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PoC News in America

It’s been several weeks since the tragic murder of Michael Brown and in light of those events, it’s important to acknowledge how intersectionality of identities complicate the dominant news discourse and that yes, we should still be angry about the miscarriage of justice in Ferguson.

It is through the anger following and injustice of Mike Brown’s death (as well as the death of many black and brown people at the hands of the police) that we felt it necessary to create a space where those voices could be heard. We wanted to create a space to highlight the less known accomplishments of people of color in the U.S., while also creating a safe space to acknowledge the struggle of minorities.

Although it’s been several weeks since Ferguson, and the mainstream media is all but finished with their coverage (until the next time an innocent black man is murdered by the police), that doesn’t mean that the community, both of Ferguson, or of the larger community of people of color in the U.S., has recovered nor will recover any time soon.

Social media has been essential in providing on the ground reporting from Ferguson, especially in terms of calling for accountability of actions. You can stay apprised of the news in Ferguson by following Justice4MikeBrown on Tumblr. Round-ups for donations to campaigns, scholarships, supply drives and the like can be found on many sites, including here and here.

Speaking of police officers targeting and victimizing black people, an officer in Oklahoma has been charged with the rape and assault of six black women. Like Darren Wilson, Daniel Holtzclaw also had a GoFundMe page, which has thankfully been shut down.

Some teachers in Staten Island are protesting for their right to wear NYPD supporting t-shirts. This is notable because the UFT opposed this choice and advocated in support of Eric Garner following his death this summer, and because they are supporting the NYPD, which has a terrible history with men of color (specifically black men).

This is the same NYPD that, on July 19, arrested human rights lawyer Chaumtoli Huq while she was standing on a sidewalk waiting for her children and husband to come out of a bathroom. After reading her account of the incident, racism and sexism seemed to have fueled the incident. She filed a lawsuit Tuesday.

In celebrity news, Parks and Recreation’s darling, Retta, dealt with some minor internet criticism on Twitter following her Emmy’s tweets about “acting white” and explained herself to the type of people who believe that reverse racism is real.

You might have heard that some celebrities had some nude photos released to the internet without their consent. Lots of people had feelings about that. However, the quick internet defense of Jennifer Lawrence and the other young, white actresses who were among the first victims, and the silence regarding Jill Scott’s photo leaks speaks volumes of how we place value on certain women’s lives. (Hint: it has everything to do with whiteness and “desirability.”) Thankfully, Jill Scott is a boss, who handled it on her own.

Nicki Minaj continued to play with the ways in which women’s bodies are sexualized (or not) through her teaming up with Vogue to produce some hilariously awkward vines from New York Fashion Week.

If you find anything notable regarding race in America, whether it’s celebrity gossip, whitewashed Exodus casting defenses, or updates following major stories, feel free to comment below!

 

By Karishma

Karishma is a twenty-something living in New York City and is trying her hardest to live out every cliche about Millennials. This involves eating her feelings, drowning in debt and mocking infomercials. She likes sociology so much that she has two degrees in it, and is still warding off her parents' questions about a real career.

4 replies on “PoC News in America”

The fact Jill Scott had to defend HERSELF because no one was doing it for her just pisses me off. I did not see JLaw having to defend herself on social media: she had every “feminist” outlet, liberal pundit, and the FB-fucking-I on her side in less than 12 hours.

Also, I’m sure those teachers are in violation of their union contracts. If memory serves, we teachers are not allowed to wear political garb or make politically statements. I remember my principal telling me to remove my Gore ’00 button while on campus. My “Republicans for Voldemort” tee was even banned. Shame of them.

Totally. Jill Scott may be a boss who can defend herself, but it’s distressing that no one has her back. We, meaning white feminists in this case, need to show the fuck up for black women. How hard is it to throw in a paragraph in your privacy violations thinkpiece about Jill Scott and the context of the appropriation of black women’s bodies being considered socially acceptable and routine? Not very if you’re thinking about it.

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