Thoughts on Thoughts

[j-tests-tweets]

Why Is It So F*cking Costly for Women to Set Boundaries?

Naomi Osaka prioritized her mental health. She shouldn't be punished for it.

As a bi-racial woman who attracts massive media attention due to the nature of her work, Naomi Osaka opens up about her mental struggles. This article highlights the many consequences that women deal with which are tenfold when racial identity is factored in.

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I like that this week's lecture focused on race, identity, and politics. I find that these topics are often ignored in most educational settings. But, in today's social climate I think we've arrived at a place where it's impossible to ignore these aspects as they are so thoroughly ingrained in many identities as many of us continue to fight for equality. I enjoyed the resources on intersectionality, Black Twitter and Latinx Twitter. I've noticed that Black Twitter tends to be at the pulse of pop culture in recent times. A lot of things discussed on Black Twitter turn into the news or end up as trends on social media. Intersectionality has been at the forefront of many BIPOC conversations about race, sexuality, etc., and how we take up space in a way that serves us. Lastly, I thought every ethnicity had their "section" on Twitter in which they could freely express concerns and thoughts about their community. I did not stop to think that language barriers would cause exclusion for some members belonging to those same communities. 

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Disclosure is a documentary focusing on trans identity (available on Netflix). This video speaks to the inspiration behind the documentary. I think the documentary as a whole serves as a good beginner resource for anyone interested in learning more about the topic. This work specifically focuses on representation in film and media.

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I like that this photo series by Feminist that highlights 6 LGBTQ+ figures in African History. Intersectionality to me means that individuals are never facing just one or two barriers- as we tend to make assumptions of individuals based on outward appearances such as race and gender. For example, people may look at black women and feel as though they only deal with barriers about womanhood and race. But, oftentimes there are nuances to ones identity which is made up of so many different categorizations including sexuality, socio-economic status and religion. It's hard to compartmentalize these categories and asking to do so stifles the individual from being their full self. Yet, this impacts most of us and how we think of others.

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...Black Twitter’s development as a space in which black people discuss issues of concern to themselves and their communities — issues they say either are not covered by mainstream media, or are not covered with the appropriate cultural context. For these users, Black Twitter allows everyday black people to serve as gatekeepers for the news and information needs of a plurality of black American experiences — with coverage, perspective, and consideration not found elsewhere.

https://medium.com/informed-and-engaged/black-twitter-9a95550773c8

I've always been aware of Black Twitter but didn't know exactly how to put it into words if someone asked me exactly what it was. This quote sums it up perfectly. I love how this speaks plainly and makes it difficult to misconstrue Black Twitter into something that is inherently divisive. In my experience, this often happens with things that are "black-centric" or made specifically for black people.

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Feminist

Feminist

A community rooted in intersectional feminism. We exist to amplify a diverse network of change makers, activists & creators. Discover all th

Feminist is an account I follow on Instagram. They usually have great infographics about mental health and women's issues. Their website has some great resources about intersectionality and legislation impacting POC and LGBTQIA+.

[j-tests-tweets]

Transphobic Attacks

Laverne Cox targeted by transphobic attack in Los Angeles

Orange is the New Black star speaks of shock, saying: ‘You’re not safe if you are a trans person’

Recently, I was listening to a podcast about the uptick in attacks on transgender women, especially black trans women. In the podcast, guests spoke about the importance of having friends with them whenever possible to create a barrier between themselves and the attacker. Laverne Cox shares her story of how she quickly became a target of an attack while walking with her friend.

[j-tests-tweets]

SAY HER NAME - BREONNA TAYLOR

It's difficult for us to trust that organizations we donate to are doing the right thing with our money but, this is an organization I currently stand by. Until Freedom was founded by activists Tamika Mallory, Mysonne Linen, Angelo Pinto, and Linda Sarsour. The organization fights for the injustices of BIPOC. Their continuous demonstrations for Breonna Taylor opened my eyes to their organization.