#school for global inclusion

[sgisdinclusion]

International Women’s Day is March 8

March 8 is International Women’s Day. On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women globally. International Women’s Day reminds us to address gender inequalities and advocate for women’s rights.

This year, we highlight the important work of three students from the UMass Boston School for Global Inclusion and Social Development who are working to promote a more inclusive and equitable world for women and people of all genders around the world.

The following blog posts were written by Shymaa Bedaiwy Allam, Odgerel Dashzeveg, Shahrzad Sajadi, and Joy Chrysyl L. Solon.

“A Women, Helping Women Help Women”: Women’s Financial Inclusion in Egypt

By: Shymaa Bedaiwy Allam

Shymaa speaking at a financial empowerment for women and youth session at the Arab Savings and Financial Literacy Conference in Cairo, October 2023.

I focus my research on the impact of financial inclusion and microfinance on women’s empowerment. Microfinance came into the spotlight worldwide as one of the most debated development tools right after Muhammed Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Most of the debate around microfinance focuses on the impact of extending these financial services to people who experience poverty and whether microfinance services have helped people out of poverty.

My research highlights the uniqueness of microfinance staffing and the critical role microfinance staff play in extending microfinance services to those who experience poverty. I seek to answer questions like, what is the impact of loan officers on microfinance's mission? With microfinance being first introduced to women, it is meaningful to focus on the role of women loan officers on helping their women clients. Women loan officers also must navigate the assumption that women are better lenders than men. I also address the impact of microfinance regulations on empowering women in Egypt. I aim to map the challenges and opportunities for women within the microfinance market to prevent over-indebtedness and other potential harm to women entrepreneurs.

I was the first woman microfinance regulator in Egypt. I have previously worked as the financial inclusion programme manager with UN Women, and as a policy development specialist at a US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded activity on Micro-Enterprise Finance (EMF). I have also coordinated many of Sanabel’s regional projects (the Microfinance Network for Arab countries). I am now pursuing Doctorate studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston in the field of Global Inclusion and Social Development.

I hope to continue working as an expert in poverty alleviation issues for women. I want to continue analyzing the impact of economic policies on the welfare of women. I wish to do this as a university staff member, so that I also have the opportunity to teach the next generation. In my words, I am “a woman, helping women help women.”

Contact Shymaa by email for more information about her work: Shymaa.Allam001@umb.edu

Celebration of International Women’s Day in Mongolia

By: Oge Dashzeveg

Traditional Naadam festival celebrated July 11–13, 2022 in Mongolia, Photo Credit: Odgerel Dashzeveg

Mongolia is one of the many countries that celebrate International Women's Day on March 8 as an official public holiday. This tradition dates back to the socialist era when women's suffrage as working mothers was celebrated and rewarded. Socialism promoted working mothers through education, work, and care. In return, women were committed to contributing to the communist production of the economy equally to men and the reproduction of the workforce within their full ability as mothers. This holiday is celebrated as Mother's Day in both public and private spheres.

In post-socialist Mongolia, this public holiday still holds the legacy of Mother's Day but is celebrated more as a Women's Day. Since transitioning from a planned economy communist system to a democratized market capitalism, the contact between the state and women has changed. The state still provides limited care for women, but education and work shifted to the invisible hands of market regulation. The state continues to celebrate women's motherhood by holding mass public events and awarding women who have given birth to four or more children.

On the flip side, women are fighting for their de-facto rights, urging the state to understand the reality women have been dealing with since the transition. The unintended consequences of failing economies have trapped many women in extended unemployment, underemployment, and poverty. This exacerbates their socioeconomic vulnerability, making them more susceptible to social and domestic abuse and discrimination.

Today, the younger generation of women is becoming the voice for all, advocating for generational gender equality in politics, inclusive access to economic opportunities, reducing the motherhood penalty, and promoting welfare mothers' transition to decent and flexible work.

Contact Oge by email for more information about her work: Odgerel.Dashzeveg@umb.edu

Memoir Writing Workshops with Syrian Refugee Women and Girls

By: Shahrzad Sajadi

Laundry on lines outside the informal settlement camps in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, Photo credit: Naoki Tokyo.

After conducting a series of workshops with Syrian refugee youth and needs assessment studies with other experts in the field around the rise in the rates of child marriages in the region, my colleague Dr. Valerie Karr and I ran a series of empathy-focused memoir writing workshops with seven Syrian refugee women and girls in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. The stories that emerged from these workshops tell the tale of loss and pain as well as empowerment and tremendous strength. These workshops were facilitated by our local partner, Nahida Nusair who met with the women on a weekly basis and kept in contact with them even after the workshops were over.

Here is an excerpt from one of the stories of the young women:

I am one of the women who decided their fate with their own hands. I decided to be one of the married young girls. I thought marriage was a white dress, pretty jewelry, a big party, dancing, and singing. And I thought that every day would be better than the one before. And I used to think that my husband would love me so much and would take care of me and give me everything I asked for, whatever I wanted would be ready in front of me and that he would take me every day to a place, and we would be very happy. Do you think this is what marriage is? I did."

Contact Shahrzad by email for more information about her work:

shahrzad.sajadi001@umb.edu

The Impact of Typhoon Yolanda and Climate Change on Women in Philippines

By: Joy Chrysyl Llido Solon

Joy Solon with a view of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in the background.

The changing climate has caused an increase in extreme natural disasters. Typhoon Yolanda, one of the most destructive typhoons ever, made landfall through central and southern Philippines on November 8, 2013. Over 150,000 families were evacuated, and 6,300 lives were lost[1]. As a PhD student in the School of Global Inclusion and Social Development, my primary research project centers on the climate justice movement for the loss of life and damages caused by Typhoon Yolanda.

Climate change has a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities of the global majority. In the aftermath of natural disasters, women and young girls living in poverty become vulnerable and are placed in harmful situations, including early marriage, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation[2]. Women are harshly affected by climate change and natural disasters because of the inequities brought forth by gendered social roles, cultural norms, social marginalization, discrimination, and poverty[3],[4]. Additionally, the masculinity of climate change discourse results in masculinist ideologies, policies, and solutions. This leaves the vulnerabilities of women behind and out of the decision-making process3,[5]. Therefore, the climate justice social movement must establish a women’s rights framework and include a focus on gender inequalities.

I hope to include women-led grassroots networks, climate justice activists, and members and leaders of the community affected by the typhoon as participants in my research. I intend to offer a feminist critique of climate justice that will promote authentic advocacy of women and girls.

Contact Joy by email for more information about her work: Joy.Solon@umb.edu

Joy Solon’s Citations:

[1] Del Rosario, E. D. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (2015). Final Report: Effects of Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan).

[2] Elago, S. (2021, March 17). Let’s talk about the state of Filipino women amid a climate emergency. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights. https://aseanmp.org/2021/03/17/lets-talk-about-the-state-of-filipino-women-amid-a-climate-emergency/

[3] Gaard, G. (2015). Ecofeminism and climate change. Women’s Studies International Forum, 49, 20-33. DOI: 10.1016/j.wsif.2015.02.004

[4] Seck, S. L. (2017). Revisiting transnational corporations and extractive industries: climate justice, feminism, and state sovereignty. Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems, 26(2), 383-414.

[5] Feng, J. L. (2022). Toward queer climate justice (Publication No. 29254739) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California Santa Barbara]. ProQuest Dissertation or Thesis.

Additional Resources to Explore:

Publications by Shymaa Bedaiwy Allam

"An evaluation of Egyptian Microfinance Laws and Regulations preventing client overindebtedness of women”, The Journal of International Development.

“Regulating Microfinance for Socioeconomic Security”, Book Chapter: Regulating Human Rights, Social Security, and Socio-Economic Structures in a Global Perspective. IGI Global

“Proceed with caution — Protecting the economic well-being of women using Microfinance”, Book Chapter: “Transforming Economies Through Microfinance in Developing Nations”. IGI Global

[communityinclusion]

UMass Boston Hosts the 2023 Tribal and Indigenous Health Summit

Tribal and Indigenous Leaders, Health Advocates, and Regional, State, and Local Representatives from across New England Gathered for the Inaugural Summit

On September 28, 2023, theInstitute for Community Inclusion (ICI) joined the Tribal and Indigenous Health Summit, led by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Elizabeth Solomon, Elder of Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, opened the Summit with a Tribal land acknowledgement, and welcomed attendees to her territory. Tribal Chair Brian Weeden of the Mashpee Wampanaog Tribe led the group in prayer. UMass Boston is on the traditional land of Massachusett people.

Throughout the day, Tribal and Indigenous leaders and others talked about mental health, the COVID-19 response, public health data, and substance abuse prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction in Tribal and Indigenous communities.

Chairwoman Cheryl Andrew-Maltais of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head addressed the audience in her Keynote speech:

“Miraculously, through our strength, courage, and resiliency, we’re here today to make positive changes in our Tribal communities’ health…By working together, we can build a better healthcare system for our people. By listening to us and our traditional cultural knowledge and incorporating our traditional medicinal practices, we can develop effective means to have better healthcare outcomes for our peoples.”

Cheryl Andrew-Maltais of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head speaks at a podium with a banner that says, “Welcome. Massachusetts Tribal and Indigenous Health Summit 2023 Department of Public Health”

Several staff and faculty from ICI and the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) attended the Summit to learn about the rich history and strengths, challenges, and health threats facing Tribal and Indigenous communities across the nation. SGISD’s new Director Dr. Tiffany Donaldson expressed gratitude for sharing this space of learning with Tribal leaders:

“I learned so much through our work with Tribal leaders about cultural history and commitment to raising awareness about Native Health inequities and barriers to access. We will continue to partner with Tribal leaders and Indigenous communities to learn about what worked in the COVID pandemic and to promote health and wellness in areas of interest to Native people.”

Dr. Tiffany Donaldson looking to her side and smiling while talking to another attendee.

ICI and SGISD staff also learned about colonialism’s devastating impact on Native health. ICI Senior Research Fellow Dr. Susan Foley was honored to hear from tribal leaders, elders, Native doctoral students, Native researchers, Native mental health providers, Indian Urban Health, Indian Health Services, and Tribal and Indigenous People Serving Organizations. She shared about her learnings and ongoing commitment to advocacy:

“We heard calls for action unequivocally pointing to existing threats to tribal community well-being. As researchers in disability services, we will strongly advocate for more Native disability research capacity and support for Native researchers. We will continue to partner with Dr. Cedric Woods at the Institute for New England Native American Studies on the Native Equity in Employment and Recovery Project, with deep respect and friendship.”

Dr. Cedric Woods is the Director of UMass Boston’s Institute for New England Native American Studies (INENAS) and served on the planning committee for the Summit.

ICI Senior Research Associate Dr. Allison Taylor echoed these sentiments:

“It was a gift to experience the Campus Center Ballroom as a Native space and to be invited as a guest into that space, as we looked out on the land and waters of the Massachusett people. I was struck by the many examples of Native ingenuity, perseverance, and resilience to foster community health and well-being, within a context of ongoing erasure, inequity, and injustice.”

Allison Taylor, on left wearing a black mask, black dress, and colorful scarf, talks with Ella Blackowl, also from SGISD.

Two UMass Medical School PhD students who are Mashpee Wampanoag tribal members wrapped up the Summit with a brief tribal history and discussion of the impact of historical trauma. They also talked about how and why they decided to pursue Tribal health professions and what that will mean to the Tribal and Indigenous communities they represent.

Quinn Barbour, ICI’s Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, took photographs to commemorate this inaugural event.

James Beard Award-winning Chef Sherry Pocknett catered the event with Indigenous cuisine from her Wampanoag culture. Pocknett’s restaurant the Sly Fox Den Too is in Charlestown, Rhode Island.

On right, SGISD and INENAS’ Cedric Woods shakes hands with Dr. Robert Goldstein, Commissioner of the MA Department of Public Health.

Four Indigenous drummers, one holding a toddler, drum and sing as traditional dancers performed.

Indigenous dancers performed at the beginning of the event.

Staffers responsible for the event posed together for a group photo.

Information from this article was also obtained from Crystal Valencia's piece, "Chancellor, State Health Officials, Tribal Leaders Gather for Tribal and Indigenous Health Summit."

Indigenous Peoples' Day

This year, we observe Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 9. Observing Indigenous Peoples' Day is an act of solidarity with Native Peoples. Indigenous Peoples' Day has replaced Columbus Day in many locales. Christopher Columbus exploited and enslaved Taíno Peoples and appropriated their homelands. Observing Columbus Day celebrates colonialism and memorializes the demographic collapse, enslavement, and attempted erasure of Native Peoples in the Americas. 

This October, take some time to learn more about indigenous people and cultures. Here are some additional resources to explore:

Native Reads: Books from Indigenous Communities

Living Nations, Living Worlds: A Map of First Peoples Poetry

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

Indigenous People’s Day: Red Lake Nation News

Praying Towns in Massachusetts: History

Association on American Indian Affairs

National Geographic: Native American imagery is all around us, while the people are often forgotten

New York Times: Lost Lives, Lost Culture: The Forgotten History of Indigenous Boarding Schools

Indian Law Resource Center: Ending Violence against Native Women

Walking in Two Worlds: Supporting the Two Spirit and Native LGBTQ Community

Workforce GPS: Native American Disability Resource Hub

Videos produced by the Native American Disability Law Center

Are you interested in learning more about UMass Boston’s Institute for New England Native American Studies? Contact Director Cedric Woods at Cedric.Woods@umb.edu.

Are you interested in learning more about UMass Boston’s Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor? Contact Director Maria John at maria.john@umb.edu with questions about this academic program.

This blog includes excerpts from the 2021 SGISD blog, New UMass Mural Welcomes Native Students to UMass Boston Campus.

[earlyspringtranscendence]

well, i found something good about the slip arc. it’s the idea that homesickness in the future will be a physical illness that manifests in those especially who will never have the chance to return to earth. cause im gonna be real i wasnt paying attn because i didnt want to but the way i understand it people on new kinshasa weren’t affected by this, people in the upper echelons of sarasvahti (ie people who had money to spend and lives to lead by doing so) weren’t affected by it: only Brahma pests and those too poor for earth to ever be a dream in their hearts were ailing with a homesickness so potent and concrete that it led to physical symptoms.

and i fucking love that. i love that so much, i think theres this divide btwn ppl who would love to go to space and who love the idea of aliens and whatever and then you have those who get sick thinking about the idea that for years the planet has existed with a certain number of souls less than it’s supposed to have because theres always been people on the space station and i FIRMLY belong to that second category so like... this is SO good to me, it’s so fucking real

[familythings]

The Responsibility of Schools for Bullying Phenomenon. Tips on what Parents can do to protect Children from Bullying

Anytime I hear about bullying, it takes me right back to my school years. Back then, kids had no clue that their mean behavior had a name. They didn’t realize that what they were doing was called bullying. What I remember is that the kids who bullied others often did it out of jealousy. They targeted guys who were treated well by their parents, dressed better, and had more pocket money. They also…

[greenthestral]

COVID-19 Pandemic: Unraveling the Global Learning Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on the world, disrupting economies, healthcare systems, and everyday life. One of the most significant areas affected by this unprecedented global crisis is education. With schools closing their doors to prevent the spread of the virus, the world has witnessed the deepening of a global learning crisis. The pandemic's impact on education has been profound, exacerbating existing inequalities and creating new challenges for learners, educators, and policymakers worldwide. In this article, we will delve into the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the global learning crisis and explore potential strategies to address these pressing issues.

The Disruption of Education During the Pandemic

When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic in early 2020, governments worldwide swiftly implemented strict measures to curb the virus's spread. One of the most crucial measures was the closure of educational institutions. Overnight, classrooms turned into virtual learning environments, and educators had to adapt rapidly to online teaching methods.

While some countries were better equipped to transition to online education, others faced significant challenges due to a lack of infrastructure and access to technology. The digital divide became more pronounced as students from low-income families or remote regions struggled to keep up with their studies. As a result, millions of children and young adults were left without access to education, further exacerbating the global learning crisis.

Widening Educational Inequalities

The pandemic has widened existing educational inequalities worldwide. Students from privileged backgrounds with access to reliable internet connections, laptops, and private tutors were better equipped to continue their education remotely. On the other hand, students from marginalized communities often lacked the necessary resources to participate in online learning effectively.

Furthermore, learners with disabilities faced additional barriers, as many online platforms were not designed to accommodate their specific needs. This disparity in access to quality education has the potential to have far-reaching consequences, as it perpetuates social and economic inequalities for generations to come.

Learning Loss and the Educational Gap

Extended school closures and disrupted learning routines have resulted in significant learning loss for many students. Studies have shown that prolonged absences from the traditional classroom setting can lead to a decline in academic performance and cognitive development.

Moreover, the pandemic has created an educational gap between different age groups. Early childhood education, a critical developmental phase, has been severely impacted, potentially affecting children's long-term cognitive and social-emotional development. Similarly, older students faced the stress of delayed examinations, college admissions, and uncertainty about their future prospects.

Mental Health Impact on Students and Educators

The pandemic's toll on mental health has been considerable, impacting both students and educators. The abrupt shift to remote learning and the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic have caused stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation among students. Many have struggled to cope with the challenges of online learning and the absence of social interactions with peers.

Educators, too, have faced unprecedented pressures, adapting to new teaching methods, dealing with technological challenges, and juggling personal responsibilities amidst the pandemic. The resulting burnout and fatigue among teachers have affected the overall quality of education and student support.

Solutions to Mitigate the Global Learning Crisis

While the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated the global learning crisis, there are several strategies that policymakers, educators, and communities can adopt to address these challenges and build a more resilient education system:

1. Bridging the Digital Divide

Governments and educational institutions must prioritize bridging the digital divide to ensure all students have equal access to quality education. This can be achieved through initiatives that provide laptops, tablets, or internet connectivity to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, investing in the development of educational content optimized for low-tech devices can increase accessibility for students with limited resources.

2. Blended Learning Approaches

Blended learning, a combination of online and in-person instruction, can offer a flexible and inclusive approach to education. This approach allows for personalized learning experiences while maintaining the benefits of face-to-face interactions with teachers and peers. By incorporating digital tools and resources into the curriculum, educators can cater to diverse learning styles and individual needs.

3. Teacher Training and Professional Development

Empowering teachers with the necessary skills and tools to adapt to changing circumstances is crucial. Comprehensive training in online teaching methodologies and the use of technology in education can enhance the quality of remote learning. Moreover, providing ongoing professional development opportunities can help teachers stay motivated and engaged, ultimately benefiting their students' learning outcomes.

4. Prioritizing Early Childhood Education

Recognizing the significance of early childhood education, governments should prioritize resources for early learning programs. Investing in early childhood education can have a profound impact on children's cognitive and social development, setting them on a path to success in later years.

5. Strengthening Support Systems

To address the mental health challenges faced by students and educators, it is essential to establish robust support systems within educational institutions. Counseling services, peer support groups, and mental health awareness programs can create a nurturing and empathetic learning environment.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed deepened a global learning crisis, affecting millions of learners around the world. The disruption of education, widening educational inequalities, learning loss, and the mental health impact on students and educators have posed significant challenges to the education sector.

However, by implementing innovative strategies such as bridging the digital divide, adopting blended learning approaches, prioritizing teacher training, investing in early childhood education, and strengthening support systems, we can begin to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic on education.

As we navigate the path to recovery, it is vital for governments, educators, parents, and communities to come together and work collaboratively towards building a more resilient and inclusive education system that can withstand future challenges. Only through collective efforts can we ensure that every child has access to a quality education, regardless of the circumstances they may face. Let us seize this opportunity to reshape education for a brighter and more equitable future.

What's In It For Me? (WIIFM)

In this blog article on the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on education, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of how the global learning crisis has deepened in the wake of this unprecedented health crisis. Discover the challenges faced by students, educators, and policymakers, and explore effective strategies to address these issues. Learn about the widening educational inequalities, learning loss, and the mental health impact on learners and teachers. Moreover, find practical solutions and actionable steps to contribute to building a more resilient and inclusive education system for a brighter future.

Call to Action (CTA)

Join us in addressing the global learning crisis deepened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Share this article with your friends, family, and colleagues to spread awareness about the challenges faced by learners and educators worldwide. Engage in discussions about the importance of equitable access to quality education and the need for innovative solutions. Support initiatives that bridge the digital divide, prioritize early childhood education, and promote teacher training and professional development. Together, let's work towards building a stronger and more sustainable education system that can withstand future challenges.

Blog Excerpt

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on education globally, deepening a pre-existing learning crisis. With schools closing their doors to curb the virus's spread, millions of students were left without access to education, exacerbating existing educational inequalities. This blog article delves into the far-reaching consequences of the pandemic on learners, educators, and communities. Discover how the sudden shift to remote learning widened the educational gap and led to learning loss among students. Uncover the mental health challenges faced by learners and teachers during these uncertain times. But, more importantly, explore actionable solutions to mitigate the global learning crisis and build a more resilient and inclusive education system.

Meta Description (320 characters)

Discover how the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the global learning crisis. Explore its impact on education, widening inequalities, learning loss, and mental health challenges. Learn actionable strategies to address these issues and build a more resilient education system. Join us in shaping a brighter future.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Vancouver School Board (VSB) may be prepared to “welcome” police officers back into schools next week, but it’s not a sentiment that’s shared by all.

On Thursday, the VSB held a press conference to reiterate its commitment to creating “safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces” for its learners, and said the new “reimagined” school liaison officer (SLO) program will advance school safety.

It also presented a new look for the SLOs that includes casual polo shirts, unmarked police vehicles and more discreet firearms.

Even with the lighter visual touch, however, the decision to bring police back into schools has been vigorously opposed by members of the Vancouver Police Department’s African Descent Advisory Committee. Members Sadie Kuehn and Parker Johnson said they’re concerned about potential harm to Black, Indigenous, racialized, queer, and disabled students.

“The (new look) doesn’t address the core issues of having young people — all young people — feel safe,” Kuehn, a former school trustee, told Global News on Friday.

Full article

This is exactly the problem with the white centrist approach to dealing with the problems around police. Putting them in new clothes in new cars with "discreet firearms" doesn't do a damn thing to protect people from the violent, oppressive force that is the police.

None of these changes address racial profiling, police brutality, or the fact that marginalized people (rightfully) feel unsafe around cops.

These changes are useless. Abolish the police.

(Commentary from Samira, @politicsofcanada )

[aquilaofarkham]

Dying Has Never Frightened Us: Intergenerational Trauma, Healing, & the Burden of Legacy in Castlevania

An analytical and interpretation essay that discusses how the concept of family legacy and duty can lead to intergenerational trauma in the Castlevania franchise. Focuses primarily on the Belmont who found strength from his pain by honouring his family’s legacy no matter how heavy it felt or the burden that came with it and the Belmont who found his own strength from the ones he loved and who loved him in return.

☽ Read the full piece here or click the read more for the text only version ☽

THE BURNING NEED FOR RETRIBUTION: INTRODUCTION

The world has trauma. It is deep, collective, spanning its roots over centuries and territories dating back to when the borders of today never existed, and it has largely gone untreated—but not undiscussed.

From children’s cartoons to award winning dramas, trauma has become one of the most common topics for media to discuss, depict, and dissect. It makes sense given the sort of physical and mental gauntlet which society has been through in the past five years. Sometimes even in just the past twenty-four hours. From an uptick in disasters stemming from climate change, the rise of publicised policy brutality, genocide as a result of settler colonisation, new developments coming to light after decades of denial regarding the residential school system in Canada, and of course a global pandemic which is still making ripples. Then there is the recent examination of generational trauma which differs from culture to culture. The open wounds we’ve already left and will be leaving for future age groups.

Seeing how fiction reflects reality and vice versa, it isn’t any wonder that movies, television shows, and video games find ways of processing this worldwide sensation of frustrated ennui along with the need to find answers as to how regular citizens can fix things, including ourselves, when politicians and world leaders cannot. When reality cannot provide satisfying resolutions, when we are left confused and even angrier than before due to the apparent shortcomings of institutions meant to provide relief towards the average person, it’s natural to look towards specific media. Whether for coping mechanisms, validation for this collective and personal trauma, or simply for cathartic release so the emotions don’t have to remain bottled up.

Castlevania , both its original 2017 series and the most recent entry of Castlevania: Nocturne (as well as the video games which the show is inspired by), is no stranger to this popular trend of storytelling and characterisation. Yet this trend also comes with its own controversy. When done with a deft writer’s hand and a layer of empathetic critical thinking, trauma in fiction and how we heal from its intergenerational effects can be a powerful tool in raising awareness in regards to something left forgotten by the larger public or it can allow viewers to look inwards at themselves. Done poorly or with a lack of empathy and taste, then the floodgates open.

But beyond the usual discourse surrounding trauma in fiction (how to portray a “realistic” panic attack, what makes a “good” victim, the problematic connotations of forgiving one’s abuser, etc.), Castlevania has its own things to say about the lingering effects of grief, guilt, and pain over the course of thirty-two episodes (now a fourty episode runtime with the inclusion of Castlevania: Nocturne season one). The series—particularly the first which ran from 2017 to 2021—has now gained a reputation for being one of the darker animated ventures tackling themes of religious corruption, abuse, sexual manipulation, and injustice among many others. The value and thoughtfulness of each depicted theme ranges from being genuinely compelling to delving into mere shock value yet the series is also known for its uplifting ending and cathartic release from such dark themes.

One could write entire dissertations on each complicated character and their developments. From Dracula’s suicidal tendencies as a result of unchecked grief to Isaac’s conflicted redemptive journey beginning with his unflinching loyalty to the king of vampires and ending with him forging down his own path in life. How characters such as Carmilla, consumed by her inner agonies and burning hatred towards the world to the bitter end, was left isolated from her sisters until she was forced to choose the terms of her own death, while others like Alucard, Sypha, and to an extent Hector rose above their individual torments in favour of hope and survival. However, this examination will focus on the series’ titular family of vampire hunters. Namely, the Belmont who found strength from his pain by honouring his family’s legacy no matter how heavy it felt or the burden that came with it and the Belmont who found his own strength from the ones he loved and who loved him in return.

Note: this essay will delve into speculations and purely interpretative hypotheses stemming from the author’s own opinions in regards to how they personally read the presented text. It will also discuss heavy spoilers for the majority of Castlevania games and the first season of Castlevania: Nocturne.

—

WHAT A HORRIBLE NIGHT FOR A CURSE: THE CYCLE OF TRAGEDY IN THE CASTLEVANIA GAMES

This examination begins in the exact same place as the show began with its inspirations and references: the original video games developed and distributed by Konami Group Corporations. It’s easy to get swept up in the notion that because of the technological limitations with video games at the time, the Castlevania games are devoid of story or characterization. Yet even the most bare bones of a story found in the games can still have something to say about the burden of legacy and how trauma left unconfronted has the possibility of tearing down that legacy. The most prominent example being Castlevania: Symphony of the Night , arguably the first game to begin delving into a deeper story and character driven narrative. It follows the events of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood , a game which portrayed its protagonist Richter Belmont as a force of nature in the face of evil, always knowing what to do, what to say, and emerging victorious without so much as breaking a sweat (or candelabra).

In keeping with the time of its release and the landscape of popular media particularly in Japan, Rondo of Blood feels like a traditional 1990s action anime complete with brightly coloured cutscenes and character designs reminiscent of Rumiko Takahashi and Rui Araizumi (despite the usual classic horror elements present in every Castlevania game). This is most evident with Maria Renard, the second playable protagonist who attacks with her own arsenal of magical animals and even has her own upbeat theme music during the credits when players complete the main story in “Maria mode”. Richter also shares many similar personality traits with his counterpart, namely his optimism in the face of danger and the confidence that he will be the hero of this narrative.

Of course all this changed in the direct follow-up to Rondo of Blood , the aforementioned Symphony of the Night . Arguably the new staple of future Castlevania games to come, not only did it change the gameplay and aesthetic, it changed the very core of the characters as well. The game even begins with the same ending as Rondo of Blood where Richter fights and defeats Dracula with the help of Maria. Then during the opening crawl, we discover that during a time skip, Richter has vanished and Maria is searching for him. Surely this will be nothing less than a heroic rescue and the most powerful Belmont of his century will be restored to his rightful pedestal.

Yet for the first half of Symphony of the Night , the player is faced with a sobering realisation—the villain we’re supposed to be fighting, the one responsible for conjuring Dracula’s castle back into existence, is Richter himself. No longer the hero we’ve come to adore and look up to from the previous game. Of course, the player along with new protagonist Alucard both know that something isn’t right; perhaps Richter isn’t in his sound mind or some nefarious force is possessing him to commit evil deeds. But unless the player solves the right puzzles and find the right in-game items, Symphony ends with Alucard putting down Richter like a rabid dog. However, this ending can be avoided and a whole second half of the game is revealed.

Richter’s canonical ending is left ambiguous at best, tragic at worst. He laments over his moment of weakness, claiming the events of the game were his fault despite Alucard’s insistence that confronting Dracula was always going to be inevitable. Still, the tragedy of Richter’s fate and how he is portrayed in Symphony of the Night comes much later, when it’s implied the Belmonts are no longer capable of wielding the fabled Vampire Killer, a leather whip imbued with supernatural properties that has been passed down generation after generation. One mistake and misjudgment left the Belmont legacy in a perpetual long lasting limbo with the titular hunters themselves seemingly disappearing from history as well, leaving others such as the Order of Ecclesia to pick up the fight against Dracula’s eventual resurgence. It isn’t until the height of World War II (the setting of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin ) when the whip’s true potential is finally set free thanks to the actions of Jonathan Morris, a distant relative of the infamous vampire slaying family. However, the only way in which Jonathan can reawaken the Vampire Killer is by defeating a manifestation of the person who last wielded it and also whom the whip abandoned nearly two hundred years prior—Richter Belmont.

Yet players and fans don’t get to see it in the hands of another Belmont until the events of 1999 when Julius Belmont defeats the latest incarnation of Dracula and seals his castle away in a solar eclipse. Even then, he loses his memory until thirty years pass and he’s forced to do battle with Soma Cruz, an innocent transfer student who is also the reincarnation of Dracula. If the protagonist of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow succeeds in defeating the cosmic threat that has awakened his supposed “evil” destiny, then Julius can finally lay down the Vampire Killer in peace (until the sequel Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow , of course). If not, the game ends with Julius keeping his promise to Soma should he lose sight of his human side and let Dracula be reborn once again. In a scene that directly mirrors the beginning of Symphony , Julius enters the castle throne room, Soma throws down his wine goblet, and the screen goes black. The cycle continues anew. Julius has upheld the duty of his family name but at what cost.

The theme of tragedy getting passed down through different generations, permeating from person to person even with those who are not Belmonts, is a staple of later Castlevania games following Symphony of the Night . In some instances, pain and trauma is what jumpstarts the story moving forward. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness begins with its protagonist Hector in a direct parallel to Dracula swearing revenge on the one responsible for the murder of his wife; an ultimatum that follows him every step of the way, fuelling his rage and determination up until the penultimate moment when his goal is within reach. Yet even then he cries out, claiming this “murderous impulse” isn’t truly him—it’s the result of an outside force he himself once aided before defecting before the events of the game.

Something similar occurs in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow , an alternative reimagining of the franchise that while still a topic of division amongst most die hard fans has also seen a resurgence of popularity and reevaluation. It begins with Gabriel Belmont grieving over the death of his own wife (a trope which is unfortunately common amongst the majority of Castlevania titles). This is a wound that follows him throughout his journey until an even more painful and shattering twist regarding Marie Belmont’s demise is revealed to Gabriel later in the game.

However, there is one example from the games that stands above the rest in regards to the sort of damage which generational trauma as a result of familial duty and legacy, upheld to an almost religious degree, can inflict. So much so that even a declaration of retribution can evolve into a generational curse.

—

HUNT THE NIGHT: LEON BELMONT & THE MYTH OF FREE WILL

The Castlevania timeline didn’t always have a set beginning. An inciting incident by which all future stories, characters, and inevitable calamities could base themselves off of. Rather it changed from game to game until a definitive origin was settled in 2003 with the release of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence . For at least two games, the starting point was supposed to be with Simon Belmont, making his way through a labyrinth of dark forests and cursed towns, before finally traversing the ever changing fortress in Transylvania to defeat Dracula. He even went as far as to gather the remains and resurrect the eponymous lord of his own choice just to rid himself of another curse entirely. 

Castlevania protagonists are always cursed by something. Whether it be the cause of Dracula’s influence, their own actions as seen in Lords of Shadow , a curse of the flesh like how Simon had to tackle his own ailment in Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest , or something else just as common as Dracula’s curse: the burden of honouring a family duty.

A basic yet iconic 1986 entry followed by a sequel that had potential especially with the first appearance of the now famous “Bloody Tears” track but suffered from a rather confusing and lacklustre end product. Then suddenly the starting point for the franchise timeline changed drastically. Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse despite the numerical inclusion in its title stands as more of a prequel, detailing the exploits of the Belmont who came before Simon. Not much was altered in the grand scheme of things; the titular vampire hunter still essentially slays Dracula with the help of three other playable characters, said final boss having been driven mad and more violent than ever by humanity’s slight against him. However, not only were the methods by which Dracula is defeated changed but players were given more insight into the sort of burden placed upon the Belmont family name.

When the story of Dracula’s Curse begins, protagonist Trevor Belmont isn’t revered as a legend or hero but rather a blight on larger society who the people only turn to as a last ditch effort against rising evil. The regular god-fearing people of Wallachia now fear the Belmonts and their power (it is also implied that some still feared the barbarian-esque Simon despite his legendary status) so the family is excommunicated. Trevor is forced to enlist three other outcasts—or simply two other fighters, depending on which version of the story you examine—in order to carry out the family business. Even when the rest of the world has shunned them and there are plenty of others just as capable of stopping the forces of evil, a Belmont still has a destiny to fulfil. 

Yet once a series has gone on for long enough, things within the established canon are bound to change—again and again. Whether through re-examination in order to line it up better with present day morals and sensibilities, or through good old fashioned retconning in favour of something more interesting, more thought out, or less convoluted. Other times, it’s simply because either the creator or viewers wanted it to happen. In 1997, this occurred with the release of Castlevania Legends on the GameBoy, a prequel to Dracula’s Curse that was meant to serve as the actual origin for the Belmonts, Dracula, and even his son Alucard. Instead of Trevor, the very first Belmont to fight Dracula is now his mother, Sonia Belmont, seventeen years old and already burdened with the glorious purpose of her bloodline.

Sonia is undoubtedly the protagonist of her own story with agency and drive. However, the game ends with a stark reminder of why the Belmonts have a place in the Castlevania universe. The last we see of Sonia in Legends is in the form of an epilogue where she holds her newborn child and states that one day when he’s grown, he will “be praised by all the people as a hero”. Despite her triumph over Dracula—a monumental feat itself—it seems that her purpose in the end (the purpose of most Belmonts other than to forever fight evil in fact) was to merely continue the bloodline so that descendants can carry out a promise made centuries before by another Belmont—someone that neither Simon, Trevor, Julius, or Richter ever knew.

The inevitability of sudden retcons within long-running media was not as kind to Legends as it was to Dracula’s Curse . Because of how the in-game events conflicted with subsequent entries (for example the implication that Trevor is actually the son of Alucard, thus further tying the Belmonts to Dracula through blood as well as duty), both Legends and Sonia were completely removed from the canon timeline. This is merely one reason why the next attempt at creating the definitive origin for the franchise, now a cult favourite among certain subsections of the fan community, was regarded with some animosity. However, twenty years after its release, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is considered by many as an underrated entry. It is certainly the darker title where both the hero and villain stumble through their own hardships yet neither emerges completely victorious by the end.

The opening narration crawl of Lament of Innocence describes the lives of Leon Belmont and Mathias Cronqvist. They spend most of their lives as reflections of each other; one grows into more of a fighter while the second is coveted for his intellect and ambition. Both are valorous, honourable, and products of their own respective plights. Despite his service to the church, Leon is soon systematically stripped of everything save for the clothes on his back because he wouldn’t follow their orders blindly. While Mathias is forced to watch as an uncaring god (the very same god he serves) takes away a figure of pure virtue and love. This figure, Elisabeta Cronqvist who appears to be a splitting image of Dracula’s next deceased wife Lisa Tepes, was the last remaining tie Mathias still had to whatever bit of morality he still feels, which he eventually throws away when deciding to drag his only friend and everything he holds dear into hell alongside him.

The difference is how both men react to those personal horrors and how they let it govern their pasts, presents, and futures not just for themselves but for others who follow after the dust has supposedly settled. Two men, two best friends turned hateful enemies because of an interlinked tragedy. Not only that, but also because of their perspectives, morals, and the way they view a world that is unkind to them. Both were spurred by the death of loved ones, both used it as a conduit, or rather a catalyst for the radically opposing directions in which their choices take them and their families. Leon chooses to struggle onwards towards a world free from darkness and horror despite his pain. Mathias chooses to revel in that very same darkness and pain with a fire that would burn for aeons. In the end, one thing is absolute. A single thing the two men can agree upon as they flee down adverse paths: one of them will destroy the other.

Yet the timeline of Castlevania proves that this choice comes at a great cost for the Belmonts in particular. By the end of Lament of Innocence , Mathias has revealed himself to be the great manipulator pulling the strings behind the scenes. Due to the immense grief he felt over losing Elisabeta to a presumably common illness made untreatable because of the time period’s medical limitations (coupled with his own arrogance and narcissism), Mathias finally becomes Dracula. Dominion over death and even god by has been achieved by doing what Leon’s righteously moral mind cannot comprehend: transforming himself into an immortal creature driven by bloodlust. All he had to do was lie, cheat, and cruelly outsmart everyone else around him. That of course includes Leon as Mathias’ manipulation tactics were also the cause of the mercy killing of Sara Tarantoul, Leon’s fiance, to stop her from turning into a vampire herself. After watching his former friend escape before the sun can rise and disposing of Dracula’s constant right hand man Death, Leon finally feels his anger over such a betrayal boil over. He gives one final message to Mathias, now the new king of the vampires: “This whip and my kinsmen will destroy you someday. From this day on, the Belmont Clan will hunt the night.”

This is how Castlevania: Lament of Innocence ends. Unlike other entries like Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, or Harmony of Dissonance , there is no good, neutral, or bad ending that can be achieved if the player is aware of certain secrets and tricks. There is only one for Leon and Mathias. The inclusion of multiple endings in some Castlevania games versus a singular set ending in others may seem like a small coincidental narrative choice in conjunction with evolving gameplay, but it matters in the case of Lament of Innocence. From the moment Leon enters the castle to rescue his fiance, the wheel has already started turning and his fate is sealed. Mathias has already won and Sara, along with future Belmonts, are already doomed. And Leon’s ultimatum made in the heat of the moment would go on to have repercussions centuries later. “Hunting the night” gave the Belmonts purpose but it also burdened them with that exact purpose. While Dracula deals in curses, so does the Belmont family—a curse of duty that gets passed down throughout the bloodline.

Leon Belmont was of course never malicious or cruel like Mathias was. He never wanted to deliberately curse his family because he suffered and so should they. His choice was made out of anger and retribution. Still, it goes on to affect Simon, Sonia, Julius, and others in drastic yet different ways. Yet in the case of specific Belmonts like Trevor and Richter, we see how this family legacy can have varied consequences in far more detail through the introduction of animation and serialised writing into the Castlevania franchise.

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SOMETHING BETTER THAN A PILE OF RUINS: TREVOR BELMONT & STRENGTH FROM LEGACY

If there’s one thing that Castlevania makes abundantly clear with its four season runtime, it is that trauma does not inherently make people better or more virtuous. We of course see this from the games with Mathias and his personal crusade against god which leads to the complete dissolvement of his closest friendship. Or with Hector and the rage he feels towards his wife’s murderer, who also happens to be his former comrade under Dracula’s employment. Even Leon’s promise to both his friend, now his most despised enemy, and future descendants can also be an example of how gut reactions to pain, grief, and betrayal can have damaging consequences in the long run. This particular dissection of trauma when it affects a survivor negatively and in almost life-altering ways while still giving them a chance at achieving their own method of healing is most apparent with the animated representation of Trevor Belmont.

At its core, the first season of Castlevania airing in July of 2017 with four episodes in total is inspired by the events of Dracula’s Curse with the following seasons taking more from Curse of Darkness along with original story elements. It begins with the brutal execution of Lisa Tepes after she is falsely accused of being a witch. Shortly afterwards, Dracula declares war on all of humanity in an explosion of grief-riddled vengeance (a declaration that is not dissimilar to Mathias’ cursing of god after Elisabeta’s admittedly more natural death). Hundreds of civilians are slaughtered in the capital city Targoviste and hoards of night creatures descend upon more townships across Wallachia. 

This would be the perfect opportunity for a Belmont to stand up and fight back except there is one problem: the Belmonts have been eradicated from this world on false grounds of black magic and aiding the vampire lords instead of hunting them—much like how Lisa was slandered and paid the price with her own life.

The only Belmont left surviving is Trevor himself and his introduction does not paint him in the most optimistic or even heroic light. In the midst of being excommunicated by the church, he’s been wandering aimlessly for the past few years while languishing in whatever tavern he stumbles upon. In one particular bar Trevor finds himself in, he overhears the other patrons cursing the Belmonts and blaming them for Dracula’s siege upon humanity. He tries to stay out of it and not bring too much attention to himself until one glance at the family emblem stitched into his shirt breast is enough to ignite an all out skirmish.

Trevor hides his true identity not because he’s ashamed of it, but for his own safety and self preservation. In fact, the opinion he holds of his family is the total opposite from disdain for the sort of legacy they have saddled him with even in death. He reacts strongly to false accusations directed towards the Belmonts, angrily correcting the bar patrons by stating that his family fought monsters. However, he quickly realises he’s said too much and tries saving face by once again detaching himself from possibly being connected to the aforementioned Belmonts.

It’s only when Trevor is backed into a corner and is fresh out of snappy drunk retorts (thanks to a few hard hits to his nether regions) does he finally admit to his real lineage. As mentioned earlier, Trevor finds himself caught up in the first real brawl of the series not because of the pride he feels in himself but the immense pride he feels for his bloodline. All the while, he’s given up trying to hide what he is—a Belmont—and what he was born to do—fight fucking vampires.

Every time Trevor has the opportunity to bring up his bloodline whether in a fight or in conversation, it’s usually spoken with some bravado and weight even when he’s inebriated. However, when visiting the ruins of the Belmont ancestral home in season two and thus directly confronted with what little remains of his family legacy, Trevor loses all that previous bluster and becomes far more contemplative. He doesn’t reveal much of what it was like to actually live as a Belmont, only that it was “fine” and “no one was lonely in this house”. Even when staring up at the portrait of Leon Belmont, he says nothing and instead firmly  grips the very weapons which his ancestor must have also wielded.

It’s clear that Trevor feels no shame, bitterness, or lack of respect towards his family history despite the hardships that have come with it. Still, it’s difficult for him to truly accept the duty of being a Belmont and Trevor continually struggles with it over the course of two full seasons. Upon arriving at the ruined city of Gresit which is under constant threat of night creature attacks, Trevor doesn’t seem particularly concerned with the people’s plight or with helping them. He inquires about what’s been happening by speaking with a few local merchants but it’s only in order for him to gain a better picture of the situation that Gresit finds itself in. Otherwise, he’s simply passing through on his way to another tavern, fist fight, sleeping spot, or all three. Until he puts aside his own needs for self-protection in favour of saving an elder Speaker (a fictionalised group of nomads original to the Castlevania show who have made it their mission to help less fortunate communities and pass on their histories via oral tradition) from a potential hate crime committed by two supposed men of the cloth.

This moment acts as a representation of the first chip in Trevor’s carefully maintained armour. During the bar fight, he claimed over and over again that he was a Belmont in both skill and purpose. However, Trevor hasn’t done much to prove such a proclamation. Because of his ennui and poor coping mechanisms due to lingering trauma, he’s been all talk and not a lot of action—until this point. At first he tells himself to walk away, this sort of confrontation doesn’t concern him. Then he remembers where he comes from and uses the very same family heirloom to help someone physically weaker than himself.

Yet when he accompanies the elder back to where the other Speakers have found shelter from the monsters repeatedly demanding their heads as well as future night creature attacks, Trevor’s metaphorical walls are erected back up. He won’t take any part in this eradication of humanity whether as a victim or perpetrator and especially not to stop it. The people of Wallachia made their choice in the unjust murder of Dracula’s innocent wife, they made their choice when they decided to massacre what was left of his family, and the church made their choice when they decided to fight Dracula’s armies themselves without the Belmonts. Why should he lift a finger (or whip) to save the masses?

Despite this nihilistic attitude, Trevor proves to be a poor defeatist. He still desperately wants to protect the Speakers and warns them of an oncoming pogrom planned for them. A massive hate crime fueled by superstition and facilitated by the corrupt Bishop of Gresit which will supposedly save the city from night creature ambushes (this can be interpreted as a direct allegory meant to comment on how minority groups such as Jewish and Romani communities were used as scapegoats during the Mediaeval period). However, the Speakers refuse to budge and decide to face the angry and misled crowds head-on. They instead tell Trevor to leave in their place which, in a burst of frustration, spurs him to finally act like a member of his clan should. 

What follows next is one of the most defining moments of the series for Trevor, cementing his place as a Belmont. Another corrupt member of the church demands to know what he could possibly stand to gain from fighting back considering his downtrodden state and the fact that he’s entirely outnumbered. Trevor’s answer is simple: nothing. The Belmonts don’t protect everyday people for any great reward or because of any strong personal ties. They do it because it’s their duty and the right thing to do. Trevor even mirrors something which the elder Speaker told him; a family mantra that encompasses the very purpose of the Belmonts, dating back to Leon: “It’s not the dying that frightens us. It’s never having stood up and fought for you.”

Trevor’s healing journey does not end at this moment. He still has moments of hesitation where someone like Alucard has to forcibly remind him of his place as Belmont, saying he needs to choose whether he’s really the last of a long line of hunters or a drunkard. This leads to a fight sequence that nearly spans the length of an entire episode where Trevor further proves himself by taking on at least three different creatures all with varying degrees of strength, skill, and fortitude. Episode six of season two is the ideal example of not only Trevor’s determination but also his quick thinking. Moments such as him wrapping his cloak around his hand so that it doesn’t get cut while his sword slices through the throat of a minotaur or using a set of sticks to beat against an adversary when his whip is knocked away. Being a Belmont means using one’s intellect (no matter how unconventional it may seem) as well as one’s muscles. 

There is also another albeit less violent instance at the start of season three where he still feels the need to hide his surname while in an unfamiliar village. Then there is the revelation that malicious stories about the Belmonts and their supposed demise still circulate amongst rural Wallachian communities. Yet despite coming from a family of old killers (a term Trevor uses before facing off against Death in the final season) his family name remains his strength and the weight of both the Vampire Killer and Morningstar whip keep him grounded rather than burden him. The Belmont name carries such weight throughout the series that by the end, there is strong consideration from Alucard of naming a new township nestled in the shadow of Dracula’s castle after that family.

Trevor deals with his pain and trauma quietly, almost numbing it with the assistance of alcohol and dodging the harder questions regarding what his family was really like. He still finds strength in remembering what the Belmonts are here for despite the tribulations that come with the family name. Hardships that continue and evolve nearly three hundred years later.

—

THE THINGS THAT MAKE ME WHO I AM: RICHTER BELMONT & STRENGTH FROM LOVE

Depending on what sort of mood you might find the author of this essay in, their favourite Castlevania game will vary. At the moment, it’s a three way tie between Symphony of the Night for its artistry, Lament of Innocence for its story and characterisation, and Aria of Sorrow for its evolved gameplay. However, one personal decision remains relatively consistent no matter the mood or time of day: Richter Belmont is the author’s favourite Belmont and the inclusion of him in the latest animated adaptation Castlevania: Nocturne has only cemented that fact.

It makes sense from both a narrative and marketing standpoint as to why we’ve suddenly gone from the events of Dracula’s Curse/Curse of Darkness depicted in the previous series all the way three hundred years later to Rondo of Blood . Narratively, Richter and his companion Maria Renard already have a direct link to Alucard through the events of Symphony , which Nocturne will most likely cover and be inspired by in its second season. Marketing wise while also appealing to the largest demographic possible (even those less familiar with the games), amongst more recurring characters like Dracula and Alucard, Richter is arguably one of the most recognisable Castlevania figures right down to his design.

Certain traits and visual motifs of other Belmonts have changed drastically over the years and with each iteration. Meanwhile, from Rondo and Symphony , to Harmony of Despair and the mobile game Grimoire of Souls , to finally Nocturne and the inclusion of Richter as a playable character in the fighting game Super Smash Bros Ultimate , specific elements of Richter never waver. This includes his blue colour scheme, his tousled brown hair, and his iconic white headband. All of which carry over in the first season of Nocturne which not only expands upon Richter’s character first established in Rondo of Blood but also further examines said character.

For example, Richter’s true introduction directly following the downer cold opening is without a doubt the farest cry from Trevor’s. While Trevor’s first scene acted as a sobering depiction of what happens when physically/mentally damaging coping mechanisms mix with unacknowledged grief, Richter’s first fight gets the audience’s blood pumping, complete with a triumphant musical score and a showcase of his skill with the Vampire Killer. Richter is cocky, but not reckless. He’s sarcastic, but not sullen like Trevor was. Because of his upbringing after the death of his mother, filled with positive affirmations, he values the wellbeing of others along with their fighting experience. Yet his confidence does not overshadow his acknowledgement of the family burden. Richter is well aware of how heavy the Belmont legacy and duty can weigh upon an individual’s shoulders along with how closely it can tie itself around a person’s life and their death—a reminder as well as memory which haunts him for nine years.

When Nocturne begins, its first major fight sequence takes place between Richter’s mother Julia Belmont (an original character for the show) and the vampire Olrox, an enemy taken from Symphony of the Night now reimagined as a seductive, complex Indigenous vampire on his own path towards vengeance against the very person who took away the one he loved most in this world—just one of many thematic parallels to the first series, this time referencing Dracula’s motives and justification for his grief. Just when it seems like Julia has the upper hand thanks to her magical prowess, Olrox transforms and ends her life in a swift yet brutal manner. All of which happens right before ten-year-old Richter’s eyes.

Julia was simply doing her duty as a vampire hunter and her life as a Belmont ended the same as most of her ancestors did: in battle while fighting for the life of another. Why then did it hurt Richter most of all? Why does it haunt him well into his early adult years? And why was it seemingly more so than how Trevor’s trauma haunted him? There are two probable answers to this, one being that Richter was only a child, directly confronted by the cause for his mother’s sudden and graphic death with no way of fighting back despite being a Belmont.

In the case of Trevor, although he was a few years older than Richter when his entire family and ancestral home were burned in front of his eyes presumably by the same people they were supposed to be defending, the circumstances which followed them afterwards are vastly different. For nine years Richter was surrounded by those who loved and cared for him whereas Trevor only had himself and the hoards of average Wallachians who hated him because of superstitious rumours and the church’s condemnation. Trevor had over a decade’s worth of experience in becoming desensitised to his pain and trauma, masking it beneath self deprecation and numbing it with alcohol. He wasn’t even aware of the fact that he was a deeply sad and lonely individual until Sypha pointed it out to him.

Despite his bravado and brighter personality than his ancestor, Richter is also an incredibly sad, hurt person who suffers somewhat from tunnel vision. He obviously has empathy and wants to protect people from monsters, vampires, and the like. More so than Trevor did during his introduction before his moment of self-made rehabilitation. However, he doesn’t seem to care much about the revolution itself or what it stands for. He attends Maria’s rally meetings but he doesn’t take active part in them, opting to stay back and keep a watch out for any vampire ambushes. He admits that he doesn’t really listen to Maria’s speeches about liberty, equality, and fraternity. And in the most prominent example of his disillusionment with fighting for a larger righteous cause, when given a revolutionary’s headband, he shoves it into his pocket and mumbles about how tired he is of everything.

This could be interpreted as defeatist if Richter wasn’t already trying so hard to uphold his family duty and maintain a level head. He needs to have a sense of control and almost achieves it until Olrox so casually confronts him in the middle of a battle which Richter and his friends seemed to be winning until they’re forced to flee close behind him. When Richter runs away and emotionally breaks down the moment he’s finally alone, it isn’t because he’s weak or cowardly. On a surface level, it was due to his fear and panic over not being able to face his mother’s killer (someone who has proven to be much, much stronger and more powerful than any Belmont). Yet it was also a form of harsh admission to himself. He couldn’t maintain that aforementioned sense of control and perhaps he never will, not where he is right now at least.

It isn’t until he’s reunited with his grandfather Juste Belmont (long thought to have died, leaving Richter as the final Belmont) that this negative mindset brought on by unresolved trauma begins to shift. In many ways, Juste is another callback to what happened with Trevor. He suffered an immense tragedy in the past and has since spent his entire life drifting from tavern to tavern, avoiding his own grandson and instead leaving him in the care of people far more capable of raising him and instilling better morals within the youngest Belmont.

Other mentor-esque characters appear in Nocturne such as Tera who raised Richter alongside her biological daughter Maria. There is also Cecile, the leader of a Maroon group which Annette joins after escaping slavery. Despite their individual pains, these two women maintain the hope that humanity can be changed and the evils of the world can be defeated. Meanwhile, Juste has thoroughly lost his own hope. He reveals to Richter that “evil will always win” because of how it permeates everything and is far stronger than any Belmont, even the most magically inclined members. No matter how many Draculas, Carmillas, or Lord Ruthvens are defeated, it will always find a way to creep back to the surface whether through the upper class of France or through the very colonisation that nearly wiped out Olrox’s people or enslaved Annette’s family. 

One of the first things that Juste says to Richter directly references the sheer weight of the Belmont legacy, all of which culminates within the whip itself. This can also be a reference to the Vampire Killer carrying a living soul as Leon Belmont was only able to awaken its true power by sacrificing Sara Tarantoul. The whip has both a metaphorical and literal weight which the Belmonts must come to terms with.

Yet for Richter, family is maintained not through blood ties, which can easily die out or be abandoned because of generational trauma, but through the people we find and attach ourselves to. Under the immediate threat of losing his found family, all of Richter’s pain and anguish explodes when his magical powers violently return to him in one of the most visually impressive and cathartic moments of Nocturne season one, complete with an orchestral and operatic rendition of “Divine Bloodlines” taken straight from Rondo of Blood as he ties the same headband he nearly discarded earlier around his head. Then once the dust settles and Richter is asked by Juste how he managed to tap back into that great power, he simply responds with the most obvious answer he can come up with: there are people who love him and he loves them in return. 

This is reiterated when Richter is reunited with Annette and describes the same revelation when she asks how he was able to regain his magic. Not just a mental revelation but for Richter, it was a physical sensation as well. Just when he believed he had lost everything, something reminded him of all the things worth protecting in his life and all the pain he’s had to endure.

Richter finally donning his iconic white headband is symbolic of not only his decision to actively join the French Revolution but also his revelation that the love he feels for Maria, Annette, and Tera is his own righteous cause. That, to him, is worth defending just as much if not more than the concept of a centuries old curse turned legacy.

—

SLAVES TO OUR FAMILIES' WISHES: CONCLUSION

Richter, both his game depiction and his recent Nocturne iteration, acts as a reflection and subversion of what a Belmont is along with what that family duty means to different members. Trevor found healing from his trauma through his duty. Richter found his healing through love. Of course Trevor loved Sypha and Alucard in his own way, but throughout the entire first series, from the moment he removed his cloak at the end of season one to standing up against Death in the finale, his driving motivation was always to preserve his family’s legacy despite his own shortcomings. The Belmonts were all but gone and Trevor had been exiled, excommunicated, and turned into a societal pariah. Had he given into despair and continued with his vagabond ways, who else would wield the Morningstar, the Vampire Killer, or any of the knowledge cultivated by previous Belmont generations?

But for Richter, family legacy is more of a nebulous concept. It gets mentioned in conversations and we see its varying effects on individuals, but even when Richter is reunited with Juste, the immediate priorities of his found family takes the place of his blood family. This, according to him, makes him a Belmont. 

It is also important to consider that we are still only on the first season of Castlevania: Nocturne with season two having been renewed and in production merely a week after its initial premiere. With the reveal of Alucard as a last minute cliffhanger in the penultimate episode, it will be interesting to see how his own characterisation as well as his close tie with both the Belmonts and his own family burden will further develop especially after three hundred years within the show’s timeline. One of the biggest possibilities is that in contrast with his youthful brashness and instability that was the crux of his character in the first series, Alucard might serve as a sort of mentor figure or perhaps his own generational pain will bond him further to Richter and Maria, more so than he was in Symphony of the Night . Then there is the question of whether Richter in the midst of the apparent losses he suffered during the finale of season one will follow down the same path that his video game counterpart did.

In 2020, the author wrote another Castlevania -centric essay which detailed the visual, thematic, and aesthetical shifts of the franchise from its inception during the 1980s all the way to the 2017 adaptation through focusing on how these changes affected Alucard. By the end of that essay, it was mentioned that despite the show being renewed for at least one more season, the overall future of Castlevania remained unknown. This is still the case for now. 

Though one can make educated assumptions and theories, there’s no way of knowing what sort of direction season two of Nocturne will take with its themes and characters. This is doubly true for the games themselves. Despite the anticipated releases of the Silent HIll 2 and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remakes, as of now Konami has not revealed any official decisions to remake, rerelease, or produce new Castlevania titles. One can hope that due to the success of both shows along with the anticipation for Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid remakes that something new will be in store for Castlevania in the near future.

Castlevania , both its games and animation adaptations, prove that there is a place in this world for every kind of story. In the last episode of season one airing in July 2017, Alucard states what could very well be the thesis of the entire franchise: “We are all, in the end, slaves to our families’ wishes”. Yet even if we cannot escape the narrative we’ve been latched onto or, for dramatic purposes, cursed with, there are ways in which we can combat it and forge our own healing process.

—

MEDIA REFERENCED

Castlevania (1986)

Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (1987)

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (1989)

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993)

Castlevania Legends (1997)

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003)

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003)

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (2005)

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2011)

Castlevania (2017—2021)

Castlevania: Nocturne (2023—)

[fadetoblacked]

A New Dawn in France: The Joy of a Hyper-Mixed Society

I love when I get to take a little vacation. France, a country with a storied history of art, culture, and revolution, is witnessing a new kind of revolution—a social transformation that is as exhilarating as it is profound. As I stroll through the vibrant streets of Paris, Marseille, and Lyon, I see a beautiful mosaic forming before my eyes. White girls are dating Black African men everywhere I look, creating a hyper-mixed society that embodies the spirit of unity, equality, and love.

This sight fills me with an overwhelming sense of joy and hope. It's a powerful testament to the breaking down of racial barriers and the embrace of diversity that we've long fought for. France is evolving, and with it, so is the world.

For far too long, society has been mired in the toxic legacies of colonialism, racism, and segregation. These relationships between white women and Black African men are a bold declaration of independence from those outdated ideologies. They signify a collective step forward into a world where love transcends color, where the bonds of affection are stronger than the chains of prejudice.

This hyper-mixing is not just about romantic relationships; it's a profound social statement. It's about the courage to love openly and the determination to reject the confines of societal expectations. It's about young people daring to envision a world that is inclusive, accepting, and celebratory of differences.

The blending of cultures, traditions, and backgrounds enriches everyone. Children born from these unions inherit the best of both worlds, growing up with a diverse perspective that equips them to navigate and contribute to a globalized society. They are living proof that our differences can be our strengths, that our diversity can be our greatest asset.

In schools and communities across France, these children will learn to appreciate and respect all cultures. They will become the ambassadors of a future where racial harmony is not a distant dream but a lived reality.

White girls hooking up with Black African men challenge the deeply ingrained stereotypes that have long plagued both communities. These relationships defy the racist myths perpetuated by those who seek to divide us. They are a direct affront to the fear-mongering and xenophobia that have no place in a progressive society.

Every interracial couple I see is a powerful reminder that love knows no bounds. They are the vanguard of a new narrative—one that celebrates humanity in all its hues and forms. They show us that unity is possible, that a hyper-mixed society is not only achievable but beautiful.

As we move forward, it is essential for all of us to embrace this change with open hearts and minds. Let us celebrate these unions as the harbingers of a new era. Let us support and protect these relationships from the forces of hate and intolerance. And let us work tirelessly to ensure that the hyper-mixed society we envision is one where everyone, regardless of their race or background, can thrive.

France, with its rich history of revolution and progress, is once again at the forefront of change. The sight of white girls dating Black African men is not just a trend; it is a testament to the power of love and the inevitability of a mixed, harmonious future.

As a radical , I am thrilled to witness this transformation. It reaffirms my belief in the possibility of a world where equality and justice are not just ideals, but realities. Together, we are creating a tapestry of love, respect, and unity that will inspire generations to come.

Vive la révolution sociale! Vive l'amour!

[qcellbit]

meta talk. i don't quite know how to word this properly, but adding french creators to the qsmp is the riskiest thing quackity studios could've done and it doesn't surprise me that the success to which it was executed was minimal.

adding portuguese speaking creators exclusively from brazil as the first batch outside of the initial english and spanish speakers was the perfect "soft expansion" for the server when you consider the reason for the project's conception - because quackity had experienced poor treatment from white americans as a bilingual latino creator and sought to unite his two communities in an empowering way, further expanding this very noble and personal idea to encapsulate all communities and all languages spanning across the entire world. inviting more latino creators who have likely had the same experiences and would be able to appreciate what the project is trying to achieve is a no-brainer.

it's an uncomfortable thing to touch on (which is why i've never, ever, seen it spoken about on this website), but minecraft projects and communities have always had massive problems with all forms of bigotry, but especially racism. white americans and white europeans have probably not felt the euphoria of seeing their culture celebrated in mainstream global entertainment projects as they already absolutely dominate the entertainment industry on a global scale. as someone who is visibly brown and living in europe, i've always got a lot of grief from classmates and co-workers in the form of ignorant jokes and flat out exclusion - it's an unfortunate cultural norm that bleeds into streaming due to the medium's casual and open nature, unnoticed or unchallenged by white viewers who don't want to have to confront a content creator's bigotry in fears of having to stop watching them. something that cannot be ignored by the people it's actually affecting. there is a reason dsmp and hermitcraft cosplay meet ups are dominated by pale skin.

i love the qsmp because its inclusion of latin american creators and quackity's selectiveness based on personal experience have largely (and i do mean largely, not entirely, but that's a discussion for another day) eliminated that problem.

the most prominent and succinct example i can think of is the photo of quackity's bedroom that was mocked countless times by his english speaking community and his bigoted english speaking friends when he streamed on the dsmp - when that photo was brought to the qsmp, forever, a fellow latino creator, was the first person to gently offer solidarity because he had come from the same impoverished latin american background. to me, and to a lot of minorities, that is what the qsmp is about. yeah, sharing languages in a minecraft server is novel, it's a fun way for americans who did poorly in high school to get back into learning spanish, but it stands for so much more when you're a racial minority. when your pleading in the dsmp fandom was drowned out and ignored for the entire duration of its run. when you're completely unrepresented in minecraft tournaments, and when known bigots are encouraged to participate in said tournaments to boost viewership because numbers are paramount. when you are finally seeing your culture appreciated rather than mocked on streams with tens of thousands of viewers all over the world as part of a massive project with a brilliant, engaging story.

it was obviously necessary to branch out of the americas at some point with what the project is attempting to achieve, but such a task is daunting when the next group you're inviting and their community probably do not have the capacity through personal experience to appreciate what the project stands for at its core in the same way the first batches do. can non americans all relate in discussions of the internet and entertainment industry being america and by extension english speaking centric? yeah, of course. but can white europeans relate when the only representation you have in said media revolves around harmful bigoted stereotypes? can there be a quiet solidarity between a white frenchman and a brown brazilian based on experiences with government, racial profiling, and online mockery? no. and in the landscape of livestreaming stupid jokes for entertainment alongside fast paced gameplay, these nuances are probably not going to be acknowledged.

in complete contrast to the solidarity exhibited between quackity and forever when discussing their poverty growing up in latin america, i have not forgotten and never will forget aypierre excusing his constant racist jokes aimed at the brazilians on his uniquely "french dark humour" that the brazilians, hurt by his comments, could "not understand." this is not an excusable cultural difference, but a symptom of white european privilege, and total ignorance towards what the project is meant to stand for. a smooth integration of all the world's cultures necessitates white european and white american introspection in a way that i haven't seen a lot of streamers capable of. admitting fault to such a degree and the ego of a large online personality do not often mesh well.

i'm always very irritated when people (especially english speakers) complain about them not "adding the germans" sooner despite us seeing applications for german speaking admins many months ago - because it would not be a task of simply throwing out server invites to content creators and cobbling together an animation of a submarine crashing into the island. you cannot downplay the ambition of this project and the mammoth task its trying to accomplish. people take for granted and forget that this is an unprecedented melding of cultures that would never otherwise interact and clash on the rare occasions they do. the french qsmp community being small and the french creators largely being outliers when it comes to the qsmp is not something born out of malice or purposeful exclusion, but simply a symptom of an unspoken lack of solidarity and inability to meaningfully relate based on everything from wildly varying privilege to global placement.

and don't get me wrong - i'm not excusing things like the times at which events are broadcast (i literally live in europe and have to stay up until sunrise to see most events, i think the admins do have to bite the bullet and begin structuring events around a new timezone that isn't the globally inconvenient unsustainable PST), or the exclusion of clips from french content creators at the presidential dinner, but i think attributing those admin choices to the brazilian community being unfairly favoured is downplaying what the qsmp as a project means for minorities, especially when the brazilian community receive the most scorn for infamously being the first to call out bigoted behaviour from qsmp content creators. yeah, it sucks that the french haven't slotted into the qsmp as well as the brazilians and aren't anywhere as numerous, but with all these unspoken contributing factors being taken into account, i can't be surprised.

i wish quackity and his team the best in smoothly integrating more languages and cultures in this amazing project in the future, but for the love of god please understand that the implications of this project and its impact are far larger than any streamer "drama" you might've witnessed in the past. and stop underplaying what this project is trying to achieve in an online landscape saturated in bigotry.

[germanpostwarmodern]

During the past decade Brutalism has become both a social media phenomenon and an object of increased interest on the part of conservationists and researchers. Correspondingly a considerable number of books have been published throughout the years with mixed degrees of depth and relevance.

Of undoubtedly great relevance is the recently published tome „Bruut! Atlas van het brutalisme in Nederland“ by Arjan den Boer, Martijn Haan, Martjan Kuit & Teun Meurs and published by W Books. The volume gathers a hundred Dutch brutalist buildings of which a top 20 selection receives additional pages and illustrations. In keeping with the nature of an atlas it is organized along regions and thus offers a comprehensive cross section of Brutalist architecture in the Netherlands. In between the book’s authors address influence of Brutalism in different typologies like housing, church architecture, school buildings or office buildings with the latter representing the majority of Brutalist buildings in the Netherlands. Particularly convenient is the inclusion of Brutalist glossary for all readers new to the matter as well as brief but concise dossiers of major Brutalist architects like Hugh Maaskant, Ben Ingwersen or Piet Zanstra.

But the major part of the book of course is dedicated to the buildings which are documented in stunning photographs by Bart van Hoek: he perfectly captures each of the buildings’ qualities and details and even those averse to Brutalism will have difficulties denying the strong presence of the chosen Brutalist examples. Among these are obvious choices like Van den Broek & Bakema’s Delft auditorium or the Eindhoven Evolution but also lesser-known gems like the Adventskerk in Aerdenhout, the Girokantoor in Leeuwaarden or the Parpart house in Geleen designed by German architect Wolfram Grundhoff.

Through its exclusive focus on Brutalism in the Netherlands „Bruut!“ provides an excellent overview of Dutch Brutalism between the 1950s and 1980s, its peculiarities and characteristics. On the other hand it hopefully is capable of increasing awareness and appreciation for these buildings which represent a unique contribution to a global architectural phenomenon.

[sgisdinclusion]

SGISD’s Racheal (Rae) Inegbedion Launches new Documentary Short Focused on Disability Employment in Nigeria and Malawi

Congratulations to School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) PhD candidate Racheal Inegbedion! Racheal recently launched her second short documentary film titled Breaking Boundaries: Empowering Abilities into the Nigeria & Malawi Workforce with support from the US Department of State.

The goal of her film is to “shatter the boundaries hindering job opportunities for youth with disabilities” in two regions: Lagos State, Nigeria, and Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi. In this short documentary, 10 people with disabilities narrate their diverse experiences breaking down barriers to employment.

The film premiered at the American Corners in Nigeria and Malawi during a virtual workshop for hiring managers to deepen their understanding of inclusive employment and equitability.

Racheal is the founding Executive Director of the Special Needs Initiative For Growth. She co-produced this film with Toussaint Farini, founder of Salama Africa. Both Racheal and Toussaint recently received the 2023 Leveraging Innovations in New Communities (LINC) Award of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, a US Department of State Program for Young African Leaders.

Watch 10 disabled advocates tell their stories of breaking down barriers to employment in this 15-minute documentary short film.

Read the newspaper report from the Guardian on the documentary’s launch.

Watch the commemoration by the US Mission in Nigeria.

[communityinclusion]

Four New Positions Open at SGISD and ICI

We are hiring! Join a great workplace that supports and advances UMass Boston's values of diversity and equity. The School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) at the UMass Boston College of Education and Human Development is hiring a full-time Assistant Professor and full-time Lecturer. The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) is hiring an Instructional Media Specialist and a Research Data Coordinator.

We’ve included the job descriptions in this message with links to the applications and more information. Please share these positions widely with your networks.

Assistant Professor

SGISD is hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor with expertise in critical race and ethnic studies/decolonial studies. A successful candidate has research and practice experience applying a global and intersectional lens to their work focused on race, ethnic, or decolonial studies and social and economic development for marginalized groups. The Assistant Professor will teach courses in the Global Inclusion curriculum and supervise master's capstone and PhD dissertation projects.

This position is based in Boston, MA and begins September 1, 2024.

We will review applications beginning on October 15, 2023. Learn more and apply!

Lecturer (Rehabilitation/School Counseling)

SGISD is hiring a full-time Lecturer of Rehabilitation/School Counseling in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology. This position requires a doctoral degree from a CACREP-accredited program as well as graduate-level clinical and teaching experience in counselor education. A successful candidate will:

teach courses in the Rehabilitation and School Counseling masters’ programs

teach 4 graduate courses in the Fall and Spring semesters (8 courses per year)

advise graduate students within the Rehabilitation Counseling and School Counseling programs

provide service to the Rehabilitation Counseling and School Counseling programs

This position can be remote, but SGISD will give preference to persons who are willing to teach and engage in service activities in person. We will review applications beginning on October 15, 2023. Learn more and apply!

Instructional Media Specialist

ICI is hiring a full-time instructional media specialist. In this position, you will work with subject matter experts to develop, design, and edit inclusive online lessons and activities. A successful candidate will have creative media design skills and experience producing accessible media content.

This position is based in Boston, MA.

Learn more and apply by October 20!

Research Data Coordinator

ICI is hiring a full-time research data coordinator. In this position, you will coordinate research and evaluation projects that support employment, community life engagement, and inclusive postsecondary education outcomes for people with disabilities. A successful candidate will have working knowledge of statistics, data management, and data analysis.

This position is based in Boston, MA.

Learn more & apply by October 27!

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - February 13, 2023

Hello there! Welcome to another edition of ‘Feel Good Newsletter’. I'm so glad you're here. Every week, I scour the web for the most uplifting and heartwarming stories to bring you a little bit of joy and inspiration. So, sit back, relax, and let's dive in!

1. Minnesota House passes "universal" school meals, providing free breakfast, lunch to students

The Minnesota House of Representatives is considering a bill that would provide universal school meals to all students in the state, regardless of their families' ability to pay. The goal of the bill is to ensure that all students have access to nutritious meals and are better equipped to learn in the classroom.

If the bill is approved, Minnesota would become the second state in the country, after California, to offer universal school meals. The bill has the support of education and anti-hunger advocates, who argue that it would help to address food insecurity and improve student health and academic performance.

2. Ukraine succeeds in bringing back 128 children forcibly removed to Russia

Ukraine has succeeded in bringing back 128 children forcibly taken by the invaders to Russia.

Source: Yuliia Usenko, Head of the Department for the Protection of the Interests of Children and Combating Violence of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, quoted by Ukrinform

Quote: "We have managed to bring 128 children back to Ukraine. More than 50 of them, together with their parents or guardians, are currently in EU countries.

3. Putting solar panels in grazing fields is good for sheep

A study found that installing solar panels in grazing fields is beneficial for sheep. The study was conducted in the UK and found that sheep were more likely to spend time in areas with solar panels than in areas without. This is because the panels provide shade and shelter from the sun, wind, and rain.

The researchers believe that this could help to improve the welfare of sheep, as they are more likely to seek out shade in hot weather, which can reduce the risk of heat stress. The study also found that the solar panels had little impact on the growth and health of the grass, which is important for the sheep's diet.

4. Dad takes toddler son for a manicure after teacher says it's 'only for girls'

The father and son were at a "Daddy and Me" event, where fathers were encouraged to spend time with their children doing various activities. The father chose to take his son to get a manicure, but was told by the teacher in charge of the activity that it was only for girls. The father was reportedly surprised and upset by the teacher's statement, as he felt that it was important for his son to be able to express himself however he wants, without gender stereotypes getting in the way.

The article notes that the incident highlights the ongoing issue of gender stereotypes and the importance of promoting gender equality and inclusivity, especially in children's activities.

4. More than half of new U.S. electric-generating capacity in 2023 will be solar, and only 14% will be using fossil fuels

Information Administration (EIA), energy production in the country increased for the fourth consecutive week. The EIA data showed that the output of oil, natural gas, and coal rose by 1.6%, 2.2%, and 3.2% respectively. The increase in energy production is due to a combination of factors, including improved drilling techniques, favorable weather conditions, and rising global demand for energy.

5. Deforestation in Brazil falls by 60% in first month under Lula

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil fell for the first time this year, according to a report by Reuters. The decrease is attributed to increased enforcement of environmental regulations and increased monitoring of illegal logging activities. The Brazilian government has implemented several measures to reduce deforestation and preserve the Amazon rainforest, which is a critical component of the global ecosystem.

6. Cat returned to NJ shelter for being 'too affectionate' now happy in his new home

A cat named Bruno surrendered to a shelter in New Jersey and was eventually adopted by a new family. Bruno, who was described as a friendly and affectionate cat, is now happily settling into his new home. The story of Bruno's adoption serves as a reminder of the importance of animal shelters and the work they do to find loving homes for abandoned pets.

7. A doggy day care was on fire. Neighbors helped save all 115 dogs inside.

A fire broke out at a doggy daycare and resort in Seattle, causing significant damage to the building. No dogs or employees were injured in the fire, but several dogs had to be temporarily relocated to other facilities. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the resort is working to make repairs and get back to serving the community's four-legged friends as soon as possible.

- - -

That's it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Have a great week ahead :)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Josephine Harvey at HuffPost:

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) suggested the attempted assassination of Donald Trump was able to occur because the Secret Service is led by a “DEI hire.” “Somebody really dropped the ball. You’ve got ... a DEI initiative person who heads up our Secret Service,” Burchett said Sunday on Fox News. The acronym refers to diversity, equity and inclusion policies, which Republicans have targeted in schools, agencies and organizations across the country. “You know, she was working at Pepsi before this,” he added. “I know she was a former Secret Service agent, but still, this is what happens when you don’t put the best players in.” In an earlier post on social media, Burchett had written, “I can’t imagine that a DEI hire from @pepsi would be a bad choice as the head of the Secret Service.” Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, served in the agency for 27 years in various roles — including on Joe Biden’s detail when he was vice president — before taking a role as senior director managing global security at PepsiCo North America.

She returned to the Secret Service after Biden appointed her director in 2022, making her the second woman ever in the role.

[...] A number of conservative figures have since pointed the finger at the Secret Service’s supposed focus on DEI, latching on to comments Cheatle made in 2023 about attracting more female recruits in an effort to diversify the agency. Some right-wing personalities have leveled stunningly sexist criticism questioning why the agency employs female agents at all. Burchett’s “DEI hire” comment attracted swift backlash, including from his Democratic colleague, Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.), who asked, “why make this about race/gender?” and told him to “grow up!”

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) crassly blamed “DEI” for the attempted assassination against Donald Trump on Saturday by launching sexist attacks on Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle.

The right-wing war on DEI is nothing more than a racist and sexist ploy to drive out non-cis white males from public roles.

[evidence-based-activism]

I’ve seen many trans activists compare the sudden upsurge in trans-identifying youth with the infamous ‘left-handed phenomenon’ wherein the rates of left-handedness rose after people stopped associating left-handedness with demonic or satanic affiliation.

Is this a fair comparison? What are the similarities and differences between the upsurge in trans-identifying people and the aforementioned upsurge in left-handedness?

Hello!

While looking into this, I found someone else had already written something on this [1].

Their write up was very good, so I've linked to it above. There's a couple parts I don't completely agree with, but overall it's an excellent explanation of why this isn't a reasonable comparison.

(I found the comparison between their treatment of the left-handedness graph and right-wing treatment of climate change graphs particularly striking.)

The short summary: The graph of left-handedness that is used to make this comparison is:

Truncated/incomplete (i.e., cuts off the first part of the graph to distort the message, similar to climate-change denial-ists truncate temperature change graphs)

Ignores explainable factors for the change in handedness (e.g., the industrial revolution) and attributes everything to a single cause (i.e., discriminatory stereotypes)

Depicts a much smaller increase (~200% vs ~2500%) over a longer time period (~50 years vs ~10 years)

Is essentially a hypothesis (i.e., there's very little hard data, and even less representative data)

All in all, this is not a fair comparison. It's an example of how people misrepresent data/science/statistics to support their world view. (And how that misinformation spreads.)

Other data supporting the sharp increase in children referred for gender dysphoria includes:

This German article [2] documents an overall 8-fold increase (with a 12-fold increase for adolescent girls) over ~10 years

In Sweden [3] there has been 20-fold increase in gender identity diagnoses in people younger than 20 over 10 years

This systemic review [4] found that "based on 38 papers meeting inclusion criteria, there is evidence of an increase in frequency of presentation to services since 2011, and of a shift in the natal sex of referred cases: those assigned female at birth are now in the majority." This review covered 12 countries, but there are some important limitations discussed in the paper.

Highlights from the linked article:

"This analogy fails badly because we’re talking about vastly different populations, changing at vastly different rates, over vastly different timescales, making actual direct comparisons impossible."

"[An advocates for this explanation] has pointed at some random property, asserted it has fluctuated over time, given a superficial and incomplete reason why, and then asserted that a completely different thing must therefore be changing for the same reason, therefore there’s nothing to worry about ... when confronted with graphs showing the rapid rise in global temperature in recent decades, those who sought to minimise the severity of climate change and humanity’s need to do anything about it did exactly the same thing."

"The change in left-handedness was ~80% over 20 years, in comparison referrals to GIDS over the last 10 years have gone up around 6000% in girls, and 2000% in boys."

"Tiny in absolute numbers but the rate of change is vastly different, is different across sexes, is the subject of huge attention and celebration in schools and throughout media, shows absolutely no sign of plateauing, and - unlike handedness - is being medicalised, with potentially huge personal consequences. There are clear and glaring differences that a glib comparison to handedness simply can’t explain."

Issues I want to mention:

This is actually explicitly addressed in the article, but I just want to highlight, that attempting to compare world-wide data/hypothesis to gender clinic referrals in Europe is ... iffy.

I think the numbers reported (re: the above highlights) are slightly misleading. A better summary would be the one I provided in my summary (~200% in 50 years vs ~2400% in 10 years).

The article attempts to graph the gender clinic data on the same time scale as the handedness data, but, in doing so, are replicating the same issue underlying the handedness graph (over-reliance on hypothesis over data). I understand their goal here, but the graph they produce is misleading (i.e., we cannot reliably extrapolate past the data time frame we have).

The article (to a degree) and more so the twitter thread they linked appear to be arguing that because there was a reason for everything to be created for right-handed people (industrial revolution, mass production, etc.) it wasn't a case of discrimination. I don't really agree with this. That is, I think the fact that much of the modern world has been designed around right-handedness is unfair to left-handed people, even if there's a practical reason for the design.

Reference:

Void if Removed. The Left Hand of Daftness. 11 Nov. 2022, https://web.archive.org/web/20230501044319/https://www.voidifremoved.co.uk/p/the-left-hand-of-daftness

Bachmann, Christian J., et al. “Gender Identity Disorders among Young People in Germany: Prevalence and Trends, 2013–2022. An Analysis of Nationwide Routine Insurance Data.” Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, May 2024. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0098.

Landen, Mikael. “[Dramatic increase in adolescent gender dysphoria requires careful consideration].” Lakartidningen, vol. 116, Oct. 2019, p. FSMH.

Thompson, Lucy, et al. “A PRISMA Systematic Review of Adolescent Gender Dysphoria Literature: 1) Epidemiology.” PLOS Global Public Health, vol. 2, no. 3, Mar. 2022, p. e0000245. PLoS Journals, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000245.

[fatehbaz]

Growing up at the turn of the 20th century, for many American children, also meant learning to view the world through the lens of “home geography.” [...] [T]hey inevitably responded to the transnational whims of an empire that had stretched its dominion across the globe [with US forays into Panama, Cuba, Hawai'i, the Philippines, and elsewhere]. [...] [T]hey recorded far more aggressive views of “home” in terms of what/where/whom it included and what/where/whom it excluded, both within and beyond the immediate borders of the United States. Thanks to “home geography” as an imperial pedagogic tool, white, well-to-do, literate American children not only lived in the safety of homes (housing their immediate families, but also, symbolically, the nation), but many of them also learned how to identify and imagine “homes” on the map of the world. [...] On the one hand [...] “home” became ever more closely associated with whiteness, literacy, hygiene, heteronormativity [...]. This turned school geography into a site where exclusionary, exceptionalist views of the world took root in childhood. [...] [C]hildren could also imagine what other homes and non-homes looked like, could fantasize about who lived in a home [...].

Consequently, the cognitive maps children developed, to which we have access through the scant archival records they left behind (i.e., geographical puzzles they designed and printed in juvenile periodicals), show great degrees of nativism and racism. As relatively marginal scraps in a multitude of records that I understand as scripts of empire, children’s cognitive maps further mixed nativism and the logic of colonization with playful, appropriative scalar confusion, and an intimate, often unquestioned sense of belonging to the global expanse of an empire [...].

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Dissected maps - that is, maps mounted on cardboard or wood and then cut into smaller pieces that children were to put back together - are a generative example of the ways imperial pedagogy (and the violence it promoted [...]) found its place outside formal education, in children’s lives outside the classroom. [...] In return, playing with dissected maps was designed to keep children [...] informed about the world the United States was keen on entering and colonizing; it invited children to assume a unique, complex role. Children would [...] vacillate between seeing themselves as cartographers in charge of the chaos of the various pieces and as reinscriptive cartographers who strove to restore the whole map out of its pieces. [...] After all, [...] well before having been adopted as playthings in the United States, dissected maps had been designed to entertain and teach the children of King George III about the global spatial affairs of the British Empire. [...]

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Given the frequency with which juvenile periodicals of the time printed child-made geographical puzzles, children’s involvement in composing scripts of empire confirms that what motivated them to design geographical puzzles involved more than mere showing off of the basics of geographic literacy. [...] And this is best registered in the letters children wrote to Harper’s Young People and St. Nicholas, but also to other juvenile periodicals of the time (such as the long-livedYouth’s Companion). In these letters, we encounter American children writing about the towns and cities they come from and about their travels or studies abroad. [...] [I]t was their assumption that “(un)charted,” non-American spaces (both inside and outside the national borders) sought legibility as potential homes, as well as entry and inclusion in the American household, and that, if they did not do so, they were bound to recede into ruin/“savagery,” meaning that it would become the colonizers’ responsibility/burden to “restore” them [...].

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Sánchez-Eppler does something particularly generative for childhood studies: [...] “Raising Empires like Children” centers the study of US Empire on childhood as an inherently political project. She convincingly argues that empires learn from and owe to childhood in their attempts at survival and growth over generations. [...] [I]t is critical to study these records to find out how empires (what I characterize as “multigenerational power constellations”) survived by making accessible pedagogical scripts that children of the white and wealthy could learn from and appropriate as times changed. [...] [T]he study of childhood as a highly politicized [...] category of dependence in the 19th century opens doors to [...] engagements with the ways childhood as an allegedly innocent, ambivalent project of growing up corroborated, was shaped by, and gave shape to the empire as an inescapably violent, racialized project.

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All text above are the words Mashid Mayar. As transcribed in an interview conducted and published by M. Buna. “Children’s Maps of the American Empire: A Conversation with Mashid Mayar.” LA Review of Books. 11 July 2022. At: lareviewofbooks dot org/article/childrens-maps-of-the-american-empire-a-conversation-with-mahshid-mayar/ [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism.]