Racism Reviewed by Solyndar Khun

Introduction.

Hey,guys.So,I’maCambodian10thgraderwhostudiesattheInternationalSchoolofPhnomPenh(ISPP).I’mcurrentlyinmylastyearoftheIB’sMYPprogram,inwhichthestudentsarerequiredtocompleteaPersonalProject.Theseprojectscanbeanythingwewantthemtobe.IdecidedtomakethisbookformyPersonalProjectbecauseI,likemostmillennials,spendalotofmytimeonsocialmedia.It’saplatforminwhichpeoplefeelsafeshar-ingtheirstoriesandopinionsbecauseausernameprovidesthemwithasenseofanonymity.ThroughoutmytimeonTumblr,Isawsomanyexamplesofpeopleputtingupwithinstitutionalizedracismandtryingtosucceedinasystemthatisstructuredtomakethemfail.So,Imadethisbooktosharewiththeirexperienceswithotherpeople. Asstatedintheblurb,thisbookcontainsacollectionsocialmediapostsfromTumblrandTwitterthatarerecountingsoftheirowndealingswithracism,opinionsondifferentracialissues,andreactionstoracistevents;hencethetitle,‘RacismReviwed’.Ifoundthepostsincludedinthebookbylookingthroughtagsspecifictothetopic.Forexample,tofindpostsregardingpolicebrutality,Iwouldsearch#MichaelBrown,#SandraBland,or#BlackLivesMatter.Ichosetoincludepostsfrombothactivistsandracistssothatpeo-plewhopickupthisbookdon’tendupthinkingthatsocialmediais‘aplacefullofright-mindedpeoplewhobelieveintheequalityofallraces’,becauseit’sobviouslynot.

Disclaimer:Allthesocialmediapostswerekeptintheiroriginalformat,toallowtheaudienceaglimpseoftheposter’srawestemotions.Duetotothis,graphicimagesandlanguagethatmaybeoffensivetosomewerenotcensored.

Terminology.

PoC:PeopleofColour.

MoC:MenofColour.

WoC:WomenofColour.

CulturalAppropriation:Usingaspectsofamarginalizedcultureinawaythatcheapensandcommoditizestheculture’smeaningandvalue.

RacialStereotyping:Discriminationagainstmarginalizedracesbasedsolelyoffofnegativepreconceivedideassurroundingthem.

PoliceBrutality:Theuseofexcessiveforce(typicallyviolence)bypoliceinsituationswhereitisdeemedunnecessary.

IntersectionalFeminism:FeminismthattakesintoconsiderationtherightsofPoC,theLGBTQIA+community,thedisabled,andthosesufferingfrompoverty.

WhiteFeminism:FeminismthatdoesNOTtakeintoconsiderationtherightsofPoC,theLGBTQIA+community,thedisabled,andthosesufferingfrompoverty.Inotherwords:ahotmess.

Cultural Appropriation.

Miley Cyrus.Continues to appropriate black culture without any

sensitivity towards their past. What we’ll be looking at specifically is her choice to don ‘dreadlocks’.

Rachel Dolezal.

Wore blackface for over a decade, effectively reapingopportunities that were meant solely for the black

community and benefitting from white privilege at the same time. Worked in an organization that fought for the

rights of African-Americans and claimed to be anadvocate for civil rights.

Cultural Appropriation

What is “cultural appropriation”? “Appropriation”isdefinedastheactoftakingsomethingthatdoesnotbelongtoyou,typicallywithoutthepermissionoftheowner.Inverybluntterms:stealing.Appropriationcanbeusedinavarietyofcontexts.Aprominentexampleofthiswouldbeincontemporaryandmodernart(e.g.collages).Ifweaddtheworld“culture”infrontofittocreate“culturalappropriation”,itisdefinedastheactoftakinganaspect,beitasacredimage,object,pieceofclothing,orevenapractice,ofaculturethatdoesnotbelongtoyouandthatyouarenotapartof.

How does it hurt people of colour (POC)? Naturally,culturalappropriationcausesharminamultitudeofways;themostprominentbeinghowithasbeenusedasastrategywhereadominantclasssuppressesalowerclass.IfweputthisintermsoftheWesterncontextof“race”,itbecomeswhitedominantclassesclaimingownershipoversacredpracticesandob-jectsofoppressednon-whitegroups,effectivelyappropriatingtheirculture.Inaction,cultureappropriationcausesachainreactionofevents.Firstandforemost,theintendedmeaningofthepracticeorobjectislost,causingittobecomecheap.Needlesstosay,thisisdisrespectfultotheculturethepracticeofobjectoriginatesfrom.AveryobviousandobnoxiousexampleofthisisPlainsIndianswarbonnets,oftenwornbymenwhohaveearnedgreatrespectintheirtribe,beingwornbywhitewomenasafashionaccessory.Ifyoudon’tknowwhatI’mtalkingabout,plug“warbonnet”intoGoogleImages.Iwouldtellyoutonowgobackandadd“tumblr”or“hip-ster”attheendofyoursearch,butitwouldberedundantconsider-inghowthetwoarealreadythetoprelatedsearches.I’mnotsureaboutyou,butI’mseeingaverydistinctdifferencebetweenthepicturesinthetwosearches. Secondly,duetothestructureofcapitalism,itprofitsofftheexploitationandlaborofPoC.Whilemostpracticesandobjectsofdifferentculturesholdsignificantmeaningandareheldinhighregardbythepeopleoftheirrespectivecultures,oncetheyare“dis-covered”bywhitepeople,theybecomeafashiontrend,acommod-ity,asymbolof“cool”.Duetothis,PoCbecomereassignedfrompeoplewithpowerover

howthepracticesandobjectsinourculturesareusedtoproducersthathavenocontrolovertheconsumptionofourculturalheritage.Often,PoCwillbecompletelyblindsidedaswhitepeoplecreatenewerversionsofourculturewiththeirown“twistsandtweaks”toputonsalewithoutsharingtheprofitsorbenefitsofconsumption.Youknowwhatthatmeans?Notonlydoescultureappropriationfigurativelycheapenourculture,butliterallyaswell. ThisiswhyMileyCyruswearingdreadlocksisunacceptable.Itisnot“just”anotherhairstyle.Itisassociatedwithblackcultureforareason.Andinthisparticularexample,thereasonisslavery.Whenenslavedpeoplewerebeingshippedacrosstheocean,duringwhichtheirhairwouldbecomemattedwithblood,sweat,urine,feces,dirt,andtears.Astheircaptorswatchedthemcrawl,walk,orbecarriedofftheship,theyscreweduptheirfacesandre-ferredtothehairas“dreadful”.Thiswasthemostcommondescrip-tionofthelocksthatformedintheirhair,leadingtheterm“Dread-lock”tobecomemainstreamindescribingaslave’shair.DuringtheRastafarianculture,thetermwasreclaimedandthehairstylewasusedasawaytothumbdisdainatwhitecultureaswellasasymboloflayingdowncapitalistandmaterialpursuits.ThemostcommondefenseofMiley’sactionsisthat“dreadlocksarepresentinallcultures”,whentheyinfact,arenot.The“mattingofhair”isthere,but“Dreadlocks”arenot.TheIrishcalledtheirhairstyle“Glibs”,“Gleebs”or“Glibbes”andtheIndianscalledtheirs“Jata”,butnoculturebutblackculturehad“Dreadlocks”. RachelDolezal,ontheotherhand,reapedwhateversmallnumberofbenefitsthatblackpeopleinAmericahavedespitebeingawhitewoman.Theproblemhereisnotthatsheisacivilrightsadvocate,theproblemisthatshetreatsblacknesslikeamaskthatcaneasilybetakenonandoffandcanbemanipulateddependingonthecircumstances.Ifsheevergotintotroublewiththelaw,shecouldeasilywashofftheblackfaceshewascommittingandbankonherwhiteprivilegetoeitherlightenherpunishmentofevenleaveherscot-freeofanyconsequences.Sheusedblackfacetoearnherselfahighrankingpositioninacompanywhereonlyablackpersoncouldreceivethatposition.SheappropriatedblackcultureandcontinuestodosodespitehavingfacedthescornofAmerica’sblackcommunity-theverypeoplesheclaimedtobefightingfortherightsof.

Why is it okay for PoC to appropriate white culture? Firstofall,theexamplesthatyouraiseasinstancesofcul-tureappropriation(e.g.thecelebrationofChristmasorowninganiPhone)areonlyexamplesoftheglobalizationofWestern,namely,“white”cultureanditsholdoverEasternregions.Whenyouthinkabout,ourideasofwhat“development”and“modernity”arearedic-tatedbytheindustrializationtechnologiesoftheWest.That’swhyusingcertainaspectsofandadaptingto“whiteculture”isactuallynecessaryforthepeoplesofacountryorculturetoindustrializeandmoveforward. Inadditiontothis,usingWesternobjectsandparticipatingintheirpracticesismainlyusedasawaytobeseenas“equal”totheWest.Noprofitisbeingmadeoffoftheexploitationandlaborofwhitepeople.TheglobalizationofthefashionindustryintheWesthasreachedapointwhereWesternclothingandgarmentshavingreplacedtraditionalindigenousclothingofPoCas“professionalattire”.WhenyoulookattheclothingpeopleworeintheMingDy-nastytogotoworkandcompareittowhatChinesepeopleweartoworknow,thereisastarkdifferenceinwhatisseenas“profession-al”and“formal”.TheglobalizationoftheEnglishlanguageworksinasimilarfashion.YouwilloftenhearpeopleinEasterncountriesstatingthatknowingEnglishleadstoahigherchanceoffindingagoodandrespectablejob.ThisisduetothepoliticalpowerthatEn-glish-speakingnationsholdovernon-English-speakingcountries.So,sayingthatPoCareappropriatingwhitecultureisincorrectinthatthespreadofWesterncultureisadirectresultoftheirownactions;aprominentexamplebeingtheBritishEmpire. Themainreasonwhywhitecultureisneverappropriatedishistoryandpower.Thankstocolonization,Westernculturehasbe-comecovetedandpowerful.Allthedifferentnuancesandaspectsofitiswidelyunderstoodbytherestoftheworldthewaysomeculturescanonlyhopetobeunderstood.Duetothis,PoCareawareofthemeaningsbehindsacredartifactsandpracticesandarehardlyeverseenabusingthem.TheyareawarethatapaintingofMotherMaryisnottobeusedasabackdropforapictureofayoungJapaneseteenagersmoking.Thewidespreadlackofunder-standingofAsian,AfricanandotherindigenousculturesisinfinitelymoreharmfulthanonePoC’sconfusionconcerningthemeaningbehindChristiancross.

Assoonastheydosomethingoffensive-likelyevenbefore-theywillbescoldedandpromptlyeducatedaboutthesymbol’ssignif-icance.Unfortunately,thisdoesnotapplytothesymbolsofothercultures. AnotherthingtokeepinmindisthatmanyobjectsthatmostpeopleassociatewiththeWestandcreditthemforthecreationofwereactuallyinventedbypeopleofcolour.Thecreationofpaper?China.Thecreationofprinting?China.Thecreationofgunpowder?China(Szalinski,W.).ThecreationofArabicnumerals?Pleasedon’tmakemeexplainthisone.

HowdoIknowwhenI’mparticipatinginculturalappropriation? There’snoconcrete“ListofThingsNottoCulturallyAppro-priate”.What’sthepointinaskingwhatisandisn’tculturalappro-priationifyoudon’taskwhyitmatters?Whenconsideringifwhatyou’redoingcountsasappropriation,youneedtofirstthinkaboutthecontextandhistorybehindtheobjectsandpracticesthatyouwanttouse.Youneedtolearnaboutthemeaningbehindthede-signofaHenna,whyPlainsIndiansworewarbonnetsandwhytheywereprimarilymadeoutofEaglefeathers,whoexactlythe“coolelephantgoddess”is.Thenyouneedtoaskyourselfifwhatyou’replanningtodoisdisrespectfultothosethings.Theanswershouldbecleartoyou.Everythingreliesoncontextualfactors,whichiswhythere’salwaysmorethanoneanswertoonequestion.

RacialStereotyping.

Ariana Miyamoto.

Crowned Miss Japan in 2015 at the age of 21. Despite this achievement, she was scorned by the Japanese online community for being half black. Later on, Donald Trump

disqualified her from the Miss Universe pageant.

AhmedMohamed.

Brought a homemade clock to school. Instead ofbeing hailed as a genius for constructing a clock

by hand at the of 14, he was arrested for bringing a ‘bomb’ to school.

Racial Stereotyping

What are “racial stereotypes” and how are they developed? “Racialstereotypes”arepreconceivedideasthatcreateexaggeratedmentalimagesofacertainrace.Theyautomaticallycometomindwhencomingintocontactwithsomeoneofthatrace.Whenapersonisstereotypedbasedontheirrace,traitsthatformtheirindividualityanduniquenessareerasedastheyareboxedinwithotherpeoplewhohappentohaveafewsimilarphysicaltraitsasthem.Afewexamplesofracialstereotypesinclude:AsianwomenaresubmissiveandfragileAsiankidsarealwaysabusedbytheirfamiliesBlackpeoplearen’tarticulateintheirspeakingBlackpeoplecan’tswimHispanicpeoplearealldrugdealersorareinvolvedincrimesyndi-cates-Hispanicpeoplecan’tspeakEnglish-Muslimsareallterroristsandsuicidebombers-Muslimwomenareoppressedbytheirreligion Whilenostereotypedevelopsoutofthinair,allofthemhavesomekindofhistoryinwhichthepeopletheyarecenteredaroundwereoppressed.Forexample,thetropeofblackpeoplebeingob-sessedwatermelon.Therewasapoliticalmotivationbehindthees-tablishmentofthatstereotype.Beforetheemancipationofslaves,watermelonswerejustaslikelytobeassociatedwithNewHamp-shireyokelsorKentuckyhillbillies.WhenslavesfinallyobtainedthefreedomtheywerefightingforduringtheCivilWar,freeblackpeoplegrew,harvested,andatewatermelon.Thefruitbecameasymboloftheirlivelihoodandnewfoundfreedom.Inresponsetothis,Southernwhiteswhofeltthreatenedbrandedwatermelonasasymbolofblackpeople’schildishness,laziness,uncleanlinessandgeneralundesirablepresence.Eachinsultcomeswithitsownreasonforbeingassociatedwithwatermelons.‘Childishness’:duetothewatermelon’sbrightredandyellowcolours.‘Laziness’:duetohoweasyitistogrowthem.‘Uncleanliness’:duetothemessoftencreatedfromcuttingthemopenandeatingthem.An‘undesirablepresence’:duetohowdifficultitistofinisheatingawatermelonalone(Black,W.).

How does racial stereotyping hurt PoC? Racialstereotypingisn’tjustaboutgettingyourfeelingshurt.Racismisneveronlyabouthurtfeelings.Thetropethatwhitepeo-plecan’tdancedoesnotcalluponahistoryinwhichwhitepeoplewereoppressedbecauseoftheirrace.Tropesaboutwhitepeopledonotcausetheresumesofpeoplewithcommonwhitenames(e.g.JenniferorJames)tobethrownoutsimplybecausetheirnamesoundswhite.Thisisbecausetherearenostereotypesaboutwhitepeoplesevereenoughforemployerstocompletelyturntheirbacksonthem.Therearenostereotypesaboutwhitepeoplebeingthugs,beingpronetocommittingfelonies,orbelonginginprison.However,peopleofcolourwithnamescommonlyassociatedwith‘theghetto’oftenhavetheircredentialsoverlookedbecauseem-ployerswouldrathernothavetodealwithemployeeswhoare‘dirty’and‘smellofweed’.PeoplewithAsianorHispanicnameswillbepushedtothesidebecauseemployersdon’twantemployeeswho‘can’tspeakEnglish’orare‘toosensitive’.Racialstereotypesdon’tjusthurtthefeelingsofpeopleofcolour,theydestroyourchancesoffindingproperjobsandmakingalivingforourselvesinindustriesdominatedbywhitepeople. Let’snotforgethowracialstereotypingteenagersgrow-ingupandenteringlawenforcementleadstoracialprofilingand,consequently,policebrutalityagainstracialminorities.Theuseofunnecessaryforceagainstunresistingblackpeoplewillalwaysbedefendedbypeoplespouting‘statistics’and‘facts’abouthowpronetoviolencetheyare.Thiswillbeexpandedoninthenextsectionofthisbook.Lookforwardtomoreangstydosagesofracismexposed. Oneofthemostpainfulrealitiesofracialstereotypingisthefactthattheydon’tonlybeginhurtingpeopleofcolouroncethey’vebecomeemotionallystableadults(note:don’ttakethistomeanthatalladultsareunaffectedbyillnessesinwhichtheirmentalstabilitycanbenegativelyimpacted)whocanignorecriticismbasedontheirrace.Childrencan’tignoreinsults.They’restillgrowingupandtheirmindsarestillintheprocessofreachingmaturity.Negativecom-mentseasilyimpacttheirself-esteem.Backhandedcomplimentssuchas,“You’resoarticulateforaChinese!”canonlymakethemfeelasthoughthey’veenteredalifelongcompetitionwithpeopleoftheirownrace.WhyshouldPoCbeconditionedtoseeotherswho

sharetheirstruggleasenemieswhomtheyconstantlyneedtobebetterthaninallaspectsoflife? Childrenareyoung.Theyareeasilyinfluencedbytheac-tionsofthepeoplesurroundingthemwhoareolder.Theyhaven’tdevelopednarrowmentalimagesofdifferentracesandtheydon’thavethecapacitytocategorizepeopleyet.Theyreciprocatewhenyoumakeracistjokesaroundthem.Theylistentowhatyousay,theylistentothepeoplearoundyoulaugh,andtheybegintoim-itateyou.Theywatchyouscrunchyournoseandholdyourheadhighwhenyouturnawayfromablackwomanacrossthestreet.Nochildisbornwithhatredforanotherrace;racismistaughtliketheABCsandingrainedintothemind.You’lloftenhearpeoplesayingthatchildrenareverycruelbecauseofhowbluntandtruthfultheyare.Well,it’snotjustolderpeoplekidsaremeanto.They’remeantoeachotheraswell.IfyouthinkalittleeightyearoldgirltalkingtoherMexicanfriendwon’tleanalittlefurtheraway,maintainlesseyecontact,smilealittleless,orstoprespondingtojokesbecausethat’swhatherbigbrotheralwaysdoeswithhisMexicanfriend,you’rewrong.Youdon’thavetobeoutrightracistandsayyoudon’ttrustMexicansforyourlittlebrotherorsistertostophangingoutwiththem.Childrenofcolourcanbeisolatedbyotherlittlekidsbe-causeofthestereotypesaboutthembeingimprintedintothemindsofclassmates. Asthekidswithracistthoughtsembeddedintothemgrowup,theybegintospreadtheirideastothelittleonesaroundthem.It’sagrossandviciouscycleofchildrenbeingexposedtoracialstereotypesandconsequentlyhurtingotherkidsbecausetheyfeelthey’resuperior.Whoknowswhatthey’lldowhentheyreachadulthoodandfindajob.Willtheybecomeanemployerwhoputsresumeswiththename‘Laquisha’or‘Lawanda’onitinthetrash?OrwilltheybecomeateacherwhoseesaMuslimboywithaclockandassumeit’sabomb?Perhapsthey’llbecomeacopwhoseesablackboyinahoodieacrosstheroadandreflexivelyshoothim.There’salsothepossibilityofthemgrowinguptobecomeacandi-dateforPresidentoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandthensayingthatMexicanimmigrantsare,“bringingdrugs.They’rebringingcrime.They’rerapists.”However,theycan’tbeblatantlyracistsothey’llbacktrackandcoveritupbysaying,“Some,Iassume,aregoodpeople.”AllàlaDonaldTrump,ofcourse.

How do I stop myself from racially stereotyping people? Peopleoftenexcusethemselvesfromhavingtoadjusttheirbehaviourbysayingthatthey’renotracist,sotheycan’tpossiblybeapplyingracialtropestopeople.Thefirststeptofixingaproblemisalwaysacknowledgingthatthere’saproblem.Peopleofcolourcanbeasprejudicedtowardseachotheraswhitepeoplearetous.It’simportanttopaycloserattentiontoyoursubconsciousactionswheninteractingwithpeoplewhoyoucouldpotentiallybeharboringpreconceivedideasabout.Ifyoufindyourselfleaningawayfromsomeoneorfindingitdifficulttomakeextendedeyecontactwiththemdespitetheconversationtopicbeingyouraveragesmall-talkgo-toandyouhavenoideawhy,it’spossiblethatthere’resomethingsyoulearnedaboutpeopleoftheirraceasachildthatstillhasahandleonyou.Bemoreawareofyourinitial,fleetingthoughtsregardingcertainsituations.Thesethoughtsarewhatwehavebeenconditionedtothink.It’sourresponsetothinkingthosethingsthattelluswhattypeofpersonweare.Ifablackmanyouhaven’tconnectedwithinyearshappilytellsyouthatthey’veearnedamaster’sdegreeandthefirstthingyouthinkis,“Well,that’ssurpris-ing,”there’sobviouslysomethinggoingon.Payingmoreattentiontothesesmalldetailshelpsusrecognizeproblematicbehaviorsinourselvesandhelpusfigureoutwhatweneedtodotochangeforthebetter. Animportanttoolinhelpingusbreakawayfromstereotypesisresearch.Peopleoftenciteracialstereotypesasfactswhentryingtojustifytheirracistactions.Stoptryingtofigureoutwheth-eratropeistrueornottodefendyourself.Findingoutthehistorybehindhowatropewasestablishedandwhyit’sharmfulcanhelpusseparatefromstereotypesandregulateourbehaviour.Whatareyouevendoingmullingoverwhat’sracistandwhatisn’twhenyouhaveGooglesittinginyourpocket?Rememberthataskingapersonabouttheirentireraceisn’tthatgreatanideabecauseonepersonjustcan’tbearepresentativeforeveryonewithinthatsocialgroup.Don’tputthatkindofpressureonthem.Educatingyourselfisyourownjob;notsomeoneelse’sresponsibility.

PoliceBrutality.

MichaelBrown.

Shot and killed by officer Darren Wilson at the age of 18. Wilson claimed that he suspected Brown of stealing a pack of cigarillos. As if that’s enough reason to shoot

him 6 times.

SandraBland.

Pulled over by officer Brian Encinia and body slammed into the ground. Arrested. Found dead in her cell 3 days later. All

for a broken tail light.

Police Brutality

What are “police brutality” and “racial profiling”? “Policebrutality”isdefinedastheuseofexcessiveandunnecessaryforcebypolicewhenhandlingcivilians.“Excessive”,inthiscase,wouldbedescribedasforcethatisfarmorethanwhatisrequiredofthesituation(e.g.pullingacivilianoutofhercarandbodyslamminghertothegroundforabrokenlighttail).However,policebrutalityexistsinmanyforms.Itcomesinaphysicalform,verbalabuse,sexualabuse,psychologicalintimidation,policecorruption,falsearrests,racialprofiling,misconductofpolicegear(guns,pepperspray,batons,gas,Tasers,etc.),politicalrepressionandracialprofiling(Danilina,S.). “Racialprofiling”isdescribedasthetargetingofparticularindividualsbylawenforcementauthoritiesbasedontheirphysicaltraitsandpersonalcharacteristicsratherthantheiractionsandbehavior.However,thetermisalsooftenusedtorefertomorethansomeone’srace.Itcanalsobelinkedethnicity,nationalorigin,andreligion.Impermissiblyusingthesetraitsasabasisfordetermin-ingwhetherornotanindividualneedstobequestioned,detained,stopped,orbesubjectedtoanyotherformoflawenforcementisconsideredracialprofiling(“WhatIsRacialProfiling?”). However,itisimportanttonoteandemphasizethephrase“impermissibleuse”inthisdefinition.Racialprofilingdoesnotoccurwhenthereissubstantialevidencethatasuspectrelatingtoaspe-cificincidentororganizationisofacertainrace,ethnicity,nationalorigin,orreligionandlawenforcementauthoritiesusethisinforma-tionaspartoftheirinvestigationtolocatethesuspect.Thetermisonlyaimedatlawenforcementactivitiesthatstemfromtheerrone-ousassumptionthatpeoplebearingcertainphysicaltraitsandper-sonalcharacteristicsaremorelikelytoconductunlawfulbehaviour. Whatwehavebeenlookingatinthisbookishowlawen-forcementauthorityblatantlyparticipateinracialprofilingandpolicebrutalityandhowthishasledtothesubjugationanddeathofmanyminorities.Morespecifically,thesubjugationanddeathofmanypeopleofcolourintheUnitedStates.Wewillalsobescrutinizinghowauthorityincorrectlyhandlesreportsofpolicebrutality,optingtoeitheroverlookthemorhaphazardlycoverupthesituation.

Where’s the proof that it’s an actual problem? Currently,theUSgovernmentcountskillingsbythepolicethroughanFBIprogramwherelawenforcementagenciescanvol-untarilysubmitanannualcountofwhattheybelieveare“justifiablehomicides”,whichisdefinedas“thekillingofafeloninthelineofduty”(“TheCounted”).Arguably,asysteminwhichpoliceofficersareallowedtochoosewhetherornottheywanttosubmitthisinfor-mationbasedsolelyontheirpersonalpreferenceisworsethanhav-ingnosystematall.Fluctuationsinthenumberofpoliceagenciesreportinginformationinadditiontofaultynumbersbeingsubmittedcanonlyresultinthecreationofinaccuratetrendsandmisinforma-tionastheyarerelayedtothepublic.Thelackofaproperdeathtollsysteminitselfspeaksvolumesaboutcorruptioninthelawforce. Itwasfoundthatonly1,100policedepartmentsreportedjustifiablehomicidesbetween2005and2012;astaggeringlydis-proportionatenumberwhenyoucompareittothetotalnumberofpolicedepartmentsinAmerica.In2013,thedatastatedthattherewereatotalof461policekillings.However,acrowdsourcedcountdiscoveredthattherewereatleast300morefatalitiesduringthatyear.Inanattempttoamelioratetheproblem,theGuardiansetupaprojecttitled“TheCounted”,whichisaninteractivedatabaseofpolicekillingsin2015.Theaimoftheprojectistomonitorthedemographicsofthevictimsandinformthepublicofhowtheydied.Accordingtothedatabase,asofOctober15th,therehavebeen914civilianskilledbylawenforcementin2015;492ofwhichwerenon-whiteminorities.Outof51states,onlyonestatehassofarbeenabletoavoidpolicekillings:Vermont.158deathsoccurredinCalifornia,92inTexas,and56inFlorida,makingthemthethreestateswiththemostpolicekillings(“TheCounted”). Anargumentthatisoftenusedinanattempttolessenpo-liceviolenceandracialprofilingasamajorproblemisthefactthat,“ThemajorcauseforAfricanAmericandeathsintheUSisblackonblackcrime;notpolicebrutality!”Whattheydon’tunderstandisthatthatisacompletelydifferenttopicaltogether.Thepointthatwearetryingtoconveyisthatthepeoplewhohaveswornanoathtoserveandprotectareunlawfullykillingcitizens.Whenamurderoccurs,welabelitasacrimeandbrandthepersonbehinditacriminal,sowhydoesbeingequippedwithapolicebadgeanduniformchangeeverythingweknowaboutlawandorder?

Why do you say that Michael Brown’s death was unjust and covered up? Firstandforemost,IwanttopointouttheinconsistenciesandlieswithinDarrenWilson’stestimonyunderoathandwhathesaidtofellowpoliceofficers.Thereisnoreasonfortheretobeanydifferencesbetweenwhathesaysatdifferentpointsintimetodifferentpeopleunlessheislying.Underoath,hetestifiedtothegrandjurythattheFergusonpolicedepartmentdidnotaskhimtowriteanyreportsregardingtheincident.Thisblatantlyviolatesstan-dardpoliceprocedure.TheFergusonPDrequires“UseofReportForceF-080”tobefilledoutbyanyofficerinvolvedinashooting.TheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnionofMissouri(ACLU)suedforthepublicreleaseofpolicereportsconcerningtheMichaelBrownshootingbutweregivenblankdocumentsortoldthatnoreportshadbeenwritten.Thiscouldmeanoneoftwothings.Eitherthepolicedepartmentviolatedtheirownregulationsbycoveringuptheincident,or,Wilsonrefusedtowriteareportandliedinfrontofthegrandjury(Robert,A.). Wilsonhadalsoexaggeratedtheseverityofhisinjuries.HetestifiedthatBrownhadswungathimtwice;sohardthathewasafraidthatathirdwouldkillhim.However,whenphotosweretak-enofhisfaceandneckasproofofinjuriesonthesameday,onlyaslightrednesswaspresentinbothareas,heavilycontradictinghiswords.Slightredrashesarenottheinjuriesofsomeoneonthebrinkofunconsciousness. Moreimportantlyaretheliessurroundingtheactualconfron-tation.WilsonstatedinhistestimonythathewasalertedthroughaphonecallaboutarobberyatFergusonMarketanddeducedthatBrownandmightbeasuspectwhenhecaughthimholdingcigaril-los.However,toanotherFPDofficerwhowasfirsttoarriveonthescene,hesaidthathehadnotbeenawareofanyrobberyhappen-ing.Theofficeradmittedtothisinhistestimony. Inadditiontothis,hedidhisbesttodefameBrownandpainthimademon.Inthearticle“FergusonDocuments:OfficerDarrenWilson’sTestimony”wasWilson’sfulltestimony.Init,WilsonsaidthatBrownhadchargedathim,“andthefacehehadwaslook-ingstraightthroughme,likeIwasn’teventhere,[...]Justcomingstraightatmelikehewasgoingtorunrightthroughme.”HestatedthatheclearlysawBrown’sfaceinhisfinalmomentsas,“thede-meanoronhisfacewentblank,theaggressionwasgone,[...]the

threatwasstopped.”Contrarytowhathesaid,intheDepartmentofDefense’sArmedForcesMedicalExaminerSystem’sautopsyreport,agunshotwoundwasfoundneartheapexofBrown’shead,fourinchesbackfromthetopoftheforehead.TheshapeofthewoundsuggestedthatBrown’sheadwouldhavehadtobenearparalleltothegroundforthebullettohaveenteredthatway(Vi-cens,A.).UnlessBrownhadbeenchargingtowardsWilsoninthemannerofabullwithhisheadbentover,thebulletcouldnothavereachedthatarea.However,WilsonstatedinhistestimonythathecouldclearlyseeBrown’sfaceashechargedandashislifelefthim,meaningthatBrownwouldhavechargedathimwithhisheadraisedandlookingstraightahead.TheproofwrittenintheautopsyandinthewoundsonBrown’sbodypointstoWilson’slies. OneofWilson’sprimeeyewitnesses,theonemostquotedbyconservativenewsarticlesandmediaandwhoseaccountingsmostcloselymatchupwithWilson’sstory,wasfoundtonothaveevenbeenintheareaduringtheshooting.SandraMcElroywasfoundbytheFBItoberacistandmentallyunstable.TheyprovedinaninterviewthatMcElroyhadliedaboutkeydetails,howsheleftthesceneandherlocationatthetimeoftheincident.SheoftenmaderacistpostsonlineandhadaYouTubechannelwithanti-Obamaclips.Furthermore,McElroyhasarecordinSt.Louisformakingclaimsaboutcasesshehadnoconnectionswithandinterferingwithinvestigations.Allofthiswasknown.Yet,shewasstillallowedtotestifyinfrontofthegrandjurynotonce,buttwice(Bastone,W.). EvenifsomeonewereabletoundermineeverythingthatIjusttypedregardingthecase,thedeathwouldstillbeunjustified.ThewholepremiseoftheincidentwasBrown’shavingstolenapackofcigarillos.Nosanepersonwouldbelievethatsomethinglikethatisworthyofthedeath.RegardingthepeopleonsocialmediaandofftheInternetwhoarguethatBrownwasshotbecausehewasathief,itishighlyplausibletosaythattheywouldbeoutragedovertheincidentiftheywerenotawareofBrown’srace.Wilson’stestifyingthatheassumedBrownwasasuspectbecausehewasholdingapackofcigarillosisracialprofilinginitself.Withoutanydescriptionsofasuspecttoworkwith(especiallysinceheappar-entlywasn’tevenawareofrobberyhavinghappened),therewasnoreasonforhimtoassumethatBrownwasathief.TherearealsothosewhoarguethatBrownwasshotbecauseWilsonfeltthreat

enedandthatthehomicidewasanactofselfdefence.Apoliceofficershouldbewelltrainedenoughtoknowhowtode-escalateasituationandhowtobloodlesslysubdueaviolentsuspect.IfhowWilsonactedduringtheconfrontationisthestandardforhowallpo-liceofficersact,thenmoreneedstobedoneabouttheevaluationofpolicepersonnel.

What about Sandra Bland? ThereweremanypointsinBrianEncinia’sarrestofSandraBlandthatwasunlawfullyconductedandinwhichheescalatedthesituation.WhenhefirstpullsBlandover,hesays,“Youmindputtingoutyourcigarette,please?”Tothis,Blandresponded,“Well,I’minmycar.WhydoIhavetoputoutmycigarette?”Itiscompletelywithinherrightstogoagainsthisrequestion.Itmakesyouwonderwhyhe’sbotheringwiththecigaretteinthefirstplace.It’salsopartofhisescalationoftheevent.Hegoesontotellher,“Wellyoucansteponout[ofthecar]now.”Sherespondswith“Idon’thavetostepout.”Herepeatedlytellshertostepoutofthecarandashebecomesagitated,hetellsherto,“StepoutofthecarorIwillyankyouout.”Heisnotallowedtoyankheroutofhercarunlesssheisposingathreat.Throughouttheentireencounter,henevergivesareasonforwhyhewantshertostepout.Hestatesthatheisgivinghera“lawfulorder”butneithertellinghertoextinguishhercigaretteortellinghertostepoutofhercarwithoutgivingaproperreasonforwhy,orwhatiscalleda“probablycause”,canbeconsideredalawfulorder(“10Things”). Blandwasverywellawareofherrightsthroughouttheentireordeal.Sheknewthathehadnorighttotellhertoextinguishhercigaretteifitwasn’tathreat,topullheroutofhercarifshewasn’tathreat,toarrestherwithoutreasoning.Shesaidthatsherefusestotalktohim,“otherthantoidentifymyself”beforesheiscutoff.WhenBlandstatedherrightsandwasposedtocallherlawyer,En-ciniaseemedtotakethatasachallengetohisauthorityandgotag-gressive.WhatisarguablytheworstthingthatEnciniadoesinthisvideoisyell,“GetoutofthecarorIwilllightyouup!”ashedrawshisTaser.Thisisaclearviolationofherconstitutionalrightsandisanactofexcessiveforceonbehalfoftheofficer.ATaseristhelastresortnexttoagun.Inascenariolikethis,ifheisunabletoprop-erlyde-escalatethesituation,heneedstowaitforbackuptoarrive.Hecouldalsohavegivenheraticketandwalkedawaycalmly.The

arrestwasterriblyconductedandwasnotsupposedtohavehap-penedinthefirstplace(“10Things”). AlreadymentionedinoneoftheTumblrposts,thereareinconsistenciesinherarrestpapers.OnPage2,shesaidthatshehasepilepsyandthatshetakesmedicationforit:Keppra.OnPage7,“No”iscircledforthequestionaskingwhetherornotshetakesanymedication.BasedontheOP’sspeculations,Page7ismorelikelytocontainfalseinformationduetothepossibilityofaforgedsignature.Ifthepolicewereunabletoprovideherwithpropermedicationduringherarrest,theyareviolatingtheirownpolicies.Although,thiswouldn’tbeasurprisetoanyoneastheywereunabletodosomethingassimpleascheckupface-to-facewithhereveryhourasperpoliceprotocol. Bland’stoxicologyreportsuggestedthatmarijuanawasfoundinherbody.TheTHClevelsweresohighthatonetoxicolo-gistsuggeststhathalfanouncetoanounceofitwouldhavehadtobeeatenfivehoursbeforeherdeath.Blandwasdetainedinajailcellforthreedays.Itisnotapossibilitythatshewouldhavechangedintothejumpsuitandhidweedonherfortwodayswithoutthemrealizing.Italsowouldhavehadtobeeatenbecausetheydefinitelywouldhavenoticedifshewassmokingit.Oneounceofweedistypicallyusedtomakesixtymarijuanacigarettes.It’simportanttounderstandjusthowmuchoneounceis.Thatistheamountusedforanentirebatchofbrownies.Shewouldn’thavewillinglyconsumedthatmuchmarijuanaasshewouldn’tbeabletorespondtoofficerswhentheycametocheckinonher.Anewpos-sibilitythatthispointsoutisthatsomeonecameinsidehercellandforcedhertoingestittohavesomethingtouseagainsther.Theevidencecontinuestoincriminatethepeopledetainingher. Anotherfactorinherarrestthatwasalreadydiscussedwasthepossibilityofheralreadybeingdeadwhenhermugshotwastaken.Accordingtoprotocol,mugshotsaretobetakenwhenthesuspectfirstarrives.ItisnotpossibleforBland’scomplexiontohavechangedsodrasticallyoverthecourseofafewhours.Firstoff,itishighlyunlikelythatshewasstandingupagainstawallinthatpicture.It’spossiblethathercorpsewasmanipulatedandlaidonthegroundwhenthatpicturewastaken.Youcanseethatthegraybackgroundofhermugshotmatchesupwiththecolourofhercell’sfloor.Youarealsotoldtolookstraightatthecamerawhentakingamugshot.Consideringhowtheyhadtreatedherthusfar,it

isunlikelythattheywouldhaveletherunfocusedandlifelesseyesslide.Itwouldhavebeenseenasanotherchallengeofauthority. Theinformationreleasedtothepublichadalsostatedthatshehadusedatrashbagtohangherselffromthe5footwallde-spiteBlandbeinga6foottallwoman.Theyalsostatedthatthejailcellinthepicturesreleasedtothepublicwereuntamperedwith.However,wecanclearlyseethatthereisabaginsidethetrashcan.Ifthescenewasreallyleftuntouched,justhowmanytrashbagsdidtheyputinsidethecellwithher?Everythinginsideajailcellissupposedtobebolteddownanyway,soit’snotplausiblethattherewouldhavebeenanymorebags.Ifthat’sthecase,whatwouldhavebeenthepointinreplacingthetrashbag?That’snothighonthelistofprioritieswhenyoucheckinonaninmateandseethemhangingfromtheceilingbytheirneck.Therearetoomanyincon-sistenciesbetweentheevidenceandtheinformationrelayedtousfortheretohavebeennofabricatingofinformationinvolved.Ofcourse,thereisalsothematteroftheuncoveredpictureofEncianainKluKluxKlan(KKK)clothingwhilewearinghispolicebadgeondisplay.Whyarethesethepeoplebeingallowedto“serveandpro-tect”civilians?

What is #BlackLivesMatter? Theterm“BlackLivesMatter”wasahashtagthatbeganonTwitterfollowingtheshootingofAfricanAmericanteenTrayvonMartinin2013.It’sexactlywhatitsoundslike.ItisnowthenameoftheactivistmovementintheUnitedStatesfightingagainstsys-tematicoppressionandpolicebrutality.Thehashtaghassparkedangerinmanypeople(themajorityofwhicharewhite)whobelievethattheyshouldbeincluded,creatingthehashtag#AllLivesMat-ter.Whatthesepeoplefailtounderstandisthat#BlackLivesMatterdoesnotequateto“yourlivesdon’tmatter”.Infact,thosepeoplewereneverevenmentioned.Whenyouseeahashtagandamove-mentthatworkstodestroysomethingasdeeplyingrainedintosocietyandhistoryasracism,andthefirstthingyouthinkis,“Whyaren’tIincluded?”,youneedtoreevaluateyourself,yourinternal-izedracismandrealizeyourprivilege.

WhiteFeminism.

lslamicOppression.

What White Feminists always fail to realize is the fact that the Islamic religion does not force a woman to coverherself. It is her choice to do so. Does that mean that there aren’t women who are forced to cover up? No.

But saying, “Their religion is oprressing them! We need to help!” is just plain insensitive.

ReverseRacism.

Sorry, white people, but you can’t experienceracism. Reverse racism just isn’t a thing. You may have been oppressed by classism or sexism, but not racism.

Never racism.

White Feminism

What is “White Feminism”? What about “white privilege”? Let’sgetonethingoutofthewaybeforesomeonestartsgettingdefensive.BeingafeministwithwhiteskindoesnotmakeyouaWhiteFeminist.So,beingawhitefeministdoesnotmakeyouaWhiteFeminist.However,WhiteFeminismiscalled‘WhiteFeminism’becausethemajorityWhiteFeministsarewhitefeministsandthemajorityofwhitefeministsareWhiteFeminists.DoesbeingaWhiteFeministmakeyouabadperson?No.DoesbeingaWhiteFeministmeanyouneedtakeastepback,reflect,listen,andlearn?Yes. ‘WhiteFeminism’isatermusedtolabelamethodofprac-ticingfeminism.Themethodoutlinesasetofbeliefsthatallowsforignorancesurroundingissuesthatspecificallyaffectwomenofcolour.Itisa‘onesizefitsall’typeoffeminismwherethe‘onesize’isyouraveragestraight,cisgender,middleclasswhitewoman.WhiteFeministsbelievethatallwomen(includingwomenofcolour)experiencemisogynyinthesamemanner.Theyfightforawoman’srighttosaunteraroundtopless,butbashaMuslimwoman’srighttocoverherself.TheycryoutabouthoweverywhitewomaninAmer-icamakes78centstoeverywhiteman’sdollar,butaredeadsilentwhenablackmanpointsoutthathemakesevenlessthantheydo.Theyassumethatallwomenofallcultureswantthesamething(Young,C.).Whydoesawhitewoman’sversionof‘equality’needtobeour‘equality’? Wheneverawomanofcolourdiscusseswhitefeminismwith-inthecontextofhowmainstreamfeminismbenefitswhitenessmorethanwomenofcolour,shefacesanonslaughtofdefensivewhitewomentryingtodistinguishthemselvesfromWhiteFeministsbysaying,“I’mnotlikethat!”and,“Wouldyoupleasestopgeneralizingallwhitewomen?Justsay‘somewhitewomen’.”AWhiteFeminist’sreactiontointersectionalfeminismisaman’sreactiontofeminism.Theyscornmenforsaying“Notallmen,”buttheyturntheirbackstousandsay“Notallwhitewomen.”Hey,that’sactuallyagreatexampleofwhiteprivilege.Someone’stryingtheirbesttoholdaconversationabouttheissuesthatWoCfaceandaWhiteFeministimmediatelydisregardsherargumentsbysayingthattheir,“feelingshavebeenseverelyhurtandIdon’tfeelwelcomehere”.

We’reabouttoexpandonwhat‘whiteprivilege’means,butthere’ssomethingweneedtoclarify.ThelasttimeIclarifiedsomethinginthissectionwastomakethedistinctionbetweenwhitefeministsandWhiteFeminists.NotallwhitefeministsareWhiteFeminists.However,allwhitefeminists,asdoallwhitepeo-ple,havewhiteprivilege.AwhitepersoncouldbethemostraciallyawarebeingonEarth.Theycouldbeconsciousoftheissuesthatpeopleofcolourfacelikeculturalappropriation,racialstereotyping,andpolicebrutality.Theycouldbeusingtheirplatformtospeakupontheseissues.TheycouldevenberaciallybiasedtowardsPoC.Buttheystillbenefitfrominstitutionalizedracism.Whenitcomestowhiteprivilege,itdoesn’tmatterwhat’sgoingoninsideaslongasthepigmentofyourskinispaleenoughtobelabelled‘white’.Whiteprivilegeiswhitepeople’sprivilegetohaveanemployerchoosethemoveraHispanicwomanwithbettercredentialsthanthembecauseherskinisbrownandhernameisAlejandra.It’stheirprivilegetonothavetheirlivelihoodtakenawaybecauseofraciststereotypesthatwerecreatedforpoliticalpurposes.It’sawhitewoman’sprivilegetowearskimpybikinisandbeupheldasthestandardofbeautyforwomenallovertheworld.It’sawhiteman’sprivilegetomurdernineblackpeopleinareligioussettingandbeescortedtoBurgerKinginapolicecar.It’sawhiteperson’sprivilegetowearahoodieandwalkdownthestreetatnightwithoutbeingfollowedandshot.HadMichaelBrownbeenwhite,wouldDarrenWilsonbeconvictedandputinjail?Yes.HadSandraBlandbeenwhite,wouldshehavebeenbodyslammedandarrestedforabrokentaillight?No. Whiteprivilegeallowswhitepeopletobeignorantofracialissuesthatpeopleofcolourfacebecausetheywillneverhavetoexperiencethem.Whiteparentswillneverhavetoteachtheirchildrentoputtheirhandsupintheairwhenacopconfrontsthemandtocomplytotheireverywill.Enoughblackchildrenhavehadthisexactconversationwiththeirparentsforittobewidelylabelledacrosssocialmediaplatformssimplyas‘TheTalk’.WhitepeopleneverhavetobeworriedaboutseeingtheircultureandreligionwornascostumesonHalloween.Peopleofcolourrespecttheircul-tureenoughtonotinsultthemlikethat.TheyareallowedtosaunteraroundaMuslimspacenakedwhiletellingMuslimwomentotakeofftheirclothesandjointheminthenameof‘equality’and‘femi-nism’.IfMuslimwomenworetheirhijabsandburqastoachurch

withmoreclothesintowandtoldallthewomentoputthemon,they’dbearrested. Thisprivilegeisalsothereasonwhyawhitepersoncannever,underanycircumstance,experienceracism.Racismistheinstitutionalizedoppressionofaracethatissupportedbyinstitu-tionsinasocietythatissolelybasedonaperson’smembershipinthatrace.Sure,aswhitepeoplesoeloquentlystatewithredfaces,they“haveproblemstoo!”Sorry,butdotheseproblemsstemfromtheirskincolour?Arewhitepeopleexclusivelybannedfromballetgroupsbecauseofthestereotypethattheycan’tdance?No.Infact,it’sblackwomenwhoarebannedbecausetheyarestereotypically‘toocurvy’todanceproperly.Whitepeoplecanexperiencepreju-dice,butneverracism.Whenyoudiveintosocialmedialookingforpostsaboutpeople’sexperienceswithracism,youcomeacrosssomeWhiteFeministssayingthatlessattentionneedstobeonpeopleofcolourbecausethey’retheoneswith‘realproblems’.Youcomeacrossthingslikethis:

Oh no! I think I’m a White Feminist! What do I do?! Firstofall,thankyouforacknowledgingthisaboutyourself.Thefirststeptofixingaproblemisalwaysfindingtheproblem.Ifyou’reaWhiteFeminist,youneedtostoppaintingyourselfasTheBiggestVictim,becausethat’snotwhoyouare.You’renotasoppressedasyouwantotherstothinkyouare.You’llbeslightedbecauseyou’reawoman,yes,butneverbecauseyou’reawhitewoman.Ifyouthinkthatdifferentracesdon’tfaceoppressiondif-ferently,orthatfeminismisstupidandisn’tneeded,it’sbecauseyou’reprivileged.Younotexperiencingracialdiscriminationdoesnotmeanthatitisn’treal. Now,totransitionfromaWhiteFeministtoafeminist,youneedtolearnaboutintersectionalfeminism.‘Intersectionalfemi-nism’isfeminismthatbelievesthatallwomenexperienceoppres-sioninvariousformswithvaryingdegreesofintensity.Intersection-alfeminismisn’tonlyinclusiveofpeopleofcolour,it’salsoinclusiveoftheLBGTQIA+communityandpaysattentiontoclassistissues.Feminismisnotaboutfightingfortherightsofwhitewomen,itisaboutfightingfortherightsofalloppressedpeoples.Ifyou’rewon-deringwhyfeminismalwaysgetssuchabadrep,it’sbecausethefeminismoftendepictedinmainstreammediaisWhiteFeminism.It’sobviousthatpeoplewillsneeratamovementthatcriesoutinsupportof#FreeTheNipplebutignoresacidattacksinIndia,theFergusonriots,andMuslimwomenwhohavetheirheadscarvespulledoffbypeopleshamingthemforwearingtheminpublic(Vidal,A.). Beinganintersectionalfeministdoesn’tbaryoufromfightingforawoman’srighttobreastfeedinpublic,butitdoesrequireyoutopayattentiontootherpeopleexperiencingoppression.There’snowayeveryoneinaworldasdiverseasourscanconformtoonesinglestandpointaboutanissuethatconcernsliterallyeveryone.Itrequiresyoutobeconsciousofthevariousvoicesinthemovementandtobesensitiveofallthecultures,races,andethnicitiesfightingfortheirrightsandfreedom.Educateyourselfontheproblemsthattheyfaceandbemoreattunedtotheiropinions.Alwaysrememberthatwhenyoureachapointwhereyoubelieveyou’veachievedequality,thereareothersstillstrugglingtohavetheirvoicesheard.Institutionalizedracismwillalwaysbepresentinaworldwherethepeoplewiththemostracialprivilegechoosetoignoreit.

Bibliography

“10ThingsAboutTheSandraBlandTrafficStopEveryTexanShouldKnow.”TexasStandard.TexasStandard,2015.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.texasstandard.org/shows/07222015/10-things-about-the-sandra-bland-traffic-stop-every-texan-should-know/>.

Bastone,William,AndrewGoldberg,andJosephJesselli.“”Witness40”:ExposingAFraudInFerguson.”TheSmokingGun.TSGIndus-triesInc.,16Dec.2014.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.thesmok-inggun.com/documents/unmasking-Ferguson-witness-40-496236>.

Black,William.“HowWatermelonsBecameaRacistTrope.”TheAt-lantic.AtlanticMediaCompany,08Dec.2014.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/how-water-melons-became-a-racist-trope/383529/>.

Danilina,S.“WhatIsPoliceBrutality?”TheLawDictionary.TheLawDictionary,2015.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://thelawdictionary.org/article/what-is-police-brutality/>.

“FergusonDocuments:OfficerDarrenWilson’sTestimony.”NPR.NPR,25Nov.2014.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.npr.org/sec-tions/thetwo-way/2014/11/25/366519644/ferguson-docs-officer-dar-ren-wilsons-testimony>.

Mehring,Jonathan.NYCPoliceBrutalityProtests.Digitalimage.JonathanMehring.NationalGeographic,2014.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.mehringphoto.com/nyc-police-brutality-protests/9ual-r4armm0226p4nurhwbzjegp4k5>.

Robert,Anthony,andGillianWilcox.“MichaelBrownShootinginFerguson.”AmericanCivilLibertiesUnionofMissouri.AmericanCivilLibertiesUnionofMissouri,2015.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.aclu-mo.org/legal-docket/michael-brown-shooting-in-fergu-son/>.

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Szalinski,Wayne.“ListofChineseInventions.”Ranker.Ranker,2015.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-chi-nese-inventions/wayne-szalinski>.

“TheCounted.”TheGuardian.GuardianNewsandMediaLimited,2015.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/jun/01/the-counted-police-killings-us-data-base>.

Vicens,AJ,andJaehLee.“Pentagon’sReportofMichaelBrown’sAutopsy.”MotherJones.MotherJonesandtheFoundationforNationalProgress,8Dec.2014.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/12/heres-dods-report-mi-chael-browns-autopsy>.

Vidal,Ava.“’IntersectionalFeminism’.WhattheHellIsIt?”TheTelegraph.TelegraphMediaGroup,15Jan.2014.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10572435/Intersectional-feminism-What-the-hell-is-it-And-why-you-should-care.html>.

“WhatIsRacialProfiling?”TheLeadershipConference.TheLead-ershipConferenceonCivilandHumanRights,2015.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://www.civilrights.org/publications/reports/racial-profil-ing2011/what-is-racial-profiling.html>.

Young,Cate.“ThisIsWhatIMeanWhenISay“WhiteFeminism””BattyMamzelle.BattyMamzelle™,10Jan.2014.Web.25Nov.2015.<http://battymamzelle.blogspot.com/2014/01/This-Is-What-I-Mean-When-I-Say-White-Feminism.html#.UtBGy2RDsb4>.

What’s Up?

Social media is a platform in which people can share their rawest emotions and innermost thoughts under the guise of ‘anonymity’ and, of course, the safety of sitting behind a screen. It’s kind of like yelling into a black void, tbh. In here, you’ll find a collection of posts from Twitter and Tumblr that are reactions to

racist events and opinions on racial topics thatcentre around the 21st century. Absolutely nothing about the posts have been altered or censored. They’ve

been sorted into four categories: CulturalAppropriation, Racial Stereotyping, Police Brutality,

and White Feminism. At the end of each segment,enjoy my angsty interpretations of each topic.

Soly