Good morning, y'all! Are you ready for some righteous rage to start your morning? Let's do this thing!
Today's video:
When my first novel came out, I was asked an interview question that implied that I had somehow invented Magical Realism. (I wish I was making that up.) This is the reason why I made a point to answer the question giving credit to the Latin American authors who had created the movement in 1933. Fortunately, I was only asked that question a handful of times, but yes, cultural appropriation is an issue in literature, not just fashion.
Just like sexism affects men negatively (in that any feminine trait in a male is ruthlessly repressed) racism affects all women regardless of race through racist standards of beauty. White women aren't always the most appropriate people to address all issues about racism. (Just as white men aren't always the most appropriate people to address sexism.) But not doing so at all contributes to the support of systemic racism. So, there you are. It's complicated like so many of humanity's problems.
Call for action: Jen Hofmann's Action Checklist for Americans of Conscience (you!)
Literature/Entertainment: I really want to see Feud. Feud: Inside Ryan Murphy’s Heartbreaking Tribute to Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. I remember watching The Mirror Crack'd (1980) and thinking, "Holy shit. Are women actually this awful to one another?" At the same time, the dialog is amazing-- Marina Rudd: Lola, dear, you know, there are really only two things I dislike about you. Lola Brewster: Really? What are they? Marina Rudd: Your face. Pow! Zing! I do remember hearing it was based on rivalry between Davis and Crawford. What I didn't know is that the studio execs created and encouraged the rivalry to punch up headlines in the gossip magazines. Yikes. Next up: The Year That Upended Women’s Fashion—and Nearly Everything Else. And MOONLIGHT AND THE PRESERVATION OF BLACK MANHOOD. And: ‘These Books Can Help’: Reading to Kids About Immigration and Refugees. General: This Engineer Was Detained For Hours at U.S. Airport For Not Looking Like An Engineer. That bullshit has to stop. Also, this: Thousands of ICE detainees claim they were forced into labor, a violation of anti-slavery laws. For profit prisons have to be abolished. NOW. Despite Federal Law, Some Rural Hospitals Still Turn Away Women in Labor. Originally, I discovered this information via another article with more details. However, it's not a website that I'm familiar with. So, I'm not inclined to directly link to it. Nonetheless, this is but one of the many factors contributing to higher infant/mother mortality birth rates--including more accurate data-collection. And because labor/work-related issues (regarding safety and low pay) often hit women and minorities harder than white men: How Uber Deceives the Authorities Worldwide. And a piece on Anya Berger who heavily influenced the English-speaking left on issues of race, gender and class: Life in the Margins. Here's What It's Like to Be Muslim in the Bible Belt in 2017. I gotta add although it's far less dangerous, it's not a whole lot of fun to be Catholic or Pagan in the Bible Belt either. We must stand up to the politics of demonization. And, Why Escaping Poverty Isn’t Nearly as Easy as People Think. Lastly, Meet the Somali Woman Revolutionizing Our Social Justice Conversations.
2 Comments
Chris
3/6/2017 10:17:03 am
It has been many years, but the Catholic Church in my parents hometown in rural Alabama was burned down in the 1950s. Until a new church was built, services had to be held in what was essentially a strip mall, or parishoners had to drive to the next town over. It was probably frightening for the Catholics who lived in town when the church burned, but I imagine that it is a lot more frightening to be Muslim or Jewish in the United States these days.
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stina
3/6/2017 10:23:44 am
Exactly! A *lot* more frightening. It's also a strong possibility that if we don't protect Muslims from that danger, that hostility *will* spread to other groups.
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