It is impossible to be unarmed when our Blackness is the weapon that they fear. The Hate U Give (2018) is a powerful movie. Its ultimate power stems not so much from its indictment of institutional and systemic racism but from its positive portrayal of Blackness. The film, and the outstanding book from which it grew, focusContinue reading “Notes on: The Hate U Give (2018)”
Tag Archives: racism
The “Brutal Black Buck” and How To Get Away With Murder
How To Get Away With Murder’s 2018-2019 mid-season finale overpowers and undermines its recent comments about flaws in the judicial system, especially when it comes to perceptions of and treatments of Black men. Nate Lahey (Billy Brown) receives unstable, developing word that leads him to believe that DA Ron Miller (John Hensley) had his father, NateContinue reading “The “Brutal Black Buck” and How To Get Away With Murder”
“Implications” and the Rhetorical Framing of Critiques – Hidden Power of Words Series, #30
Suggestions that something is classist, racist, or sexist, for example, are often met with dismissively hostile words. People say, “you’re thinking too hard,” “you’re looking to cause trouble,” “you can find [fill in the blank] anywhere if you look hard enough,” “you can’t appreciate anything,” and/or “you’re ignoring the purpose.” I strive to improve howContinue reading ““Implications” and the Rhetorical Framing of Critiques – Hidden Power of Words Series, #30″
No Words Remain: Racism and Remembering James Byrd, Jr.
On the way for lunch with a friend in Clear Lake, Texas, I saw a truly horrifying and upsetting scene this morning. Take a look at what the white pickup truck is dragging on the road in the pictures below. This is such a clear display of racism and violence–violence of all sorts. Some peopleContinue reading “No Words Remain: Racism and Remembering James Byrd, Jr.”
This is not about politics.
Especially when Republicans of 2018 are advocating genocide. Since Barack Obama’s election to Office of the President of the United States in November 2008, Tea-Party-ideologies have emerged and taken increasingly tight control of the Republican Party and its affiliates. Republicans were so disturbed that their fellow citizens elected a Black man to be “Mr. President”Continue reading “This is not about politics.”
Olive Garden’s Promotion of Racism, An Open Letter
Dear Olive Garden, On Friday, October 5, 2018, at 11:21 AM CST you shared the following post and picture from Courtney Ruth Pedigo. For perpetuity, the original post–and picture–are located below, too. Tonight my family and I went out to Olive Garden for dinner, and per Harlynn’s usual she did everything but sit in her high chairContinue reading “Olive Garden’s Promotion of Racism, An Open Letter”
Privilege, Erasure, Cognitive Dissonance
Privilege. Erasure. Cognitive Dissonance. These are just some of the big ideas bouncing around my Frontal Lobe this week. I have three thoughts in particular that I want to share in this article. 1. An under-recognized form of privilege is having a name that can immediately be pronounced correctly, not just by other people but byContinue reading “Privilege, Erasure, Cognitive Dissonance”
Notes on: The Football Industrial Complex and NBC’s Rise’s Challenge
Football is supreme in the United States. As I (and others) have argued, football is racist. Football is at least also ableist, colonialist, and classist when doing an intersectional analysis. Criticisms of football, whether from your everyday friend or in your everyday cultural production, are almost unheard of in the land of the Football Industrial Complex.Continue reading “Notes on: The Football Industrial Complex and NBC’s Rise’s Challenge”