“I accepted having the best of both worlds, and sometimes having the worst of both worlds too” she says. As the video fades from person to person, they explain their feelings about trying to find a way to identify that made them happy despite what people told them they should be. One man describes being biracial “makes you different, unique, but also vulnerable.” And many others talked about the prejudice that someone from many races experiences from each group, the reality of being a constant outsider. This emotion can be seen in each of the interviewees, but the young boy at the end had the best advice for people who identify as more than one race and struggle with people’s prejudice, “If people don’t like who you are, just find somebody who does.” <3croclove

(Source: fuckyeahfamousblackgirls)

Today’s Lesson:

The importance of research and why I’m smacking myself upside the head 

I am guilty of getting caught up in the fervor of Kony 2012 and I am sentencing myself to increasing public awareness and encouraging a research mentality in others (and also 10 lashings with a wet noodle  … and I may watch a Rick Santorum interview but I’m not sure even I deserve that level of cruel and unusual punishment).

The word ‘white saviour’ has been used in conjunction with the Kony video, I’d like to redefine this term as ‘Western saviour’. I’ve seen many comments online, and contributed by posting the video, which assumes to know what is best for other human beings after knowing (a condensed version of ) their pain for a short period of time.

I’ve been feeling uneasy about my involvement (because posting and producing media IS involvement even if there’s no money involved). So I researched/analyzed tumblr and other social media sites. Here are two sources I found and I will add to as I find more voices on the issue. After watching and reading it’s apparent Invisible Children watered down the issues for commercial gains and silenced the Northern Ugandan people. We cannot assume to understand an issue after a few days when these people have lived it their whole lives and I have learned a lesson I will not forget. It’s easy to forget privilege, and speaking as a WOC, it’s easy to forget we actually have some. Activism and outreach should come from a place of respect and if an individual doesn’t want the involvement in their lives, then we should respect and defer to them as the authority on that issue aka their lived experience. This is the same respect we are given as members of a Western society and assume for ourselves (if we don’t research!) in incidents such as the Kony 2012 video.

As a diverse person with diverse experiences actively involved in furthering the discussion of open-minded awareness, I’ve forgotten to remember that I am blessed and privileged compared to many people on this earth. So while as a WOC I experience disadvantage within this country I must remember to put things into perspective based on others cultures and not my own. This is a lesson I’ve been taught and have now fully learned. Now where’s that Rick Santorum video.

Pieces of Mee: http://pomee.tumblr.com/post/18899601760/kony-2012-causing-more-harm-than-good

I know this already went viral, but I’ve been thinking about children and social training today. Kids are much smarter than we give them credit for, they’re much smarter than we may ever be. They have yet to be molded and stuffed and pinched and squeezed and wriggled into the 3-sizes-too-small-but-I-want-to-stay-in-single-digits-jeans-so-I’ll-suffer-anyway social mentality adults have. Children notice inequalities and just take Riley’s advice on marketing, “The companies try to trick us!” Yes Riley, the companies and sometimes parents too. We saw those very inequalities at that age, but we were talked out of it by adults. If we want to bring more freedom to America, the most influential way is not to change the nation, but a generation. 

Example:

“Where do babies come from?”

“Well, when a Mommy and a Daddy love each other very much…”

You blew it. Congratulations your kid is Rush Limbaugh. Toss out the training wheels and graduate them to full on bigotry.

I’m kidding. A little. If children are reinforced every day that boy+girl=theonlyanswer, or boy>girl>trans*>Muslims> atheists> etc, then eventually they’re going to believe it. Just as we learned times tables, the planets (there will always be 9, damn it!) and the alphabet by repetition so do we learn social expectations. Judith Butler defines this as gender performativity and has written extensively on the topic (google her and read, read, read).

So, how about a re-do?

“How are babies made?”

“Well, when two people love each other very much…”

See? Simple. It’s even quicker to say. It’s conservative (get it?). At least one thing we learned when we were little still works: Think before you speak. Take it one conversation at a time, try to eliminate gender assumptions, just try, so Riley can play with her superheros, princesses and budding feminism in peace.

“I don’t do anything. I don’t comb, I don’t do anything,” she says and moments later we hear another woman state:”It’s so much work to look this way. It is SO much work to look this way.” Why is there such a divide over hair in African-American communities? One woman raises the issue, ”If something is bad for a sewage system then you kind of have to wonder what it’s doing to your body.” Watch the video and think about what message the media sends to African-American women and what African-American women think of themselves. There are no antagonistic views expressed by women here, only messages of love and commitment to the hairstyle of their choice, and yet the male commentators highlight a more diversive factor, their comments indicate there is a right and wrong way to do black hair. Thoughts?

Awwww <3

ADORABLE CROCODILE MOMENT OF THE DAY!

He should just sing instead of campaigning.