PoC News in America

Let’s start the week with what everyone is talking about: Viola Davis and How to Get Away With Murder.

Did you see the show? No? Apparently 14 million people did, proving that Shonda Rhimes really is an unstoppable force when it comes to creating powerful black women leads for Network TV.

Viola Davis is also moving beyond that terrible New York Times article and has a lot of amazing actresses following suit in solidarity. Don’t worry though, because People Magazine was here to rain on everyone’s parade with messy tweets during the broadcast.

Feminist icons bell hooks and Gloria Anzaldúa both had birthdays this past week. Anzaldúa is still one of the most important voices in Chicana, feminist and queer theories, even 10 years after her passing. bell hooks is still provocative and culturally relevant, even calling out issues of power and agency in Beyoncé’s new feminism.

Happy birthday, Gloria. #GloriaAnzaldua #Birthday #Latina #Borderlands cc: @Colorlines http://t.co/JNrWcpKzrG pic.twitter.com/ZiYNP0UkX6

— Latinos for Planned Parenthood (@Latinos4PP) September 26, 2014

As part of his community service for a 2013 incident with paparazzi, Kanye West is teaching a fashion course.

Overall, fashion continues to be problematic as hell, announcing that cornrows are now edgy street chic as young white Hollywood is into it.

Comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (aka Key and Peele) are currently in talks to make a full-length film based on their Substitute Teacher sketches. This is perfect because I could watch them do this for HOURS.

As a big film nerd, I really enjoyed this article over at Flavorwire on black film history through poster art.

Idris Elba is set to release an album inspired by his experience playing Nelson Mandela.

In other music news, FKA Twigs, who is currently dating teen heartthrob Edward Cullen Robert Pattinson is speaking out against the racism she’s dealt with from “fans.”

I am genuinely shocked and disgusted at the amount of racism that has been infecting my account the past week.

— FKA twigs (@FKAtwigs) September 28, 2014

Racism is unacceptable in the real world and it's unacceptable online.

— FKA twigs (@FKAtwigs) September 28, 2014

Karen O (who continues to be my secret style icon) and Julian Casablancas interviewed each other for Time Out New York and talk music, the role of frontman/woman, and NYC.

Turning to more serious US news, a grand jury has decided that no charges will be brought against the police officers that were responsible for the fatal shooting of John Crawford III on August 5, 2014.

A  South Carolina trooper was fired, arrested and charged after stopping and shooting a man for a seat belt violation. I’ll let you guess the victim’s race. The video has surfaced, but I can’t bring myself to watch it all. You can find it for yourself at the link.

Related to police violence, protests in Ferguson are still going strong, and Washington University libraries are now attempting to document these protests. You can participate in documenting history and making sure that these courageous acts are not forgotten by clicking here.

A story from the Washington Post details how the deep south has become an epicenter for HIV/AIDS.

The original face of AIDS was that of a middle-class, often white, gay man living in New York or San Francisco. That picture has changed over time as people of color have become disproportionately affected by the epidemic. Today, the face of AIDS is black or Latino, poor, often rural — and Southern.

Sadly, without adequate state funding, proper education, and proper resources, these communities will continue to be affected.

White high school dropouts have more wealth than black and hispanic college graduates based on information released by the Federal Reserve Bureau’s 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances.

Last week, we brought you news of The Daily Show clip where Native activists confront  Redsk*ns fans that upset the latter’s delicate sensiblities. This week, we have the clip in question, post “controversy.”

Even though they won points for their great coverage of the NFL controversies, The Daily Show has been accused of calling One Direction member Zayn Malik a terrorist, which may seem like an overreaction to an innocuous joke (at the expense of teenage girls) until you remember how young Middle Eastern/South Asian men are portrayed in the media, and it becomes less funny.

Early this week, Muslims on Twitter used the hashtag #MuslimApologies to debunk many of these stereotypes in often hilarious observations

https://twitter.com/epicloser/status/514655359768612864

As a Muslim I apologies for the World War One & World War Two even it has nothing to do with the Muslims but just in case. #MuslimApologies

— الكيلاني مليونة (@elkilanimaliuna) September 23, 2014

I apologise for the Twilight Saga #MuslimApologies

— hopeful goblin (@boycotthumans) September 23, 2014

Navratri is happening now for Hindus (who are more observant than me) around the world. You can read about how some Hindus experience the nine-day long celebration.

And in new role model news, Charlo Greene, who quit during her broadcast after years of advocacy for legalization of marijuana, gave an interview with HuffPostLive, where she smoked a joint on air.

That’s all we have for this week. As always, feel free to discuss and add more news in the comments!