying to prove that the system as a whole is completely unfair and favors whites over other minorities. One of the big issues involves the way on drugs. I have read in many articles, including this one, that 37% of people arrested for drug offenses are African Americans. While that number may not seem high, African Americans only comprise 13% of the US population as a whole. At the same time, white and blacks engage in drug offenses, possession and sales, at roughly a comparable rate. There are 14 different examples that this article talks about, from police stoppings, amount of time in prison, receiving a lawyer, to sentencing length, and much more.

There is a ton of proof in numbers and research that shows the criminal justice system is unfair to certain races. Although people continue to fight it, it will always be an issue and this article is just another article that continues to point out that it’s such a huge issue in society today.

Citation: Quigley, B. (n.d.). Fourteen Examples of Racism in Criminal Justice System. Retrieved April 28, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-quigley/fourteen-examples-of-raci_b_658947.html

Portrayal of African Americans in the Media

As identified in Race & Racisms by Tanya Maria Golash-Boza, the "representations of people of color on television are modern versions of the stereotypical images created to justify slavery, segregation, genocide, colonialism, and exclusion" (93). Watching television is a common leisure activity, so it is no surprise that what we see influences our opinions and interpretations of the world. Overall on television, whites and blacks are overrepresented, and all other groups, including Asians, Latinos, and Native Americas, are underrepresented.
Viola Davis has become a huge success in the past few years for her powerful leading roles in The Help and How to Get Away with Murder, earning a multitude of nominations in the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Primetime Emmy Awards, BET (Black Entertainment Television network) awards, and many more. She uses the attention from the media to talk about diversity in the entertainment industry, or the lack thereof. On the lack of opportunities for people of color in the entertainment industry, she stated, “I’m not going to get the same kind of roles as Meryl Streep. I’m not going to get the same kind of roles as Julianne Moore. I’m not going to get those same roles. I’m just not. Now, I’ve been out there for 30 years. I’ve gotten two Tony Awards. I’ve done Broadway, Off-Broadway. I’ve come out of Julliard. I’ve done television, film, all of it. But there is not the same opportunity for me. Even though I would say that, if given the chance, I could show people that I could do just as well as any one of my Caucasian counterparts” (Hilmantel).
In The Help, Viola Davis played the role of "Aibileen Clark" a stereotypical mammy that took care of her employer's home and children for minimal payment. A study by Melissa Harris-Perry (2011), referenced by Golash-Boza, revealed the three prominent stereotypes of black women-Mammies, Sapphires, and Jezebels. A "Mammy" is a stereotypical image of a black maid. A "Sapphire" is a caricature of an angry black woman. A "Jezebel" signifies an oversexed or hypersexual black woman. Rather than settling for these roles, Viola Davis and many others are beginning to take a stand to act outside of their "designated roles." Although representations of African Americans have improved, the stereotypical images are still prominent and will remain this way until attention is brought to the issue.

Golash-Boza, T. M. (2016). Race & Racisms: A Critical Approach. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Hilmantel, R. (2016, February 28). Viola Davis: 'People of Color Are Part of the Human Experience, Too' Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://motto.time.com/4239239/viola-davis-diversity-in-hollywood-oscars/ 

Misty

 As Misty Copeland notes, prima ballerinas are not supposed to be black. Cannot wrap my head around the reality that she is the first female African American dancer to have the role of Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre - 2016. Are you kidding?
https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2016/04/26/misty-copeland-and-the-newness-of-the-ballerina-body/

Capital Punishment and its Racial Bias

When examining Texas law, an individual will be on death row if he or she poses a threat to society. For Duane Buck, he was sentenced for the murder of his ex-girlfriend in 1995. As illustrated by his defense lawyer, race is subject that can influence the factors associated with potential danger. The statement follow a string of cases where all of the defendants were either black or Latino. However, it was Buck's lawyer who made the claim first, leading it to become ineffective, and the Supreme Court to deny Buck's appeal later on. In any case, the Harris County was three times more likely to sentence a man who was black to death as opposed to one who was white. Regardless, capital punishment cannot be rationalized in the case of Duane Buck, nor any other.

 Race and the Death Penalty in Texas. (2016, April 02). Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/opinion/sunday/race-and-the-death-penalty-in-texas.html?mtrref=www.nytimes.com 

The most disrespected woman in America is the black woman.

On Saturday, Beyonce debuted her HBO Special Lemonade. It turned out to be a stunning visual album of 12 songs played over the course of an hour. While the songs touched upon a lot of different issues in Beyonce's life and society today, it was clear that this was an ode to black women everywhere. I was so happy that Beyonce finally took a stand and aligned herself with the #BlackLivesMatter movement when she released Formation, but this took it to a whole new level. This article discusses the different meanings behind the songs and exactly how Beyonce honored black women. I think it is pretty obvious- she celebrated them by showcasing their beauty, representing them in a wonderful light and by being a proud, black woman herself. There is a serious problem with equal representation in American pop culture. Typically, the most successful artists are white men and white women. Beyonce has been a staple in the entertainment industry for some time now. However, this is really the first time she's taken a stance on racial equality. She has long been known for being a feminist, but now she is aligning herself with these great movements. I strongly hope that these messages will carry out throughout society. #BLACKLIVESMATTER

Workneh, Lily. (2016, April 24). Beyonce's 'Lemonade' is a Powerful Ode to Black Women Everywhere. Huffpost Back Voices. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/beyonce-lemonade-black-women_us_571ccccde4b0d912d5fee4d2.

Race in the NHL and the First Professional African American Hockey Player

The world of hockey has come to see stars of all different race and ethnicity. The game has grown in many ways but is still known as a predominately white sport. A league that is almost 95% white did not see a change until the 1980s. Val James was a feared enforcer who was not only recognized for his fierce fighting tactics but for his race. Val James was the first black man to play in the National Hockey League. James faced racial slurs and physical acts of violence during his career. Nearly thirty years after his retirement, James still finds it hard to watch NHL games. It took him close to ten years to watch a game which he says brings back traumatizing memories. Spectators used to throw bananas on the ice and make obscene gestures in the penalty box towards the enforcer.

In today's game, hockey has seen an increase in African American NHL players. Stars like Evander Kane, PK Subban, and Wayne Simmonds have made a name for themselves in the league by displaying their skill. Although the game has changed, these players still face discrimination. Val James broke down the racial barrier in the NHL. His contribution to the sport has allowed super stars like Kane, Subban, and Simmonds to emerge as role models for young African American hockey players.

Sommerstein, D. (2015, February 26). As First Black American NHL Player, Enforcer Was Defenseless Against Racism. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/02/26/389284068/as-first-black-american-nhl-player-enforcer-was-defenseless-vs-racism

Diversity in Management: Fading Out

When applying a critical perspective on the subject of diversity within the workplace in the state of California, one is able to observe that diversity lessens when you examine managerial positions. As companies speak on the promotion of diversity, racial minorities are not being employed in higher number within such fields. If one were to assign blame, it would be on institutional racism and its presence within our culture--not the managers or the companies themselves. A company has the ability to create a hiring plan to promote diversity; however, it appears to be superfluous when there are many qualified individuals to hire already. In a practical sense, if one has the skills for a position, is it necessary to hire with it in mind? Assuming that diversity is an ideal in the workplace, a course of action must be employed.

 Cannon, M. (2015, May 04). Racial Diversity in the Workplace: Who Cares? Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marshall-cannon/racial-diversity-in-the-w_b_7192414.html