"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.

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"

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.

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/ 

What is White Privilege?

This article helps to define "white privilege" and provides examples proving that it does exist in society today, even though it is difficult for the majority of people to recognize. It is the invisibility aspect that makes privilege effective. As stated in the article, "white privilege is like the air we breathe: we don't really know it's around us unless it's unavailable" (Weiss Online). The author of this article draws on her own struggle with trying to explain white privilege and identifying it's effects in her daily life. Despite challenges, for whites there are certain things that come easier than if they were to belong to another racial group which the author demonstrates in nine brief examples.

The white privileges explained in this article include:
Your Wages Aren't Lower Because of Your Race
People Don't Make Assumptions About Your Intelligence Because of Your Race
You Don't Feel Pressure To Represent Your Race
Most Products Are Geared Toward You
Most Media Is Geared Toward You
Beauty Standards Aren't Rigged Against You Because Of Your Race
Jobs Won't Discriminate Against You Due To Your Race
People Will Trust That You Deserve To Be Where You Are
The Police Are Looking Out For You

Weiss, S. (2016, March 22). What is White Privilege? Here Are Nine Everyday Examples. Retrieved April 19, 2016, from http://www.bustle.com/articles/149452-what-is-white-privilege-here-are-9-everyday-examples

Usher's Statement About Injustice in "Chains"

The music video,“Chains,” depicts the injustices that people of color face within the United States, which has been a topic of interest within the past few years, as more and more cases of discrimination appear in the news. The title indicates the intention of the video, because chains are associated with being restricted and imprisoned. Within the video are images of men and women who have fallen victim to racial discrimination and violence as a result of this. Names, faces, and a brief description are included with each image in the video. The interactive version of the video ensures that the viewer is engaged through access of the front facing camera. If the viewer is not looking at the video, it will pause until eye contact is made once again. This video demonstrates one of the many ways in which artists are beginning to take a stand against injustice through their work. Usher promoted the video along with the hashtag "Don't Look Away" in order to promote active engagement in these issues throughout the country.

McIntrye, H. (2015, October 20). Usher's Powerful New Music Video Literally Won't Allow You To Look Away. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2015/10/20/ushers-new-music-video-literally-wont-allow-you-to-look-away/#491f817614a3

https://chains.tidal.com/

White Privilege Evident in the Workplace

This article discusses how almost twenty years after the US Department of Labor began auditing the racial hiring practices at Bank of America's offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, black candidates who did not receive equal opportunity in the workplace are finally receiving financial compensation. Bank of America was ordered to pay close to $2.2 million in back pay to African Americans who were denied entry level jobs at the offices in Charlotte with no reason. According to the Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs' (OFCCP) review for the hiring periods of 1993 and between 2002 and 2005, Bank of America unfairly rejected 1,147 African Americans for jobs. According to a spokesperson from the OFCCP, the criteria used for hiring included credit checks and evaluations of compatibility of work hours used to judge black applicants' qualifications differently than those of white candidates. By using these categories, whites are given an advantage when applying for the job without realizing it because as studies have shown credit scores are often higher for whites than blacks. As a result of using this criteria for hiring, the percentage of applicants disqualified was "significantly higher" for African Americans than for whites. By auditing Bank of America, OFCCP was enforcing the priority of "[e]liminating the attitudinal and institutional barriers to the advancement of minorities and women in corporate management positions and executive careers" (Mock 10). The final settlement from the company is based off of the amount that the victims would have received in wages if working there.

Mock, B. (2013, September 25). Bank of America ordered to pay $2.2 million for racist hiring practices. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.southernstudies.org/2013/09/bank-of-america-ordered-to-pay-22-million-for-raci.html