Education is a key policy to any functioning community. It provides the tools necessary fro achievement and success. It also divides us and is used as a tool to raise some and keep others down. Education has become one of the key points for combating racism and inequality in america. Without a good upbringing and education there is little chance for poor and underrepresented to rise in station. We all know that something needs to be done but no one can quite agree on where we want to end up and how we are to get there.
When listening to all the blue prints for freedom, a common issue that arose was busing, and getting kids to school. To my understanding the two biggest money sucks in education are teacher pensions and transportation. It becomes complicated when schools wish to pump more money into different things or make a program better. Public schools typically gain money through state taxes and grants. The problem arises that the majority of this money is not up to the school how to spend, but instead designated. While good for maintain the intended purpose and keeping schools from straying it can vastly limit the impact.
While it is very important that schools allow for their students to actually make it to school it is a huge money drain. If you were a failing school one of the easiest things to drop in order to funnel more money into classes and facilities would be busing. As sad and racist as it can be sometimes cutting transportation is key to providing better education for those that do attend.
Ideally schools should have all the money they need and there should be a close school to every home, but there will not always be enough money and some thing must be cut. Once again another situation where family life and economic class. I don't mean to say that busing is not important in getting kids to school, but I wanted to complicate the situation a little more. If a school is
A blog dedicated to exploring the civil rights movement in Memphis, TN
Friday, April 27, 2018
Navigating the Problematic Realities of Private vs. Public Prisons
Walnut Grove is a small town in Mississippi, just about
three hours from Memphis, and it was the site of Walnut Grove Youth Correctional
Facility. The facility was a private youth prison that faced multiple complaint
reports of organized fights, violent brawls that were not stopped by guards and
guards forcing inmates to perform sexual acts in exchange for food. According
to reporting by the research team for the podcast Criminal the inmates of Walnut Grove were about 80% African
American, although Mississippi as a whole was only about 35%.[1]
There is no separating race and pervasive corruption in the prison system. The demographics
alone are representative of the school-to-prison pipeline, but the prejudiced perspectives
of the prison staff and town further enhance the despicable reality of the
system. A former guard described the inmates as “not children who disobeyed
their parents [but] hardened criminals … [who] had a problem with society,” other
town members responded to the reports of misconduct and brutality in the facility
with dismissive statements like: “Well it is a prison, and you’re gonna have
problems in a prison.”[2]
The Department of Justice concluded in their investigation that the prison was “not
adequately protecting” the inmates. Walnut Grove was converted to an adult
facility and later shut down. Many people living in Walnut Grove are unhappy
with the decision though, as the prison was the main employer for the area and
the town has been nearly bankrupted by the loss of revenue.
Public prisons are often no better than private prisons. Prisons
in Arizona are facing federal sanctions in response to mistreatment of inmates.
The healthcare provider Corizon, which employs specialists for jails and
provides healthcare resources to many public prisons, is being sued by
thousands of inmates for withholding medications and treatments. The complaints
include withholding access to medication
from inmates suffering from AIDS, seizure disorders, and even those presenting
with heart attack symptoms.[3]
There was already a settlement in 2012 that was supposed to improve the quality
of care provided by Corizon, but a new investigation reveals little has changed;
testimony in the case was recently heard by a federal judge.
Prison conditions across the country are abusive and
inhumane, and when the system intentionally targets black men more than any
other group, it’s not just a human rights violation, it is a hate crime.
[1] Pheobe Judge, Walnut Grove,
Criminal, n.d., http://www.thisiscriminal.com/episode-58-walnut-grove-1-6-2017.
[2] Judge.
[3] Jimmy Jenkins, “Arizona Prisons Face
Federal Sanctions Over Prisoners’ Health Care : NPR,” March 2, 2018,
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/02/590121817/arizona-prisons-face-federal-sanctions-over-prisoners-health-care.
Students and their impenetrable sphere of privilege
Its no secret that students in higher education have leverage in the world that other people their age don't. But this leverage, or rather this privilege, reaches far and wide. College students are taken more seriously by adults, viewed as having more ambition (no matter the occupation or goals of young adults not pursuing higher education), and given more leeway in pressing situations where their character is being judged.
Entrepreneurs without degrees are often not given the same platform or looked at with the same amount of credibility as students are. Higher education in America as-is has already created an unfair environment to those who are economically disadvantaged. Young adults who opt to go straight into the job force or try and build up their own businesses/non-profits have to go through many barriers, a number of which should not technically be affected by the fact that they don't have an associates or bachelors degree.
Many of these people are not even given the opportunity to pursue higher education, and even if they are their shouldn't be a stigma regarding their choice not to.
Its no secret that students in higher education have leverage in the world that other people their age don't. But this leverage, or rather this privilege, reaches far and wide. College students are taken more seriously by adults, viewed as having more ambition (no matter the occupation or goals of young adults not pursuing higher education), and given more leeway in pressing situations where their character is being judged.
Entrepreneurs without degrees are often not given the same platform or looked at with the same amount of credibility as students are. Higher education in America as-is has already created an unfair environment to those who are economically disadvantaged. Young adults who opt to go straight into the job force or try and build up their own businesses/non-profits have to go through many barriers, a number of which should not technically be affected by the fact that they don't have an associates or bachelors degree.
Many of these people are not even given the opportunity to pursue higher education, and even if they are their shouldn't be a stigma regarding their choice not to.
Bifurcation impedes Liberation
Racism is one of the most prevalent
evils in American society and it has been the cause nearly all domestic unrest
since the end of slavery. However, the fight for black freedom is exceptionally
complicated in the current moment due to the fracturing of political power. In
the era typically associated with the Civil Rights Movement, it was much easier
for allies of the movement to identify which politicians to vote for based upon
their policies. Either a candidate was either against segregation or they weren’t.
In the years that followed the movement, American society began to bifurcate even
further as other oppressed groups gained the courage to fight for their natural
rights.
The bifurcation
the black vote was especially detrimental because this has led to the slow
decay of the minority vote. This was evident in the 2016 election as Donald Trump
rode to the white house on the backs of white working-class voters while young
black (mostly male) voters stood by and let it happen because Bernie Sanders
lost the Democratic primary.
Bifurcations along generational
lines have also weakened the black the black vote due to differences in moral
values. Black people have never been monolithic in thought, and they never will
be. However, in the current system the black community cannot afford to be split
at certain times and 2016 was that time. In the wake of Donald Trump’s
election, it has become blatantly obvious that America still has a long way to
go when it comes to race relations and the conversation is just getting
started.
Now that the American political landscape
is more fragmented than ever, off kilter alliances must be made to advance the wellbeing
of the black community. White liberals must step out of their online echo
chambers and coffee shops and start to actively reach out to people of color.
People of color must be willing to accept help from white liberals while still
ensuring that their voices are not drowned out and/or being used as puppets.
This is where we have to take the
quote “Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere” seriously and
start applying this logic if we want to see oppressed groups truly get free.
Mental Health Disparaties
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3025628/
In
addition to the sociological impacts of racism, inequality impacts an individual
psychologically. Several posts on the blog have started conversations on mental
health awareness, as well as the impact that stress has on people of color. The
way the healthcare system currently works furthers inequality and
discrimination against people of color. For example, factors aside from
genetics led poor, colored people to be more prone to obesity. Fresh, healthy
food is often expensive and difficult to find. Memphis’s abysmal transportation
system does not provide an easy way for families to secure healthy meals
outside of food deserts. Additionally, high levels of stress over time (caused
by racial profiling, stress from living on a low income, sleep deprivation,
etc.) can cause unhealthy habits, including over eating and excessive drinking.
This turns into a vicious cycle, with poor health furthering money troubles,
and allowing for fewer opportunities to make better health choices. Being a
non-white person, especially those of lower socioeconomic status, has serious
negative effects due to the added stress of living in a racist society.
In
addition to the inequalities caused by our broken social structures, race
impacts mental health. It would be expected that the more stressful life of a
colored person would lead to higher rates of mental health disorders linked
with stress (such as major depression), but epidemiological studies would
disagree. Consistent findings from scientific studies have found that “compared
with whites, blacks report similar or, in some cases, lower rates of lifetime
mental disorders, even after accounting for the effects of socioeconomic
position, despite evidence that blacks report higher levels of psychological
distress” (Mezuk, 2010). Implicit biases against black folk from doctors in the
heath care system, as well as a larger population of black folk being unable to
afford proper healthcare could account for this. When fewer people identify
depression in one race demographic, the risk for suicide and poor quality of
life.
Interestingly
enough, while lower levels of depression reported in black demographics
indicate a health care system bias, mental illness is skewed towards minority
populations in other ways as well. “African
Americans were found to have substantially elevated rates of schizophrenia when
compared with Whites. Furthermore, Blacks with schizophrenia are
overrepresented in state psychiatric hospitals” (Mezuk, 2010). Stereotyping schizophrenia as
a ‘black’ disease, much like HIV is characterized as a ‘gay’ disease, is
harmful to many. Consistently, black patients in mental hospitals are diagnosed
as having more severe cases of the disease than their white counterparts. This
can lead to harsher/larger drug dosage (and the side effects) and fewer numbers
of black patients being able to live a normal life outside of a treatment center.
When planning our blueprints
for change, it is important to take into account how biases and the way people
think about race effects individuals just as much as our societal structures
do. To make change, we need to change both policy and minds.
Shifting Historical Perspectives through Statue Removal
Although we weren’t able to fully discuss the statue removals
in Memphis, I wanted to draw some attention to an important statue removal that
happened last week in New York City. The statue was of J. Marion Sims, an incredibly
influential figure in the field of gynecology. The statue was removed from
Central Park after the Public Design Commission and the mayor’s office
unanimously voted to relocate the statue to Sims’ gravesite in Brooklyn. Sims’
important work and contributions to gynecology are problematic because they
were discovered through inhumane experimentation on enslaved black women. The
article about the statue removal frequently quotes from Sims’ journals and experimental
records. Sims experiments were conducted without anesthesia and he repeatedly performed
surgery again and again on the same subjects as soon as they had partially
healed from the previous attempt. The techniques acquired from this research where
later implemented on white women (with anesthesia). The article also connects Sims
work to the unequal treatment of black patients today, quoting the research of another
NPR program, Hidden Brain, "Black
patients continue to receive less pain medication for broken bones and cancer.
Black children receive less pain medication that white children for appendicitis.
One reason for this is that many people inaccurately believe that blacks
literally have thicker skin than whites and experience less pain." [1]
This discriminatory treatment highlights the way historical stereotypes have real-life
effects on the wellbeing of marginalized groups.
NYC is replacing the statue with another monument. One of
the proposed replacements is a monument towards women of color in science. It
is important to note that the commission also suggested the ‘re-contextualization’
of other controversial monuments with more accurate and complete plaques
describing the history of the monument or statue’s subject. [2]
This removal provides a model for future
changes to historical monuments that represent racist ideology.
There are 800 other monuments considered for removal by the commission.
Should Memphis consider removing other public monuments or, given the severe
reaction to the previous statue removals here, should Memphis take on more of a
re-contextualization stance and replace plaques at remaining controversial
monuments?
[1] Camila Domonoske, “‘Father Of Gynecology,’
Who Experimented On Slaves, No Longer On Pedestal In NYC” (NPR, April 17,
2018).
[2] Domonoske.
Bill Cosby Found Guilty of Aggravated Indecent Assault
On Thursday, Bill Cosby was found guilty of three felony counts of aggravated
indecent assault against Andrea Constand. The court’s decision comes after
over eighteen years of accusations and allegations that spanned nearly five
decades. When I first heard of the news, I had a bittersweet feeling about it all.
On one hand, one of my biggest childhood influencers was found guilty of sexual
assault. On the other hand, justice was served and a group of women who were
forced to go through unspeakable things received closure.
With this case, an actor and comedian who was previously thought to be
untouchable learned there would be legal consequences for his actions.
With this verdict, a message was sent to survivors across the nation: Justice,
even when the deck is stacked against you, even when you’ve been belittled,
discredited and ignored for years, is still possible. Emily Martin, general
counsel and vice president for education and workplace justice at the National
Women’s Law Center, state that with this decision, “There has been a change
in the world, and more people believe women’s stories today. More people
understand why the trauma of these events might lead to some period of time
passing before individuals are willing to stand up and say, ‘This happened to
me.’ And more people understand that individuals we like and admire have
the capacity to do terrible things.”
indecent assault against Andrea Constand. The court’s decision comes after
over eighteen years of accusations and allegations that spanned nearly five
decades. When I first heard of the news, I had a bittersweet feeling about it all.
On one hand, one of my biggest childhood influencers was found guilty of sexual
assault. On the other hand, justice was served and a group of women who were
forced to go through unspeakable things received closure.
With this case, an actor and comedian who was previously thought to be
untouchable learned there would be legal consequences for his actions.
With this verdict, a message was sent to survivors across the nation: Justice,
even when the deck is stacked against you, even when you’ve been belittled,
discredited and ignored for years, is still possible. Emily Martin, general
counsel and vice president for education and workplace justice at the National
Women’s Law Center, state that with this decision, “There has been a change
in the world, and more people believe women’s stories today. More people
understand why the trauma of these events might lead to some period of time
passing before individuals are willing to stand up and say, ‘This happened to
me.’ And more people understand that individuals we like and admire have
the capacity to do terrible things.”
Although this case does not mean that other men will face justice in the courtroom.
It does not mean that other women won’t be called liars or money-grubbing
opportunists when they seek justice. However, what this case does is give hope
and energy to survivors and activists who do the difficult and painful work of trying to
build a world where victims’ voices are valued instead of being written off.
It does not mean that other women won’t be called liars or money-grubbing
opportunists when they seek justice. However, what this case does is give hope
and energy to survivors and activists who do the difficult and painful work of trying to
build a world where victims’ voices are valued instead of being written off.
The story has left its focus on Mr Crosby and turned its attention to the victims.
These women deserve to be noted for their courage in risking public ridicule to come
forward and speak about their experiences. Hopefully, more women who have survived
sexual assault will continue to come forward. The assaulters need a rude awakening
that their actions will have serious repercussions, no matter how rich and powerful they are.
These women deserve to be noted for their courage in risking public ridicule to come
forward and speak about their experiences. Hopefully, more women who have survived
sexual assault will continue to come forward. The assaulters need a rude awakening
that their actions will have serious repercussions, no matter how rich and powerful they are.
The King Speech that Never Happened
In early April, Huffington Post released an article about Bernice King’s sermon at the
Mason Temple Church of God in Christ in Memphis during the I AM 2018 event. Ms.
King told the crowd of her father’s would be next speech, which was titled “America
May Go to Hell.” She goes on to tell the crowd that today, America may still go to hell.
“We have not, in 50 years, dealt with, as daddy challenged us to deal with, the last
vestiges of racism,” she said. “We must repent because daddy challenged us to deal
with a second evil: poverty, which we have refused to confront in this nation.” My
mother actually went to law school with Bernice King at Emory University at noted
her as a well versed, educated woman who worked hard to overcome the stereotypes
she faced while in school. In the dog eat dog world of law school, Ms. King fought
hard to stay true to herself, and looking at the work she is doing today, it seems as
though she won that battle. During her speech, Ms. King challenged America to break
the vicious cycle of racism, poverty, and militarism. “We will get to the Promised Land,
but each one of us has to make an individual decision to repent of our ways, repent for
being drawn into the divisive discourse in this nation.”
As Ms. King so appropriately put it, America needs to wake up and face the facts. It has
been fifty years after the assassination of Martin Luther King and African Americans still
find themselves at a severe disadvantage in nearly all aspects of life. Many groups such
as the Black Lives Matter activists and the crusaders of the Me Too movement has
continued Dr. Kings movement, but more people need to come together to effectively
bring about change. At that same speech in Memphis just a couple of weeks ago, Martin
Luther King III instilled a sense of hope, saying that “we’ve come to far from where we
started. You see, nobody ever told us that our roads would be easy, but I know… our
God didn’t bring us this far to leave us.”
Mason Temple Church of God in Christ in Memphis during the I AM 2018 event. Ms.
King told the crowd of her father’s would be next speech, which was titled “America
May Go to Hell.” She goes on to tell the crowd that today, America may still go to hell.
“We have not, in 50 years, dealt with, as daddy challenged us to deal with, the last
vestiges of racism,” she said. “We must repent because daddy challenged us to deal
with a second evil: poverty, which we have refused to confront in this nation.” My
mother actually went to law school with Bernice King at Emory University at noted
her as a well versed, educated woman who worked hard to overcome the stereotypes
she faced while in school. In the dog eat dog world of law school, Ms. King fought
hard to stay true to herself, and looking at the work she is doing today, it seems as
though she won that battle. During her speech, Ms. King challenged America to break
the vicious cycle of racism, poverty, and militarism. “We will get to the Promised Land,
but each one of us has to make an individual decision to repent of our ways, repent for
being drawn into the divisive discourse in this nation.”
As Ms. King so appropriately put it, America needs to wake up and face the facts. It has
been fifty years after the assassination of Martin Luther King and African Americans still
find themselves at a severe disadvantage in nearly all aspects of life. Many groups such
as the Black Lives Matter activists and the crusaders of the Me Too movement has
continued Dr. Kings movement, but more people need to come together to effectively
bring about change. At that same speech in Memphis just a couple of weeks ago, Martin
Luther King III instilled a sense of hope, saying that “we’ve come to far from where we
started. You see, nobody ever told us that our roads would be easy, but I know… our
God didn’t bring us this far to leave us.”
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/martin-luther-king-jr-children-reveal-scathing-sermon_us_5ac4ae7de4b063ce2e578e84
Kendrick Lamar Won A Pulitzer Because "DAMN." Is Journalism
Huffington Post’s Julia Craven came out with an article a little over a week ago discussing
the news that Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize. The
Pulitzer Prize Board called Lamar’s album “DAMN.” a virtuosic song collection unified by
its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignette capturing
the complexity of African American life. The conceptual conflicts he dissects throughout
the album like pride vs. humility, love vs. lust, fear vs. trust, individuality vs. conformity, and
me vs. me. The article goes on to explain how the album (and just about all of Kendrick’s
songs) paints a true picture of black life. Craven writes that “DAMN.” chronicles the black
struggle in real time, “which makes listening to a Lamar album as satisfying as reading the
works of Ida B. Wells or James Baldwin. His music, like the best journalism, is rooted in the
moment and grounded in historical significance.” She also goes on to even claim that the
album deserves to have a spot in the history books because what Kendrick is creating is a
musical documentary of the reality that black people live in. Not only does Lamar give an
oral history of today’s society, but he “speaks from the prerogative of black communities
facing oppression and directly attacks the institutions responsible for their pain.” Many
artists today are using their voices to tell of the various injustices that are still prevalent in
our society today. Even lower tier hip hop artists, which have been called “mumble
rappers,” have begun to speak their minds on issues. For example, in 21 Savage’s latest
album, he says how “shit gettin' outrageous, Treat us like slaves then they lock us up in
cages, Young, black, poor, ain't had a father since a baby, Why you think we skip school
and hang out on the pavement? Why you think we ridin' 'round with choppers off safety?
Streets cutthroat, so I'm cutthroat, I used to sell dope, now I can't vote, Poppin' Percocets
to kill the pain, I can't cope, Anger in my genes, they used to hang us up with ropes, Civil
rights came so they flood the hood with coke, Breakin' down my people, tryna kill our faith
and hope, They killed Martin Luther King and all he did was spoke.” Artists have started
a revolution against all oppressors, using their platform to incite a culture of change. These
artists are creating their own version of oral history. As Craven adequately puts it, “if you
play any Lamar album 40 years from now, it will give you the pulse of black struggle, of
black life as it exists at this moment. Its rawness. Its unglamorous bits. Its hope. Its joy.”
I have listened to Kendrick Lamar since his early works such as “Section. 80” and “Good
Kid, M.A.A.D City” and it makes my day to see that he is getting the recognition that he
deserves. The more people that listen to the words of these artists, the more they will
understand the breath of the struggle. In turn, they will work to help combat the problems
they are listening to, and fight against the powers at be.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kendrick-lamar-pulitzer-damn-journalism_us_5ad66e49e4b03c426da92b81
the news that Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize. The
Pulitzer Prize Board called Lamar’s album “DAMN.” a virtuosic song collection unified by
its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignette capturing
the complexity of African American life. The conceptual conflicts he dissects throughout
the album like pride vs. humility, love vs. lust, fear vs. trust, individuality vs. conformity, and
me vs. me. The article goes on to explain how the album (and just about all of Kendrick’s
songs) paints a true picture of black life. Craven writes that “DAMN.” chronicles the black
struggle in real time, “which makes listening to a Lamar album as satisfying as reading the
works of Ida B. Wells or James Baldwin. His music, like the best journalism, is rooted in the
moment and grounded in historical significance.” She also goes on to even claim that the
album deserves to have a spot in the history books because what Kendrick is creating is a
musical documentary of the reality that black people live in. Not only does Lamar give an
oral history of today’s society, but he “speaks from the prerogative of black communities
facing oppression and directly attacks the institutions responsible for their pain.” Many
artists today are using their voices to tell of the various injustices that are still prevalent in
our society today. Even lower tier hip hop artists, which have been called “mumble
rappers,” have begun to speak their minds on issues. For example, in 21 Savage’s latest
album, he says how “shit gettin' outrageous, Treat us like slaves then they lock us up in
cages, Young, black, poor, ain't had a father since a baby, Why you think we skip school
and hang out on the pavement? Why you think we ridin' 'round with choppers off safety?
Streets cutthroat, so I'm cutthroat, I used to sell dope, now I can't vote, Poppin' Percocets
to kill the pain, I can't cope, Anger in my genes, they used to hang us up with ropes, Civil
rights came so they flood the hood with coke, Breakin' down my people, tryna kill our faith
and hope, They killed Martin Luther King and all he did was spoke.” Artists have started
a revolution against all oppressors, using their platform to incite a culture of change. These
artists are creating their own version of oral history. As Craven adequately puts it, “if you
play any Lamar album 40 years from now, it will give you the pulse of black struggle, of
black life as it exists at this moment. Its rawness. Its unglamorous bits. Its hope. Its joy.”
I have listened to Kendrick Lamar since his early works such as “Section. 80” and “Good
Kid, M.A.A.D City” and it makes my day to see that he is getting the recognition that he
deserves. The more people that listen to the words of these artists, the more they will
understand the breath of the struggle. In turn, they will work to help combat the problems
they are listening to, and fight against the powers at be.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kendrick-lamar-pulitzer-damn-journalism_us_5ad66e49e4b03c426da92b81
Let's Talk About Mental Health
Within the classroom, many behavioral issues are met
with disciplinary actions such as detention, ISS, OSS, and expulsion.
These disciplinary acts offer a base level solution to behavioral
misconduct at the cost of a child’s mental well being. Lack of knowledge and awareness combined with
a lack of funding has led to a system that does not offer students in Memphis,
as well as students at large, the best possible mental health resources that
would allow them to thrive in school.
Mental Health is
instrumental in ensuring that a student succeeds in the classroom, connects
with their peers, and connects with their community. Without understanding the
state of a student’s mental health, the teacher and the school system run the
risk of stunting the student’s educational growth. The stigma surrounding mental health must be
broken in order to allow for open dialogue between all parties involved in the
learning process.
In order to accomplish
the work of breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health, relationships
between the student, the teacher, the school system, the parents/guardians, and
the community must develop. It is the
role of the teacher, after receiving extensive mental health and bias training,
to work alongside student and guardian to understand the student in a holistic way.
Once an understanding of self occurs, the teacher can then craft lesson plans designed
around the student’s specific learning capabilities.
The school system and
local/state/national government should focus also on funding more counselors,
social workers, psychologists, and nurses for each school. Currently, there is 1 social worker to every
250 students, 1 counselor to every 500 students, 1 nurse to every 750 students,
and one psychologist to every 1,400 students. The amount of students assigned
to each professional means that students are not getting the individualized
attention that they need. Individualized
attention is crucial in assessing mental health for without it, the student
feels ignored and their exact needs will go unfulfilled.
By focusing on creating a
healthier environment to discuss and strategize ways to best accommodate the mental
health of each student, schools will give their students the tools they need in
order to thrive in their own education.
Racism as a Public Health Epidemic
This week’s project
presentations have me considering how we can change the way we view racism in
our culture. We have tried (however feebly) to combat blatant racism through
anti-discrimination laws, integration laws, court case after court case, but people of color still have not achieved equality. Several studies have indicated that the everyday effects of living in
a racially discriminatory society do not diminish overtime. There is no
desensitization period. People of color experience lasting health effects from the
chronic stress of everyday discrimination.
Chronic
stress is known to worsen existing medical conditions and put individuals at a
greater risk for developing mental health disorders and early onset forms of other
chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Many studies have shown that
African American patients are less likely to receive adequate medical care and access
to appropriate levels of pain medication than white patients. The disparities
of healthcare between races is wide-ranging and can be illustrated through various
examples, but one of the most troubling to me is the high mortality rate of
black mothers and infants in the U.S. “African American women are more likely to
lose a baby in the first year of life than women of any other race or ethnicity.”[1] This high mortality rate may
be related to lower access to health care, and higher levels of poverty among
African American populations in the U.S., but this cannot be seen as the
limiting factor for the health of black infants and mothers. These statistics
translate even to middle-class, well-educated black women and their pregnancies.
Discrimination causes higher corticosteroid levels in people of color. Chronic,
high levels of stress hormones have cascading effects in the body and in
pregnant women, the stress of discrimination increases the rate of premature births,
which increases risk of infant mortality.
For black mothers that are able to carry their babies
to term there are even more statistics that indicate their increased health
risks because of the discrimination: “black women are three times more likely
to die [in or after childbirth] than white women.” [2] Beyond implicit bias against
black women, recent mothers are frequently given inadequate after-care and
their complaints and symptoms are often ignored. This is unacceptable. The truth
of the matter is that regardless of race women are not taken seriously by doctors,
but black women face even more discrimination and are more frequently dismissed
by irresponsible health professionals. There are well documented, and
frightening, mortality trends in the U.S, but little is being done to change the
way hospitals and care-centers function. Considering the horrible health
impacts of racism and discrimination in the U.S., I wonder if change could
occur more quickly if federal authorities stopped viewing racism as an individual
or ideological issue and declared racism as public health epidemic, requiring
immediate action?
[1] “How Racism May Cause Black Mothers To
Suffer The Death Of Their Infants,” Morning Edition (NPR, December 20,
2017),
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/12/20/570777510/how-racism-may-cause-black-mothers-to-suffer-the-death-of-their-infants.
[2] Gene Demby, “Making The Case That
Discrimination Is Bad For Your Health,” NPR.org, January 14, 2018,
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/01/14/577664626/making-the-case-that-discrimination-is-bad-for-your-health.
Are culturally incompetent or unconscious teachers holding back their black students?
Cultural competency is defined as "having an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families". In schools, this plays a very important part in classroom environments and student-teacher interactions. While it effects many aspects of the classroom, behavior analysis is arguably one of the most important aspects.
Behavior analysis bleeds into many institutional prejudices within the school system. Students can be suspended or expelled on the grounds of reoccurring behavioral issues. Not only should behavioral issues be handled in an entirely different manner, as suspension or expulsion leads to a number of other problems rather than addressing the issue at hand, but miscommunication and misunderstanding between students and educators can easily be labeled as behavioral problems by the educator. This harmful mindset disrupts the already uneven power dynamic between students and educators since students labeled as "disruptive" are not taken seriously.
Implementations made to become culturally and racially inclusive mean little without steps taken to understand fully understand the cultural and community differences between students and people leading the classrooms. Aside from learning about how these important aspects effect school environments, implementations in the curriculum must be made to explicitly include People of Color since historically, their contributions are often left out of the narrative. It should be necessary for all educators to participate in learning about cultural competence and cultural consciousness. The lasting effects educators have on all students that come in and out of their class should not be undermined. School counselors, many of whom facilitate conversations on student-student conflicts, individual student problems, and act as a bridge between students and administration, also have a duty to to understand the importance of cultural competency. Policies should be implemented as it is an ethical responsibility of anyone within the educational system.
http://www.nea.org/home/39783.htm
Cultural competency is defined as "having an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families". In schools, this plays a very important part in classroom environments and student-teacher interactions. While it effects many aspects of the classroom, behavior analysis is arguably one of the most important aspects.
Behavior analysis bleeds into many institutional prejudices within the school system. Students can be suspended or expelled on the grounds of reoccurring behavioral issues. Not only should behavioral issues be handled in an entirely different manner, as suspension or expulsion leads to a number of other problems rather than addressing the issue at hand, but miscommunication and misunderstanding between students and educators can easily be labeled as behavioral problems by the educator. This harmful mindset disrupts the already uneven power dynamic between students and educators since students labeled as "disruptive" are not taken seriously.
Implementations made to become culturally and racially inclusive mean little without steps taken to understand fully understand the cultural and community differences between students and people leading the classrooms. Aside from learning about how these important aspects effect school environments, implementations in the curriculum must be made to explicitly include People of Color since historically, their contributions are often left out of the narrative. It should be necessary for all educators to participate in learning about cultural competence and cultural consciousness. The lasting effects educators have on all students that come in and out of their class should not be undermined. School counselors, many of whom facilitate conversations on student-student conflicts, individual student problems, and act as a bridge between students and administration, also have a duty to to understand the importance of cultural competency. Policies should be implemented as it is an ethical responsibility of anyone within the educational system.
http://www.nea.org/home/39783.htm
Listen to Sex Workers!
The FOSTA/SESTA act passed by the president in
mid-April actively harms the consensual sex work community. This act has made it illegal to use websites
such as Backpage, Craigslist, and Reddit in order to advertise sexual
services. The intention of this bill is
to curve the rates of sex trafficking, and does not take into consideration the
individuals participating in consensual sex work. By forcing sex workers to end their online
databases, sex workers no longer have a strong sense of autonomy over their own
work. Previously, they were able to run
background checks, contact their community of sex workers, and conduct in-depth
interview processes before agreeing to meet with a client. This process provided sex workers with a
sense of security that they no longer have.
Since
the passing of the bill, many sex workers have been forced to return to street
solicitation, putting them at risk for assault and kidnapping. Pressure to secure basic necessities has
forced many to agree to take on off the street clients who they only vaguely
trust, whereas previously they were able to establish their own authority.
Sex
workers have also noted the rising number of pimps who reach out to them now
they their own business ventures have been removed from the internet. Pimps are notorious for exploiting and
abusing the sex workers who work for them, but they can provide a steady client
base that street solicitation cannot. Stigma
around sex workers makes coming forward with cases of sexual assault on the job
difficult as their testimony may result in imprisonment. Essentially, the government has created a
toxic environment for the sex industry as a whole.
In
terms of sex trafficking, this bill has actually made it easier for traffickers
to target individuals. Street
solicitation and a new willingness to engage with unknown clients makes sex
workers more vulnerable to being kidnapped and forced into sex
trafficking. Essentially, this bill has
only provided a blanket solution to sex trafficking that does much more harm
than good.
No
studies were conducted in order to understand what the sex workers themselves
need or how they believe sex trafficking could be addressed, rather the bill
was created by individuals that continue to refuse to believe in the autonomy
and livelihood of a portion of the population.
Until people acknowledge the fact that the sex industry is a thriving
industry made up of consensual sex workers who deserve to have their basic
human rights honored then change will be hard to come by. Sex workers are urging for the sex industry
to be legalized so that they will finally have their rights and autonomy recognized
before the law, and it is time that their voices are heard.
Article on FOSTA/SESTA: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/pax5pv/sesta-wont-stop-sex-trafficking-but-it-will-kill-sex-workers?utm_campaign=sharebutton
Illuminating Hidden Narratives on Film
"The most disrespected woman in America is the black woman.
The most unprotected person in America is the black woman.
The most neglected person in America is the black woman."
-Malcolm X
Recently, I watched the film Pariah (2011), which sheds light on the experiences of a young black teenager who attempts to find her sexual freedom and identify her own place in her sexuality. Pariah largely challenges many of the original notions revolving around mainstream hegemonic tendencies as the main character, Alike (Adepero Oduye), battles with the conventions of heteronormativity as she navigates through high schools as a gay black woman by fixating her female gaze on other black women while attempting to perform as masculine. The director, Dee Rees, uses her filmmaking to portray the contentions of being queer and black through the lens of the black perspective in order to introduce this narrative into prominence. She illuminates the experiences of those who grapple with the intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality. The director’s portrayal of the black lesbian experience provides for an alternative to the accepted identity of mainstream culture as cis, straight, and white.
Further complicating the plot, Alike struggles with her sexuality in her home life as she attempts to liberate herself on this front, but faces a major pushback from her family. Throughout the film, she is constantly at odds with her mother, who continuously attempts to dress Alike in more feminine clothing for a more respectable image. Alike's family dynamic very much reinforces these gender stereotypes, because her parents' relationship falls into the conventions of the father being the head of the household while her mother is extremely subservient. At one point, it becomes clear that Alike's father cheated on her mother some time in the past, constraining this relationship. Rees very effectively weaves in many of the traditional challenges that black women face, highlighting the internal strife and dialogue that is much to be discussed.
Many attribute Pariah as the female Moonlight (2016), but these films are vastly different in their depictions of the gay black experience, because the black experience itself is not a monolith. Of course, Pariah never quite made it to the forefront of American mainstream culture like Moonlight, perhaps due to the subject matter with the main character being a female rather than a man.
NRA in Noir-face
Killer Mike’s endorsement of the 2nd
Amendment was used in response to the “March for our Lives” protestors by the
NRA. Consequently, Killer Mike was immediately embroiled in controversy for his
support for gun ownership. While the negative responses that he got seem warranted
given the context of Killer Mike’s remarks, many people have glossed over the
fact that Mike has always been a fierce proponent of the 2nd
amendment especially when it comes to gun rights for black Americans. Because
of his history with activism and organizing as well as his support for gun
ownership, Killer Mike was specifically chosen by the NRA in a rather stale
effort to advance their propaganda to black communities and respond to the
young people marching for gun control. The specific video is a part of a new
series by NRATV called NOIR and is hosted by another well-known black gun-rights
activist Collin Idehen Jr.
In
the era of identity politics, conservative platforms have always found a way to
capitalize on black faces to discredit opposing voices and make their causes
seem like universal truths. However, what makes this video even more jarring is
the very patronizing and mean-spirited address that Idehen Jr. gives to
protestors in the beginning. He accused them of “wanting to burn the
constitution” and “rewrite the parts that they like in crayon”. Again, there is
nothing new about conservative personalities slinging logical fallacies at
their opponents, but this instance is especially remarkable because it is
replete with hypocrisy. The constitution that Idehen Jr. vehemently
defends has been used time and time again as a tool to explicitly disenfranchise
people that look like him.
Idehen
Jr.’s hypocrisy trickles into the interview with Killer Mike as he claims
that he too is an ally of the victims of school shootings, however he just
disagrees on how to save their lives. Personally, this comment was icing on a
disgusting cake of faulty logic. Idehen Jr.’s has right to defend what
he believes, but I had trouble seeing how he could possibly believe that the
solution to solving mass shootings in the United States is to give more people
guns. It’s already been proven that fighting fire with fire doesn’t work
because when it became legal for civilians to access military grade assault
rifles, mass shootings have increased exponentially.
Surprisingly,
I did make it through the whole video and I was continually astounded by Idehen
Jr.’s blatant usage of loaded questions. While Killer Mike might have
planted the seeds for this caustic interaction to happen, as the video went on it
seemed even more apparent he was preyed upon and used by the NRA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXtpUE1b2NY
Where do you draw the line between protesting a system and enabling it?
Where do you draw the line between protesting a system and enabling it?
In the world we live in, it is impossible to survive without somehow enabling "the system" - the systematic oppressions and injustices of the modern world. Even living completely off the grid still "enables" the system, in that it allows the system to continue without active resistance.
Going vegetarian still enables exploitative factory farming of animal products. Going vegan still enables the exploitation of rainforests and other wildernesses from which we get many of our natural resources and consumer products.
Even people who dedicate their lives to fighting for racial and economic justice wear factory-made apparel from exploited, underdeveloped nations and patronize companies with shady business practices.
It is impossible to escape the economy of exploitation into which we were born. That does not mean, however, that we should stop trying to improve things. We are only individuals: we have to pick and choose what battles are worth fighting. One person cannot change everything, but they can dedicate themselves to changing something. On an international level, individuals are statistically insignificant. On a local level, they can be giants.
Try not to be discouraged by the scope of injustice in the world. Believe it or not, the world is better off today than it was 100 years ago, and 100 years ago savvy reformers felt just as overwhelmed by the world's problems as we do now. We might receive more exposure to negativity nowadays due to the Internet, but it has always existed. And it has always been weak in the face of determined protest by moral reformers.
Focus on Memphis, or on whatever community you currently live in. Look for the injustices occurring in your backyard, and start there. Find peers who share your enthusiasm for social reform. Understand that, while the modern world is inherently exploitative, there are small injustices everywhere that you are capable of fixing.
Focus on Memphis, or on whatever community you currently live in. Look for the injustices occurring in your backyard, and start there. Find peers who share your enthusiasm for social reform. Understand that, while the modern world is inherently exploitative, there are small injustices everywhere that you are capable of fixing.
Arm yourself with knowledge, confidence, and a sense of moral justice, and keep fighting to make the world, in the words of Rhodes College's former student body president, Thomas Mitchell, "better today than it was yesterday, and better tomorrow than it is today."
Aids
American capitalism has always been based on the free labor of blacks and minorities. What started as slavery has taken many forms through the evolution of this country. While taking on many forms at its core it is the suppression of a group of people for the benefit of another. In its current state slavery has taken the form of the prison system, specifically private for profit prisons. Though through a different narrative the prison system acts the same way slavery did.
These prisons take poor incarcerated people and sell their labor to corporations. Originating during the Reagan presidency and his war on drugs, mass incarceration swept the nation placing disproportionate minorities and black men in prison. These convicts were then used for labor purposes as a form of "re correction". The system and laws worked marvelously in protecting white citizens and punishing black, creating large prison sentences and more free labor. The system worked so well it formed stigmatization and bias have been created to keep a steady stream of male black bodies flowing into prison.
The system has become so effective in doing its job it has created racial bias and prejudice surrounding black bodies, as criminal and prone to violence. A majority of poor uneducated black man are given few opportunities and few outlets, leading to path of crime for livelihood. Once incarcerated they are given disproportionate sentences and used as a free labor force. After they leave jail they are even fewer rights and less opportunities for employment, leading back to poverty and crime. It's a perfect circle created by American capitalism and the American government to continue the act of slavery. A rift among the races are formed with both fearing and resenting the other, at times wishing the other would just disappear.
A product of this cycle of fear is the tension between police and black people. This prison system calls for the mass incarceration of black men, which requires a large police force that over polices the targeted groups. Police have always taken on the role of enforcers against blacks, going back to the earliest years of slavery, so it's not a surprise that they continue the work today.
If we are to change anything I suspect we must first go about changing the laws on drug related crime, and create laws that don’t disproportionately penalize one group. A narrative shift must be made to separate blackness and criminality, on top of providing opportunities before and after prison, so that they cycle can be broken.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)