sepia6:

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that even when you are the youngest person ever to be nominated for an Academy Award, many people will use the occasion not to hold you up for all of the amazing things you obviously are, but to tear you down for the ways you don’t look like them, the ways your name isn’t their kind of right, the ways you don’t remind them of themselves, the ways you are not blonde or blue-eyed, as if those things could possibly matter when set against the otherwordly talent and beauty and brilliance you possess.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that you come into it already expected to be less than you almost certainly are, the genius and radiant darkness you possess already set up to be overlooked, dismissed or erased by almost everyone you will ever meet.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that even when you are everything, some people will want you to be nothing. They will look at you through the nothing-colored glasses they will put on every time you enter a room. And the bigness of you, the outstandingness, the giftedness, will be invisible to them.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world who is already, at nine years old, confident enough to demand that lazy, disrespectful reporters call you by your name, is that most people will not understand the amount of comfort in one’s own skin it takes to do that, will not be able to grasp the sheer fierceness of it, the boldness, the certainty, the love for yourself, and will not be blown away at seeing you do it, though they should be.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that your right to be a child, to be small and innocent and protected, will be ignored and you will be seen as a tiny adult, a tiny black adult, and as such will be susceptible to all the offenses that people two and three and four times your age are expected to endure.

But take heart.

Because the thing about being a little black girl in the world is that you are descended from people whose incredible strength and resilience are alive and kicking in you.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that you are made from beauty and struggle and soul.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that if you are lucky enough to know your own worth, you know everything you need to know.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that when you have talent, you probably have more of it in your tiniest toe than most of the people who tear you down have in their entire families.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that you will be surrounded by other black girls who know. And they will hold your hand and braid your hair and laugh with you. They will tell you that you are a gift. They will let you be perfect and let you be flawed. They will rock you in their arms and protect your heart. They will whisper and shout about all that you are. And in a world that wants you gone from the very moment you are born, they will help you stay alive. Some of them will even help you get free.

We got you, girl.

With so much love.

quixxotica:

Q is ‘ungrateful’ ‘spoiled’ ‘a twat’ (yes, someone on tumblr actually said that) ‘too old to be carrying puppy purses’ ‘oblivious’ and more.

Have you ever heard that language applied to a child? Have you? Ungrateful for being lauded for her hard work? She should be grateful for people recognizing her hard work? Is that language you hear applied to children? Ever?

Let her a kid, man. Jesus, please, let people let her be a kid. She’s 9. Same thing happened to Willow Smith. Same thing happens to little black girls everywhere.

Let her be a child. please.

See also: reasons why i hate award season. everybody got something to say.

suckmydickfromtheback:

faitheboss:

myuncreativeurl:

think-progress:

Read what’s happened in the Trayvon Martin case since you stopped paying attention.

!!!!!!

literally crying. his birthday was a week and a half ago, but he didn’t get to celebrate it all because some grown ass man started tripping. this is so sad..

I hope the outrage doesn’t die down

confusedtree:

A really common tactic by white people to avoid any sort of culpability in racism both conscious and inherent is to say that they’re “colour blind” and it makes me really fucking uncomfortable because now you’re telling me you have to entirely ignore something about me that is intrinsic to who I am in order for you to be able to treat me like a human being

lovewashername:

Introducing Black Is NOT A Crime.: A Police Accountability Project

blackcanadians:

***PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY***

Dear members and allies of the African Canadian community:

Introducing Black Is NOT A Crime.: A Police Accountability Project

The issue of racial profiling is once again on the agenda of the Toronto Police Services Board (“TPSB”). On January 23, 2013 at 1:30pm at Toronto Police Services (“TPS”) Headquarters, 40 College Street, the TPSB will once again meet to address anti-Black racism by the TPS.

As many of you know, at the November meeting of the TPSB, many community members were denied entry and/or barred from sharing their concerns with the Board. (For more information visit: http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/440598/toronto-police-board-delays-issuing-street-check-receipts/)

Black Is NOT A Crime. (“BINAC”), a new project aimed at addressing and ending racial profiling by the police in Ontario, offers a creative and powerful way for our voices to be heard.

If you visit www.blackisnotacrime.ca, and purchase a BINAC t-shirt, tank top and/or hooded sweatshirt, you can speak out against the practice of racial profiling without having to say a word. Those of you who purchase BINAC merchandise can also sign up to receive updates on upcoming meetings and events aimed at ensuring that the people who are most directly impacted by the discriminatory practices of the TPS and other police services take an active role in putting and end to the practice.

ALL of the proceeds from the sale of the BINAC merchandise will go towards developing a number of public information initiatives and innovative tools aimed at increasing police accountability and ending racial profiling once and for all. Visit www.blackisnotacrime.ca in the coming months to learn more.

Background

“Racial profiling is criminal profiling based on race. Racial or colour profiling refers to that phenomenon whereby certain criminal activity is attributed to an identified group in society on the basis of race or colour resulting in the targeting of individual members of that group. In this context, race is illegitimately used as a proxy for the criminality or general criminal propensity of an entire racial group.”
- R. v. Richards, 1999 CanLII 1602 (ON CA)

The phenomenon of racial profiling and/or racial discrimination by police services in Ontario has been documented in numerous studies and reports, including the Arthur Maloney Report (1975), the Report of the Race Relations and Policing Task Force (1989), the Stephen Lewis Report on Race Relations (1992), the Commission on Systemic Racism in the Criminal Justice System (1995), and the Report of the Board/Service Race Relations Joint Working Group (2002). While every report has made recommendations, and police services have undertaken training to address this issue, the phenomenon continues to occur at an alarming rate.
In March 2012, the Toronto Star published a news series detailing the prevalence of anti-Black racism in policing. The Star reported that if you are African Canadian and you do something wrong — use illegal drugs, drive without car insurance — your chances of getting caught are much greater than your white counterpart. Specifically,

African Canadians make up 8.4% of Toronto’s population but account for 3 times as many contacts with police;
African Canadian males aged 15-24 are stopped and documented 2.5 times more than white males;
differences between African Canadian and white carding rates are highest in more affluent, mostly white areas of the city.

As a result of public outcry in response to the Star series, this issue was again placed on the agenda of the Toronto Police Services Board.

In April 2012, the TPSB requested that the City of Toronto Auditor General analyze disaggregated race-based data, provide quarterly reports and make recommendations to the TPSB. Further, Chief William Blair was ordered by the TPSB to provide carbon copies of “contact” or “208” cards to every individual for which information is collected.

At the July 2012 TPSB meeting, Chief Blair requested an extension of time to determine the feasibility of providing carbon copies. At the August 2012 TPSB meeting, in response to community pressure, the TPSB ordered the Service to adopt interim measures to address this issue (e.g. the provision of receipts or business cards to each person ‘carded’).

At the November 2012 TPSB meeting, the Board decided that Chief Blair should report to its next meeting on the form of the receipt and on 208 cards in general. Ultimately, while the Chief did submit a report in December, the TPSB decided that it would be more appropriate to consider the report at its January 2013 meeting as opposed to rushing it in December without any public notice. The TPSB is scheduled to meet on 23 January 2013 at 1:30pm at TPS Headquarters, 40 College Street, Toronto.

In solidarity,
Black Is NOT A Crime.

booooooooooosting!

OOOPS I reblog this a little late

sherlocksflataffect:

The amount of fail described in this petition is holy wow bad.

Read. Sign. Pass on.

Already signed but signal boost

metapianycist:

A few days ago continuing through today, I saw several posters like these in subway stations along the A train line while visiting Washington Heights:

[Description: A poster depicting the World Trade Center towers burning during the Sept. 11th attacks next to a Quran quote reading “Soon we shall cast terror into the hearts of Unbelievers.” The poster advertises TruthaboutQuran.org and the American Freedom Defense Initiative. On the poster is a disclaimer from the MTA saying that display of this poster does not represent the MTA’s endorsement of its contents or message.]

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

I sent a message to MTA’s customer service page, and this is what I said (pasting here so that people can copy if they want):

When I stepped off the A train on my way to my friend’s apartment in Washington Heights, I was shocked to see posters depicting the World Trade Center towers on fire next to an out-of-context quote from the Quran. I find it appalling that the MTA approved such a poster, even with the disclaimer that it did not represent the views of the MTA. Even with the disclaimer, it sends the message that the upper echelons of the MTA are apathetic toward whether or not they promote hatred and violence against Muslim Americans. The MTA should not tolerate the promotion of ignorance and prejudice against any minority religious group, and should remove the American Freedom Defense Initiative’s posters immediately.

Join me in demanding that the MTA takes down these posters immediately.

silefvaporeon:

minawakitten:

waltdisneyconfessions:

“I don’t get how Atlantis (from the early 2000’s) can have a Black/Native American surgeon and a Latina mechanic in 1910 because hey, why not, while newer films have almost no POC because it’s “traditional”“

oh my god

no

most fairy tales or movies disney make are not american based, they are global [Snow White and Rapunzel are of German origin and setting for example] and set in age old eras [as old as like 1600/1700s maybe?????] where only the people of said country would populate it and Disney aims for accuracy in its retelling????? 

If you honestly believe that Europe has always been the land of white people then you are incredibly ignorant. POC have always existed in Europe (I suggest you look up the Moors for starters). This was my confession, and I made it because of people like you who are so ignorant that a) you believe that Europeans are all white and b) see no problem with the lack of diversity in Disney films. It is NOT accurate, and even if it was, Tangled has fucking magic hair and an anthropomorphic horse-dog (not to mention ASIAN lanterns in a white kingdom)- I think accuracy and realism were not major issues during production.

the-goblin-king:

humainsvolants:

the-goblin-king:

I try really hard to not look hurt when I question my white friends why they think black elves with afros, braids, or locks would look ridiculous.

I try really hard not to cry when my natural hair is inherently hilarious to them.

I’m so sorry for you…. why do they have to act like douchebags?

Black elves rocks !

(Besides, isn’t the point of Fantasy, to make us explore others kind of places and people as opposed to things that all and always look the same?)

The idea of Black elves with afros and braids is awesome, it’s your white friends who are ridiculous.

There’s so much that fantasy can do, yet so many people seem set on just a few ideas. It’s boring and hurtful all at the same time.

I don’t understand how even those who are my friends oppose diversity in fantasy. Black and brown elves are awesome. Another thing that would be awesome, which some of my friends also shoot down, is disability in fantasy literature. And I don’t mean disability as a metaphor, nor disability as a superpower. Dwarves that need wheelchairs, deaf elves, autistic witches and wizards.

Sorry I didn’t answer earlier, I’m late on my Dashboard….

Yay for Dwarves in wheelchair deaf elves and Autistics witch and wizard (I wonder what an elfic sign language would look like, but it would probably be made of awesome!)

draayder:

Bleach Balloons Launched At Minority Students At University of Texas

stoneagechronicles:

nomoretexasgovernorsforpresident:

Over the past few weeks, reports of bleach-filled water balloons thrown from apartments in West Campus have gained attention and prompted a response from students in UT’s minority communities who feel that these attacks are racially motivated.

Taylor Carr, a sophomore anthropology student, spoke to the group about her experience; bleach-filled balloons had been lobbed at her from a high apartment balcony as she walked through West Campus.

“It is people of color they are attacking in West Campus,” Carr said. “Until we put pressure on the university to [protect] us, these events are going to keep happening.”

Earlier in the afternoon, the university held a small press conference at which UT Chief of Police Robert Dahlstrom, Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly and Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement Gregory Vincent briefly spoke about the university’s response to the bleach-bombing incidents.

African and African-American studies senior Jamilah Beene was upset with the late notification that a press conference was to be held.

“If you want to reach out to the students, why were they were not invited to the press conference?” said Beene. “There was no notification to anybody on campus that this press conference was going on.”

…

“We are finding that a lot of students do not know what is going on,” said human development and family sciences senior Jamesha Chapple. “I wasn’t bleach-ballooned, but because it happened to people I care about in this community, I am marching with them.”

…

Chas Moore, a former UT student and community activist who has played a lead role in organizing current students’ response, stood on the sidewalk and used a megaphone to address safety concerns and broadcast a pointed message to the group assembled on the street in front of him.

“This is not 1960,” Moore said. “We are not going to be afraid to walk anywhere. We are not going back in time.”

Moore encouraged any “bleach-bombed” student to report the attack to UTPD as well as APD. He also told students to report any incidents of prejudice that they experience to the Campus Climate Response Team.

The CCRT is a task force coordinated by the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement and the Division of Student Affairs that was established in March. If students, faculty or staff witness a biased incident, they can use the online reporting form or they can call in a report. The online form asks questions about the incident including location, date, the perceived motive of the incident and what action the reporter hopes the university will take.

…

…Moore closed with a chilling warning regarding his next steps should the University or police fail to help end the bleach-bombing:

“If they touch another student of color or any gender or anything I am coming over here myself, and that, my friend, is a promise.”

UT’s Greek community, specifically member organizations of the Inter-Fraternity Council and University Panhellenic Council, has recently drawn sharp criticism for racially-themed parties at which sorority and fraternity members and their guests — who, for the most part, are white — dress up in stereotypical clothing associated with a minority group. The local chapters of Tri Delta and Zeta Tau Alpha have recently apologized for a fiesta-themed party where two party attendees wore shirts that read “Illegal” and “Border Patrol.”

Mandy Stein, a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, urged participants not to assume that all members of the Greek community oppose their cause.

“Please don’t dismiss everybody because there are people out there who care and that want to help,” Stein said.

Even though Stein made this plea, she still believes that the majority of the Greek community will not take up the cause or support the communities who are affected by the bleach bombs.

“It doesn’t affect them,” said Stein. “I can promise you that [bleach bombs] are not done to white students. They throw water balloons [rather than bleach balloons] at girls going through rush to mess up their dresses.”

…Moore noted earlier during the march that on at least one occasion, the bleach bombs had been followed with racial epithets shouted from above.

Disgusting.