RaceMash

A blog dealing with racial issues across different social intersections. While we do focus on the black/white binary there are also many posts on other non-black POC groups. As we mostly reblog or gather info from other sources, things do slip the net from time to time so please let us know if anything you see here is plagiarized or needs to be taken down.

[boyprincessmanic]

TW: EXTREME RACISM AND SLURS

[boyprincessmanic]

Alright you guys listen up. This is really REALLY important so just do me a solid here and take a minute to read this okay.

A few years ago, a good friend of mine named Whitney Mitchell became extremely sick and had to have both arms and legs amputated. She was given a 12% chance to live but she fought through it and she’s one of the bravest and most beautiful people I’ve ever met in my life.

Today, her mother sent me a message on Facebook saying that Whitney had been targeted by a website called Chimp Mania. I’d never heard of it, so I did some research, and at just a glance I was immediately disgusted. Just the RULES for the website are awful beyond words.

The forum thread for Whitney is mocking enough, calling her a “shefreak” and saying she “plans to knuckle drag again.” The comments say some pretty stomach-churning things, but I decided to leave a lot of them out. A lot of them were photoshopped pictures of Whitney from when she was in physical rehab, replacing her legs with things like fried chicken legs and a map of Niger. This is the only thread I even bothered looking at and I could barely stomach it.

There is a petition to get this website permanently deleted. I don’t know how much good it will do but it NEEDS signatures. It’s got barely any right now and I don’t want this blatant vomiting on human beings to continue.

Here’s a link to the petition: http://chn.ge/1dectHH

This bullshit has gone on long enough. The fact that it exists in the first place makes me sick to my stomach. Please take a moment to sign this petition.

[becauseloveonlygrows-deactivate]

NOT

ENOUGH 

NOTES

[ashitomarisu]

WHY ISN’T THIS AT OVER A MILLION NOTES??!

[executionerbarbie]

This website has been up and running for a long time. Much like stormfront it is a hate website, but this website targets individuals, and crosses any line of what should be considered “free speech” and is obviously hate speech. Please. This is too much. This person has gone through so much already. 

[iridessence]

This is why when people complain on this site about black even TALKING about racism, and when they complain about white girl Starbucks jokes, I seethe.

This is what WE have to deal with, people creating entire websites dedicated to calling us animals. This is why I laugh at those Starbucks jokes, and literally give negative shits about people who say “well no one should make jokes about ANYONE” because clearly y’all never seem to find the people that run sites like the one mentioned above to call them out, otherwise they wouldn’t exist.

Do you know how this feels? Do you know how this fucking feels? Being viewed as subhuman? That sites like this exist? That they target disabled women of color for no other purpose than having the audacity to be born black in this world AND suffer from terminal illness?

I really don’t know what else to say. I feel sick to my stomach. I feel this shit in my bones.

Every single one of you that can had better sign this fucking petition, or unfollow me.

[mentalhealthfemme]

This made my ears hot. Wow. Whites cruelty and depravity knows no bound. This behavior is not human. Humanity is not supposed to be this sociopathic and evil.

[engel-in-schwarz-deactivated201]

Just saying that not all White people are like this. So check your mouth before blaming an entire race for actions of just a few.

[thoughtsfromiridessence]

No one said all white people so shut the absolute fuck up. The fact that you dedicated a reply to this focused on a response to this racial violence rather than the actual violence itself speaks volumes about you.

[nativeamericannews]

Chef Bitsoie Launches Travel and Cooking TV Show, Asks for Support

Chef Freddie Bitsoie needs your help! The Navajo chef is launching a travel, cooking and culture show called Rezervations Not Required and needs to raise $40,000 to fund its production. Bitsoie has raised $200 since December 8. The campaign runs until January 17, 2014.

[owning-my-truth-deactivated2022]

link to the campaign?

[icykynite]

I think it’s this one? Hope it is…

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rezervations-not-required

BOOST FOR HIM!

[feministdonut-deactivated201506]

I’m disappointed that this project has only raised $10 since last night. QQ capitalism

[owning-my-truth-deactivated2022]

UGH yep, can we ALL PLEASE AT THE BARE MINIMUM BOOST THIS AND GET THE WORD OUT.

[until-i-can-be-quiet-deactivate]

The 8 White Identities, by Barnor Hesse. Breaking down the white gaze.

[shadow-hikari]

Today SCOTUS just handed out a decision that basically guts the Miranda warnings. If the police informally question you and you remain silent, your silence may now be used to indicate your guilt in court.

[thepeoplesrecord]

^Important. Memorize this procedure of...

[otipemisiwak-archive]

Last month, a 19-year-old Native American high school student at J B Pennington High School in Blountsville, Alabama was told he couldn’t wear an eagle feather if he wanted to graduate. When Sky Walkingstick, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, explained it was a demonstration of his beliefs protected under federal law, he was still told by Assistant Principal Steven Bryson, a former history teacher, and another instructor, William Smitherman, who teaches government, economics and 9th grade history, to remove it.

“I was just starting the graduation ceremony and I had my eagle feather in my cap, it was hanging from the tassel. I was walking towards Mr. Smitherman he saw my eagle feather and stopped me. He started shaking his head no. He said you cannot wear that during the graduation,” said Walkingstick.

“I asked him why not and he said, ‘you just can’t.”

Walkingstick, who has been a men’s traditional dancer since age 5 and a fancy dancer for about a year says the eagle feather is part of his heritage, his religious beliefs and achievements. He said he tried to explain that the wearing of a feather was also protected, but he was shut down.

“I started to get upset and tear up, but I held it in. I put my eagle feather back in my car. When I came back Mr. Smitherman and Mr. Bryson told me again,” said Walkingstick.

Walkingstick was surprised two educators with backgrounds in teaching history and government aren’t aware of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

Walkingstick complied during the May 23 graduation ceremony, even though he didn’t want to. “I didn’t want any trouble nor did I want to cause a ruckus… I went ahead with graduation with my feather in my heart and my head held high.”

His mother, Hollye Walkingstick, was frustrated by the situation. “You would think of all people, that history teacher would be more aware. It made me very mad,” she said.

“I asked Mr. Bryson ‘can you tell me why he can’t wear it?’ He said, ‘the main reason is that all of the kids are required to look the same. I told him there was no dress code the kids had to sign and no one was told they had to wear certain things. I told him you would not tell a Christian person to remove their cross or a Jewish person to remove their Star of David. And I can guarantee you that if you had a Muslim child in your school you would not tell her to remove her head covering. You could not do that by law.”

She explained that Sky respected Bryson’s wishes because he is an elder and the assistant principal. “But this is a school, you could turn this into a real teaching opportunity,” Hollye told Bryson.

Hollye said she and the teachers argued that other students—honor students—wore adornments in their tassels. She also said the school accepts funding for having minority students, but doesn’t support their beliefs.

“My daughter asked Mr. Bryson if he understood what the eagle feather meant and he said ‘Oh yeah, I know you all smoke peace pipes and what you smoke in them.’ This is a former history teacher who is now the vice principal and the history teacher was standing right next to him,” Hollye said. “This is unreal to me.”

J.B. Pennington High School principal Brian Kirk said the school has no comment on the issue and referred ICTMN to the Blount County Board of Education Superintendent Jim Carr, who has not returned several calls.

This isn’t the first time a graduating senior has taken flack for wearing an eagle feather at graduation from an Alabama school. Chelsey Ramer, a Poarch Creek Band of Indians student who recently graduated from Escambia Academy in Atmore, Alabama faced a similar situation. She did wear her feather though and nearly had to pay a copy,000 fine for doing so. (Related story: “Poarch Creek Student Not Required to Pay Fine, Receives Diploma”)

[a-spoon-is-born]

THIS IS WHY YOUR FILTHY FAKE WAR BONNET IS NOT OKAY, WHITE PEOPLE.

While you’re playing your racist games, the people whose culture you claim to be “appreciating" ARE PENALIZED FOR PRACTICING IT.

This kid was denied expression of his culture:

while you’re running around looking like a nasty mess:

HOW DO YOU EVEN BEGIN TO JUSTIFY YOUR SHIT?

[kermito]

Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements

An anthology of visionary science fiction and speculative fiction written by organizers and activists.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/octavia-s-brood-science-fiction-stories-from-social-justice-movements/x/3702396

[a-spoon-is-born]

LKDFJGLKDJSL;KJFGLKDFJGALDKFJG’LADKFHJ

Greetings! We are Adrienne Maree Brown and Walidah Imarisha, two community organizers, educators, writers and self-proclaimed nerds. We have individually and collectively been working to bridge the visionary qualities of science/speculative fiction with radical community organizing practice.

We thought there was no better way to do this than with our current book project: Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements. It’s an anthology of radical science and speculative fiction written by organizers and activists.

BOOST

[jadedcattyfeistysweetie-deactiv]

STOP FUCKING SCROLLING: PETITION AGAINST THE VRA DECISION

Okay, so SB5 WAS successfully halted (but that doesn’t mean abortion rights are saved. It’s still not over), and DOMA was determined unconstitutional.

But the Voting Rights Act is still fucked. And so is the Indian Child Welfare Act.

That’s what’s happened.

[sulienapgwien]

seriously, does anyone have any…anything—links, petitions, funds—on how to fight against the fall-out from the VRA decision?

[youngbadmanbrown-deactivated201]

All anyone can really do is start spreading information, helping people register and finding their new polling places

[nealzonwheelz]

As far as petitions go, the NAACP has one here

[jadedcattyfeistysweetie-deactiv]

I’m finally at a computer now and can reblog full text.  Here’s a petition for the VRA.

[emeraldtriangleprincess-deactiv]

And the hippies are jingling, jangling, blowing smoke all over Haight Ashbury, and they were letting their hair grow long. To the male Indian, this was a phenomenon, because for an Indian to grow his hair long was a violation of federal policy of 1906. According to the 1906 policy, food was withheld until compliance—in other words (by terms of this policy), we could be starved to death until we cut our hair.

Adam Fortunate Eagle (Red Lake Chippewa), on white privilege and the hippie movement in the Bay

This is why I have absolutely no patience for white men complaining about how their long hair isn’t socially acceptable—Native men were banned from having their hair long on threat of death, and for Native peoples, long hair has cultural significance that goes beyond the typical white dude’s aesthetic interest in growing his hair out. Asian men also forcibly had their hair chopped off (re: Chinese in California, for example), and there’s a long history of stigma against men with afros; for MOC to have their hair grown out is, while an aesthetic choice, also a cultural choice and in many cases can be seen as part of the day-to-day struggle against racism and colonialism. Long hair just does not carry that meaning for white men, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna sit there and listen to them complain about how marginalized they are because they choose to have long hair because they think it looks cool (and let’s face it: they’re bitching because women don’t wanna date them—which could be for any number of reasons, or they’re whining about other more wealthy and powerful white men not taking them seriously; I don’t give a fuck about any of those struggles). 

Not to mention the fact that white men created the very same system of sexist heteropatriarchy which defined long hair as feminine and made it socially unacceptable to the general populace in the first place. You don’t get to systematically destroy and marginalize an entire gender, assign that gender narrow physical characteristics and ideals of beauty, reappropriate and reuse those beauty ideals (usually feeding from racist romanticized colonial ideals of Nature and indigenous peoples anyways), and then complain because people don’t like your choice of hair style, like somehow you, the white dude, could ever be marginalized in any context. 

(via doveilmiosoldi) 

(via bad-dominicana)

omg i needed to see this post about long hair :c

(via lasiguanaba)

[niaking]

Are you a writer/dancer/photographer/cartoonist/musician/sculptor/actor or other creative type?

Did you ever encounter resistance or discouragement while trying to learn your craft?

Did you ever feel like it was because you were a person of...

[medievalpoc]

MEDIEVAL POC IS ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS!

As much as i love doing research for this blog, I could certainly use some help in fleshing out the queue! Here’s a quick overview of the submission guidelines:

This blog is focused on works of art from the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Europe, but also accepts text posts and links on the topics at hand. Work previous or latter to these general (and overlapping) eras will also be considered, as will works from outside of Europe. Historical and period garments featuring influences from, depictions of, or designed by people of color are also welcome. If possible, please provide sources for artists, subjects, designers, countries of origin, dates, or any other information you have about the work in question.

Submit Here.

Follow Here.

Ask Here.

[racemash]

signal boost!

[racemash]

In recent news, both John McCain and John Boehner's kids married black spouses.

[fuck-off-fuck-off-fuck-off-deac]

TODAY IS JUST A GREAT DAY FOR WHITE GUY FUCKERY

SOMEONE TOLD ME TO CHECK OUT THIS BAND AND I GO ON BANDCAMP AND THEY HAVE A FUCKING SONG CALLED NEGRO SPIRITUAL

AND THEN I GO ON FACEBOOK AND THIS IS ONE OF THEI RPICS

[ynannarising]

AfroLatina Student Midwife Fund

[ynannarising]

My name is Ynanna Djehuty, also known as Carmen Mojica. I am reaching out to you today to ask for your help on my journey to become a midwife. I have just been accepted to Maternidad La Luz, a midwifery school and birth clinic in El Paso, Texas. I am overjoyed and overwhelmed with excitement as I prepare for my studies to begin in September. I need help securing donations, grants and scholarships for my tuition, books, room and board. I am an Afro-Dominicana born and raised in the Bronx. I am a certified birth doula and artist. I am a member of the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC). The focus of my work is the empowerment of women and people of the African Diaspora, specifically discussing the Afro-Latina Identity. I utilize my experience as a birth doula to raise awareness on maternal and infant health for women, highlighting the disparities in the healthcare system in the United States for women of color. Becoming licensed as a midwife is my direct and physical contribution to ensuring future generations are born into peace and calm environments.Midwifery is my calling. I see a huge need for compassionate, woman-centered care for women of the African Diaspora and am stepping up to serve my community. I have been particularly interested in being trained in a bilingual environment so that I may use my native Spanish language to assist women who otherwise would not have access to compassionate midwifery care. Women who are native Spanish speakers often are not truly listened to and in turn are not completely informed during their birth process. My presence in the global community is essential to adding to the number of Spanish-speaking midwives. As a student, I will be serving a mostly Spanish-speaking population of Mexican and Mexican American women. Attending Maternidad La Luz would allow me to be licensed as a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) by the end of 2014. I have chosen this particular path to midwifery because I am interested in providing birthing women of color with a option of care that is mother-centered. I have dreams of opening up my own birth clinic in the future, and studying at a birth center such as Maternidad La Luz is excellent training for this endeavor. I am currently fundraising on my own via the link I’ve enclosed as well as reaching out to individual people and organizations like you to reach my goal by this September. Your support is a large contribution to reducing the perils women of color are facing currently in the world. Thank you for your time. Be blessed! Fundraising Campaign: http://www.gofundme.com/thesewatersrundeep

*SIGNAL BOOST PLEASE!!!*

[journosofcolor]

It occurs to us that we haven’t actually said anything about who we are and what this is.

It’s straightforward: Journos of Color is a place to highlight the work of writers and journalists of color. We read, we curate, and we take submissions. We hope to send recognition to the many...

[racialicious]

From the Navajo Times:

Carapella recently released “Map of our Tribal Nations: Our Own Names and Original Locations,” which shows 584 North American tribes and roughly where they were located (since most tribes were nomadic, and there weren’t any boundaries to speak of, Carapella has placed the name of the tribe over the area where its people originally lived before being displaced by European settlers).

Carapella is pretty well convinced it’s the first map of its kind.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” he said. “I can definitely say it’s the first time anyone has copyrighted this.”

Clarenda Begay, exhibit curator at the Navajo Nation Museum, agrees.

“This is the first time I have seen this,” she emailed after being directed to Carapella’s Web site. “What an informative map!”

Carapella made it precisely because other maps he looked at were so uninformative.

“You can get maps of what our reservations look like now,” he noted. “And you can get maps that have, like, the 50 main tribes. But I was interested in what our land really looked like circa 1490, before Columbus got here.”

[racemash]

One could point out that most black Americans celebrate the same holidays and eat the same food as most white Americans, but that would be quibbling. The fact is that America was founded by Westerners (call them “white people”) who believed they were advancing the ideals and values of centuries of Western civilization. Why were Westerners alone expected to apologize for their own culture and to refrain from criticizing aspects of other cultures or subcultures that struck them as dysfunctional? In truth, among the WPC14 offerings that I sampled, not a single one of those “difficult and critical dialogues” about race, class, and privilege that the conference promised took place. Audience pushback to the speeches and workshop presentations was minimal to nonexistent. During Jody Alyn’s “Great White Male” conspiracy workshop one man did crack, “Somewhere right now conservatives are holding a conference just like this one saying there’s a huge liberal conspiracy.” A workshop by Moore himself titled “N!gga/DJANGO: Why Are These White Folks Laughing in the Dark?” generated a lively challenge to his premise that a racism-pandering corporate entertainment industry​—​and not black rappers​—​was responsible for the resurgence of the taboo n-word, used prolifically in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. That was about it. Otherwise, it was a roomful of Mmmm-hmmms when, say, Robert Jensen called his employer, the University of Texas, a “white-supremacist organization.” In a later telephone interview I asked Moore why, if the conference was supposed to foster difficult dialogues, there hadn’t been any discussion of the genuine reasons that white people might have for looking down on inner-city black culture: the breakdown of the family, for example, that has led to high crime levels among young men growing up without fathers at home. “That’s the kind of commentary [the WPC attendees] hear every day,” said Moore. “So sometimes they want to be in a place where they can hear the other side​—​at least that’s what I’m hearing from them. If people are always coming down on you and your culture, and you feel that you can’t even raise the issue of racism, you want to be in a place where you feel safe to raise it.”

-Beyond the Pale, by Charlotte Allen; a piece in which a white woman attends a conference on white privilege. 

(Be forewarned, the website this piece is featured on is catered to conservatives - that fact may also explain the dismissive tone of the writer)

[racemash]

Despite the fact that American black families, on average, have only one seventh the wealth of white families, our calculations show that African-American families are spending (exclusive of scholarships and other aid) about $3 billion a year in tuition, room and board, and books. Surely, for this sum they are entitled to have clear and detailed information about which institutions have successfully integrated their campuses and provide a hospitable educational and social environment for black students.

-  from The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, a resource that is "dedicated to the conscientious investigation of the status & prospects for African Americans in higher education"