Blame it on the Ambien: Our problems are bigger than Roseanne

Share: Beloved and acclaimed media company, Disney, has had its share of racially and ethnically problematic portrayals. Perhaps the most distinct manifestation can be seen in the 1941 film Dumbo. Jim Crow and his group of friends are black crows who don tattered clothing and speak with a long, southern drawl. To match the look, they are depicted as lazy, poor and uneducated, exhibiting stereotypical traits that have long plagued African Americans. Even through the doe-eyed animation, the racial stereotyping and its call to minstrelsy …

The birds, and the bees, and the stds

Share: Well, I am not buying it. I have reviewed my finances, weighed the options, and I am certain I cannot make the purchase. On May 7, 2018, the Los Angeles Times published a story titled, STDs in L.A. County are skyrocketing. Officials think racism and stigma may be to blame, and in the piece, Soumya Karlamangla expresses a great deal of concern for a serious issue afflicting an alarmingly high number of marginalized and underrepresented citizens. However, in the process of this noble pursuit, …

Thanksgiving dismisses persistent culture of white violence

Share: White people in America have convinced themselves that overt racism is the only kind that affects people of color. They’ve taught themselves to dismiss the culture of white supremacy that exists below the surface of racial slurs and Nazi chants. Their version of history depicts the violence of their ancestors as heroic and righteous, with monikers like “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” In 1972 when Angela Davis was interviewed while she was in prison, she was asked if she thought that violence …

L’Oreal: Because you’re worth it (if you’re white)

Share: We as a society have been through the abolition of slavery, the Industrial Revolution, the Women’s Rights, Civil Rights, LGBT movements and two massive World Wars that have changed the narrative of our world. Yet, as a country where we pride ourselves on our equality, democracy and human rights, we still have a major social issue with systemic racism and the media has had a big hand in perpetuating that. Follow:

13th: From slave to criminal with one amendment

Share: Cries of shock and gasps of disbelief echoed off the walls from students who watched stock footage of a black man being pushed, kicked and beaten by a mob of white men. The voice-over of current president Donald Trump from his campaign rallies intermingled with the footage stating, “Knock the crap out of ‘em would ya? In the good old days this doesn’t happen because they used to treat them very very rough and when they protested once, you know they would not do …