#and that oppression is the product of individuals all together choosing to hurt others for their own gain

[shirkers2018dirsanditan]

The pressing issue was land. In the post-Civil War years, Black-freedom advocates such as Edward P. McCabe proposed flooding Indian Territory with Black towns, establishing the demographic foothold for a future Black-majority state. As the chronicler A. G. Stacey wrote at the time, “There is a secret political society in existence . . . which is based upon the principles of Negro advancement, mentally and morally, and the future control of Oklahoma whenever it shall become a state.” The creators of such plans were blind to the concerns of Indians and did not hesitate to align Black and white settlers against them. Frederick Douglass assured a crowd in 1869, “The negro is more like the white man than the Indian, in his tastes and tendencies, and disposition to accept civilization.” Where the Indian “rejects our civilization,” he went on, “it is not so with the negro. He loves you and remains with you, under all circumstances, in slavery and in freedom.”

Gayle is not wrong to name Claude Cox and Alexander Posey as anti-Black racists. The more interesting question, however, is how their racism was shaped by concerns for their people, their polities, and their dwindling land. At the Sequoyah Constitutional Convention of 1905, several tribes sought to establish an Indian state from Indian Territory, bringing a petition to Congress that was swiftly rejected. The secretary to that convention was Posey, a complicated, sometimes contradictory thinker who was devoted to the politics and the aspirations of his tribe. To see his racism clearly is to see a desperate collision between the ambitions of Black and Native peoples.

....

When it comes to belonging, two cultural problems intertwine. Black Creek claims to Creek identity—at least in Gayle’s account—tend to be genealogical, full of blood essentialisms, and sometimes disengaged from the ongoing vitality of Muscogee culture. Figures such as Jake Simmons, Jr., for instance, seem to care most about leveraging Black success out of Native citizenship, leasing and selling Creek land to corporations. At the same time, the historically rooted culture of Muscogee anti-Black racism is not merely abhorrent but unsustainable, offering no path to the future for anyone involved. When it comes to citizenship, two political problems intertwine. Native sovereignty, in the American context, rests upon the legal authority of treaties. So, too, do Black rights to Native membership. The various arguments about Native identity bounce between cultural ties and political claims, all exuding moral authority but none fully authoritative. In this sense, one of Gayle’s maxims proves compelling: Black Creek stories, rich with both the subtleties and the crudenesses of America’s racial history, force us all to contemplate new forms of reckoning.

[linkspooky]

He is Always Alone

The Promised Neverland is a manga about the power of family and connection, but it also explores the opposite the effect isolation, and surviving alone. This has always been a theme with Norman’s character, one of the most complex characters in the manga for his good intentions which always serve to sacrifice himself, and isolate himself further. Let’s explore the effects of Norman’s fatal flaw underneath the cut. 

1. Norman and Gillan are the Same

The extent to which the manga went into Gillan’s backstory was not just there to give more emotional depth to a few of the demon characters and present them as fully rounded individuals that have the same thoughts and feelings that humans do. The point of the flashback was to show how alike Norman, Gillan was, especially in noble intentions. 

The comparison between them is there to show that being a good person has nothing to do with trauma, as trauma and isolation effect all people equally. Even those that try to stand above others and make the world better the same way that Norman and Giran once did. 

Gillan was precisely a demon against the system of mass production that Norman is currently fighting against with everything he has. And a noble that actually acted as leadership for the good of the people instead of the oppressive, self-serving royalty that Norman assumes them to be. 

Not only did he question the system of mass production, but he also searched for a way for demons to continue existing without needing to consume humans. Which is the opposite of what Norman assumed of the Royal family, that they all tried to kill her because she stood in the way of their own interests. 

Gillan’s fight is also just like Norman, against an entire world that wants to deny his existence. Gillan wants to do the right thing, to fight for ideals that cannot exist in a world built on a system that exploits the masses for the self interest of a few people. He’s trying to make his ideals come true in a world that utterly denies individuality from its broken system. The same way in which Norman wants to make Emma’s impossible dreams come true in a world that denies their humanity and treats them as nothing more than food. 

In this system set up by the demon royals, individuality does not exist except for a select few at the very top. Even for the demons they are oppressed by this system, as for the most part the commoners can starve en masse at any time. They are not regarded as people, as individuals, this is how utterly dehumanizing the system in which the world is built around is. Not only that but individuals like Gillan who try to change things are often trampled down. 

What Gillan and Norman fight against is an entire world that denies their existence, their individuality, that denies their dreams for a better world and dismisses them as impossible and does not even allow them the notion of dreaming. Because Norman and Gillan do not exist in this world’s eyes, Gillan is a traitor cast out, and Norman is just food. 

They are both exiled. They are both isolated specifically by the queen’s actions. Itw as the queen who sent Norman to Lambda, and it was the queen who betrayed Gillan. The masses are sheep who can starve at any time, the children who are cloned and farmed are nothing more than cattle. Nobody is allowed to be an individual in this society, and even Gillan’s anger at centuries of exile is just laughed off by the queen. His anger is not even allowed. 

What breaks both Norman and Gillan however is not just that their personhood is denied by the entire world, but when they become isolated from their families. The ones who validate who they are as people the most. The people who recognize them, who know them the same way they know themselves. 

Gillan not only losing his family, but also devouring his own family is what makes him truly isoalted from the world. It’s at that point Gillan only starts to think about revenge. It becomes his only reason for continuing to live, because the people in his life he can no longer live for his family. 

In a way, Gillan is also living for others. He is continuing to live for the sake of the people he devoured, all alone. But that too, isolates him. Because in acting for others, Gillan no longer knows what his own goals are. In isolation he forgets who he is, or what he originally wanted, and falls so far from his original self he does things that the original Gillan would have considered abhorrent for the sake of his revenge. 

That Gillan is no longer the person he once was. And the thing that signifies that he is permanently changed is his willingness to harm innocent, and uninvolved children. His intentions to live for the sake of others, get mixed up with his own personal hatred and trauma from the years he spent alone in exile. Gillan himself cannot tell the difference anymore in what he is doing because he thinks it is justice, and what is just hurting others the same way he has been hurt, and this is the way isolation effects everybody. 

Everybody gets lost when they are isolated. Everybody loses sight of themselves. Once he decided it was alright for him to harm children, whatever the reason was became invalid. Seven hundred years of effort, the sacrifices of everybody who let themselves be devoured so he could live, in the end all of that was not enough to justify killing children. 

2. Norman Forgot that He was a Child

The manga called “promised neverland” where children are never allowed to grow up and harvested for food, is pretty clear about the fact that children are something that are always to be proteted even on the enemy side. 

When he decided to kill children who were uninvolved for the sake of his revenge, Gillan forgot what it was he was originally fighting for. That he wanted to make the world a better place where children would not be forced to starve. Not to just repeat the world’s misery by inflicting it on someone else. This is also distinctly something that happens when Gillan loses his own wife and children. Gillan loses the children he wanted to protect, and Norman not only is separated from his family but loses his entire childhood and his ability to grow up in the first place due to the experimentation. 

Norman, dying as he is can no longer grow up, or share a future with everyone even if he wanted to. He is giving everything he has to die for the sake of a paradise that he himself will never grow up to see. 

Norman similiarly loses sight of his goal. What he wants is to create a world that is a paradise for children, where they are no longer harmed. He exists in a system where cattle chldren are dehumanized, and killed for the sake of demons who sit on the ruling party of the world. His friends must continually be sacrificed over and over again for the sake of the peace and prosperity of demons. 

Norman himself forgets there are children on the enemy side who while they do benefit from the system are also uninvolved. They were just born into the system the same way that Norman, Emma and Ray were born cattle children. If it’s unfair to kill and eat the cattle children just for being born as cattle in a world of demons, it’s also unfair to kill the children on the side of the demons just for being born the children of demons. 

If children on one side are innocent then all children are innocent. 

Norman is trying to build a paradise for children, by destroying children on the enemy side. He says that the world is not kind enough that they can choose to be kind to their enemies, while at the same time his goal is to build a much kinder world. He’s trying to build a kinder world ignoring the hatred and fear that his new world will be built on.

Norman dehumanizes his enemies the same way he was dehumanized. He loses sight in the innocence of children, because Norman has had his own innocence stolen away from him. 

Norman attempts to carry the burdens of everybody else the same way that Gillan does, he believes he is doing this for the sake of everyone, but that’s only something that serves to further isolate him. What he wants is to be together with his family again, but all of his actions drive him further and further away from them. 

Norman, all alone loses sight of the beauty of the world. The reason he is fighting in the first place because when he’s left to fester with his own emotinos, his anger and hate cannot help but pile up. When he is all alone with no one supporting him he cannot allow himself to feel weak because his brain is stuck in permanent survival mode. 

He does this all for the sake of his family, but he does it alone. And that’s also guilt on Norman’s part, he no longer believes he is the person he once was and therefore he cannot be with his family anymore. He is not allowed to be with them. But his actions of isolating himself, of only acting for the interests of others, of continually sacrificing himself for other people in trying to make their own happiness come true if Norman can no longer live long enough to reach his happy ending, is that Norman is intentionally throwing himself away. 

And the reason Norman has matured so quickly, the reason he stands tall like an adult despite being the same age as Emma and Ray, the reason he pretends to have a different name and becomes a different person entirely is because he’s forgotten the fact that he was a child. 

The same way Gillan forgot he was once normal, Norman forgets he was a child. He forced himself to forget because he continually told himself he needed to be strong for other people. That being strong was never being scared, never feeling his own emotions. 

In isolating himself Norman also distances himself from his own emotions. It’s a coping mechanism to protect him. Because there were times where he had no choice but to be strong. If he had felt fear or hesitated it would have all been over for him. But the problem is Norman is now stuck in that way of coping. Even surrounded by other people now, even when he is no longer alone he continues to isolate himself, he continues to distance himself from his own emotions. 

Norman’s way of appearing strong is to do so for other people. If he is the savior of the other Lambda kids then he is strong for their sake in a way he cannot be strong for his own sake. Norman believes himself to be a weak person at his core, and is always far too sensitive, far too kind for the world around him, so he must continually pretend to be a person he is not. He pretends, to want revenge like the Lambda kids do because he thinks that is what they want to see in him. He pretends to not be sick in front of them because they need to see him as their strong savior. He pretends he is not a victim the same way they are, but rather the savior who destroyed Lambda. 

Norman was never victimized because he burned Lambda. He was not weak, because he saved the other Lambda kids when they were weak. 

He does not believe he is sufficient enough for the people around him, so he always pretends to be someone else for their sake. He continually throws himself away, he kills himself every day and his own heart because he’s continually trying to live for the needs of others instead. He is trying to be what he perceives others want him to be because he thinks that is what is best. It’s Norman’s tendency to take on the burdens of everyone else, then believe he himself is not enough to carry those burdens so he tries to become someone else, William Minerva, a Devil, A God. He’s not allowed to be a helpless child, he’s not allowed to be scared, so he forces himself to grow up and mature faster than anyone else for their sake.

The reason isolation is so devastating, that it completely destroys Norman and makes him lose sight of himself is because for doing everything for the sake of other people, Norman himself forgets what he wants. 

And what saves Norman is not being strong alone. It’s not completing his goal of justice, or making Emma’s dreams come true. It’s Ray and Emma both accepting Norman for the person he is, reminding him that he is still a child. 

That’s the importance of children in this world. They are the future. When Norman is reminded that he’s a child once more, he begins to actually think about the future again. A world where children are allowed to be children. A world where children grow up. Norman can only be reminded of this when his isolation breaks and his family reminds him who he is once more. 

[bootymacaroni]

Colorism: Anti-blackness in the Black Community

Racism is something that there is no hiding it still very prominent in the world today. Black folx and POC do not face the same burdens as our ancestors, but there seems to be this notion among Black Americans that we must be black before anything else. We must carry the burdens of our past on our backs even if we are not still facing the same burdens as those that fought for use to have the life and privileges that we have now.  

We all know that know that racism is real, alive and sadly apart of our “American Culture”, but what no one seems to want to talk about or admit to being a real thing is that anti-blackness and racism in the Black Community. 

Colorism or shadeism is a real problem, not only here in America, but also in Latin America, East & Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa. 

Outside of the US, colorism is seen more from a class perspective than White Supremacy, White skin was seen as superior due to the ruling classes at the time having lighter complexions. Peasants developed tans from working outside, and because of this, having light skin meant you were able to receive employment opportunities, while their darker counterparts did not.

In order to even begin fighting against colorism, we need to first define it, it’s origins and its history. 

For starters, colorism has been around since as early as 1619, but back then it was more commonly referred to as colorphobia or “Negreophobia”. It wasn’t until Alice Walker,  an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist best known for her publication for the novel “The Color Purple”, was credited for being the first to use the word colorism. Walker defined colorism as, the prejudicial or preferential treatment of the same race of people based solely on their skin tone. 

There is no denying that colorism originates as lighter skin tones being more favorable than darker skin tones. Colorsim began because during slavery times, light skinned slaves had the privilege of working doing domestic tasks, while dark skinned slaves worked in the fields. Light skinned children were not acknowledged as the offspring their slave owners, which still lead to them being treated better than darker skinned slaves. This meant that light skin was considered to be an asset in the Black Community. 

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the “Paper Bag Test” was introduced in order to see if you were going to be permitted into special social clubs for those considered to be “free slaves”. A paper bag was placed up to your skin and if you were the same color of the paper bag or lighter you were granted access to the spaces and were considered for hire. If you were darker, you were not granted access and looked over for hire. 

Colorism also stemmed from the fact that black slaves were not allowed to be educated. This lead to black individuals believing that having an education was “anti-black”. Many believed that “schools and blacks don’t go together”. Many black kids were teased and mocked for “acting white” because they were viewed as thinking they were better than their peers. Kids were sought out and asked to spell words or answer math questions and if they answered correctly they were beaten up. Gifted black students had to choose between peer acceptance or intellectual achievements. Most chose acceptance. This is why many believed that kids didn’t do well in school. 

Along with all of this, the black community struggles with internalized racism. Internalized racism or internalized oppression is a conscious or unconscious acceptance of racial hierarchy in which whites are constantly ranked above POC. This can be shown by having beliefs in racist stereotypes, adaptations of white cultural standards, and thinking that supports the status quo ( denying that racism exists ). 

Because of this internalized racism, black women, more commonly dark skinned black women, are seen as incapable of processing information, thinking or succeeding independently, are unintelligent, undesirable or beautiful, need to be dominated or “tamed”, and are constantly talked down upon and insulted, and because of this white skin became greatly desired. 

White skin was so coveted that skin lighten creams are some of the best selling products in the US, Asia, and many other Nations. 

None of this is a secret when it comes to the history of dark skinned black women, but still more knowledge, understanding, compassion and acknowledgment are needed around these subjects and they pertain to dark skinned black women and the racism and colorsim they have faced for decades and still continue to have to deal with today. 

With that being said, there is another aspect of colorism we still need to face because too many in the black community either think it is not a thing, or do not wish to believe it is a real problem and that is the black eraser of light skinned blacks. 

Creoles in Louisiana were told “You’re too white to be black and you’re too black to be white”. We are all aware that racial features play power roles in who gets ahead in the world and who does not. These factors determine who gets hired, who gets convicted and who get elected. We still can not separate these very painful stereotypes of colorism from misogyny, mostly because of the fundamental fact that light skinned blacks heritage in the US stems from the practice of sexual slavery, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation in American Slavery. Because so many slave owners were having offspring that were still considered slaves, rules such as the One Drop Rule were put into place. The One Drop Rule stated that if even one of distant relative was black, you were black, or at the very least “definitely not white”. 

There seems to be this notion that a light skinned black is somehow not black, but at the same time they are not white? So what are they? I have been told many times that I have to refer to myself as mixed, I’m not allowed to identify as black, but that I have to refer to myself as bi-racial. Yes, I am bi-racial, meaning i am 2 races, black and white, I am both, and at the same time neither. When it comes to mixed black individuals they are looked down on by those that, don’t suffer the same plight as, but understand the harsh situation because they suffer their in the own way. There seems to be this century long pissing contest to see who will win the most oppressed Olympics and its disheartening to see that after all theses years we as a community can not word to dismantle this internalized racism. 

Dark skinned black folx and light skinned black folx do not suffer in the same ways, but they should acknowledge the suffering of each other. The more we a divided among ourselves the harder it is going to be for us to actual heal, and grow. We as a whole need to work together to dismantle colorism before it destroys us. 

The following are ways that we can work to dismantle colorism:

1. SELF: Do you show preference? Do you assign hierarchy to skin tone?

Work on your own self hate

Be mindful of your reactions

Take pride in people that look like you

Mourn how you have been treated

Acknowledge your privilege

2. Family, Infant & Colorist Language

Do not make comments on your infants hair texture. Refrain from comments like “I hope their hair isn’t nappy” or “I hope you get your moms straight hair”

Do not make comments about your infants nose. A large nose is seen as “too African”. There have been studies that have shown mothers pinching the bridge of their babies nose in order to make it smaller.

It is a well ingrained belief that the ears, knuckles and knees are the areas that are strong indicators of how dark your child will turn out. “I hope he doesn’t get too dark“

3. Family & Colorist Language:

We can actively check the members of our family for their use of colorist language. “My sister is beautiful the way she is. Saying she is pretty for a dark skinned girl is hurtful”, “Kinky hair is great hair. Texture is normal. White/Latin/Asian parents, do not lose your composure when doing your child’s hair. Watch some tutorials if you are struggling. Speak up and protect even if you are scared you will meet resistance. 

4. Men. Black men have no idea how painful it is to men and women when they scan a room and make it obvious that their choices are based on colorism. 

Acknowledge your privilege in this area. Men carry the bulk of the power in maintaining colorism inside the community. No matter how many times the womanists may clap back, most black women who want a black man as a lover/life partner/husband, seek to be considered desirable to the men in their culture. The rejection by men because of the womans’ hue is most painful. While it is not fair that colorism was handed down to men, a contribution towards dismantling it will go a long way - for generations to come.  Avoidance of a woman for the concern of how the children will come out is akin to eugenics.

5. Church If possible, ask the pastor if you can read these solutions to the congregation. 

6. Young Children

Control the TV to the best of your ability for your younger children so that they don’t internalize colorist messages. Small children are impacted by pictures more than words. Images on TV permeate so powerfully tot he point that black children continue to view a white person’s image as superior to that of a black person’s image. 

7. Children

Teach boys not to assign girls value based on color hierarchy. Girls are more like to be on the receiving end of being permanently placed on colorist base hierarchy. 

Teach girls not to make fun of dark skinned boys. We cannot afford anymore Tommy Sotomayors. We owe it to the next generation. 

Teach boys and girls about colorism and how to not use colorist language. 

8. Rich Black Hollywood/Alanta

They have the power and money to produce films and cast any way they wish. Let them know that there is no need to pander and beg for casting and EGAT awards. Produce and lead. Issa Rae has already demonstrated that content is king, no matter the medium

9. Employment

Employment law is indeed on the side of stamping out colorism. It can’t be denied that lawsuits are correcting colorism in the workplace. Nothing can put cooperate America in its place more than a lawsuit. It’s well known that companies actually have to abide by protected class laws and protect black people from discrimination experienced in the workplace not only from white people but also from black people. 

“In short, radical protest through calling out the perpetrators of colorism is necessary. We may lose some friendships but it will be worth it for subsequent generations to not being raised with self-revulsion and to heal. We need to do this in order to better our communities and ourselves.” - Suzanne Forbes-Vierling

[rustandyearnings]

I am writing to you from the 51st anniversary of the My Lai massacre that took place during the American war on Viet Nam. It was a brutal slaughtering of at least 500 people, women, children, and men in a small village on the claim that there were active Viet Cong (communist) or VC sympathizers in a neighboring village. That March of 1968, the Charlie Company of the Americal Division’s 11th Infantry Brigade, led by Lt. William Calley, raped, mutilated, and opened fire on the My Lai village. No Viet Cong. Only a few weapons. This was covered up for nearly two years before a soldier in the 11th Brigade broke rank.

This piece of my people’s history alone is enough for me to be born with every bone in my body refusing the U.S. declaration of freedom of democracy. This refusal is not only historical, it is current. I cannot be a person of this experience and believe that U.S. intervention in Venezuela is in the service of the Venezuelan people; that U.S. intervention and occupation anywhere (and the list, past, current, and either directly or through proxy, is very long: Libya, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Colombia, Palestine, Korea, Guatemala, Philippines, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Cuba, Brazil…) is never in the interest of oppressed people, working people, poor people.

I do not claim any authority on what it means to be of Viet diaspora, or to belong to the many generations of people from many different nations who have had to flee or escape or cross oceans to breathe easier. The pain is very deep, it has traveled very far, to nearly every inch of this planet. It is confusing, it makes life difficult. It complicates political work on the basis of individual experience and not on the basis of collective imperative to change the violence which confuses us.

But I do claim authority on being a product of history, which is not as simple and one sided as so many of us are led to believe.

I know that most people coming up in the U.S. in the decades following the American war have read at least 2 paragraphs about the project of “U.S. democracy” in Southeast Asia. Simultaneously, they, me, all of us, have also read and eaten up the thinly veiled anti-communist and racist propaganda accompanying this vision. We’ve seen time and time again how powerful it is when capitalists, colonizers, and imperialists get to write history.

Do we really think a place like this has the interest of oppressed people in mind, ever? How could any colonial and imperialist organ such as NATO and the Pentagon have the right to give voice to democracy or justice? Have our individual pains twisted us up so badly that we have forgotten this is an empire we are talking about? Words mean things.

While writing this I had to Google “My Lai Massacre” several times, for fear that I would get the year wrong (1968) or that I would get the number of people slaughtered wrong (more than 500, at least) or in some twisted way, I would get the place wrong (My Lai village in Quang Ngai). To be frank with you, being of diaspora in this particular empire, during this particular moment, it is hard for me to recall any details of anything I have ever learned — about myself, about my people, about any people, really, subjected to the violence and vicious greed of war-mongering, colonial, and capitalist vultures. It’s truly a mind fuck. That is the point of empire, to make us crazy in every possible and every which way.

Part of this crazy making are the clever ways empire is able to isolate us, make us feel as if our pain is the only of its kind; that — especially for those of us living in the U.S. — it is separate and divorced from the pain experienced by those around the world. There are many of us pained. I don’t have exact numbers, but my vehement opposition to capitalism gives me enough confidence to say the number is probably about 7 billion, give or take the rich and the soulless (different and the same).

I believe there is also the crazy making of arrogance that sometimes we use to deal with our pain. We see this a lot and we struggle with it in large because we experience some relative pleasures and luxuries of organizing in the belly of the beast. State repression and police retaliation are still very real, I’m not saying our people aren’t targeted for offering political and tactical leadership. But there are some nuances here we should really strive to sit with if we call ourselves anti-imperialists and internationalists. And these nuances can only strengthen us, it contextualizes every struggle as a global struggle; it mandates that we all take our work and our futures seriously; it demands of us a rigor that is not just in word or thought, but in action.  

The left (lol) in the U.S. is fractured, it is damaged, it is traumatized. It really doesn’t have its shit together and we know everyone is busting ass to make sense of a situation that is almost incomprehensible in its scale and monstrosity. In our best moments, we are relentless and resilient and so capable. In our worst moments we are burn out, exhausted, and even harmful to and for each other.  I don’t really know what to do about or with this.

I’ve been thinking about war and I’ve been obsessed with pain and loneliness because I am human and maybe because the only way I’ve been able to deal with a great feeling of hopelessness is to dive into the things that terrify me the most.

There’s a cliche about being born alone and dying alone. I think it’s an extremely individualistic and selfish way to look at the world. We are seeped in a culture of vapid individualism; it’s very cruel that we hurt ourselves while being hurt. It makes me very sad but I get where it comes from. It comes from same mouth that says it’s totally reasonable that Jeff Bezos is a billionaire while Amazon workers pee in water bottles at work; the same mouth that contorts itself to convince us that it makes sense there are enough empty houses across this country to house every unhoused person and then more; the same mouth that twists and turns red lying about how one of the wealthiest countries in the world cannot afford to provide healthcare to all of its people; the same mouth that propagandizes about the redemptive nature of prisons when it is not Black people, indigenous people, immigrants, queer and trans people, disabled people or poor people who need to be redeemed; and of course the same mouth that says it’s possible for Juan Guaido to be the interim president of Venezuela while Donald Trump is the president of the U.S.

Perhaps the logistics of birth and death are singular, but after we are born, we live and before we die, we have lived a life that is wild, at times tumultuous; filled with mistakes, questionable decisions, bad, bad, bad decisions; but a life, for so many of us, all the more beautiful, interesting, worthy of something, because we chose to not be alone in our sorrow or alone in our struggle for liberation.

I will always choose to reach past the isolation, the crazy making, the arrogance, and the pain of it all — for something beyond, something so much bigger than all of us; something I know all of us deserve.

[sometimesalwaysmusic]

NEVERFRIEND

Neverfriend is set to release a new album called Strong Like a Girl, which includes an upcoming accompanying music video for the title track. They have planned an album release party at Mavericks for Saturday, June 15th. Read more to learn about the topics behind their songwriting, the diversity of their influences, and their new plans for releasing new music.

VITALS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfriend/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/neverfriend

Web: www.neverfriend.com 

Upcoming Release: Strong Like a Girl (Album, June 2019)

Upcoming Shows: Saturday, June 15th - CD Release Party, ft. Wyntr, Norse’s Thorn, & Hot Jupiter. 7:30PM. $10. Maverick’s. Ottawa, ON.

SA: How did this project come together for you guys? NF: The Strong Like a Girl album has been in the works for nearly two years.  We’ve had a few line up changes and as a result a few delays, but it was all for the best as the new members have added their flavour and we think the end product was certainly worth the extra time.

The title track Strong Like a Girl is a key song on the album as it is about putting an end to harassment, violence and abuse against women. Written on the cusp of the #MeToo movement, the song was inspired by our lead singer Gina’s personal experience with workplace sexual harassment over a 6 year period, the devastating toll it took on her life, and the courage it took for her to stand up to her predator.  And in the end, she emerged victorious and determined to tell her story so that others in similar situations can know that they are not alone and that there is hope if they too speak their truth. A video for the song is set to be released on June 13, 2019.

SA: What bands or musicians would you cite as the biggest influences on your sound? NF: This is a tough one. If you were to examine each of our Spotify playlists, you would see everything from Foo Fighters to Led Zeppelin and the Beatles to a wide range of 80’s hair metal to Slayer and Motorhead.   But traditionally we try to emulate the mix and mastering approach of Green Day and Paramore in terms of overall sound.

SA: Thus far in your career, what has been the band’s biggest success? NF:  That a tough one cause everyone’s definition of success is different.  In our case, we made a decision a few years back that success was touching one person’s heart with one of our songs...whether because the lyrics hit close to home for them, or the energy of the band or the groove of a song made them forget their day or made them feel just a tiny bit better about life.  That’s our version of success and from that regard, we’ve been doing alright!

SA: Conversely, what is the biggest challenge you have faced, and how have you dealt with it? NF:  This one is easier...finding time for everything we want to do as band!  We want to be gigging more, touring, writing more music, making more videos, connecting with fans and making new friends.  We want to connect with promoters, and radio jockeys, and music bloggers. We want to collaborate with fellow musicians and push the limits of our musical expression. And we also need to work our day jobs, and take care of day to day living stuff.  I don’t think anyone of us would hesitate for a second to do music full time if we could and that pull and tension is always there. Somehow though we’ve been able to find a balance...most of the time...because we never lose sight of our love for this band and for music making.  

SA: How do you guys approach the song-writing process? NF:  Usually it’ll start with Fraser coming up with a guitar riff of some kind and singing a hook wildly into a crappy phone app to capture the creative flow as it comes spewing out of him.  He’ll then ask us what we think, which is often Gina given her proximity. Her test is easy...if she can’t stop humming the hook, it’s a keeper. Gina then tries to flesh out the melody with the help of the rest of the band and matching the song feel and cadence to some of the many lyrics she’s continuously writing. Then the band massages the song structure and flow together, everyone works out their individual parts, and we lay down a rough recording of the song. Throughout, everyone’s ideas are welcomed. We’ve all been doing this long enough that no opinions will hurt our egos...likewise, we won’t hold back calling it if something sucks haha.

SA: What are your thoughts on the Ottawa music scene, and what are you looking to bring to it? NF: Ottawa has a flourishing music scene with a lot of great artists. We’ve seen it grow a lot over the last several years and it’s really exciting to be a part of it.  These days it’s incredibly hard to make a living in the music industry and most of us do it purely for the love of making music, often at our own cost.  Everyone is in the same boat. So we try to help in our own way by encouraging other bands and supporting each other…the same good vibes we feel from them.  

SA: Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming music video for Strong Like a Girl? NF:   We took the lead from Gina on this one given that it was her story.  She had the idea of inviting some of the strong women she knew to be part of the video, to stand in solidarity against harassment, abuse and all the other forms of oppression against women that happen on a daily basis, in every walk of life, all over the world.  It was shot and edited by Kristopher Chandroo, who also did our Hurts to Breathe video. The result was one of the video projects we’ve been the most proud to be associated with. So far the feedback we’ve received on the early previews of the video have been really positive and we can’t wait to share it with everyone on June 13.

SA: You get billed on your dream tour. Who would be on tour with you? NF:  Well it would be a hell of a tour with our varied musical interests! I don’t know that we can answer this one.  Our list would be so long it would be more like a touring festival! Ok, for starters it would include Metallica and Weird Al Yankovic.

SA: If you had to choose, what three records would you cite as most impactful on your sound in this group? NF:  See answer above.  Truthfully we can’t say we try to emulate any one (let alone three) bands or records. Neverfriend has prided itself on trying to be as unique as possible while still staying true to what we genuinely love to hear...heavy, groovy riffs, dynamics, emotional content, character.  As a result, we’ve been labeled everything from pop punk, rock, metal, alternative rock, etc. This likely speaks to all of our very varied and diverse musical backgrounds that range from 80s hair metal, punk, ska, heavy metal, rock, etc....all the way to opera and classical music.

SA: What comes next for you guys, post album-release, in 2019? Good luck this coming year! NF:  Thanks!! We think we may step away from the traditional “album release” approach and focus more on releasing our music song by song.  In this day and age, new material is king, and since we all have day jobs, the writing process for an entire album can be quite lengthy and is simply too long for fans to wait for.  By taking the “release one song at a time” approach we can keep writing and keep releasing new content, and also delve into some different sounds without committing an entire album to it.  It’s a win win, really.

[woodworkingpastor]

The need for vision -- Luke 4:14-21, Philippians 2:1-5 -- Sunday, October 3, 2021

How many of you have ever done a corn maze?

I never have, for no particular reason. And also—again for no particular reason—I have no great desire to pay for this particular experience. But I do sometimes wonder what it is like to wander around in a corn maze, lost, without any visual cues to help get your bearings. Imagine how helpful it would be to have a sense of your position relative to the entire maze—to have a vision of how what you are attempting to accomplish fits in with your actual surroundings.

This is what the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference has given us in our Compelling Vision statement, adopted at our first-ever online Annual Conference this past summer. Let’s take a moment and share these words in unison:

Together, as the Church of the Brethren, we will passionately live and share the radical transformation and holistic peace of Jesus Christ through relationship-based neighborhood engagement. To move us forward, we will develop a culture of calling and equipping disciples who are innovative, adaptable, and fearless.

I will be the first to admit that these words don’t exactly roll off the tongue. Writing helpfully concise vision statements like these can be a challenge, which is why I appreciate the “tagline” version of this statement:

What does it mean for us to serve a Savior who came and dwelled among us, then invited us to take his good news out to those who live around us? That’s for us to work out in our life together! Remember that our Annual Conference takes its cues from Acts 15, when the first generation of Christians encountered some situations in which faithful Jesus-followers had differing ideas about how to respond. The “Jerusalem Conference” arrived at a fascinating conclusion:

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us… (Acts 15:28).

The church arrived at a solution for the times in which they found themselves: not some prior time of their life, and not in some theoretical perfect time. They found a method of faithful witness for the times and places in which they lived—and with the people who were finding their way to their churches and seeking to follow Jesus with them. Their decision was distributed to other congregations through the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers leading them, and the work of the church continued.

Having heard from our Annual Conference that we are to give careful attention to these words, how will we respond in our generation? Two of our Sunday School classes are working at that by using the Compelling Vision study guide in their classes; we will take six of the next seven Sundays in worship to do the same.

The need for vision—our understanding of church

The study guide for our vision statement begins with Philippians 2:1-5, inviting us to consider how we experience Jesus in the local congregation.

I really love how Paul begins this section of Scripture:

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy (Philippians 2:1)

You’ll notice that the conversation about the church’s vision begins with Jesus. It doesn’t begin with our opinion about what the church is or should be; it doesn’t begin with our preferences about what the church is or should be; it doesn’t begin with what we perceive to be wrong with the world. It begins with how we are experiencing Jesus in the church.

The assumption in this statement is that our reply will be, “Oh yes, I’ve experienced this in my congregation. Let me tell you about how I am encouraged in Christ, how I have been consoled in love, how I have shared with the Spirit.” Our witness is based on our testimony. Two Sundays ago, I said that the first question people ask me about our church is almost always “how many members do you have?” Here are the qualities we ought to be asking about; when people ask us about Oak Grove, we ought to be able to tell them how we experience Jesus in our life together.

I saw an ad this past week for a church that seems to exist only online. In their advertising, they promised to deliver a “comfortable experience” and “some inspiration that will help you get through the week.” Who would argue with that? Paul might. We are not called to be the body of Christ to generate “comfortable experiences” or “sources of inspiration,” as if we are a factory that produces spiritual widgets and gadgets and other useful products. Our purpose is to shape the body of believers to increasingly resemble Jesus in our actions and attitudes. The problem with the product-centered vision of the church is that once you tire or no longer have need of the product—or if you don’t like the product the church is offering—then there is no longer reason to continue.

If the preacher doesn’t preach the sermons I want to hear;

The song leaders doesn’t choose my favorite songs;

They want me to wear a mask;

There aren’t enough people in my age group;

I don’t agree with their politics;

then we can just find another church that produces spiritual widgets and gadgets that are more to our liking, where you don’t have to be around people who disagree with you or challenge your thinking. A place where you can be “comfortable.”

Our calling is deeper; the takeaway question from Philippians 2:1 is “how have we known these things—especially in times when polarization and the pursuit of personal preferences is at an all-time high?” When the idols of individualism and consumer choice are reigning with great power, how has the experience of Jesus in your local congregation sustained you when the going was difficult? How has your passion for Jesus been nurtured by the local congregation?

What if we disciplined ourselves to answer that question about our church family? Before we talk about all the great work that connects us to the community, before we talk about how moving our music and worship is, before we talk about anything, we would be able to tell people, “Here is the difference our faith in Jesus is making in our lives.”

This is where Paul’s argument takes us. “So, you’ve known some benefits of following Jesus…fantastic! This is how it is supposed to be. Now here is more. Live this out with one another. Don’t live for yourself, live for others.” Our shared experience of being united with Christ moves us in the direction of like-mindedness. This is not a cult-like uniformity of thought and action, but instead a shared understanding of how our congregation relates to the world around us. The love for one another that has been formed through our experience of Jesus enables us to navigate the challenges of our own strong opinions. Rather than pushing us away from one another, our love for one another causes us to say, “You know, this person over here seems to think differently about a certain topic than I do. I don’t understand their opinion, but I know they take Jesus seriously. I wonder what they’ve figured out that I don’t yet understand?”

Remember the corn maze? The problem with the corn maze is like the some of the challenges facing the church—we think that we have all the information we need to navigate our present circumstances. But we don’t—we don’t have access to the bigger picture. If our first priority is our own opinion, or our own ideas, then what Paul describes here about

might not seem like good news…it might seem more like bad news.

When the Gospel feels like bad news

The love we have for one another in Jesus is vital for our life together, partly because when Jesus came to the neighborhood, he came to those on the margins. Jesus claimed this identity for himself when he was invited to read Scripture at the synagogue in Nazareth, reading the passage from Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

Where the vision of the church becomes difficult is when we proclaim the Good News of what we have found in Jesus, but it comes to people’s ears as bad news. If you have been living on the margins with no one to care for you and suddenly you find that there is a God and there is a group of people who will gladly call you their own; when you’ve had no place or position or status in the world but suddenly you come into the family of faith and find that there has been a place already set for you and people have been waiting for you to arrive, then this is surely good news.

But if you are the one who is oppressing the captives, or who benefits from the blindness of others, then the good news probably feels like bad news.

If you’re the one who has been badly hurt by someone close to you, then the good news of being forgiven by Jesus probably feels like bad news when you realized you’re to extend that to others.

If you’re the one who is insulted because of your race or skin color, then the good news that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female but all are one in Christ Jesus might start to feel like bad news when you realize returning blessing for cursing is the Jesus way.

If you’re the one who is wealthy, then the good news of God’s abundant riches might seem like bad news when it comes to sacrificially sharing your wealth with others.

But you see, the kingdom of God has never been intended as a consumer product whose benefits are evaluated through 5-star reviews and social media likes and consumer satisfaction surveys. Offering people some “inspiration to get them through the week” is a safe enough until we come face to face with the pain and brokenness of the world around us. And then we’re going to need to follow Jesus in the neighborhood.

What gives me hope that our new vision statement can be helpful is that Brethren faith and practice has always been at its best when we are building our faith and engaging the world, and not when we are “sitting on our blessed assurance” criticizing everything that is wrong with all we can see. Alexander Mack, Sr. and seven others started a movement based on shaping their lives after Jesus, loving one another, and inviting others to join them. Their commitment was not easy; following Jesus cost them their wealth and their homes. But they gained a measurable experience of Jesus in their lives.

[stasya-batkilin]

READING ASSIGNMENT

Anastasya Batkilin (1850581)

1) If I understood correctly, the idea of the “Ouija effect” is that in the past before everyone was able to own a phone that is capable to taking pictures and videos, we as a society relied on journalists to be there for any event that needed to be reported on and visually documented with pictures and “evidence”. However, now that we all have phones and cameras there is this “Ouija” like effect that people feel the need to document these events that they happen to witness, share and in a way report about them. For example, with hate crimes and police brutality being a very spoken and reported about topic in today’s media, most of the articles and informative texts that you read always include pictures or videos from the incidence that were filmed by bystanders or by the victims themselves. Sometimes, sharing these videos through the media isn’t always a good thing however, it is important to see those things because sometimes we turn a blind eye to some things just because we haven’t personally witnessed anything like that. But when you have video evidence of disgusting crimes being committed, people that choose to not believe, now have “evidence” and clear proof that change needs to happen.

2) Representation is like its own language that we use in all forms of art in order to convey a message and to represent a meaning. We use certain medias, symbols, images and so on in order to visually communicate something through art. These image representations are able to reflect the literal and physical aspect of things around us, however they are also able to show a deeper meaning coming from the artists perspective of our world and society without literally saying what it is. It also allows each individual to see their own meaning in the art pieces in a way. While there is definitely a message the artist tried to get across, it can be open to interpretations. While the representation system has its own rules, I feel as though art is very subjective and very much based of individuals feelings and opinions.

3) The Robert Frank's Trolly – New Orleans, 1955 photography is a great representation of Roland Bathes theory of the “true function of a photograph”. It is a great example because while looking at it from a denotative point of view, the photograph is a document and historical proof of segregation and hate crimes that were commented in USA history. However, it also can play an emotional, connotative effect on the viewer. Usually, people believe that emotions cannot go together with facts however, these types of photographs are a perfect representation of where these two elements connect. These types of photos are very important because we need to commemorate these images and emotions so we can learn from our mistakes in the past and never forget the feelings human expressions during these dark times. For example, WW2 is a horrible crime against humanity. Living in Israel for most of my life, these emotionally scaring images were shown to us all the time in order for us to never forget. Even though some people try to hide that past because they might be embarrassed of their ancestor’s actions, these types of things can never be forgotten and neglected. And that is why pictures that convey both denotation and connotation are very important.

4) The 3 elements of production of meaning include, codes and conventions, the viewers and lastly the exhibition and the viewing context. When it comes to the codes and conventions, from what I understand this means the basic ideas and meanings we get though media and our day-to-day life which allow us to get the general idea/message of the art piece that the artist is trying to show. Some examples of that can include the ideas of colors representing specific things and specific emotions like pink=love and black=death and so on. Or logos and themes from logos we see in our everyday life, like the apple logo. For the viewers element, this talks about the perspective the viewer is coming from while “viewing” the image. Each person can interrupter an art piece from their own point of view, perspective and emotions. At times, the general idea that the artist was trying to communicate can be seen though no matter what, however the viewer in the end of the day can have their own analysis and understanding of the deeper message. And lastly, the idea of viewing context is the surroundings and elements around the art piece that can influence the interpretation! In my opinion this doesn’t just include the exhibition or the objects its being presented with but also the artist, their background, culture, expectances, and all of those factors that are on a more personal level influence the meaning and interpretation of things. A good example that comes to mind while thinking of the idea of viewing context is tattoos! You can have a specific tattoo however, I find that it really depends on the person that tattoo is on, their personality and the style of their other tattoos (or maybe the lack of more tattoos) that all change my interpretation of the style and so on.

5) I find the idea of interpellation to be a bit complex but if I understood correctly, I believe Althusser’s theory of interpellation involves the idea of us as people being part of a society with different ideologies. We don’t have to believe in those ideas or agree with them, however we are still affected and surrounded by them each day. I’m not quite sure if I’m explaining it correctly, but for Althusser he believed that these ideologies are in a way like “rules” that are placed on us by society and there for restrict us or even oppress our views. There for, in the end each individual depending on what “group” they come from is able to intake each interpellation differently

6) The concept of prosumer that was first introduced by Alvin Toffler is the idea of a mix between the consumer and producer. So, with the rise of accessibility to smart phones, technology and production software’s, regular people started to have more freedom and opportunity to create their own products and become “producers” as well as “consumers” and that is where the word “prosumer” came in!

7) I feel as though the meaning of kitsch can be interested in 2 different ways. Its either the idea of something cheap, inauthentic, poorly made, and tasteless. When looking at it from that perspective I’m thinking of examples like fast fashion, cheap replicas and so on. Or you can think of kitsch as a form of art that’s so different and it can definitely be considered as “ugly” but in some people’s eyes its beautiful and unique in its own way. Personally, I enjoy the idea of something being sooo ugly that its almost mesmerising. There have been multiple times where I would go though some stuff at the thrift store and ill see something like a tea cup/pot set that’s made to look like a lobster and little shrimp cups and ill just think wow.. I feel like I have to buy this. But at the same time ill have moments where I would go into a store like forever 21 or one of those typical fast fashion stores and see all the designs, clothing ideas, and pieces that they simply stole, changed a bit and made in poor quality which just makes me upset and I truly think that it is a great example of tasteless kitsch.

8) I believe that what Marcel Duchamp did was a very important move that had to be made in order to change the art world for the better. Some ways that he did so and at the same time challenged taste and aesthetic is by doing his famous urinal exhibition that he contributed into a popular painting exhibition. They got so offended and hurt that they went out of their way to throw it out. I think this was an amazing statement and a way to challenge peoples views on art. The art world has definitely shifted to become more open and accepting however, in the past people would critic on things that weren’t “traditional” or in bad taste. It also feels as though these museums and art world are sometimes monopolised by these rich art collectors that feel like they know what’s better when in reality art can be literality anything a person wants it to be. It also shows that in order for a piece to be good and creative it doesn’t have to be sold for thousands of dollars. I personally am not a fan of art works such as “Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow” or just very minimalistic pieces like that, but I think Duchamp’s statement piece was very brave and it is important to remember that art is super subjective.

9) There are a couple of different speculations as to who Barbara Kruger was referring to when saying “you” in her untitled art piece. Some think she was referring to the people that have power and are in power in our society like those who were in charge of the atomic bomb that was shown in her piece. some believe it might be towards modern science and to where it has bought us today to be able to bomb and use nuclear weapons to hurt and intimidate one another.

10) The idea of bricolage is to use objects and materials in a way that they weren’t meant/ created to be used for or using objects that are on hand. You can use the previous question about Marcel Duchamp’s urinal piece as a great example! We all know what a urinal is originally created for, however he went out of his way to turn it into something with meaning, message and empowerment. Personally, I love the idea of bricolage. For over 6 months now I’ve been collecting redbull can tabs and I’m trying to collect as many as possible to create something with them at the end. I feel like in the end when its done I can look back and appreciate not only the work that was put into the piece itself but also toward collecting these tabs and kind of using something that’s not traditionally used to create a sculpture or a garments.

[sparklemichele]

Hi so ive been wondering something and you seem to be very willing to inform people on issue of people of colour, if this is by any means offensive you dont have to answer this nd i apologise. I would like to know if there some sort of racism amoung african-american people themselves? It might be rare but do lightskinned african-americans look down on dark skinned sometimes? Again i might sound incredibly ignorant but where i live there are very few people of colour so i have no idea.

Hi Anon. I’m going to let a really great article I read by Jaleel Campbell answer your question. I hope it helps.

Dark Skin Vs: Light Skin: The Battle of Colorism In The Black Community

In many different cultures and countries around the world, skin color plays a huge role in the concept of beauty. Lighter skin is often preferable to darker skin. The effects of the African American self-hate toward each other because of one’s skin color is rather eye opening and sad, to say the least. This is a very hot and taboo subject among the African American community. As a culture that came from years of oppression and hatred inflicted by slave owners, forced to think that because of their color, they were inferior, blacks have somehow reverted back to having this sort of mindset which is, in fact, hurting them as a whole. With no thanks to the media and its influence on what is seen as beautiful, Black America is tearing itself apart when it focuses on such a shallow aspect of a person that they can’t control. What a person makes of themselves and all of their aspirations should be what they’re judged on - not their skin color. African Americans should stop using skin color to discriminate against each other because it hinders the progression of the entire black community.

Frequent sightings of dark skinned people portrayed negatively in the media is heavily exploited, while light skinned and non-black individuals are portrayed more positively.These kind of prejudgements negatively impact the African American community and prevents the culture from moving forward. Hundreds of years after slavery, the actions of several people in the black community still show that the culture, as a whole, needs to stop and think about the negative connotations they are associating themselves with. Sometimes people make statements such as, "You're pretty for someone who's dark-skinned " or "pretty for a black girl". Phrases such as the ones above are in no shape or form, a compliment. When someone says the above statement they are implying that because of a darker persons complexion, they’re automatically supposed to be ugly. Subtle jabs like this can take their toll on the self esteem of a person.

Growing up as a child in a place where being ridiculed and made fun of because your skin is of a darker complexion is one thing that most Americans couldn’t even imagine. In an interview with Essence Magazine, actress Viola Davis discusses how, as a child, she too felt the pain of being called an assortment of derogatory terms and shares how after a while, she began to believe that she in fact, was ugly (essence.com). Imagine seeing a little girl who had all of her self confidence ripped from her before she entered the 6th grade. That was the norm for Davis back during her childhood. According to the author of “Exploring the Impact of Skin Tone on Family Dynamics and Race-Related Outcomes,” Evidence suggests that racial socialization helps foster the adjustment of children in the face of race-related adversity and serves to protect youth from negative mental health consequences (Hughes, 2006). What many people fail to realize is that children are still developing and in prepubescent kids especially, criticism such as being called ugly and being told you will amount to nothing, can have a substantial effect on the sanity of someone so young. That child is left with that idea stuck in the back of their head throughout life and this idea can be the base of all of the future problems the person has with their self image as an adult.

The Clark Doll Experiment, administered by Kenneth and Mamie Clark, was an experiment that dealt with race and how children perceive it at a young age. The results that came from it were indeed astonishing yet, heartbreaking to say the least.

In the experiment Clark showed black children between the ages of six and nine two dolls, one white and one black, and then asked these questions in this order:

“Show me the doll that you like best or that you’d like to play with,”

“Show me the doll that is the ‘nice’ doll,”

“Show me the doll that looks ‘bad’,”

“Give me the doll that looks like a white child,”

“Give me the doll that looks like a coloured child,”

“Give me the doll that looks like a Negro child,”

“Give me the doll that looks like you.”

The questionnaire concluded with 44 percent of the black children choosing the white doll as being the doll that looked like them. This study gained a lot of attention because of the fact that young black children were disassociating themselves with their true race. A question that the case leaves lingering in the air is “what made the children choose the white doll instead of the one that was more close to them?”

In American culture, whiteness and more of a European "look" is considered the norm, and as a result, blackness is associated with lesser status. When looking at some celebrities, for instance Nicki Minaj, there has been a drastic change to her appearance since she first came on to the scene. As her popularity arose, she began to seem more increasingly "light". It is clear to the reader that she has altered her appearance. Now why is this you ask? Predictions can be made that in order for her to move up the ladder in the music world, she had to gain crossover appeal by changing her appearance to fit the pop demographic that her managers wanted her to meet. Although she may not agree with some of the ideas her team are putting together to make up her image, it has since propelled her to superstardom.

Even today,some people who are lighter-skinned consider themselves superior to (and more attractive than) darker-skinned Americans. Filmmaker, Spike Lee, commented on this problem in the movie School Daze, where he exposed the problems between light and dark skinned individuals attending a historically black college. One famous scene from the movie involves two groups of women, one group light skinned, and the other dark skinned, as they argue in a hair salon about which group has good hair. Both groups of women use many derogatory words to describe each which shows how ignorance is still apparent even within one’s own race. Because of such ignorance, the movie received a lot of criticism after its premiere. Before Lee shed light on the subject, it was a topic that was swept under the table but because of his influence, the problem was brought to national attention.

A 2006, University of Georgia study showed that employers prefer light skinned black men to dark skinned men, regardless of their qualifications. They found that a "light-skinned male could have only a Bachelor’s degree and typical work experience and still be preferred over a dark-skinned male with an MBA and past managerial positions"(Harrison 2006). On the other hand, however, in the corporate world, it is assumed that ”relative to their lighter-skinned counterparts, darker skinned Blacks have lower levels of education, income, and job status” (Turner 1995). Since this stereotype is in place, “Corporate America” can be seen as nothing more than an imagination in the eyes of a dark person, as if they know that the job wouldn’t be inviting to people such as them. So how did black culture become so infused with self hatred? Dark skinned slaves working in the field hated the light skin slaves working in the master's house because of the fact that he chose to “spoil” their lighter counterparts. According to “Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America - an Anthology,” One of the most popular methods of teaching this divisive behavior was created by Willie Lynch, a British slave owner in the West Indies, who came to United States to advise American slave owners how to keep their slaves restrained. The darker slaves were forced to work in the fields and received no privileges. This is what began the division within the black community. As history shows, although light skinned blacks were of a higher rank than their black counterparts, they still received scraps at the end of the day (Boyd). This idea is still intact to this day when lighter skinned individuals seem to feel more inferior to darker toned people, but when you ask a Caucasian, or anyone outside of the African American race, what the light skinned individuals would be listed under its always the same response. Black. After slavery, educational institutions, clubs and other activities were reserved only for light skinned black people. In some instances, only those who were lighter than a brown paper bag (paper bag test) would be considered light enough to attend a college or an exclusive club (Boyd).

Sometimes magazines will lighten the skin of black women, just as L'oreal lightened Beyonce's Skin in a controversial makeup ad that made her appear as if she were, indeed, white. The idea of a more eurocentric look comes in to play again as we dig more into America’s perception of western beauty. Characteristics of Eurocentric beauty include: white skin, a narrow nose, blonde or brown long straight hair, and thin lips. For some reason, if you don’t fulfill these beauty standards, you are considered to be less attractive. Many questions can be raised because of this; who’s the decider of what qualifies as beautiful? As cliched as it may sound, beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder, despite what some people may think.

For some, the views and the opinions of others are too much to bare and consider procedures and different cosmetic products as a way to achieve the ever popular “eurocentric” look that they aspire to have. Although this may sound fine and dandy, the procedures and products bring more risks than they do good. Skin bleaching creams have become hot commodity in the black market beauty world. In a world where the only thing that is seen as beautiful is light skin, can others be to blame for the society that they are a product of? These toxic creams strip the skin of its melanin. Although the person achieves the look they intended to reach, their skin is now weak because of the components said products are composed of. On the other hand, everyone is entitled to self happiness, but the real question is are they ready to face all of the possible repercussions of skin bleaching? That is left for the person to decide.

This is a topic that won’t ever die because people refuse to stop being ignorant, which is evident by Twitter hashtags like #teamlightskin or #teamdarkskin, where people feud and try to prove who’s better based on skin color. Even when various YouTube searches on the topic are pulled up, thousands of results of people - some who try to diffuse the topic, while others add their foolish input. The fact that this topic still remains relevant is ridiculous.

According to “The Skin Color Paradox and the American Racial Order,” Dark-skin discrimination occurs within as well as across races (Turner). This idea is known to be true in an assortment of different cultures, most notably in the caste system set in India. The caste system is in place to form a structured society for the people of India based on one’s skin color. The lighter a person is, the more power that person holds, while the darker they are makes them more prone to living a harder life. Although life shouldn’t be that way for any human being, the darker toned Indians, often called the “untouchables,” are subject to hard labor throughout their lives.

To conclude, in many different cultures and countries around the world, skin color plays a huge role in the concept of beauty. Although light skin may be more preferable, those with darker skin still find their way in society. No matter what adversity they may have faced getting there, they eventually find solace in knowing that they’re on a road to success.The African American community must join together to show that they are more than just a skin, they are people. Although this may be a rather taboo subject, it needs to be brought to the forefront so it can finally be put to rest. The culture must move past those years of oppression and look to the future and what it has to offer. If the culture continues it current ways, then the oppression will always be there; the cycle must stop and the time has been long overdue. Even though the media has made steps in the right direction to show darker African Americans in a better light, the process must be stepped up a couple of notches to get real results. To reiterate, the color of the skin that you were born with should be just that. What a person makes of themselves and all of their aspirations should be what they’re judged on, not their skin color. It doesn’t matter where an African American falls on the spectrum of color because at the end of the day, they’re still black.

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Combat Your Allergy Symptoms With This Helpful Advice.

The Best Way To Cheapest Price With The Allergies

You can find lots of forms of allergies and numerous specific allergies. You can even find some unique allergies that only turn up in some cases worldwide. Regardless of, the type of allergy you have, the standard information remains the same. This information is a great way to gather some understanding of allergies.

Exercise on the right time. If you appreciate to exercise outdoors, yet you happen to be an allergy sufferer, there are actually things that can be done to help you still take advantage of the experience. It’s better to exercise outdoors in the early morning or later later in the day because the pollen levels aren’t as high at these periods and fewer likely to cause complications with your allergies.

Avoid line-drying your clothing, or linens should you suffer from allergies, especially during the spring. While the smell and feel of fresh, line-dried laundry can be quite a treat. It may also make you miserable when you generate pollen from outdoors. Take advantage of the clothes dryer when pollen levels have reached their peak.

During certain times of the year, people that have problems with allergies have reactions to things in their environment. In case you are having symptoms that you simply think are based on allergens inside your environment, consult your physician to attempt to identify to blame. Taking over-the-counter remedies may work at some level, however you are better off going to a doctor to counsel you on your condition.

Allergies might be a confusing world health day condition for most people. People usually do not be aware of the distinction between real food allergies and standard food intolerances. Allergies develop from an immune reaction, even though the latter is due to digestion problems. Consult a physician to learn the main cause of your allergies, so do you know what causes your problem.

Wash your bed sheets one or more times weekly. This will aid eliminate any allergy triggers that you could run into, like pollen. You need to be sure to use very hot water when washing your sheets, so you can destroy any pollen containing collected. This can help you breathe easier at night.

For individuals who love the concept of toiling in their own vegetable garden, allergies caused by mold and pollen can feel especially oppressive. Fortunately, this does not always mean would-be gardeners have to stop their hobby altogether. Instead, they allergies should outwit outdoor allergens. The perfect a chance to garden is right after a storm when rainwater flushes away clouds of pollen, spores along with other allergens. Alternately, you can work with a garden hose to spray the region where they plan to work.

Colorants are frequently allergens, so avoid any product containing them. Sometimes, even toilet tissue contains dye from patterns and color. Use white paper products for your house to see if it will help your allergies.

Avoid using throw rugs at your residence. This can collect dust and mold and might make allergies worse. If you must have rugs in your house, choose ones which can be washed. You should wash them at least one time every couple of weeks to minimize the increase of dust and mold.

You need to keep trying allergy relief methods till you find the best for you. If oral allergy medications are not effective, you still have numerous other available choices. You will discover such things as saline sprays over the counter, nasal steroids, leukotriene blockers or allergy eye drops which will help you see allergy relief.

To maintain allergies away, try adding a little bit of horseradish, or hot mustard to your foods. These act as an all natural decongestant. They feature a good substitute for allergy medications, which could cause drowsiness, and morning fatigue. Of course, this really is not a good idea for the kids, as spicy substances might cause them plenty of misery!

Consider removing carpeting from home, and choosing wood or laminate flooring. Carpet allows dust mites to build up, and this can irritate allergies. When possible, take away the carpeting from your own home, and change it out with laminate or hardwood flooring. Thiss prevents extra build of of allergens at your residence.

Do not allow your seasonal allergies prevent you from the joys and benefits of the good run outdoors. The optimum time to take part in activities outdoors is just after a rainshower. Rain tames clouds of pollens, spores and mold and enables you to less likely to encounter high allergen levels.

While certain foods can hurt your allergies, other foods might be helpful. For example, when eating your best meal, add horseradish, chili pepper, and hot mustard. Every one of these work by cleaning out pollen and any other particles that you have within your nose. It can clear your nasal passages.

By arming yourself together with the proper tools, preparation and knowledge, you will be better equipped to deal with the annoying symptoms that come with allergies. Try and learn around it is possible to concerning this irritating bodily function by reading the information in articles this way one and seeking to internalize them.

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