Articles
The model minority is losing patience- This article talks about the present and past discrimination that Asian-Americans have encounter through time. Its starts by talking about the discrimination that the young Asian-Americans experience, while trying to enter college. They needs exceptionally high scores to be able to get into colleges, while other students of different race can get in without such high scores. Additionally, the article talks about the discrimination that Asians-Americans have encounter through history; starting with the Chinese Excursion Act of 1882. Asian-Americans walked the hard path such that of the African-Americans talked about in Coates' book. This article ties greatly with Coates book, both talking about the hardships minorities face in the past and present. It reference the hardships these races had to go through to able to live the American Dream; such as the challenging education system for minorities in different respects. -Huy
How Our Society Rewards White Appropriation Of Black Culture - This article discusses the issues of white appropriation of black culture. This girl has been a popular meme and has also caused lots of controversy. People have said she dresses/acts/ speaks black, but these are all negative stereotypes of black culture. a tweet went viral when someone said that this girl is being black, the response was "why was her negative behavior being associated with black culture?". this question is valuable because it shows us how we need to get rid of these negative stereotypes if we want to progress as a non-racist society. I think Coates would like for negative racial stereotypes to disappear and I think he would be disappointed in people for associating this disrespectful teen to black culture. -Faaiq
"Because You're Black..." - This article is about a woman who applied to work in a small French bakery shop but was blatantly told that she couldn't work there because of her dark skin. The owners said that a Black woman working the counter would scare away customers, and if there was an opening in the kitchen in back where people couldn't see her, they'd consider hiring her there. The owners wanted a strict "counter girl" look (meaning white, pretty, etc.), which they used to deny the woman the position and another man who wanted to work there too. The company was sued for $25,000 on discriminatory charges. This struggle to not get a job simply because of skin color or the "Black stereotype" related to Coates' book. One thing Coates told his son was that he could be all he ever wanted to be and more, but one wrong move by another Black person could smudge his own good name too. The woman didn't even get a chance to have a formal interview because the owners immediately began bashing her as soon as they saw her dark skin. She didn't get the chance to show them her personality, work ethic, or anything. She was judged based on others. - Erika
How Our Society Rewards White Appropriation Of Black Culture - This article discusses the issues of white appropriation of black culture. This girl has been a popular meme and has also caused lots of controversy. People have said she dresses/acts/ speaks black, but these are all negative stereotypes of black culture. a tweet went viral when someone said that this girl is being black, the response was "why was her negative behavior being associated with black culture?". this question is valuable because it shows us how we need to get rid of these negative stereotypes if we want to progress as a non-racist society. I think Coates would like for negative racial stereotypes to disappear and I think he would be disappointed in people for associating this disrespectful teen to black culture. -Faaiq
"Because You're Black..." - This article is about a woman who applied to work in a small French bakery shop but was blatantly told that she couldn't work there because of her dark skin. The owners said that a Black woman working the counter would scare away customers, and if there was an opening in the kitchen in back where people couldn't see her, they'd consider hiring her there. The owners wanted a strict "counter girl" look (meaning white, pretty, etc.), which they used to deny the woman the position and another man who wanted to work there too. The company was sued for $25,000 on discriminatory charges. This struggle to not get a job simply because of skin color or the "Black stereotype" related to Coates' book. One thing Coates told his son was that he could be all he ever wanted to be and more, but one wrong move by another Black person could smudge his own good name too. The woman didn't even get a chance to have a formal interview because the owners immediately began bashing her as soon as they saw her dark skin. She didn't get the chance to show them her personality, work ethic, or anything. She was judged based on others. - Erika
Videos
Ted Talk-We need to talk about an Injustice - Bryan Stevenson, the presenter of this TED Talks speaks about growing up in an African-American household. How his grandfather and uncles were incarcarated change the way he view life. He speaks out about how the criminal justice system has changed over the years for the worse; one-third of all African-Americans are part of the criminal justice system: in jail, parole, or probation. Talking about how it shapes the outcome of lower income minority neighborhoods, relates to Coates' book. Coates tells his son in the books that as a minorities pay a higher price of error, as Stevenson refers to in his TED Talks. The justice system doesn't look at race but it also looks at the poverty and targets them. When people get entered into the justice system, its hard for them to get a second chance at life. People look down on people who have criminal records and don't give them a second chance. -Huy
CNN-Facing Racism in America Today - During the first service since the shooting at the First Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Jake Tapper and Van Jones discuss the issues of racism and how you "cant fight the demons you can't face". Tapper brings up the fact that "you can't appreciate the beauty of what's behind us (the service) until you really name the hatred and the evil that have been just right behind us (the service) a few days ago". In a way, Coates does this within his book. Yes his writing seems like a bunch of venting on how the world has wrongly crossed him and his ancestors, but in order to show his son the actually good advise about life he needs to bring up the bad experiences otherwise the consequence is unknown to the reader.- Rachel
GET OUT interviews - Jordan Peele - Jordan Peele talks about his new movie, get out. In this, he speaks on this issue of t\racism, and the way it always underlies in the American conversation, and that even though people attempt not to be racist, doing so may be overtly racist. He speaks about scenes such as the house party, in which the white families would approach the black main character (Chris), and point out his skin color in conversation, even if they were just trying to be nice. This relates to Coates and the idea of people who believe themselves to be white. The idea that racism is more than just in persecution, and rather through the way it drives American conversation. -Faaiq
GET OUT interviews - Jordan Peele - Jordan Peele talks about his new movie, get out. In this, he speaks on this issue of t\racism, and the way it always underlies in the American conversation, and that even though people attempt not to be racist, doing so may be overtly racist. He speaks about scenes such as the house party, in which the white families would approach the black main character (Chris), and point out his skin color in conversation, even if they were just trying to be nice. This relates to Coates and the idea of people who believe themselves to be white. The idea that racism is more than just in persecution, and rather through the way it drives American conversation. -Faaiq
Movies
Zootopia - This movie is all about the distinct separation of species. While the city of Zootopia is meant to be the shining beacon of possibilities and a place to bring everyone together, the truth is that there are still limits on everyone. There are still stereotypes that prevent everyone from becoming something new. Judy had to work hard amidst the scoffing of the other police officers just because a bunny had never been a cop before, and Nick let the world's view of foxes being nothing but sly and untrustworthy make him exactly that. He even said that if the world was only ever going to see his kind as that way, there was no use in trying to be anything else. This parallel of discrimination reflects how Ta-Nehisi Coates viewed America's situation with racism. He told his son that he can be all that he can be an more, but all it takes is one wrong move and the whole stereotype of Blacks will come crashing back down on him. He doesn't just carry the weight of his own misdoings, but of his whole race's. The characters in Zootopia had to push past this to show the world that anyone can be anything. But unfortunately, it is just a movie, and things like this are not so easily made in our own world. - Erika
Selma- Selma is based on real life events during the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Beve. The movie highlights many important parts however the main events focused on throughout the movie is for federal legislation to allow black citizens to register to vote unencumbered. During the march, Martin Luther King, and black Selma residents march to the registration office to register. After a confrontation in front of the courthouse, a shoving match occurs as the police go into the crowd. The marchers, including John Lewis of SNCC, Hosea Williams of SCLC, and Selma activist Amelia Boynton, cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge and approach a line of state troopers. The troopers order the marchers to turn back, and when they hold their ground the troopers attack with clubs, horses, tear gas, and other weapons. In this day and age, police brutality is not nearly as bad as it used to be. The way police treat people now is not nearly as violent or visible as it used to be, the violent acts are more discrete and under the radar as opposed to beating someone with clubs. -Rachel