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 

Racism Still Evident In Sports World

Throughout the year of 2014, the US saw more issues with racism than anyone can remember. Shootings of African-Americans who were unarmed by the police and the jury decisions in Michael Brown's case and Eric Garner's case. It was during this year that in the sports world, highly respected athletes would use their stage to speak on these racial issues happening today. Examples are LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, and others wore "I Can't Breathe" t-shirts during their warmups to show respect for Eric Garner. Oklahoma City's superstar, Kevin Durant, wrote "Black Lives Matter" on his shoes for the game against Cleveland Cavs that would be nationally televised. 

Instead of looking for racial issues within the sports industry, I decided to use something different, African-Americans using their strong foundation as a positive avenue to raise awareness for an important issue.

 

Lapchick, R. (2014, December 30). Racism Still Evident In Sports World. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/12093538/the-year-racism-sport

Chris Rock: "You're damn right Hollywood is racist"

After six weeks of silence, Chris Rock addressed the #OscarsSoWhite controversy during his monologue at the Oscars. He explained how there is a lack of ethnic and gender diversity in Hollywood. Not a single minority was nominated in any of the four categories for a second consecutive year. Despite the few jokes made by Chris Rock, there was great seriousness to the rest of his monologue, displaying his outrage from the issue. He speaks for many minorities in the industry when he expresses how the movie industry should be more inclusive in hiring and casting of minorities. Although we have actors and actresses from minority groups playing roles in movies and television, why are they seemingly not worthy enough of being nominated for the Oscars?

Griggs, Brandon. (29 February 2016). "Chris Rock: "You're damn right Hollywood is racist." CNN. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/28/entertainment/chris-rock-oscars-so-white-feat/

More on Police Body Cameras

          Here's a great article titled "The Problem with Police Body Cameras" written by Janet Vertesi. Vertesi agrees that body cameras alone are certainly not capable of fool-proofing the Criminal Justice System. She believes that they are basically a quick fix, and "like other technologies before them, their 'evidence' will get swept up into the continuing battles of one side versus another. And whose interpretation wins out will always say more about who is in power than who is in the right." While civil violence could be contained with the help of body cameras, the real battle is not on the streets, but in the courts and policies within the CJS.

          There are numerous unresolved issues surrounding police body cameras including civilian privacy for those recorded, policies regarding when cameras should be recording, public access to recordings, and the costs of storing the footage. Furthermore, would the public be comfortable with the interaction of body cameras with higher-tech systems like facial recognition, infrared imaging, etc.? These are all questions that need answering before body cameras can become widely used throughout the nation without any sort of controversial issues arising.
       
          La Vigne, Nancy. (2015, August). Evaluating the Impact of Police Body Cameras. Urban Institute. Retrieved from: http://www.urban.org/debates/evaluating-impact-police-body-cameras

          Vertesi, Janet. (2015, May 04). The Problem With Police Body Cameras. Times Magazine. Retrieved from: http://time.com/3843157/the-problem-with-police-body-cameras/

          

Cam Newton Success Drives Negativity

“Cam Newton Dances Around End Zones, Not Around Matters of Racism” speaks about the way Cam Newton was portrayed by the media and in the sports world for his outlandish acts and constant celebration after touchdown dances. As football becomes more diverse, American views become less close minded. Some Americans see the threat of a “young, successful black man celebrating through culturally relevant means” as Jonathan Jones describes it. In this generation, no matter how successful and how well someone does in the athletic and academic world, they are viewed and judged based on their race. It is very unsettling to see that just because a black man is seeing success, he must judged by the color of his skin and not the content of his character.

As we continue to approach a generation full of judgement, we have to understand the effects that athletes can make in the society. Athletes have the opportunity to change the world because they are seen as role models. Cam Newton, someone who does great things for the community and the field, will continue to be judged but handles it like a professional. Newton ignores the racist remarks and chooses to use them as fuel in order to see successes on the field. He is a great role model in the sense that he shows people the right way to handle racist remarks and judgement. The sports world will continue to be racist unless a new generation helps to change views past down by the elder.

Rhoden, W. C. (2016, January 29). Cam Newton Dances Around End Zones, Not Around Matters of Racism. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/30/sports/football/cam-newton-doesnt-dance-around-racism-issues.html?rref=collection/timestopic/Race and Ethnicity

The Intersection of I

In the interesting article, “What white people have to say about being white,” filmmaker Whitney Dow highlights a project he is working on about interviewing 15 to 27 year olds about being white while identifying their social interactions, racism, race, and privilege. Dow is a filmmaker who focuses on the betterment of the society through catching the attention of his viewers. Dow is working on a video project called The Intersection of I, where he believes that “white people have to recognize that they are a part of this conversation whether they like it or not” when speaking about white privilege.

Dow high points the issue that the US was built and founded on white supremacy. Some whites know this and they rather ignore the fact because they are scared to address the issue. Some white people are just exhausted about the race topic and choose to let it brush by with annoyance. Additionally, the article speaks about how the film will show that whites tend to hang out with other whites and are afraid to diversify. Finally, privilege is something that is seen by whites as an advantage to break the law and basically do whatever they think they can get away with. In all, Dow’s film can hopefully change the views of the white Americans and open the eyes of one-track minded of many races. 

Vega, T. (2016, April 13). What white people have to say about being white. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/13/media/whiteness-project/index.html

Hollywood's Problem: Itself.

The article, “How to fix Hollywood’s race problem,” highlights the inefficient way that the film industry recognizes people of color and harshly stereotypes certain groups of people. The article shines light on the Oscars, and how nomination were strictly and visibly favoring the whites. But, it is more than just the Oscars, it is a problem we face in the world today. See, the way people are portrayed in film is how people begin to judge and discriminate. Film is the center stage for racial and ethnical discrimination because it reaches so many viewers. The article refers to “the film industry’s failure to represent people of color runs far deeper than #OscarsSoWhite.”

The article gives a list of 10 stereotypes for people of color on screen. The magical Negro who has some connections to magical forces. The thug who is an aggressive black man or woman with no future as well as the superhuman athlete whose talent is seen by white folks. Also, there is the super-rich evil Arab sheikh who’s too rich and uncertain of the real value of money. Then, there’s the awkward desexualized Asian who can never get a girlfriend. A mammy, or an overweight black women, who serves for the white families. Next, there is a jaded older police officer who “acts as a counterpoint to a younger, more energetic white police officer.” Additionally, there is the eternal sidekick and the sassy confidante. But, finally, there is the terrorist who dangerous and speaking in Arab dialogue.

The list is spot-on and it is something that has helped stereotypes fit into their desired category. It starts with film and we must know the power of the media.

Latif, N. (2016, January 18). How to fix Hollywood's race problem. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/18/hollywoods-race-problem-film-industry-actors-of-colour

Family in Pop Culture

On my mom's side of the family (Japanese side), my grandparents, mom, and uncle were all in the entertainment industry. My mom is born and raised in Manhattan, just down the street from Columbia University, and did a lot of child acting and singing when she was younger. My grandparents got into acting and modeling to earn more money to send their two kids to a private school in the city. 

My late grandparents would often be casted as the token old and innocent Asian couple, such as their roles in Crocodile Dundee. They always experienced racial inequality because there were not the same amount of roles for Asians, let alone minorities, in comparison to white actor roles. Most of the roles they auditioned for were for small, minor characters with little to no dialogue. To the directors or auditioning managers, it was a matter of filling the minor character or background people with the right type of people. I remember my grandparents doing a magazine ad for an insurance company. They posed in front a nice suburban house pretending to be watering the garden. It wasn't until I got older to realize they were strategically chosen for that shoot. The company wanted to give off the impression that the insurance company is a safe choice through their protection of an old, innocent Asian couple. 

The greatest role my grandfather played was the Prime Minister of Malaysia in Zoolander. He had quality time in the movie and his role required him to have a decent amount of dialogue. My grandfather was thrilled at the opportunity even though he is not Malaysian, he is Japanese, but that did not matter to the casting directors, as they were only looking for someone to “look the part” or “look Asian”. They had to endure this inequality and continue to take the minor roles because that was one of their main sources of income. 

My uncle is used to his agent calling him for specific auditions needing a middle aged, Asian male, such as the time he was a powerful Asian business man on an SNL skit, or one of the technology assistants in a Verizon Wireless commercial. My uncle even did a photo shoot for a company and had to pretend to be Alaskan, so he was dressed in fur coats and posed with a very large dog. 

From hearing their personal stories of acting and auditioning, it is easy for me to fully support the claims of issues in pop culture and the major racial inequalities in the entertainment industry.  

Are Body Cameras Enough to Stop Police Violence?

I do not think body cameras are a sufficient reform to prevent future police violence against African Americans. Police cameras may be a useful tool to begin to hold officers responsible for their actions during interactions with the public, but video evidence has not been sufficient to result in indictments in some cases. The most vivid of these was the Eric Garner Case. A positive example of video evidence was the case of Walter Scott who was shot in the back while running away from a police officer in South Carolina. The police officer was seen on camera shooting the unarmed man. The police officer was indicted and charged with murder. The different results in these cases demonstrates that video evidence can be a useful tool to discover the true interactions between police and black civilians, but it also demonstrates that the results may vary by case and are by no means a 100 percent effective way to hold officers accountable.
I think that there must be more substantial reforms within police forces including in training and department policies.

Asian Privilege

While reading through multiple articles on the idea of Asian privilege, I came across this one CNN article called, "The truth about Asian Americans' success (it's not what you think)," written by Jennifer Lee. The article title automatically intrigued me because as a half-Asian female, I thought I had a good understanding of the origins of Asian privilege. Based off of a study conducted by Lee and her fellow sociologist coworker, Min Zhou, they found that the main contributor to Asian success in the United States are the immigration laws. These laws "favor highly educated, highly skilled immigrant applicants from Asian countries." As a result of fierce controversy over immigration laws during Presidential debates and other events, I did not realize Asian privilege was so deeply rooted in the laws, which exemplifies what Golash- Boza would consider institutional racism. 

The article also explains the saying "ethnic capital," which is what highly educated immigrant groups build in the US economy. This idea made me think of institutional racism again as the article pointed out various ethnic institutions the ethnic capital produces such as after school tutoring programs or academic clubs. It was interesting for Lee to explore the path in which the information from Asian neighborhoods spreads to other immigrant groups. As a result of the information, or ethnic capital knowledge, circulated throughout Asian groups and beyond, children of immigrant parents have the ability to break educational expectations and be successful. 

In comparison to Asian privilege, Mexican immigrants have had a much harder time becoming successful. As a less educated immigrant group than Asians, they do not receive or generate the same amount of income or have the same resources as other Asian immigrant groups. Although Mexican immigrants do not have same level of ethnic capital, the children of immigrant parents are becoming increasingly successful in education. 

I thought this article was interesting and very informational. I hope everyone takes the time to read it because many new issues on privilege have been introduced to me.

 http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/opinions/lee-immigration-ethnic-capital/

 Lee, J. (2015, August 4). The secret to Asian Americans' success. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/opinions/lee-immigration-ethnic-capital/ 

White Audiences and Movies with Slavery

            Despite the unequal amount of blockbuster movies with African Americans as the leading character, the few that are popular are usually based off a brutal historical depiction of racism, slavery, and inequality. Since the release of various films starring African Americans such as 12 Years a Slave, The Help, and The Butler, sociologists have questioned why those movies are so popular in comparison to other movie genres with African American actors. It seems as though movies about the struggles of African Americans overcoming slavery and cruelty are seen to be the most successful. White audiences flood to see those films and feel a sense of relief knowing they have progressed past the slavery era. These mainstream films have a significant effect on white audiences because their ideas of racism are of the past and have a sense of comfort knowing they have moved passed slavery. However, there is a cognitive disconnect between what white audiences see and how society acts towards African Americans and even other minority races. The historic acts of racism presented in the mainstream films have transformed into different forms of modern racism that are still just as cruel as the past.



 Cole, O. (2013, December 26). Hollywood and the Shaping of Perceptions of Racism. Retrieved        from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/olivia-cole/hollywood-and-the-shaping_b_4499060.html

Racism Through Makeup

I came across a very interesting article for today's post. As someone who is very interested in makeup and beauty, I was curious to see if there were major problems for dark skinned ladies out there looking for makeup. It did not take long before I came across an article. South Sundanese model, Nykhor Paul, was heated when she went to a photo shoot and the makeup artist did not have makeup for her skin tone. Aware that this was most likely going to happen, Nykhor brought some of her own makeup in her purse. She states, "Why do I have to bring my own makeup to a professional show when all of the other white girls don't have to do anything but show up?" (People.com). Not only is it slightly embarrassing and most likely awkward for her to have to hand her own makeup to a makeup artist, but it is degrading. Nykhor also kindly pointed out that many makeup brands (Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Makeup Forever, etc.) sell makeup in her skin tone, so why can't the makeup artists come prepared? 

Hopefully this incident does not happen anymore for the stunning Sudanese model. No one should have to feel singled out, especially while they are working on the job. For a young woman who is getting paid to be a part of a fashion show, she should have the luxury of having her makeup done professionally and ethically.

Click Here for Article

Citation: 

"Model Nykhor Paul Slams Makeup Artists for Being Unprepared to Work With Her Skin Tone." Style News StyleWatch Peoplecom RSS. People, 07 July 2015. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

Corruption in Chicago

Racial disparity in the criminal justice system has become a major area of concern all over the United States.This article in particular details the systemic racism that is occurring in the Chicago Police Department today. Unlike most stories relating to this subject, this article talks about how the surrounding community acknowledges that this is a serious problem and citizens have taken to the streets to protest the unfairness that is happening in their community.

 A report was issued after an investigation of the Chicago Police Department, which included several recommendations which would help institute positive change. One recommendations was a call to change the clauses within police unions to put an end to the ‘code of silence’ that is occurring in many different departments today. This includes lying in police reports and anonymous citizens’ complaints which specifically target minorities (Davey & Smith, 2016). The article concludes by posing the question of what can be done to eradicate racism in the Chicago Police Department. In order to institute change, institutions with power must be the ones to step forward and break the cycle of discrimination in the criminal justice system.

Davey, M., & Smith, M. (2016, April 13). Chicago Police Dept. Plagued by Systemic Racism, Task Force Finds. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/14/us/chicago-police-dept-plagued-by-systemic-racism-task-force-finds.html?emc=edit_na_20160413&nlid=68725809&ref=cta