Racial Justice - Tumblr Posts

I hate it when people say skin whitening treatments and fake tanning are "two sides of the same coin." The South-Asian obsession with fair skin is rooted in British colonialism. The urge to get skin whitening treatments comes from a place of self-loathing and an inferiority complex. Meanwhile, people who get fake tans just want to feel exotic.

I know that when it comes to racial matters, some people feel that they can “see it from both sides” and, therefore, “know the answer is in the middle.” If black people in the United States were in power equal to that of white people; if the laws and institutions and education and media dipped in favor of black people as much as it does white people, then there might be an actually middle to arrive at. But you cannot start from a place where the scales are tipped in favor of one group and treat it as though the scale is level. Your answer will always be incorrect when your starting equation has one of the variables wrong. When one side wishes to traffic in bigotry, superiority, and the right to rule over and dehumanize others, and the other side merely wishes to live in equity and with basic human dignity, it does the truth, and reconciliation, a great disservice to pretend that these are merely differences in opinions and perspectives holding equally moral weight and validity.

Trevor Noah: What’s the “Middle” Between White Supremacy and Equality for All? – Medium (via brutereason)

People across the U.S. took to the streets on Oct 14 to remember George Floyd on what would’ve been his 47th birthday

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Without question widespread injustice is a reality all over the world. People from all levels of society are marginalized, minimalized and minified in a variety of ways, but as today’s scripture reference states, this should not be a surprise because this has been going on for thousands of years.

The problem however is that many today are now compartmentalizing 'Justice' based on their own focused interests and in doing that raise their particularly identified ADJECTIVE of justice as one of singular importance. By groups isolating their various definitions of justice, there then has followed a self-definied righteousness of how those people think that adjective of justice 'should' be resolved.

Again, referencing back to Job 4:17 while there may be a hierarchy of human judges, ultimately judgement ascends up to the supreme judge - and that is not the Supreme Court, but THE SUPREME BEING. You see, from God’s point of view, one 'justice' is not more important than any another 'justice.' God sees all injustice as SIN and all sin will be righteously and fairly judged by the ultimate judge.

JUSTICE DOES NOT NEED AN ADJECTIVE. JUSTICE is JUSTICE regardless to what group or application to which it applies, and the ultimate JUDGE of all INJUSTICE will be by the Supreme Judge as the Psalmist wrote:

“RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE are the foundation of God’s throne; and Lovingkindness and truth go forth from Him.” Psalm 89:14

As a popular phrase truly states, 'If you are earnestly seeking JUSTICE, then seek PEACE' — and the true embodiment of Peace and The Complete Resolution Of ALL JUSTICE Is The Prince Of Peace — JESUS CHRIST.

God Bless Your Day Jesus Loves You

It's a shame an announcement like this even has to be put out honestly. 🙄

Poor Fran. 😔

Well, well what have we here?

Hmm I wonder what this is all about if it's not racism...HMMMMMMM

“The police don’t target black people,” says the white person.

“LGBTQ+ people have plenty of protection,” says the straight, cisgender person.

“Women don’t feel harassed at work,” says the man. 

“Poor people don’t need more government help,” says the rich person. 

“Immigrants feel welcome here,” says the natural-born citizen. 

Please stop invalidating the concerns of people who have problems that you’re not experiencing. Instead, listen to them, and learn what you can do to help. 

“The police don’t target black people,” says the white person.

“LGBTQ+ people have plenty of protection,” says the straight, cisgender person.

“Women don’t feel harassed at work,” says the man. 

“Poor people don’t need more government help,” says the rich person. 

“Immigrants feel welcome here,” says the natural-born citizen. 

Please stop invalidating the concerns of people who have problems that you’re not experiencing. Instead, listen to them, and learn what you can do to help. 

just a friendly reminder that, just because slavery was formally "abolished" in the so-called united states* in 1865, enslavement itself is still ongoing in the form of incarceration, which disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous people

(*i say "so-called" because the US is a settler-colonial construction founded on greed, extraction, and white supremacy) recommended readings/resources:

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

"How the 13th Amendment Kept Slavery Alive: Perspectives From the Prison Where Slavery Never Ended" by Daniele Selby

"So You're Thinking About Becoming an Abolitionist" by Mariame Kaba

"The Case for Prison Abolition: Ruth Wilson Gilmore on COVID-19, Racial Capitalism & Decarceration" from Democracy Now! [VIDEO]

!!!!

POC solidarity is epic.

Asians, Africans, Latinos, and Indigenous People all standing up for one another is awesome and we need more of it. Racists will often try to pit us against one another, but we have to recognize the importance of standing together and fighting for equality for all of us.

Nothing aggravates me more than when y’all question a characters skin color SPECIFICALLY, Leah Jeffries as Annabeth in the new Percy jackson series, I would like to préfice this by saying, that she was chosen to play this character by the AUTHOR OF THE BOOKS HIMSELF, she is also a HALF-BLOOD which means if Athena chose to have a baby with a black or African American mortal, this would be the outcome of their child, if you’re racist just say that, but to hate on a minor for one of her casted major roles because of her skin is disgusting, grow up.

LGBTQ+ USAians: hey can we have equal rights

conservatives: stop shoving your AGENDA in my face!

Black USAians: can you stop killing us

conservatives: wow ok that is un-American. Respect our police!

Asian USAians and Latino USAians: we're part of this country too, can you stop treating us like we don't belong and respect our culture

conservatives: are you trying to ERASE this country?!?!?!

Indigenous USAians: how about you admit all the atrocities you committed and also stop further hurting Native communities

conservatives: what sort of anti-white PROPOGANDA is this?!?!?

Bayard Rustin was an American civil and gay rights activist, a leader in the social movements of socialism and nonviolence, and the founder of organizations such as the Congress of Racial Equality and the March on Washington Movement. He was an openly gay black man, Martin Luther King Jr.’s right hand man, a pioneer for equality even before the Civil Right’s movement - and he has been erased from history.

Bayard was born in Pensilvania in 1912. He was raised by his grandparents, only later learning that his older “sister” was actually his mother, having gotten pregnant at 16. In the 1930s, he studied at two historically black colleges, and briefly joined the Young Communist League. During World War II, he fought for racial equality in war-related hiring, and was sentenced to two years in jail for refusing to register for the draft. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, he played a huge role in the Civil Rights movement, the organization of the March on Washington, and advising MLK. He died of a ruptured appendix in 1987. 

Bayard was arrested over 20 times in his life for both his work in activism, and for being openly homosexual. Throughout his career, he faced backlash from allies and enemies alike for being open about his sexual orientation. He is an inspiration to us all for his work as an activist, organizer, and leader, never apologizing for being who he was.  In 2013, President Barack Obama granted him the Presidential Medal of Honor for his groundbreaking work - Bayard’s lifelong partner, Walter Neagle, accepted the award on his behalf.   

Dear Allies, 

Thank you for helping others. Thank you for supporting the people with less than you. Thank you for supporting gays as a straight person. Thank you for fighting racism as a white person. Thank you for being a feminist when you’re a dude. Thank you for caring about deprived communities when there’s no one else to help. Thank you for caring, and acting on that compassion, when you could easily turn your back. Thank you for helping when you know the risks the haters pose. Thank you for knowing you have to do something when no one is telling you there’s a fight you must join. Thank you for reading and listening and helping our fight for a better world.

Don’t listen to people who tell you that you don’t have a place, that you’re ignorant or appropriating. You are learning and you are trying and that goes farther than you think. You are helping those who have been shut down because their own efforts sometimes aren’t enough. You are aware of where you’ve been placed in society, and you are aware of the position of others - not everyone has all the rights you may have.  You are everywhere, and it’s your job to use your voices for good. Make our world a safe space. Thank you for loving - it does not go unnoticed.

It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, everyone! Today we honor the legacy of one of the most inspiring and dedicated leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Before the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, racial segregation was a part of daily American life. MLK Jr. saw the injustice in this, and wanted to fight against it. A preacher and an activist, as well as a loving husband and father, he dedicated his career to improving the lives of African-Americans. Sit-ins were jeered and people were arrested, but Mr. King continued his work. He encouraged many Americans, black and white, to fight for racial equality. In the end, they succeeded.  Today we honor this man’s life, and the effect his message has had on America. The right’s and opportunities of this great country should never be denied to anyone - Martin Luther King Jr. helped teach us that. 

My English class has been exploring a unit on the Harlem Renaissance. And since Black History Month has been celebrating black achievement for the past few weeks, heres a report on one of my favorite artistic time periods. 

The Harlem Renaissance was a period of artistic and cultural revolution for the African-American community, originating in the NYC neighborhood of Harlem. In the early 20th century, African Americans mass-migrated to the North to escape poverty and racial segregation. They relocated in Northern cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and New York City, searching for jobs and housing. They found social and economic freedom where they came, especially in Harlem, a neighborhood of NYC. Harlem had previously housed rich white people, but low rent and open jobs allowed black migrants to fill the space instead. 

Harlem fostered a new sense of community and identity within the African-American community. During the 1920s, this manifested into a period of significant artistic and literary achievement. Black writers, musicians, and artists found pride in their identity, using their work to celebrate black identity and culture. Though these figures faced obstacles because of their color, and racial bias was common, Harlem of the 20s was a social hotspot for African-Americans. Writers such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston (my personal favorites) wrote extensively on the themes of racism and African-American identity. Musicians like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith shot to fame, performing blues and jazz in Harlem and other cities. They performed in Harlem’s vibrant clubs, a common scene featured in paintings such as Archibad J. Motley’s iconic Nightlife. 

Though these icons, and many more, were able to have successful careers, most black Americans were treated poorly. Down South, Jim Crow laws segregated people based on race, leaving non-whites with fewer rights and opportunities. Northern cities weren’t legally segregated, but many African-Americans faced discrimination and lived in poverty. Change would come over long periods of time. But despite these challenges, African-American art and culture flourished for nearly a decade. Today, this inspiring and influential era would be known as the Harlem Renaissance.

Women belong to every minority; raise women up, and you raise up those minorities.

Today is the 3rd annual Women’s March, an international movement advocating for gender equality and human rights. The quote above is what my poster said at the first one two years ago. 

And it’s true: women are members of every community on the planet (unless you count fraternities, which I don’t). Religious, ethnic, racial, sexual -  you name it, women are a part of it. Unfortunately, lots of these groups often face discrimination and prejudice in any number of ways, for any number of reasons. Anywhere in the world, someone is always getting crap for being who they are. And regardless of their cultural identity, women often have it much worse.   

So let’s stop the hate against hijabis. Let’s stop underestimating women of color. Let’s stop the neglect of transgender woman, and the objectification of girls who like girls. 

Raise up the women, and you raise up the world. 

The queer community is it’s own worst enemy.   

It’s gay men and lesbians against bisexual people, who “just need to choose.” Angry spitfires who say asexual people aren’t really part of the community, aren’t really human. Cisgendered queers who degrade and dehumanize trans and non binary people.   

We put each other in boxes. We tell one another that there’s something false about that person’s LGBTQ+ identity. We say “you don’t belong, you have to fit into this cookie cutter. You can’t be that one, or none at all.” There’s always something wrong with you, but if you were to be something else, then you’ll be part of the community. We’ll finally get equal rights, if only you change. 

Get married, adopt kids. Don’t be poor, don’t be disabled, don’t be a person of color. You can be queer, but not too much, because then they won’t help us. You’ll scare them away. You can come under the umbrella, but if you’re this-or-that, we’ll push you out into the rain. 

This is what assimilation does to people. It pits them against each other, because everyone is holding themselves to a standard of a people that is not their own. And it isn’t just the LGBTQ+ community that does it. 

 ~ “You’re dark skinned - you’re not as good, not as clean, as people with light skin.”   ~ “You’re light skinned - you’re not black enough. Who do you think you are?” 

 ~ “You speak Spanish, so you’re living in the past; you aren’t ‘American’ enough.”  ~ “You don’t speak Spanish, so you aren’t in touch with you’re Latinx roots.” 

And round and round in circles. No one is safe, no one is free. There are too many eyes, too many boxes, and so an identity is scattered like loose change. A people forgets that they are all the same blood, in an effort to dilute it. This is what assimilation does to a people. Society hurts the community, which hurts the individual. All people, vs. your people, vs. you. 

To be queer is to be gifted with an eye-opening experience that never truly ends. It’s a life-long journey of discovery, about who you are and how you want to express that. It’s a description, not a definition. The LGBTQ+ community is vibrant, diverse, and all-encompassing. To be a part of it is to belong, to learn, and to gain friendship. It spans the globe, it brings out the best in people. Your never really stop seeing it’s beauty.   

But it’s made to be something else. It’s told it must be a set of easily identified categories. Queer people are told that they must fit one of these categories, and stick to it. Their identity must be a tight package to fit into. It must be easily understood and easily explained, because God forbid we confuse anyone! And so the queer individual suffers. 

And when the person suffers, so does the community.