On December 6th. pop star Lizzo accepted the “People’s Champion Award” at the People’s Choice Awards 2022. But she did something very unique and special with her time on camera for her acceptance speech. She immediately switched the focus of the night off of her and onto the accomplishments of 17 activists, who she brought with her on stage. One by one, she introduced and proclaimed why their work was important. You can watch the full speech …Read More
Tag: international issues
Squat and Poop: The Art of Adaptation
CN: bathroom talk The story of how the piece you’re about to read came into my inbox is one of the more serendipitous moments that I’ve experienced. I was listening to Mugabi’s episode of the podcast No End In Sight, a podcast about chronic illness, and I was struck by how unique and compelling his story was. When I learned that he was a writer, I knew I needed to contact him and ask if …Read More
Western Media and their Continually Racist Depictions of Africa
CN: extensive discussion of media-based manifestations of racism, and the impact of the pandemic; general discussion of the myth of “white genocide”; mention of 45. I had been aware for a while that the portrayal of Africa that most folks from the US encounter in encyclopedias and on documentaries is heavily influenced by white supremacy and white savior narratives. But despite this awareness, I am not immune to the effects of modern media on …Read More
What Bolivia Can Teach Us About Confronting Systemic Violence
CN: extensive discussion of government sanctioned violence, racially motivated police brutality, and violence against women; brief discussion of of 45, sexual assault, torture, and immigrant deportation camps. Living in the US, it can be easy to forget the ways our systems and political histories are mirrored by those of other countries, and as a result, we can potentially find wisdom in other political movements similar to ours. Guest writer Marie-Ève Monette does an excellent job …Read More
Good People: Race, Not Racism, Is the Social Construct
CN: extensive discussion of the mechanics of racism and white supremacy; discussion of apartheid era South Africa, denial of racism, islamophobia, and racially motivated violence; mention of anti-Semitism. All I have to say about today’s guest post is that I’m so glad that thanks Thandiwe I have an excellent resource to point to anytime I run into someone claiming that racism is a social construct. She’s going to break it down for all of us. …Read More
How You Can Help with Australia Bushfire Relief
If you don’t need the introduction, skip to the heading “Choosing How to Help” for the list of ways you can get involved in fighting the Australia bushfires. Scroll to the bottom for a list of resources if you or your family are in need of help. CN: in depth discussion of the consequences of the Australia bushfires, and climate change. Discussion of government corruption, and animal death and endangerment, mention of concentration camps, mental …Read More
You Strike a Woman, You Strike a Rock: Gender-Based Violence and Xenophobia in South Africa
CN: in depth discussion of rape culture, sexual assault, gender-based violence, xenophobic violence, government sanctioned oppression in South Africa. Brief discussion of corrective sexual assault and apartheid. Many of the issues featured on this blog are discussed in terms of how they manifest in the United States, primarily because that is where most of my audience is located, and I have the most specific knowledge about the social patterns that occur here. However, very few …Read More