#zerlinamaxwell

[moneknows]

The inspirational & motivational @zerlinamaxwell has been my spirit guide throughout this midterm elections season 🇺🇸 :: #ZerlinaMaxwell #motivation #inspiration #illustration #ink #pencil #sketch #sketchbook #art #artwork #politicalanalyst #writer #msnbc #siriusxm https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp0htSVF2fG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=m20rrj9hurub

[lisamarieblair]

Identity Politics are civil rights. Tell a friend.

— @ZerlinaMaxwell

[thehairoine]

This week's 'Hairoine of the week' is none other than Zerlina Maxwell. Remember this name because she is on the rise to becoming a household name. As if it weren't cool enough that she flew on Airforce one with President Obama on their way to Selma as the youngest journalist, This multi-talented, social media savvy, curl popping, melanated news maven is quickly becoming a voice for our generation. Currently the Director of Progressive Programming for SiriusXM Radio, her titles include former Director of Progressive Media for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, TV political analyst, speaker, and writer focusing on topics such as race, feminism, domestic violence, sexual assault, victim blaming and gender inequality. Did I mention that she was on stage at the Oscars with @ladygaga and gets to interview cool people like @sanaalathan and @barackobama 😜?! . . . #hairoineoftheweek #zerlinamaxwell #rolemodel #tuftsgrad #blackgirlmagic #blackgirlsrock #influencer #naturalhair #corporatenaturals #siriusxmradio #essence #theroot #ifyoudontknownowyouknow (at New York)

[save-wiyabi-project]

http://jezebel.com/5989628/rape-victim-has-nerve-to-suggest-that-maybe-men-should-be-taught-not-to-rape

[secondhandopinion-blog]

bike rights/ decent level of respect for other humans and victim blaming

i started this post a while ago and go figure, got busy and didn't have time to finish. so this is a joint post about a) stop hitting cyclists and b) i. am. freaking. sick. of victim blaming. stop. it. 

A few weeks ago, the bus i was on paused on the large, busy bridge during the afternoon commute home for no apparent reason. i couldn't see an accident, or construction, etc. then i see two well dressed, middle aged men get out of their brand new, temporary tag still on mercedes suv and huff angrily towards our bus. then our bus moves forward and see it: a man with blood on his head, standing by his bike, who had clearly been hit and looked confused. He was also unkempt, with battered clothes and scruffy facial hair. I mention this because I was so disturbed that the men in the mercedes seemed angry that the man had 'dared' to be in the way and be hit, putting a 'hiccup' in their day. it was as if his life didn't matter to them. I couldn't help but wonder if it had been a cute girl, or someone more "rich" (read: powerful/of their status/worth) looking if they would have been as angry. how can you hit and harm another individual and feel anger, not compassion and horror? two reasons I see. 1) social hierarchy/pride debate, which is longer and I don't want to start into here, but is absolutely linked to point 2) our victim blaming culture. 

Let me explain point 2 with a second anecdote: last Friday was bike to work day. I.e., encourage everyone to bike to promote health, public transit, and bike rights. I'm on the bus and two cyclists, who are in a bike lane that is the same as the lane of traffic (there are different types of bike lanes, routes, and paths, but without getting into all the details, sometimes the bike lane is not set aside in an 'alley' beside the regular flow of traffic, but designated as part of it). The bus driver gives two quick honks, but the cyclists ignore him (as they should, they were following the rules of the road and doing nothing wrong). A few minutes later, a guy who has been commenting on everything for about the past 25 minutes goes, "why would anyone in their right mind ride a bike in front of a bus... accidents happen!"  I mutter "it's a bike lane," which the girl beside me hears, but I don't think the guy did. 

Accidents happen because someone isn't paying attention and things go awry. If the cyclists jetted out of nowhere and disobeyed the laws of traffic and happen to get hit, that is an accident. Riding in a lane designated as a shared lane, is following the rules. If a driver hits them, that is driver negligence- not an 'accident'. stop blaming the victim

My mind started reeling about all of the victim blaming in our culture- "welfare queens," single moms, "lazy" people of color, rape victims- the latter receive extensive attention in the news lately with the cases of Steubenville, UNC, and Zerlina Maxwell... (the latter of which has also turned into many horrifying examples of the depth of racism which far too often rears its head, as taunts towards Zerlina not only attacked her stance on educating men how not to be rapists instead of  saying that women need to learn to protect themselves, but attacks on her race and character) 

The victim blaming has to stop. There is a great string of comments here if you'd like to read more, at the Women Under Siege project

The driver must have seen the steam coming out of my head, and no doubt some crazy facial expressions (i've always been told my face has no censorship with regard to my internal dialogue) and he asked, in the rear view mirror, if i was ok. when I said yes, "Are you sure??" A glimmer of redemption in humanity. I try to take the small things and hold on to them... Always hope. 

[missrep-blog-blog-blog]

Here’s the thing—when you argue that it’s impossible to teach men not to rape, you are saying that rape is natural for men. That this is just something men do. Well I’m sorry, but I think more highly of men than that. (And if you are a man who is making this argument, you’ll forgive me if I don’t ever want to be in a room alone with you.) And when you insist that the only way to prevent rape is for women to change their behavior—whether it’s recommending that they carry a weapon or not wear certain kinds of clothing—you are not only giving out false information, you are arguing that misogyny is a given. That the world will continue to be a dangerous and unfair place for women and we should just get used to the fact. It’s a pessimistic and, frankly, lazy view on life. Because when you argue that this is “just the way things are,” what you are really saying is, I don’t care enough to do anything about it.

- Jessica Valenti, The Nation