Blog Post 10/5

Ted Talk: 3:30

When questioned with how Blacks can be liberated, Garza explains the spectrum of racism that exists in society.  She describes how the two ends of the spectrum consist of Whites and Blacks, and that the closer a person is to the White side, the less racism there exists.  On the other hand, the closer a person gets to the Black side, the more prominent the racism.  Garza also explains how Blacks, especially women, aren’t considered in society.  With reference to the wage gap between men and women, the most used example of the difference in the amount of money the two genders make is only between a white male and white female.  This hegemony of Whites is omnipresent in society and the Black Lives Matter is trying to combat this problem and raise awareness.  

1. Why does Garza think that once Blacks are free, everyone is free? How does she explain white hegemony and the effects it has on the spectrum of racism?  

http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/08/20/kat-graham-acosta-intv-nr.cnn

In this news video, Kat Graham discusses her stance on the Charlottesville protests and introduces her new Black Lives Matter PSA. The PSA features several black individuals and one white police officer mourning over the loss of a young African American teenager. Each of them hold up a black hoodie: an innocent article of clothing that causes many black individuals theirs lives. Its message is simply that “wearing a hoodie should not be probable cause” (CNN). The PSA, overall, addresses in a compelling way the ongoing racially charged violence that is currently happening in America.

1. Why do you think producers of the promotional video included a white male police officer? What is the purpose of including this character in the video?  How would the message be different if it was someone of another race/gender?  

http://blacklivesmatter.com/herstory/

This website discusses the mission of #blacklivesmatter and provides the history of the movement and its creators. It also demonstrates how one could get involved in the fight for Black Lives by listing national events and chapters.

Quote:

“When you design an event / campaign / et cetera based on the work of queer Black women, don’t invite them to participate in shaping it, but ask them to provide materials and ideas for next steps for said event, that is racism in practice.  It’s also hetero-patriarchal. Straight men, unintentionally or intentionally, have taken the work of queer Black women and erased our contributions.  Perhaps if we were the charismatic Black men many are rallying around these days, it would have been a different story, but being Black queer women in this society (and apparently within these movements) tends to equal invisibility and non-relevancy.”

This quote addresses how whites assert hegemony over blacks, but in particle queer Black women. It reveals that the black lives matter movement goes beyond racial differences and further addresses factors such as gender and sexual orientation. Alicia Garza explains how these factors further the extreme racism that currently occurring in society.