Racial Diversity...The Debrief

Throughout this last unit, we have discussed diversity as it relates to race.  We have shared stories about racial profiling, researched victims of police brutality and misconduct, and even created a statement artifact that speaks to some of the social injustice that still occurs.  It has been difficult to speak about some of these issues due to the fact that it hits home for so many of us being minorities, but it is clear that the issues still exist and that we should be more of a voice in solving the problem.  In the article we read, "How The Black Lives Matter Movement Uses Social Media to Fight The Power", Bijan Stephen speaks about many ways that the reporting of social injustice has evolved through the medium of social media.  In class, we watched an episode of "The United Shades of America" where comedian and host, W. Kamau Bell spends a week with the Camden, NJ Police Department in an effort to understand how the police are treated and trained in the wake of this epidemic of violence against minorities at the hands of those who are oathed to "serve and protect."

Based on the article we discussed in class, your own experiences, and the episode of "United Shades of America,"

• Speak to how you grew up and what reverence or irreverence you had for your local police?
• It was mentioned in the video about "going back to the basics" of policing in local neighborhoods.  Did you experience any "basics" or "standards" that you saw from your local police officers growing up?  If so, what were some of them? 
• In one of the video segments, Bell stops a lady on the street and asks her if the police responded to her call quickly.  She informs him and the officer that they did not respond quickly at all and there is mention of transparency among the police.  Do you think that more transparency as to why some calls are not priority or where they are in the list of priorities would help with the issue citizens have of not trusting police officers?  Why or why not?
• What do you think about the idea/notion of "Community Policing" that is being piloted in Camden, NJ?  Do you think it is effective or not?
• How can the climate change as it relates to citizens seeing officers as humans underneath their uniforms?
• Do you feel there will ever be social justice for minorities who seem to be the targets of much of this brutality?  How can the rest of society cease from being "desensitized" to the problems?

Mr. C

This blog is due Tuesday December 5 by 11:59 PM and should be AT LEAST 500 words.  Comment on this blog – DO NOT create your own.

Give Thanks...

Well, it is almost time for one of my favorite holidays…Thanksgiving!! It has been my favorite holiday for many years, not so much because of the wonderful food that I get to eat, but because I get the chance to sit with my extended family, reminisce on the “good ol’ days,” and catch up on current endeavors. I usually have my plans set every year and my body is so ready to begin the rest and relaxation it deserves. I can’t wait to get some of my aunt’s cornbread stuffing, coconut cake, and banana-less pudding (I know it’s weird, but I don’t eat bananas).

Also, as I reflect on this holiday season, I find that I am thankful for so many things that people take for granted on a daily basis. I am thankful for my health, because without it I wouldn’t be able to make difference in this world; my family, because without them, I would struggle through the tough periods of life; and I am thankful for my god-given gifts, because without them I would not be able to do what I love.

As this Thanksgiving break approaches, what are some of the traditions that you have in your family? What are some of the foods you look forward to eating? What are three (3) things at the top your personal list that you are thankful for?

Mr. C

This blog is due on SUNDAY November 19 by 11:59 PM and should be at least 250 words. Remember to comment on this blog – do not create your own. If you create your own, you will not receive credit. 

Sexuality Diversity...The Debrief

“I think we won't be able to understand the operations of trans-phobia, homophobia, if we don't understand how certain kinds of links are forged between gender and sexuality in the minds of those who want masculinity to be absolutely separate from femininity and heterosexuality to be absolutely separate from homosexuality.”

-           Judith Butler

“If a person is homosexual by nature - that is, if one's sexuality is as intrinsic a part of one's identity as gender or skin color - then society can no more deny a gay person access to the secular rights and religious sacraments because of his homosexuality than it can reinstate Jim Crow.”

-          Jon Meacham

Throughout this unit, we have discussed diversity as it relates to sexuality.  Although it has been difficult to speak about due to others religious affiliations and personal experiences, it has brought to light many biases that exist within society and on college and university campuses.  The article, “The Mean Girls of Morehouse” shines light on a sect of students at the iconic all-male HBCU who inspired a dress code that prohibited cross-dressing (including heels, dresses and makeup). In a search that took more than a year, Author/Journalist Aliya S. King sat down with the students within the LGBTQIAA community to hear their takes on being targeted by the official school dress code and the irony of the discrimination they faced while at Morehouse;  the same school that produced a young Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. some 60 years prior. Once the story was published, she realized the camaraderie that exists at black colleges.

Based on the article we discussed in class, your own experiences, and the reactions/backlash of this article featured in the YouTube videos,

• Speak to the level of camaraderie that occurs on HBCU campuses? Do you think that there is a level of connectedness with others because you attend an HBCU or not? How do you feel connected? 
• In one of the video segments, King speaks of one of the interviewees Phillip as not feeling as if he “belonged” on his campus.  Within the LGBTQIAA community, how do you think they feel as a result of being around their own race and gender, but not “belonging” due to their sexuality?
• How can universities become more tolerant and accepting of others differences?
• Read some of the comments under the YouTube video – “Morehouse Men React to Vibe Magazine”. Attending an HBCU seven (7) years after the article appeared in Vibe, how would you respond to these individuals? Pick three (3) comments and address those individuals. (Copy the comment and then respond directly underneath it).
• Do you feel there will ever be social justice for these marginalized groups?

Mr. C

This blog is due Friday November 10 by 11:59 PM and should be AT LEAST 500 words.  Comment on this blog – DO NOT create your own.