ID, Please!

The Memphis Flyer's latest cover story focuses on new requirements for voters. Beginning on January 1, 2012, all voters will be required present a government-issued photo ID at the voting booth. Last month, Mississippi also passed a new constitutional amendment that requires government-issued photo IDs to be presented by all voters.

To many this may seem rather trivial. In fact, many friends that I have discussed it with have replied, "What's the big deal?" The Flyer's story highlights some of the key points. I grew up in Mississippi and have worked at the voting booths both during the 2008 General Election and local elections last August. The first time I worked there I was shocked to see that so many of the voters were elderly blacks. The fact that most of the voters were black should not be surprising. My home county is 70% black. Furthermore, in 1990 it was the second poorest county in the country in terms of percentage living under the poverty line. A large gap existed between wealthy white farmers and the black majority. In fact, for a time in the 1980s it was referred to as "America's Ethiopia." Things have improved significantly with the growth of the casino economy but the Mississippi Delta still remains an area with high levels of poverty. The highest levels are among black citizens - who make up the vast majority of the Delta's population. This is similar to Memphis.

My point is that, particularly in this part of the country, the demographics are characterized by high percentages of blacks, who therefore make up a large part of the electorate. Furthermore, the highest percentages of those who live in poverty are blacks.

The connection between poverty and obtaining government-issued photo IDs is simple. In order to obtain a government-issued photo ID, one has to go to a driver's license office. Driver's license offices are often quite a distance away. For example, the nearest office to my hometown is 1 hour south of town in Clarksdale, MS. For those who don't have transportation it's ridiculous to expect them to somehow make this trip. For those who work it's even harder. Our country already has woefully low voter turnout. Why pass these requirements? There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud anywhere in America, at all. It only disenfranchises poor voters, who more often than not are going to vote for the Democratic candidate. In TN, the new voter requirements were passed by a state legislature that is overwhelmingly Republican. This seems like an extension, albeit to a weaker degree, of disenfranchisement efforts during Jim Crow. After all, in some sense this is a poll tax. This IDs cost money to obtain. If government-issued photo IDs are going to be a requirement then citizens should be able to obtain these IDs at their voter registration locations.

Rhodes Greek Life

Roughly 50 percent of Rhodes students, myself included, participate in Greek Life. One of the first things I noticed upon going through rush freshman year was the predominantly white male Greek population. Soon after I began pledging and getting to know the men who would eventually become my fraternity brothers I learned that one of the senior brothers in the house was in fact the first African Americans to ever join the house. In almost a century of existence, the presence of racial diversity remained absent. While I obviously cannot speak for other participants in the Rhodes Greek system, I am still amazed by the racially homogenous nature of our school’s fraternity houses. I have talked to that particular brother on this subject, and he did indeed identify an underlying racial tension that the idea of Greek life as a whole creates. He explained to me that the idea of becoming part of an institution that was founded in the era of slavery made things difficult. I specifically recall a piece of our dialogue in which he referred to fraternities as a white institution. These immediately prompted me to ask, “then why did you join?” The succinct nature of his response and relaxed tone fit perfectly with his words. “Because I can,” he said.

While his response made perfect sense to me at the time, it has only lead me to further question the white-dominated nature of Greek life at this school. In a comment on a separate post a student proposed the idea of equal consideration of all races in Greek life, but in my time here, I have not witnessed or even heard of any events that would lead me to believe that that isn’t already the case. That being said, I am one member of one house, so my perspective is a bit limited here. The absence of an explanation for this situation reminded me of Beverly Tatum’s book, Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race. Her explanation of the question presented in the title, that this stage of life is often when blacks come to establish their racial identity, provided some sense of closure, but I’m not sure it answers everything. Why is the population of the Greek system at Rhodes so incredibly racially homogenous? Does, as my friend explained to me, the roots of these institutions play a role, or does Tatum’s explanation provide everything we need here?

Duality in "The Help"

The Face the Nation special that featured Rice also showed a well-known author of the bestselling novel The Help, Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, MS and wrote about the odd relationship that white Southern children have with their black housekeepers. Stockett mentions the bonds that are created between the children and their nanny, but how in time they are slowly weakened due to the kids eventually developing the same belief system as their parents and the rest of Southern society. When we read Diane Nash’s essay “Inside the Sit-Ins”, one part in particular stuck out due to the connection I immediately drew with Nash’s words and the story line of The Help. Nash describes her first encounters with the Jim Crow laws and how complying with these guidelines and restrictions she felt a tremendous psychological impact being placed upon her. She continues by adding that it is the restrictions that extend into all aspects of southern African-American’s life that causes the biggest impact; when they fail to comply to these restrictions, violent actions are threatened to their family. In my opinion, Nash inadvertently critiques black Southerners when saying that each time that they use one of these segregated facilities that they are in fact testifying to their own inferiority and they are only creating a dueling self-concept within themselves. The idea of double identity is clearly portrayed within Stockett’s novel; you see Minny and Abilene, the two main black figures within the novel, depicted as one person at the home where they work at and at their own home with their own children.

The relationships depicted in The Help are not uncommon from true stories, I know that at one point in the book my mom had to stop because she felt that it hit too close to home. My mom was born in Mississippi and when her family moved to Texas my grandmother and father started working every day. This left my mom being raised by her housekeeper; she helped her with her homework, made her meals, and taught her everything that most moms would teach their daughters. In the book, Stockett portrays this relationship in the most accurate light. These nannies taught the children of the families they worked for everything thing they taught their own children, in hopes that this would delay some of the beliefs and habits assumed by Southern white society. These maids saw the truest aspect to these white families of privilege; they validated their previous beliefs that these families are no different than the families within the black communities. However, the one major difference pointed out was the role of the parents, these nannies were the only support or attention some of these children were receiving. It was the words that Abilene spoke to Mae Mobley, the girl she took care of, every morning and every night: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”. It was these words that were repeated to her family, friends, and even to herself in times of vulnerability when apart of the white community. In my opinion, when the maids wrote a novel compiling all their stories, whether good or bad, it was a variation of a non-violent protest. Depicting the actions and behaviors of these white families that trust them enough to take care of their children, but they do not even treat them as human beings. You saw the struggle of these women who had to be a mother to two families, nurturing both equally and everyday facing the adversities that the Jim Crow south brought upon them. They had to have dual self-identities in order to survive and they developed a tough skin through their self-appreciation which allowed them to function within white society without faltering.

The stories of these women being told within today’s generation allows for younger American’s to get a glimpse into a society that they did not experience or could not quite understand. Stockett’s characters allowed for the public to identify with the story line; whether someone was from the South or not they received the message that we are all people and there is not a whole lot that actually separates us. What I found most interesting was the dual identities within white society as well. The ability for these families to completely trust these women with everything and at the same time not even allowing them to use the inside bathroom was shocking. Many of these adults were one person inside their home and another person when in society and they felt the need to portray an image that went with Southern society. The reaction that this movie and book has gotten within our society today makes me think that as a whole our society thought we have came a long way; but after reading and hearing these stories they did not realize to the extent of the problem. In my opinion, many people regardless of race use the dual-self concept mechanism to help them survive adverse conditions they face within society. While they are submitting to inferiority according to the society, to themselves they show no insecurities of who they are or where they come from.

What’s wrong with BLACK Girls? Do you believe the STERERO-TYPES?

Though I grew up in what you guys have learned as “the hood” or “the ghetto,” I have never allowed it to limit any aspect of my life if I had any control over the matter. Throughout my life, I have dated mainly black boys/men, but I was never scared to venture out and date other ethnicities. So, when I became a student at Rhodes, my main motive was not to date a “white-boy” because my education was first at-hand, but I just wanted to become better acquainted with some. But to my surprise, the white guys at Rhodes really didn’t acknowledge my presence let along look at me, but it was totally different with a white female. So, I knew they were attracted to girls, but I guess something was wrong with BLACK girls like me. Though I was disappointed, I was more intrigued to why they acted this way. It was if they feared trying something different, or just simply didn’t like how black girls looked. So, I took it upon myself to ask a few white guys how they felt about black girls, and they all responded in a very similar fashion. Some thought we were “crazy,” some believed that our brothers/family would harm them, and some even felt intimated by our “blackness.” These truly amazed me because it validated the fact that they believed the stereotypes of black women, and how we are portrayed in the media, etc. I couldn’t completely blame them for their beliefs because maybe that’s how they were raised or they were never given the opportunity to get to know a “black girl” on that level. Who knows? I became angry at the fact that even after some of them had been surrounded by black girls as fellow students, they still ignored our beauty, feminism, and the fact that we were women as well. I hate that some men feel this way about black women because though there are some who embody such stereotypes, there still are many black women who are extraordinary. In addition, I have been exposed to stereotypes about white men such as “they are corny and lame,” “they can’t dress and have no swag,” and “they are “shaky.” I never let those beliefs interfere with me becoming acquainted and learning the true essence of a white male because I think ignorance is the greatest self-destruction. Though I have yet to date a white guy, I am glad I took the initiative to ask them “Hey, what’s wrong with a black girl?”

Self-Segregation & the Cult of Victimology

We have examined the two categories of views that emerged during the Civil Rights movement. On one hand, there were the order theorists, the most well-known of whom is Martin Luther King Jr. We know that order theorists believe in a common value system among Americans. The injustice of racial discrimination is not embedded in American institutions, but rather the root of all-evil can be found in the practice of segregation. For order theorists, the solution to racial inequality is relatively simple: discontinue racial segregation. Conflict theorists, on the other hand, feel that there is a deep-seated corruption within the institutions. These theorists, such as Malcolm X, feel there is a need to completely re-structure the nature of America’s institutions. Both of these views indicate external factors of responsibility for racial inequality in America. Clearly segregation was not the only issue, for racial tension remains in the Post-Civil Rights era. Lawrence Bobo and Camille Charles discuss the persistently alarming rates of housing segregation, job discrimination, and political discrimination the article “Race in the American Mind”. So does this mean that the conflict theorists are correct? It’s hard to tell. Not only do tensions exist externally, but also there is still a great deal of internal hostility. Considering racial attitudes in America, Bobo and Charles shed light on the negative views on the other race held by both African Americans and white Americans.

John McWhorter introduced an interesting idea in his article “Losing the Race.” He discusses what he calls the cult of victimology, which he claims is the fostering and nurturing of an unfocused brand of resentment and sense of alienation from the mainstream. Under the cult of victomology, African Americans “treat victimhood not as a problem to be solved but as an identity to be nurtured.” I think this internal perpetuation can be seen in many individual instances of self-defense. For instance, people can explain a bad grade by claiming a teacher dislikes them. Or someone suffering from depression will pity himself or herself because they think everyone’s against them. But is it possible for an entire race to play the victim? Do you think this is a self-defense mechanism? Or is it possible that many African Americans don’t always feel the desire to integrate with other races?

I definitely saw instances of resistance and resentment in my middle school and high school. But this came from all directions—it was as if there were racial cliques. What are some of your experiences with self-segregation?

Like Toy Soldiers: A Rapper's Critique of the Hip-Hop Community

A previous blog post discussed Eminem’s role within the hip-hop industry and how a white male became one of the most influential artists in music today. In the beginning of his career he portrayed the image of the dominant male both sexually and psychically, but it has been his most recent albums that we have seen a shift within his lyrics and context. As we saw in Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, his protégé 50 Cent, called out Ja Rule for not being ‘hip-hop’. It was this confrontation that led me to Eminem and his music and one of his songs in particular, “Like Toy Soldiers”. When this song was released in 2005, it laid in the wake of the aftermath of the long heated battles of Dr.Dre vs. Suge Knight and 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule. Eminem mentions both fueds within his lyrics, portraying these disagreements as something that should never have happened.

The lyrics of the song depict an industry and environment that is a mirror image of the problems mentioned within Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. The song begins with a sample taken from the 1989’s song “Toy Soldiers” and the title theme of the 1972 film The Hot Rock. I find the film selection interesting because this 1972 film depicted the lives of men running away from the police all in attempt to steal a gem from a museum. One of these men had just been released back from jail when he began his newest criminal adventure. This continuous life of crime and violence has been repeatedly been seen and heard throughout the lyrics and videos of hip-hop artists since the late 1980s. Eminem stands up to this violence and places himself in a vulnerable position that would constitute him to not be a man by definitions set by hip-hop standards. The first lines of the first verse read as follow:

I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure

Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders

I ain't never supposed to show it, my crew ain't supposed to know it

Even if it means goin' toe to toe with a Benzino it don't matter

I'd never drag them in battles that I can handle unless I absolutely have to

I'm supposed to set an example

I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em

Eminem is acknowledging the fact that he is a leader not only to his friends, but to his fans and followers as well. He also, in my opinion, states what every male hip-hop artist, black male, or any male in general believes in the stereotypical role of a man. That a ‘true man’ does not show his emotions to anyone only showing his strength, even to the people closest to him. The last line of the excerpt leads into Eminem speaking about 50 Cent and Ja Rule’s public battle; stating that he tried to stop it and that it has gone to levels that it should never have reached. He makes inferences about the role of loyalty within the gansta hip-hop community at the onset of an altercation. He states that he has never once mentioned the rappers who had crossed Dre and how he never would because that is a situation he has no part in.

And I'm so caught in it I almost feel I'm the one who caused it

This ain't what I'm in hip-hop for, it's not why I got in it

That was never my object for someone to get killed

Why would I wanna destroy something I help build

It wasn't my intentions, my intentions was good

I went through my whole career without ever mentionin' Suge

And that was just out of respect for not runnin' my mouth

And talkin' about something that I knew nothing about

Plus Dre told me stay out, this just wasn't my beef

I found this song very interesting due to the complete honesty within the lyrics regarding him and the hip-hop community he identifies himself with. He calls out the issues that spark tragedy and violence within the music and questions if these feuds are even necessary. As I researched this song I found that they classified it as conscious hip-hop due, to its message that strays away from the traditional messages found in most of today’s top hip-hop songs. With that idea in mind I wanted to see where this ranked against other hip-hop songs of 2005 within America as well as Europe. It was interesting to see that within Europe “Like Toy Soldiers” peaked at #1, while America’s charts showed a completely different evaluation and #34 was the highest position the song obtained. Could Eminem’s critique of hip-hop be receiving a backlash of support from the hip-hop fans and community? “Disco Inferno” and “Candy Shop” songs whose videos were reportedly almost pornographic by some journalists topped “Like Toy Soldiers” on American charts. When comparing the societies of Europe and the US, I couldn’t help but wonder if the violence depicted in the media and American’s social acceptance of this hip-hop community had anything to do with the support of this song. Did Americans and the American gangsta hip-hop community not want to hear this protest against the previously accepted norms?

"Race Blind"

When watching the interview on CBS with Condoleezza Rice, I started thinking about what it might mean to be “race blind,” and the idea of race as a whole and how it fits in to societies, not just here in the United States. When Rice states that America will never be “race blind,” she’s absolutely right – but being “race blind” isn’t just about the differences between whites and blacks. There is a fine line between compensating for the prejudices that exist or the discrimination that has already occurred and in fact OVER-compensating, but how far does the guilt (for slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, discrimination, etc) play into the dynamics of society today? For example, my parents might not feel personally guilty for the mistreatment or discrimination of African Americans during the time they were growing up, but on a number of occasions they have expressed regret and shame over how their parents reacted to the civil rights movement. (My mom grew up in a suburban Nashville community and my dad grew up partially in rural Arkansas and partially in an area outside of Nashville. Both sets of grandparents were especially racist toward African American individuals and families in both their urban and rural communities, respectively).

Another question I found myself asking – do we really want to be “race blind”? Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want a company to (just as an example) choose one man over another to fill an employee position simply because one of them is black or Hispanic or Asian and the one they choose is white. I don’t want to be given advantages or priority over someone else simply because I’m white and they might not be. Basically, race shouldn’t be a cause for prejudice or discrimination, and I think this is what Rice was talking about when she used the term “race blind.” But I also don’t think we need to be blind to race as a whole – race is something that sets us apart from one another, but it also gives us cause and reason to celebrate our differences culturally, historically, etc. Our society should focus on seeing differences other than race (cultural, social, historical, and the like), but also recognize that race plays into all of those categories (and all the ones I couldn’t think of off the top of my head) and that we should celebrate them as well.

Just in case, here is the link that Professor McKinney sent via email, with the video and the news article included: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3460_162-57330615/condi-rice-u.s-will-never-be-race-blind/

If the 1950's are Truly Gone, Why Isn't Progress Up on the Screen?

Miss Representation breached a topic in my mind that I haven’t, until now, been able to discuss. I've always found the feminine role in American mass media to be horribly under representative of our society. A few weeks ago, a professor introduced me to an interesting "test" first shown in a comic published by Alison Bechdel. The "Bechdel Test," as it has come to be known in the cinematic world, requires three criterion for a film to pass-- 1.) The film must have at least two women in it. 2.) Women must talk to each other in the film. 3.) Their conversation must be about something other than a man. The number of films that fail to pass the test is shocking (The Social Network, The original Star Wars Trilogy, The entire Lord of the Rings series, just to name a few). It isn't even the fact that so many movies fail to pass this test that shocks me, but more so that fact I didn't even notice it. American media's representation as the female character's status being little more than the object of the male's desire has come to exists as the status quo. This incredible under representation of strong female characters who desire more than just male affection presents a massive problem. Children come to emulate those who they idolize, and cinematic characters often fill those roles.

An earlier post mentioned the increasing percentage of women with psychological problems as a result of their self-image. As they said, this is largely a result of the unobtainable standard in which the feminine form is presented in mass media. Take a moment and try to think of film that presents an objectively physically unattractive woman obtaining the affection of an objectively physically attractive male. Off the top of my head, I can’t. I have no problem, however, coming up with a film in which the schlubby guy gets the girl in the end. Yes, the answer is anything with Seth Rogen. This contrast highlights the objectification of women in mass media by showing society’s approval of a woman judging a man for more than his appearance. However, it also highlights the disapproval of dominant, intelligent, powerful female figures being portrayed for the masses to see. Does male society see these characters as a slight to its masculinity? If the traditional gender roles of the 1950’s are gone and society claims to view men and women on the same plane, why aren’t they presented in such a manner in mass media?

Overemphasizing Race

A very prevalent issue in America’s recent past and today is the tension that exists in the post-civil rights era about how far we have really come in terms of equality and racism. Racism is still an extremely prevalent problem today and should be addressed as such. But at the same time one could argue that calling attention to this issue can, if not done in the right way, be detrimental to the cause of equality simply by calling attention to it. In Obama’s speech that we watched in class, he talked about how the press may be overemphasizing racial division. Is scrutinizing the role of race part of the problem?

It is undeniable that there are still racial issues in the United States. There are a lot of people who have somehow managed to retain a racist ideology even amidst all the strides that have been taken (but hey, there are also people who think the holocaust didn’t happen). However, the way that these racial issues are navigated is just as important as addressing the issues themselves. I thought the reading by John McWhorter was very fitting for this topic. He talked about African-American self-sabotaging and how to avoid perpetuating inequality. Racial issues always need to be addressed tactfully, to avoid presenting the wrong idea, overgeneralzing, and creating conflict. McWhorter talks about the perpetuation of victimology of African-Americans, separatism, and anti-intellectualism.

The hypersensitization to racial issues definitely a problem in itself. If racial issues are not overemphasized is will downplay their importance. I saw an interesting episode of South Park relating to this idea. While South Park is neither accurate nor politically correct, I thought one point that they made was worth thinking about. In the episode, the historical flag of the town of South Park was a depiction of a black man being hanged, amidst a small crowd of white men. Chef (a black man) was crusading to have the flag changed because of how obviously racist it was. He was met by opposition from people in the town who wanted to preserve the historical integrity of the flag. They decided to leave it up to the debate of the 4^th grade class to decide whether or not to change the flag. The group of children who were arguing in their debate not to change the flag said that it shouldn’t be changed because it was historical and people have always killed people. After which, everyone realizes that the children arguing for that side of the debate didn’t realize the flag was racist. They hadn’t noticed the color of the men on the flag’s skin, and didn’t understand why it made a difference. Although South Park may not be the most credible academic source, I still think the message is worth considering. If race is not closely analyzed as a problem, it may become less of one.

Music: How it unites us and divides us all at the same time

Music is one of the rare things in life that can unite people of all shapes and sizes. Present in nearly all societies, music has been an integral part in improving race relations throughout history. Many societies have used song and sound as a way to rejoice, mourn, and even to extend friendship to another people who may not be able to communicate effectively through words. Music is truly a universal language. Throughout the evolution of music in the U.S., there have been artists who have transcended not only the music industry but also the social landscape of the country. Singers like Diana Ross and Lionel Richie garnered such public adoration for their music, which in a way caused historically black music to come together as American music. People of all shapes and sizes liked these singers, which lessened the polarization of the music genre as a whole. There was not just music for black people and music for white people. R&B started to unite us. With the immense current popularity of hip-hop, I believe the same kind of evolution can happen now.

The large following of hip-hop makes it a perfect catalyst for social change. There are little things that can compete with the amount of public attention hip-hop receives (I would have to say sports has a legitimate claim to the most attention in our society). The common ground we share when listening to the same songs and artists can unite us. In a way, it just points out simple commonalities of which all of us can be apart. It is through these artists that we, the listeners, can feel more connected with other listeners as we both share the appreciation of a specific type of music. In order to gain a better understanding of people around you, you must first be able to see into the lives of others. And I think hip-hop allows many people to see not only into the lives of the people rapping the songs, but also into the people that have experiences similar situations. Yet at the same time that much positive can come from hip-hop, I think we must be very weary on the affects lyrics can have. I see a potential divide among listeners who have actually have endured violence and gangs and those who have not. The lyrics can accentuate differences between the rich boy who listens to hip-hop and attempts to act thug, and guys who grew up encountering the situations that are so often described in rap songs. I don’t think that rich guy truly understands what the lyrics can mean to people. They are not always just witty, comedic rhymes to everyone. When some people ignore this fact, it shines light on the differences that still remain in our society.

Unseen Privileges

In her article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Peggy McIntosh discusses the way in which racism was taught in her school. She states

“As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage”.

After reading that, I realized that is the way racism was taught in my school as well. Teachers never discussed the consequences racism had for white citizens because, for the most part, those consequences were positive. McIntosh goes on to write about the dominance white privilege still has in today’s society, and after reading her list, I was surprised at how many aspects I could apply to my own life.

I was most surprised to find out that number twenty-five on the list was so easily applicabe. It reads, “if a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.” Over the summer, I was pulled over for speeding. While I did receive a pretty hefty fine, the police officer neglected to ask me for my license and registration. I was the one who thought to hand him my license, but to this day, that police officer does not know if my car was insured or not. He was under the assumption that because I am a white teenaged girl, my car must have been insured and all of my paperwork must have been up to date. At the time, I did not think anything of it, but looking back I find it strange that as an officer of the law he would make those assumptions and not ask me for all of the information that he needed.

There is one more number on the list, number forty-six, that I want to address: I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin. Even though it sounds trivial, it is true. When you go to a drug store to get “flesh” toned band aides, or “nude” make up, the color always matches light skin. There is no alternate “nude” choice for people of other races. It is a subtle way of perpetuating white dominance in today’s society, and many people don’t even realize it is happening.

White privilege is still a very real occurrence. Here is a link to the article http://nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf I strongly encourage you to read it. Which parts of the list do you find the most surprising or applicable, and what are your thoughts of the white privilege that still dominates our society?

Bubble It In

I am quite torn on the issue of affirmative action. I find myself agreeing with the arguments on both sides of the issue. I believe in the equality that affirmative action policies are trying to create however I am not sure it is the most effective solution to pursue, nor do I believe that it should be the only solution that is supported by the government. As we have discussed all semester, the situation we find ourselves in today is in all ways a product of the historical development of this country. There is plenty of research that shows that students who are supported by a generation or generations of college educated adults are more likely to pursue a college education. Additionally, individuals with a college education are more likely to be employed and or ‘earn’ a higher salary than individuals who do not possess this distinction. Lastly, at this point in time, it is quite clear to me that the “American Dream” is a myth. Hard work, while it is a very valuable skill and certainly can assist one in upward mobility, cannot make up for all other shortfalls or lack of opportunity an individual might be faced with overcoming. To reach a place where all children in the United States have equal privilege and opportunity to obtain a college degree, among other things, we must be doing more than just focusing on the admission rates into institutions of higher learning.

When it comes to Affirmative Action, I understand the need for our society to overcome admission and hiring biases that are the result of a legacy of violence against and oppression of minorities. I do wonder however how minorities, specifically African Americans feel about this policy. Are they in support of it or do they perceive increased racial tension or a doubting of their abilities within school or the workplace?

In thinking about the Affirmative Action policies in the United States I began to wonder how other countries navigate these waters. I did a little digging and found a lot of valuable information about similar Affirmative Action policies within other countries. Below I share a few quick summaries with you.

Canada: The Canadian Employment Equity Act states that employers in federally-regulated industries have to give preferential treatment to four designated groups: Women, people with disabilities, aboriginal people, and visible minorities. For example, in most Canadian Universities, people of Aboriginal background normally have lower entrance requirements and are eligible to receive exclusive scholarships.

Japan: In Japan, it is illegal to include sex, ethnicity, or other social background in criteria of the entrance exam used for admission to universities and all government positions.

You Can't Be What You Can't See

We have spent a great deal of this semester discussing the representation of African American individuals. From mestral plays, to slaves at auction, to individuals in non-violent protests during the Civil Rights movement, to more modern day representations in hip hop and pop culture (just to name a few). Recently I attending the screening of Miss Representation, a documentary film focused on the role of mainstream media in contributing to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. This film could have easily been about the under-representation of African Americans in positions of power and influence in America, for every one of their main points addressed this population as well. On the website a scrolling advertisement reads “You Can’t Be What You Can’t See”. This point was addressed in class discussion about the homogeneous nature of personalities and images that are presented in hip hop music about the roles of men, women, and African American men and women. When we are confronted with singular images and constructions of what it means to be black, to be male, to be female in main stream media, it is no wonder that Americans are struggling to be comfortable with their own unique identities.

Another point that hit home for me in this film was the discussion of the co modification of women. Similar to the process we discussed concerning the co modification of slaves, women are often treated as objects in main stream media. There is a profound lack of media literacy within this society and while there are clearly other pressing problems, this is not a bad way to start. It is becoming more and more important everyday that young and impressionable groups of people are able to see many different representations and embodiments of femininity, masculinity, ethnicity, and sexual orientation among other characteristics of diversity.

This film explicitly illustrated the effect the media has on a woman’s ability to see herself in a leadership position. This reminded me of the women interviewed in the film “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” who were perpetuating the stereotypes of bi***es and hoes as described with the lyrics of popular hip hop music. I think the same mind set and phenomenon could apply to many African American individuals who also do not have anywhere near enough representation of powerful (African American) individuals present in main stream media.

It is crucial to the health of our society that we understand how the media and the behind the scenes decisions affect to way specifically gender and race are represented in the media and how this impacts our culture. In many cases the media communicates and teaches stereotypes that only perpetuate the problem.

Hip Hop: A Cultural Aspect, A Way of Life

From the birth of this music genre, Hip Hop has always been used as a way for people, men especially, to tell a story. Whether it was Old School Hip-Hop, New School Hip-Hop, Golden Age Hip-Hop, or Gangsta Rap Hip-Hop, they all provided a lens for which to view their struggles and perspective of life. After Gangsta Rap was added as a new branch of hip-hop, it stole the media spotlight, and quickly changed how the public/fans viewed it. Gangsta rap hip-hop has been accused of glorifying violence, misogyny and homophobia, portraying men as hypersexual beings, and giving them a false since of power. Despite the negative influences gangsta rap exude, it was and still is the most lucrative of them all. Most rappers of this genre appeal to be hardcore and rich through their lyrics. This alone attracts other men, as well as women to their music. It seems as though being hardcore or being a “thug” validates one’s humanity, and deem them as “being real” in the society. Rappers such as 50 Cent, Tupac (R.I.P.), and Notorious B.I.G (R.I.P.) all rap about their life and actual hardships they had encountered; they all had been shot in the earlier years of their life. So, it was not as hard for them to gain respect from their fans because their lyrics literally reflected their life story. Though they gained the respect of their fans, they also influenced them negatively with the constant violence and degradation of women. In particular, many young men begin to directly relate to this lifestyle because rates of murder and rape skyrocketed. They began to look at women as animals and lower than human beings because they refer to them as b**ches and h**es, and only desire them to be half-naked in their videos. Not to mention, gangsta rappers consistently rap about how they are disgusted by homosexuals as if they are another species. So who’s to blame, the rappers, the media, or the industry as a whole? In my opinion, they all have a fault in how hip-hop has shifted and influenced its fans because one could not function without the other. I think they just sacrifice portraying the image of a positive person to gain more monetary value because that is what sells the most. After all, some just may be greedy, but some rappers just may be trying to attain a better life for himself as well as his family.

UC Davis Meets Birmingham

Images of Civil Disobedience

          

  The pictures of the UC Davis protesters seemed eerily comparable to those of the Birmingham protestors from the sixties. Personally, the pictures resonated with me because the protesters are our age, they are on their college campus, and they are being attacked by their campus police. College for a lot of people, especially those who attend institutions like Rhodes, becomes sort of a haven, a safe place. To think that that safe zone has been entirely destroyed for some students by the very people who were supposed to guard it is disheartening and, frankly, absurd.

            Both pictures created an uproar. People were absolutely outraged. Looking at the pictures side by side, there are several sad similarities. In the UC Davis picture, the students are sitting down with their arms linked. Their arms show solidarity and unity.  Their heads are bent as they try to protect their faces from the pepper spray. They appear absolutely nonthreatening. The Birmingham protesters are also sitting in a row, showing no violent intentions. Both pictures cause the viewer to be angry at the police officers and sympathetic towards the protesters.  The police in both pictures are in the obvious power position with the protesters being completely submissive.

            At one point, a newscaster placed blame on the security guards, not because they pepper sprayed nonviolent protesters but because they should have known their actions would be videotaped and displayed on the internet. Really? The media has become an avenue for accountability. It is both disappointing that people need the pressure of the media in order to do the right thing, and exciting that people do have to take responsibility for their actions.

            The UC Davis pictures obviously did not spark an entire movement like the Birmingham photos did, but they probably would have created even less of an uproar if they also wouldn’t have been accompanied by the video. Would the UC Davis incident have been national news if we didn’t have had pictures and videos of it? Would the Birmingham riots have had such a profound effect on the civil rights movement if there would not have been photos of it? 

Grutter v. Bollinger

In the 2003 Grutter v. Bollinger case, Barbara Grutter filed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan Law School on the basis that she was denied acceptance to the law school because she was not a member of a minority. Grutter claimed that the University was using race as the deciding factor in its application process, and that minority students had a higher chance of acceptance. The case made its way to the United States Supreme Court where it was ruled that the University’s use of race was constitutional.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote the majority ruling for the Supreme Court stating that using race in the application process was constitutional because it was a “tailored use.” She rationalized that the University was accepting a group of students (without establishing a specific quota) that would create a comfortable learning environment for “underrepresented minority students.”

In dissent, Chief Justice William Rehnquist found that the University’s policy was unconstitutional because the number of minority students accepted appeared to create a quota because it was “far too precise to be dismissed as merely the result of the school paying ‘some attention to numbers.’” In other words, based on the consistent amount of minority students accepted, it was clear that race was a determining factor for the University in violation of the United States Constitution.

I think that the entire college and post-collegiate application process, in an attempt to create equality between and among races, has actually started to segregate the races. When applying for college, I could not help but notice several signs of this segregation. First, the applications specifically asked for my race. Yet, I do not believe that an application should even have an area about race. Race should not be a factor in any college or university’s decision about whether to accept a potential student. This decision should be based on grades, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and experiences. Second, the fact that additional scholarships are made available based on one’s race is clearly discriminatory. An African American or Asian student should not be able to receive a scholarship for which a Caucasian student could not apply. Simply put, additional school financial aid support and scholarships, in the same manner as acceptance, should not be based on race. Who is to say that someone who is African American or Asian has a lesser ability to pay for his or her education?

Overall, I think colleges and universities are walking a fine line in their application process. I think eventually everyone will move to a process where race is not involved. At that point, the student body will be composed solely of people qualified to attend the school and not people simply filling a diversity profile created by a social engineer.

Hip Hop: Influence on Culture

Through what we have seen and talked about in class and what learn from our own experiences, it is obvious that hip-hop has had an enormous impact on American culture. It has permeated almost every aspect of society from fashion to language to industries. One part of the hip-hop revolution in the United States that I found very interesting was the cross-cultural popularity that hip-hop experienced. We saw in the video that we watched in class “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes,” that there is certainly a white fan-base for hip-hop music.

Hip-hop began as a niche genre and began gaining popularity in the 1980s. While there were many different branches of hip-hop music that existed, for some reason the branch that became most popular was the “gangsta” branch. And even though this type of music was talking about the lifestyle of a very small percentage of the black population, and the overall population, everyone was fascinated by it, regardless of race or background. This phenomenon is amazing because the majority of people listening to this music could not really relate to the lyrics in any way. There are a few reasons why hip-hop may have begun to have this magnetic appeal.

One could be the intense controversy that surrounded it from its beginnings. Since in many cases hip-hop music has been associated with offensive lyrics about women and violence, some people were concerned about these lyrics affecting violence rates in urban centers. Even though we can see now that the rise of hip-hop did not have this effect. Regardless, the controversy surrounding the genre spurred sales. Another reason for the cross-cultural appeal could also be attributed to the unfamiliar nature of the music. The lyrics of the gangsta rap music undoubtedly fascinated people of the white middle class since they have no experience living on urban streets. It made it cool and desirable, prompting people to try and replicate the “gangsta” fashions and buy things endorsed by hip-hop music.

Although the explosion of hip-hop music in America has in many ways been a positive phenomenon, there have also been some negative sentiments expressed about the way that some hip-hop artists are representing their race. Since the “gangsta” representation of black people is not the way that the vast majority of the black population wanted to be viewed, the hip-hop revolution has been problematic in that respect. If hip-hop music is the only exposure to African-American culture that members of the white middle class experience it could potentially lead to a negative or prejudiced image of black people.