Christian Privilege Taken For Granted

Grace Farrell


We often think about privilege in a strictly black or white scope.  African Americans are blamed for having privilege when enrolling in universities seeking diversity and granting scholarships.  Whites are mainly pointed out for having privilege when dealing with any judicial or legal consequences.  But what about a person's religion? Can we point to a certain people for having privilege in their faith?  This source is called the "Christian Privilege Checklist," and it examines the advantages that Christians, 32% of the world's population, or 2.2 billion people, (Washington Times) have over the rest of the world.

The checklist is comprised of 33 statements that social activist Sam Killermann pieced together by studying the Christian religion for over 10 years, traveling to 24 different countries.  Some of the most identifiable privileges that many Christians have are:

-You can expect to have time off work to celebrate religious holidays. 

-Fundraising to support congregations of your faith will not be investigated as potentially threatening or terroristic behavior. 

-It is easy for you to find your faith accurately depicted in television, movies, books, and other media. -You are never asked to speak on behalf of all the members of your faith. 

-Your faith is taught or offered as a course in most public institutions.

Source:

Harper, J. (2012, December 23). Christian Faith Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.washingtontimes.com

Killermann, Sam. (2015, October). Christian Privilege Checklist  - Arizona State University: Project Humanities April 20, 2016, from https://humanities.asu.edu/christian-privilege-checklist 

Native Americans and the Game of Lacrosse

Grace Farrell

Native American dominance in lacrosse has been prevalent for centuries.  A common stereotype found typically at the high school and collegiate level of the game, is that Native Americans are some of the most elite athletes in the sport.  While we have learned from Golash-Boza and films in class that stereotypes can often be highly exaggerated and far from the truth; this stereotype has validity as to why Native Americans are some of the most elite lacrosse athletes in the nation.  

The game of lacrosse was first recorded in 1689 in a book called An Account of the Indians in Virginia by John Clayton.  The first tribe to ever be documented playing lacrosse was the Powhatans.  Clayton believed the Native Americans played lacrosse as a "medicine game."  The tribes would play to heal their family members who were sick, elderly and weak.  Women were forbidden to play this sacred game for thousands of years. (Keepers of the Game, 2016) 

Present day, three Native American men from the same tribe have dominated the collegiate game.  The Thompson brothers, at the University of Albany, became #1 and #2 of all time in history for points scored in a single season.  On an ESPN feature, Lyle and Miles Thompson explain that in their Onongada Tribe in upstate New York, on their reservation lands, lacrosse is not just a game, but rather a way of life.  Once a male is born into the tribe, he receives a miniature hand carved lacrosse stick, and learns to play as soon as he can run.  Lacrosse is now becoming popular with Native American women, who want to bring pride to their tribes and reservation lands as well.  



Sources:

Aveni, A. (2010, December). History.org: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Official History and Citizenship Website. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from https://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/winter10/lacrosse.cfm

Barnes, K. (2016, April 18). Keepers of the Game : ESPNW. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://espn.go.com/espnw/culture/article/15273999/tribeca-espn-sports-film-festival-premieres-keepers-game

Sports Center Featured: Thompson Brothers. (2015, January 15). Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.laxmagazine.com/blogs/author/

What is "Flesh Colored?"

What is "Flesh Colored?"



In Chapter 5, Golash-Boza examines colorism and skin-color stratification.  We discussed a bit in class how shocking it was that there were cosmetic products on the market that actually lighten the pigmentation in the skin.  But why is this? Why is a lighter skin complexion desirable and more "beautiful"?  Take a look at some sociological images on the Society Pages and you may have found a possible answer.  Why do people say that skin has to be white?  Because it's been taught and advertised that way for centuries.

Some of the earliest plastic bandage advertisements in 1952 showed a white woman with a "flesh-colored" bandage on her arm as if to say the adhesive was barely there or noticeable because it blended so well.  The "flesh" color was a peachy pale, a subliminal message that flesh is the color of a white person's complexion.

Crayola used to market "flesh" colored crayons, ranging from a light ivory to a semi-yellow tan. The company just recently released their multicultural 8 pack of crayons that included deep blacks and light browns.

The actual definition of flesh is "the soft substance consisting of muscle and fat that is found between the skin and bones of an animal or a human," (Merriam-Webster) So when we point to the color of skin as our own "flesh" it is entirely incorrect.  The fact that our society has labeled "flesh" as the peachy white color that most Caucasians share is entirely inaccurate and a total misrepresentation of the word.

We have observed for centuries the harmful prejudice, stereotypes and insecurities that derive from the color of a person's skin.  Our advertisements and media need to celebrate beauty and all walks of life.  We simply can not identify and label one word with an entire human race.



Source: Wade, L. (2011, December 08). White Privilege: “Flesh-Colored” - Sociological Images. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/12/08/white-privilege/

Jackie Robinson: More Than Just a Baseball Player

Baseball has often been referred to as "America's favorite pastime," however, sport enthusiasts are so quick to forget the exclusive and outwardly racist regulations the league used to abide by.  Before 1946, there were no integrated professional baseball teams.  It was strictly the Major League, where only white athletes could participate in, and the Negro Leagues.  Breaking this racial caste system was Jackie Robinson, a southern elite athlete who would change the game of baseball forever.  

Many remember Robinson for his outstanding career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, in his first year alone hitting 12 home runs to help the Dodgers win the National League Pennant. Robinson also led the league in stolen bases to pick up the Rookie of the Year title.  However, how Jackie actually achieved his status and became the first man to integrate major league baseball is often left in the shadows.   

Before Branch Rickey signed Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie was a four sport high school athlete and the youngest of five children.  Robinson lived his entire youth in poverty and worked extremely hard in the classroom to gain academic recognition.  He went on to be the first collegiate athlete at UCLA to letter in 4 sports.  After UCLA, Robinson served as second lieutenant in the U.S Army.  Though never seeing combat, he was honorably discharged and played 3 years in the Negro Leagues.  It was at this time that the Major League Baseball committee decided that they needed an "outstanding negro" to enter the all-white league.  The MLB was losing revenue and decided to integrate, and Jackie Robinson happened to fit this mold.  

While playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson would receive death threats sent to his home, threatening his family if he did not quit the league.  Many athletes on his team signed petitions to keep him out of the league, and coaches and athletes for the opposing teams would chant racist cheers when Robinson was at bat.  None of this, deterred Robinson from chasing after his ultimate goal of becoming a civil rights activist, and one of the greatest legacies baseball has ever seen.  

Robinson served on the board of the NAACP and became the first African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.  While Jackie Robinson was an outstanding athlete, we should not forget as a society the hard work, dedication, intelligence, and willingness to serve our country that it took for this man to achieve his goal.  Jackie Robinson was not just a baseball player, he was a beneficial change to American society. 

Source:   Jackie Robinson. Biography – A&E Television Networks (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813#a-voice-for-african-american-athletes