Emmett Till anti-lynching act sparks conversation about change at PCC

Share: This past week marked the 67th anniversary of Emmett Till’s violent murder. On March 29th President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act classifying lynching as a Federal hate crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison.  The Emmett Till Anti-lynching act is a law that will give prosecuters the opportunity to prosecute a violent act that still takes place to this day. Lynching is usually symbolic of alerting people that they are not welcome in a specific area.  Dr. Fanon Che …

Milk sign must go: Racist relics have no place in Pasadena

Share: Some things aren’t worth saving, particularly relics of racism. Historical preservationists have worked long and hard to keep a bit of history alive in Los Angeles, which is commendable. Yet what is the purpose of saving something that is linked to individuals who aren’t worth remembering?  An old Adohr Milk sign was discovered in Pasadena on the new residence of Johnny Ray Zone’s restaurant “Howlin Rays.” When Zone took possession of the property, preservationists caught wind of the sign, which had been covered for …

Don’t let Texas whitewash its racist past

Share: Texas is flooded with bills from Republican lawmakers seeking to prevent teachers from teaching an honest and accurate account of the state’s racist past in its schools. One of the proposed bills, House Bill 3979, would prevent teachers from discussing current events with students. Restricting discussions about current events prevents students from understanding how history is relative to current and future events. The bills attempt to downplay its racist past by limiting discussion about how racism has shaped our society, especially politically. The bill …

PCC panel: Recent AAPI hate crimes are ugly, but not new

Share: As hate crimes towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander community have risen across America, PCC held a panel with guest speakers from the AAPI community to honor their history in America as well as provide a deeper understanding of racism and hate crimes. Held in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the event titled “Asian American Resistance: 150 Years and Counting” highlighted the struggles and perseverance of the AAPI community, specifically recounting the prejudiced past of Los Angeles. Follow:

‘Will I become a victim’: PCC international students fear living in the U.S.

Share: Around 7 p.m., as the last bit of sunlight disappears, darkness takes over the world. A girl checks out from work and starts heading down the street that takes her home. Though it is not a long walk, only 10 minutes, the darkness that hides the unknown still makes her walk a bit faster, and her heart pumps louder than usual. As she turns at a corner, she sees a man not wearing a mask walking very quickly in the distance towards her. Every …

Anti-Asian racism hits close to home for PCC faculty?

Share: On the floor of Market Street, San Francisco, she lightly touches her eyes, where the pain is coming from. When she tries to open her eyes, to see what happened, all she sees is darkness.  Her body is shivering with anger, Cantonese phrases mumbling from her mouth. Though she can’t see, she is still a fighter. She stands up, and with her unwounded eye, she rushes to the man in front of her. Bam! She punches him back in the face.  Follow:

Racism and rebuke: An email reveals ‘all lives matter’ faculty

Share: This story has been updated to include a statement from Marc Angelucci on his status as an honoree from the Southern Poverty Law Center. PCC found a moment of unity in the midst of troubling times when college leadership unanimously passed the resolution denouncing the killing of unarmed Black individuals, but responses to an internal email quickly drew outrage at two professors for their views, according to a partial thread obtained by the Courier. Follow:

Black students and staff call for PCC to take action

Share: Feeling overlooked and unsupported by PCC, living in fear and getting harassed by police are just some of the experiences Black students and staff shared on the “Our Black Lives Matter – Listening Forum” that occurred on Thursday, June 4. As each panel member shared and read a portion of the resolution presented to the Academic Senate for them to denounce the killings of Black people, things simultaneously grew very emotional and heated. Frustrated by the lack of action and Black student and staff …

10 ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement

Share: Injustice and racism has been a part of our country since 1619 when slavery began in the U.S.  and has not left since. Despite equal rights protests throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Black community still sees frequent violence against their community today. However, modern advancements such as phones and social media are opening the eyes of others.  It is our responsibility as citizens to use our voices and resources to help make a change. Idly standing by as the police unjustly murder Black …

Defending his honor vs. having a meltdown

Share: When Brett Kavanaugh yelled most of his opening statement it was called defending his honor, but when Serena Williams tried to defend her honor three weeks ago, people said she was throwing a tantrum, a meltdown, was hysterical, and losing her cool. That is the perfect textbook example of the double standard and white male privilege. There is nothing different about how they both reacted. They were both defending their honor and their character but the only thing that makes it different is their …