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READING DAYS QUICKLY PASS
D E C E M B E R 9 , 2 015
Dawn of a New Leadership
Over the course of this semester, student leaders
have worked hard to give shape to the newly envisioned Black Presidents council. Their work
was acknowledged by the first visit to the BPC
by the President of the University, Teressa Sullivan. The meeting engendered the feeling that
they have an opportunity to make several meaningful contributions in the near term to impact
the Black Student experience of learning here at
the University. The BPC is hopeful about their
ability to create complimentary initiatives that will
both enhance their experience and support the
University by helping implement the Cornerstone
Plan at the student level. #2 The University-Wide Racial Programming
Group was created to begin surveying Universities across the country to learn more about how
University’s are approaching the concerns about
bias incidents and cultural issues in higher education. From this learning, the working group would
make several recommendations for programming
that might educate students about cultural concerns consistent across higher education and
that might work to decrease the likelihood of students experiencing racially/culturally biased incidents. These recommendations will include both
recommendations for programming the University might implement, as well as, programming
that can be delivered by students. In this way,
they maximize opportunities for complimentary
projects of collaboration. As proposed, there were the two groups: 1) Cornerstone Working group & 2) Race Module or
University-Wide Programming Group. Each of the groups will meet throughout the
Spring and will give formal presentations and outcomes to the President and her designees. #1 The Cornerstone Working Group was offered
as a response to the need to encourage our students to become effective consumers of data
and to take responsibility for educating their
peers about the progress the University is making according to the metrics the University already has in place and uses to communicate to
us, the University community, frequently. And in
reverse, this group will encourage students to
consider ways they themselves can consider contributing to the success of the cornerstone plan. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN
EITHER WORKING GROUP, EMAIL : Miles
Jackson, BPC CHAIR, [email protected].
Subject: Interested in Working Group #(1 or 2)
Only select one group and include that number in the subject line.
1
The Audacity of Safety
by Alexander Adames
After continual negligence, students at the
University of Missouri stood up to thenPresident Timothy Wolfe and other administrators. Their complaint: Wolfe had failed to
provide students of color a welcoming environment at the university by way of neglecting a string of racial incidents. The students’ frustration manifested in a series of
protests, including a hunger strike by one
student and a refusal by Mizzou’s football
to team to engage in games and practices.
On November 9th, Wolfe resigned from his
post as president. Following this announcement, a video about photojournalist Tim
Tai’s interaction with protestors went viral.
the space and document the occurrences.
Yes, I agree that it was wrong for the protestors to push Tai and put their hands on
him. However, critics need a better rationale for their condemnation than legality.
It seems that there is confusion between
legality and its morality. The critics seem to
believe that legality is tantamount to morality. That is, if something is legal, then we
should unquestionably accept it as morally
just. A cursory look at history will reveal
that a variety of moral fallacies have been
justified under legality. Racial segregation
was legal. Denying women the right to
vote was legal. Slavery was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Equating legality to morality is a false equivalency. In making our
judgment of the parties involved, we must
take into account all of the relevant information that led to the confrontation between Tai and the protestors.
The video featured Tai attempting to enter
a safe space made by the student protesters. Tai made attempt after attempt to enter the space occupied by protesters. Tai
even cited that the First Amendment allowed him the right to occupy and document the protests because it occurred on a
public university campus. Despite his numerous attempts, Tai was denied entrance
into the protestors’ safe space. This video,
of course, drew loads of criticism made
against the student protesters.
The protesters were in a state of distress.
This distress stemmed from feeling unsafe
at the University of Missouri. The students
felt unsafe because they had been forced
to experience numerous incidents of racism. These acts effectively made the students feel like they did not belong. Though
the students made their grievances known
to Wolfe and his administrators, it was to
no avail. The protesters did not feel that
the university administration did an ade-
The critics seem to have focused much of
their energy chastising the protesters for
violating the First Amendment.
I find this rationale a bit perturbing. Yes, I
agree that Tai had the legal right to be in
2
quate job of responding to those incidents
of bias and the negative racial climate on
the campus. This inadequacy likely resulted in the students feeling unsafe on the
campus. With no one to defend them as
they saw just, the students protested and
created a safe space.
GUESS HOO?
Given that situation, how would you feel
when a reporter attempts to enter and disrupt your safe space for his own professional gain? It is unfair to cast the protesters as freedom-hating and overly politically
correct.The group merely operated in a
way they saw was best to protect themselves. Taking into account the negative,
journalistic portrayals of other protesters
(i.e., Ferguson, Baltimore, New York)
against structural racism, the response to
and fear of letting an unknown journalist
enter the safe space is understandable.
FINISH
STRONG!
Thanks to all who have
Before condemning the Mizzou protesters,
we must understand their actions within
the context they were given. The safe
space was created because students felt
unsafe on their campus on account of
structural racism. Rather than unleash a
volley of articles condemning students for
one small instance, journalists should be
condemning the University of Missouri for
failing to provide a safe home for their students of color. Focusing on one instance
where a group may have violated the First
Amendment right of a few journalists
works to ignore and downplay the greater
force of structural racism.
participated this year in
the Black Male Initiative!
We are looking forward to
the New Year.
Best Wishes,
Black Male Initiative
3
Racial Disparity at Mizzou
by Brianna Hamblin
Racial tensions at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri – often referred
to as Mizzou – have boiled over after a
long history of simmering injustices. This
fall, students have called out and protested against the racial dynamics of the
university and the lack of action faculty
took to solve any of the university’s racial
problems.
racism is a problem at the university. However, protesters in Kansas City were angered that night after Wolfe’s apology
when they asked him if he knew what systematic oppression was. Wolfe responded, “It's – systematic oppression is
because you don't believe that you have
the equal opportunity for success.” Protesters then felt like Wolfe blamed those
who were systematically oppressed for being systematically oppressed.
The student group Concerned Student
1950 – named after the year Blacks were
first matriculated into the university – led
students to demand the resignation of University of Missouri’s President Tim Wolfe.
Students felt that there were multiple incidents where Wolfe did not recognize concerns of Black students at the university.
These incidents include: cotton balls being
scattered in front of the Black culture center, the nearby shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri
by a police officer, racial slurs by fellow students and Nazi swastikas drawn with feces
on a residence hall. Wolfe met privately
with Concerned Student 1950 members,
but still did not agree to fulfill any demands
towards change.
On November 8th, Black football players
refused to practice or play until President
Wolfe was removed. The athletic department and fellow white players supported
and followed their protest. The next day,
Wolfe resigned his presidency at the University of Missouri. R. Bowen Loftin, chancellor of the University of Missouri, also resigned that Monday morning.
However, the events did not stop at the
president’s resignation. On the night of November 10th, fear ran through students at
Mizzou when a post on Yik Yak, an anonymous social networking app on college
campuses, posted a racially charged
threat that has since been shared over
other media such as Twitter and Facebook. The post stated, “I’m going to stand
my ground tomorrow and shoot every
black person I see.” Another post that followed said, “Some of you are alright.
Don’t go to campus tomorrow.” Many students did not go to class the next day, and
some even went home, not feeling safe to
be anywhere near the Missouri campus.
On November 3, student Jonathan Butler
began a hunger strike. According to CNN,
Butler stated, “Mr. Wolfe had ample opportunity to create policies and reform that
could shift the culture of Mizzou in a positive direction but in each scenario he failed
to do so.” Other students soon after followed his lead in boycotting. On November 6, Wolfe delivered an apology to the
Concerned Student 1950, recognizing that
4
The suspects of those anonymous posts
on Yik Yak were traced and arrested early
November 11th. According to USA Today,
one of the alleged posters of the terrorist
threats was Hunter Park. Park is a 19year-old sophomore at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla,
Missouri, about 94 miles south of the University of Missouri. The other alleged terrorist poster was Conner Stottlemyre, a
19-year-old sophomore at Northwest Missouri State University. He was arrested
later that morning.
watching. #ConcernedStudent1950 #InSolidarityWithMizzou”
People from different universities changed
the university name to their own and
shared the same post. A movement for
students across the nation to wear black
to classes on Thursday, November 12th
was put into place. U.Va’s Black Student
Alliance issued a letter of solidarity for the
University of Missouri and Yale. Black Student Alliance had a gathering for those in
solidarity with Mizzou and Yale at the
“Black Bust Stop” by Garret Hall at 9 p.m.
that Thursday night.
KKK rumors were also spread around the
university early November 11th, but authorities quickly stopped those rumors in attempts to not induce any more fear into
the student body.
The University of Missouri has now gone
through many changes in attempts to rebuild a better racial climate. A new Office
for Civil Rights and Title IX was created to
investigate discrimination on race, religion,
gender, and sexual orientation. Yale’s
president also promised a new multidisciplinary university center for underrepresented communities at the university. Demands by students at Mizzou and universities around the nation are working towards
being met in order to make students feel
safe and welcomed at their schools.
The events at the University of Missouri
have sparked discussion of racial issues all
across the nation. Black students at Yale
have recently spoken up about their own
experience of racism after a fraternity party
turned down girls who were not white. College students all over the nation are announcing their solidarity with Mizzou and
Yale over social media. The hashtags #InSolidarityWithMizzou, #ConcernedStudents1950 and #BlackOnCampus went
widespread on Facebook and Twitter. Students at the University of Virginia have also
participated in the movement for solidarity.
One post commonly seen on Facebook
was:
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/11/us/univer
sity-of-missouri-racism-protest/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201
5/11/11/university-of-missouri-unrest-a-sig
nal-for-other-schools-experts-say/7555598
8/
“To the students of color at Mizzou, we
students of color and allies of students of
color at the University of Virginia stand
with you in solidarity. To those who would
threaten their sense of safety, we are
http://abcnews.go.com/US/students-avoid
-university-missouri-campus-threats/story
?id=35139323
5
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/12/us/un
iversity-of-missouri-protests.html
personal, academic, social, and emotional
growth and (d) connecting Black women to
growth opportunities across grounds and
globally. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/th
e-intersect/wp/2015/11/11/what-is-yik-yak
-the-app-that-fielded-racist-threats-at-univ
ersity-of-missouri/
The program consists of three concentric
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/09/us/misso
uri-protest-timeline/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/gr
ade-point/wp/2015/11/11/university-of-mis
souri-police-arrest-suspect-in-social-medi
a-death-threats/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201
5/11/11/some-at-u-of-missouri-on-edge-af
ter-social-media-threats-of-violence/75559
034/#cx_ab_test_id=18&cx_ab_test_varian
t=cx_collab_ctx&cx_art_pos=1&cx_navSo
urce=arttop&cx_tag=collabctx&cx_rec_typ
e=collabctx&cx_ctrl_comp_grp=true&cxre
cs_s
circles of support: (a) In the Company of
my Sister, a weekly support group for
Black women, (b) Refusing the Narrative: a
Bi-weekly Sister Circle dedicated to reading works by Black women, and (c) twicea-semester Black College Women campus
Town-hall meetings. There are only 13 spots remaining for the
first Book Club Selection, Purple Hibiscus,
by Chimanmanda Ngozi Adichie. Over the
semester, we will read three of her books
(Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, and
Americanah) with support from Faculty and
Lecturers across Grounds.
“Resisting the Narrative” BCW Bookclub Launches in the Spring!
The Black College Women project
launched in the Fall of 2015. This project is
a platform for all Black women across campus to unite in a shared dedication to work
towards the elimination of historical race,
gender, class, cultural, and religious barriers to success for young Black women. The goals of the project include (a) nurturing an internal love and respect for Black
women’s lives and bodies (b) engaging
young women in advocacy for one another, (c) building capacity for sustained
This project is generously supported by
the UVA Parents Fund. Thank you!
To RSVP, send an email to Saron Fantahun, LPJ Graduate Assistant at
[email protected]. Spots WILL fill
quickly!
Subject: RSVP for BCW BOOKCLUB
6
so honored by the way that advisees rely
on you and look up to you.
Simply seeing my advisees around
grounds and saying hi makes their day
and mine. I know that I have helped my advisees and it is always great to hear that I
have made a difference in their college careers. I hope that more people do apply to
be peer advisors because the experience
is truly a rewarding one. The resources that
advisors are approached with are great resources that both advisors and advisees
can take advantage of. With more knowledge of the resources it is easier for advisors to help their peers, advisees, and
themselves. I certainly learned about numerous organizations that I knew nothing
about and I was able to use these resources to help my advisees and myself.
Thanks to the UVA Parents Fund, Black
FRIDAY will be returning in the Spring! If
you missed out on the four weeks of Black
Friday this Fall, definitely check it out in
the Spring! New menus and great music!
If you enjoyed this event, send a
shoutout to [email protected]!
To be a Peer
Advisor
Sydney Edmunds
What does it mean to be an Office of African American Affairs Peer Advisor? It involves many things, but some of my favorite things include being around a great
group of people, helping others, and learning about new resources and opportunities. Being a peer advisor is very important
to the new students that come into UVA.
I’ll never forget when Dean Bassett first
told all of us that “you guys will be their
first friends here.” That really stuck with
me, because it involves the pressure of
making someone’s first experience a good
one or a bad one here at UVA. Once the relationship develops, however, you become
7
A TIME FOR ACTION
by Brandon Brooks
When people look back at 2015, they will surely
remember it as the year that proved America had
yet to reach a post-racial state. From law enforcement to our school systems, prejudice and discrimination continue to fracture and marginalize
minority communities. Nowhere was this more
clear than at the University of Missouri, where the
first week of November marked the culmination of
a months-long confrontation between the school
administration and the student body. The point of
contention: the latter’s handling of a series of racial incidents affecting the black community. In
the preceding months, Black students were regularly derided with racial slurs and overt symbols
of hatred, such as the depiction of a swastika in a
residential hall bathroom. Amid heightened tensions and student outcry, the school administration remained silent.
issue of racism affecting the university; minority
students were merely imagining it.
While student protests in Missouri were ongoing,
Yale experienced similar issues, which caused
students to question the safety of their educational environment. In the past month, multiple
“All Lives Matter” signs were found around campus with references to black criminality, rape and
violence. This incident, coupled with the subsequent outrage concerning offensive Halloween
costumes, exposed a rift between the student
body and school administration. By the time allegations accusing a local fraternity of hosting a
“white girls only” party began to surface, tensions
had finally reached a boiling point. In the case of
the Halloween costumes, student activists were
dismayed by an email written by Yale Professor
Erika Christakis, which questioned “Whose business is it to control the forms of costumes of
young people”. Should someone see a costume
they find offensive, Christakis suggested that students “look away, or tell them that you are offended.” However, for many student activists, this
response was not enough. Shortly after sending
her email, Christakis was accused of contributing
to the “unsafe” educational environment. Despite
these accusations, countless others have defended Christakis’s comments. The Atlantic’s
Conor Friedersdorf questioned “how so many cognitively privileged, ordinarily kind, seemingly wellintentioned young people could lash out with
such flagrant intolerance?” The National Republic’s Kevin Williamson goes even further, characterizing the protesters as “maladjusted buffoons”
with “an excess of self-importance.”
For many, University President Tim Wolfe epitomized the administration’s inaction. Despite growing concerns that the university was failing to support a safe educational environment, Wolfe refused to institute reforms promoting a safe atmosphere and avoided engaging minority student
leaders. Wolfe’s indifference to the interests of
minority students was made obvious when his
car accidentally bumped into a student activist
while attempting to avoid a demonstration (concerning race relations at the University) during
homecoming festivities. In the farewell speech announcing his resignation, Wolfe maintained the
protesters’ desires would only be fulfilled through
“listening, learning, caring and conversation.” It is
ironic that Wolfe would say this, as he did not do
much of either. When asked to define systemic
oppression, Wolfe responded that systemic oppression occurs when “You don’t believe you
have equal opportunity for success.” It is easy to
comprehend why Wolfe’s reaction was so tepid.
From his understanding, there was no underlying
Despite the claims of Friedersdorf and Williamson, black student leaders have a right to criticize
the school administration’s handling of recent racial issues. Both men argue the protesters are irrational students from privileged educational envi-
8
ronments that are engaging in victimization. Such
an argument is as shallow as it is abhorrent. For
starters, these arguments openly doubt whether
racially motivated incidents actually occurred. Friesdorf states, “if any discrete group of students is
ever discriminated against... then of course students should protest and remedies should be implemented.” However, one must question why Friesdorf would mention this in the first place. Over
the past year, the nation has witnessed so many
instances of racism and discrimination that it is
only natural to assume such gall had permeated
our systems of higher education. Is this not evident based off the bus-full of fraternity brothers
proudly proclaiming “there will never be a nigger
SAE” or the hanging of a noose around the
statue of the University of Mississippi’s first black
president? How far must things go before we can
finally agree that racism on college campuses is
indeed a problem? It is right to criticize the behavior of students who spit and curse at those who
disagree with them. Such actions have never advanced the interests of civil rights advocates and
provides plenty of fodder for those seeking to
delegitimize these movements. With that said, it
is incumbent upon ourselves to question whether
we truly expect minority students to dismiss such
periodic instances of racism? In times like these,
a period of empathy and self-reflection is desperately needed, not mockery and victim-blaming.
school administration should seek to engage minority student leaders and work alongside law enforcement to increase patrols in areas where
prior racial incidents have occurred. Those who
truly support the students at Yale and Missouri
should take steps to ensure such policies are implemented within their own universities. Voicing
solidarity is great, but actions speak louder than
words.
Hoo To Watch!
Augustina Mensa-Kwao University of Virginia | Echols 2015
“As an intern with the Global Health Track at the
Foundation, some of my responsibilities have included note-taking at Clinton Global Initiative’s
(CGI) Annual Meeting, drafting and editing emails
and documents, and support for my managers as
they strategize their priorities for the year ahead. As
part of the intern program we have opportunities to
attend workshops on creating infographics, excel,
and working with CGI’s database management system. I have been using these skills to support the
Global Health Track’s work.”
Fortunately, millions of people around the country
have shown a sincere desire to challenge the pandemic of racism plaguing college campuses. On
Facebook and Twitter, the hashtags #ConcernedStudent1950 and #InSolidarityWithYale have
gone viral as students expressed support for the
ongoing situations in Missouri and Yale respectively. While social media advocacy is a great first
step, more must be done to truly guarantee a
safe educational environment for all students, regardless of race, religion or sexuality. As systems
of higher learning, universities should be at the
forefront of this fight. One cannot truly wish to
“promote cultural understanding, improve the human condition….and train the next generation of
world leaders” while turning a blind eye to racism
and discrimination. It is only natural that the
To all alum, feel free to provide updates about your
successes and let us know how things are going
for you. We all would like to support and cheer you
on!
Stay in Touch!
Send updates to [email protected]
9
Cultural Appropriation is Cultural Blasphemy
by Alexander Adames
At Yale, students grew highly upset over
an email sent by Erika Christakis. The
email was a response to student concerns
over Halloween costumes, which were
deemed offensive to cultural groups. In the
email, Christakis, the associate master of
Silliman residential college, suggested that
students attempt to view culturally appropriative costume in a different manner. If
offended, Christakis recommends, students should simply turn the other cheek.
This email resulted in a confrontation between students and Nicholas Christakis,
the master of Silliman, which was recorded
and went viral. The video features a student yelling at Christakis and denouncing
him for his and his wife’s lenient stance on
the costumes. This video led to a viral
backlash, which spawned numerous articles that criticized the students as sensitive and violators of freedom of speech.
Though I understand where they are coming from, the critics fail to see the symbolic
importance behind cultural appropriation
and meaning behind the strong reaction to
the culturally insensitive costumes.
identify their totem as the manifestation of
all their communal values — the sacred.
Therefore, when the totem is threatened,
the group understandably responds with
apprehension. If the offender is successful
in realizing their threat, then they will be
making the sacred profane. Though the
ideas stem from religion, they can also be
applied to general culture.
If a person offends the sacred, then venerators of the sacred will strike back. The venerators consider the offense to be a taboo.
When this offense occurs, venerators are
forced to defend the existence of their cultural rules and values. Accordingly, these
taboos often result in harsh sanctions
against the offender. These offenders are
being sanctioned because they have desacralized the sacred. This sanctioning, of
course, works to communicate to others
what not to do.
Though it was developed to understand religion, Durkheim’s theory seems to also explain some reactions to cultural appropriation. Similarly to religion, general culture
serves as a source of values for a variety
of people. These values and ethnic experiences are often
Emile Durkheim, one of the founders of sociology, developed a theory on the construction of religion. Durkheim argued that
groups often took their values and imposed it on a totem (e.g., an idol or object).
Of course, these values are deeply held
and cherished. Over time, groups begin to
People's cultures have physical manifestations (i.e., clothing), which are associated
and remindful their cultural values and experiences. Like religion, people impose
10
their values and experiences onto cultural
costumes (i.e., totems). Likely passed
down for generations, these cultural values
and experiences become sacred. When
people appropriate other people's cultures
by way of physical manifestations, their actions make the other people's culture profane. By adopting Halloween costumes
based off certain cultures, you are making
jest out of something considered highly serious for another group of people.
Blackface, yellowface, brownface, arabface and jewface have historically been
used to mock and cultural groups. A quick
look at our modern-day stereotypes reveals that many of the old racial tropes
have pervade our popular culture. Having
said that, it is ridiculous to dress up in offensive costumes and experience no form
of social backlash.
While the complaints of Yale students may
seem irrational and visceral to some, a
closer look at other cultural backlashes reveals that the students’ reaction was understandable and foreseeable. Rather than
simply dismissing the concerns of Yale students by throwing ad hominems (i.e., “coddled”), we should aim to understand why
students reacted the way they did. While
students certainly have the right to dress
up as offensively as they would like, the
protection of this freedom does not necessarily meant that it will always be exercised
in a morally just manner.
Critics of Yale students against cultural appropriation claim that the students are being overly sensitive. However, if we examine the situation through Durkheim’s lens,
we can see that the issue of cultural appropriation is comparable to that of religious
defamation. For example, if someone decided to wear a physical representation of
your religious beliefs (e.g., costume of a
prophet, sacred book, celestial being),
then you would probably be offended. You
would be offended because the person
donning the costume is making a parody
of your endeared, sacred beliefs. The person made your sacred profane.
GUESS HOO?
While I do not think that people should
face legal sanctions, those who don
culturally-based costumes should be discouraged from doing so. The donning of
culturally-based costumes is often tasteless and perpetuates racial tropes. Undoubtedly, some may respond and claim
that cultural appropriation does not perpetuate racial tropes because the act is
too small. That argument, however, ignores
how microsociological behavior — everyday, small, face-to-face human interactions — perpetuates and validates existing ideas, including racial stereotypes.
11
Teaching Black while White
by Myliyah Hanna
Professor Lisa Shutt on Teaching
African and African American Studies as a
White American
As a Black student here at the University of Virginia, I have felt it pertinent to take classes
in African American studies so as to best equip myself with the necessary skills and content to continue the ongoing discourse on race. During the summer before the start of my
first year, I entered a class with an appealing title that I knew the content would be equally
fulfilling. This class was called Black Femininities and Masculinities in the US Media. I entered the classroom and was not surprised to see that majority of the students were Black,
with the exceptions of a few white students. The class was not only enjoyable but left me
with a feeling of an awareness that I did not know that I needed. The most surprising aspect of this class, however, was the teacher behind it — a white woman.
Professor Lisa Shutt, an associate dean and an active professor in the Department of as well as several of the University’s interdisciplinary programs including Women, Gender & Sexuality, the Carter G. Woodson Institute for
African-American and African Studies, Global Development Studies, and Media Studies, is the renowned professor behind Black Femininities and Masculinities in the US
Media. It is an interesting area of Black life here on
Grounds that is perhaps the least spoken about: white
professors teaching African and African American studies.
Can you share with us a brief summary of the nature of your research in Gabon, Africa? What did you primarily focus on? Did any of your ideas about the research
change while over in Gabon?
Thanks so much, Myliyah, for interviewing me for Orphee Noir. I’m excited about the publication, and very honored that you’ve asked. Gabon, where I conduct research, is a petrostate. Many people from all over West and Central Africa and beyond travel there to seek
work, as do people from Europe and North America. I examine the way that migrants from
throughout the African continent and from the West adapt to living in Gabon’s urban
spaces, especially when Gabonese citizens are not always particularly welcoming toward
the foreigners in their midst. I also examine the way Gabonese citizens construct their na-
12
tional identities in response to and in opposition to these migrants from the West and
from throughout the African continent.
tique these representations and to see
how the idea of “Africa” has been created
for American media consumers.
One of your most renowned classes is
titled Black Femininities and Masculinities in the US Media, a class dedicated
to the decryption of Black racial representation in the media. What inspired
you to take on the subject of blackness
and its representation in the media?
After I had taught this course for several
years, another program (Studies in Women
and Gender) came to me and asked that I
take the idea for this course and morph it
in another direction. Could I design a
course which addressed representations
of African Americans in the US and which
also focused on gender? As a graduate student, I was up for anything. While I made it
clear that such a topic was not my expertise, I was pleased to have the opportunity
to push this interest in media representations further, and for it to intersect with my
interest in race in America. Although I have
taught this course many, many times now,
I continue to tell my students the origin of
the course and the fact that it is they who
will be experts on many of the media texts
we will explore over the course of the semester. I have learned a great deal about
representations of blackness in the media
from my students and the collaborative experience we have in the classroom is one
of the reasons I enjoy teaching the class
so much, even though it is not directly related to my research focus in Central Africa.
Well, I have to go back more than a decade to answer this question. When I was
still a graduate student, the Media Studies
program put out a call to graduate students to propose courses. I had been intrigued by the fact that when I taught
about African spaces and contexts, the
vast majority of information that my students had been exposed to about the continent was information they had picked up
by watching cartoons, feature films, children’s stories, print and TV news media,
and other popular media sources. So
much of the information available to Americans about the African continent is horribly
distorted and just plain wrong. In cartoons
and feature films, animals are made out to
seem more civilized than people – animals
can talk, while African people represented
in these texts only grunt and gesture. Locations are rarely distinguished. We are simply told that a setting is “Africa” or, like in
Coming to America or West Wing, African
countries are simply fabricated. I found
that these images had to be addressed
and the ideologies surrounding them dispelled before I could move on with teaching about the continent, so I proposed a
course in which we could explore and cri-
It can be jarring for Black students to
take a class surrounding Blackness that
is taught by a white professor. Have you
encountered tension while teaching
such classes and how have you dealt
with arising issues?
I have actually not encountered significant
tension when teaching regarding this issue. I hope that I make it clear that my mo13
tivation for teaching Black Femininities and
Masculinities in the US Media is the fight
for racial justice. It is my intention to fight
against the powerful media representations of Black men and women, which corrupt Americans’ understandings of blackness and which perpetuate racist structures in society and lead to destructive
stereotyping. There are very real consequences in society to these media representations in the news, in feature films, on
TV, even on billboards and cereal boxes. I
hope I communicate to students that I see
my role as being one of an educator-ally. I
see myself trying to teach the skills and
ideas that I have to share in support of the
fight for racial justice. However, as someone who is not African American, I will always have a great deal to learn from my
students about their experience on
Grounds and beyond. I hope that my students will continue to guide me in how I
can best support them.
we discussed the reasons blackness is interpreted the way it is in the US, and that
they were passing this information onto
their friends, I realized that teaching was
my primary way of engaging with ‘activism.’ A good number of my former students now have children themselves and
some have told me that it is important to
them to pass this media awareness on to
them. That’s about the best thing I could
ever hear as an educator.
I try to spread the word to fellow faculty
members that students need them to show
up. Students need for them to speak up in
class about issues of discrimination and
violence even when these issues may not
be directly related to the course material
with which they are engaging. Students
need to feel supported and heard and they
need to know above all that they belong.
That they matter. That we care about them
as people. I was very aware last year that
many faculty members who addressed the
topics (unrelated to their course material)
of the disappearance and murder of Hannah Graham and the Rolling Stone article
and related issue of sexual assault on
grounds, did not even mention the brutalization of Martese Johnson on the Corner
by ABC agents. Race can be a very uncomfortable topic for many faculty members. I
try to encourage my peers to address the
issues despite their discomfort. To admit
their discomfort to students. To admit and
address issues of white privilege at the University. To examine their own privilege
whether it comes from their race, their gender, or their powerful position as an educator at this university.
Where do you find yourself fitting in the
puzzle of blackness here on Grounds?
How has teaching affected the way you
approach sensitive topics for the Black
community, such as incidences of discrimination and violence?
I remember that in college, I used to have
a lot of guilt about the fact that I was not
marching in the streets every day to fight
for causes I support – racial justice being
one of the most important. It wasn’t for
years that I realized that we all can fight for
what we believe in a variety of different
ways. My place for fighting against racist
structures is in the classroom. Once I realized that students were “getting it” when
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they may see 56 African American gangbanger characters who all have similar
names and clothes and experience similar
plots. For the 103rd time, an audience
member is seeing a promiscuous Black
woman desperate for a man or yet another
successful Black man who spurns his African American wife and steps out with a
white woman. These are only “real” to
American viewers because the patterns of
representation repeat again and again and
again. I want students to be able to recognize these patterns, pull them apart and
think through what they’re seeing. When
audiences recognize the patterns, these
representations lose their power over audiences.
What do you hope your students will
gain from taking your classes? How do
you hope to promote racial discourse
here on Grounds?
I teach a number of courses, most of them
about African topics and contexts. (AAS
4570 - Africa in the US Media; AAS 3500 –
African Worlds through Life Stories; AAS
3749 – Food and Meaning in Africa and the
Diaspora and others). I hope that students
will have more exposure to the realities of
the African continent after taking my
classes. I hope that that they will better understand the extraordinary human cultural
diversity of Africa, dispel stereotypes, and
gain a respect for a continent that has
been shown so much disrespect.
In terms of the courses I teach about media, I hope I am successful in offering a
toolbox with which students can address
media texts (TV shows, feature films, cartoon episodes, TV and print news, social
media, etc.) after they leave the classroom.
I want them to see that the same types of
characters recur again and again and
again. The issue is not that there is one
negative or unfair representation of an African American man in one film – that’s just
one character we’re talking about. No big
deal. If you don’t see similar representations elsewhere, one irresponsible representation is not a problem. The problem is
that we see these tropes recur. When audiences – especially those who have little
daily contact with African Americans – see
their 27th teenage Black inner-city drug
dealer character, it may become real to
them. As in, “Oh. That’s what African
American teenage boys are like. Okay.” Or,
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“I am Black, therefore I am...
Amazing”
My interests and major have shown me
that I am multifaceted. There are so many
things I like and would like to accomplish
so learning to accept and embrace that
has forced me to think outside the box and
make me a better me.
List your major(s) /year
Nursing, 4th Year
3) List your clubs/ involvements
• Black Voices Gospel Choir, President
• Virginia Nursing Students’ Association,
President
• Student Nurse Association of Virginia,
Co-1st Vice President
Where do you draw inspiration?
I draw a lot of my inspiration from my siblings. I have young siblings and I ultimately
want to make them proud and pave a way
for them to be great and accomplish any
goals they have.
What is one thing that you love about
yourself?
I love my personality, more specifically my
humor!
What makes you different from everyone else?
What are you most passionate about?
I’m very optimistic! I tend to see the good
in people and situations despite whatever
else is going on and I think that’s a trait
that is very important in life.
I am passionate about holistic healthcare
for all. I think that all healthcare providers
should take that extra step to understand
our patients and apply that in their care. I
also really enjoy graphic design!
In what ways has your major(s) or interest(s) shaped you as a person?
What have you done or been apart of
that brings you the most pride?
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Anticipate the Spring
WHILE
you enjoy the Break
I am most proud of being President and a
member of Black Voices Gospel Choir! I
have been a member for all of my years
here at the University and have drawn a lot
of strength and encouragement from my
choir. It’s beautiful to be apart of such a
great legacy.
by Sydney Edmunds
With fall semester coming to an end, the
anticipation for spring semester is rising.
Although we still have Christmas break,
the excitement for classes in the spring is
still there being that there is a clean slate
for students to start on. Some students
have their own opinion on whether they
like the fall or spring semester better. I personally favor the spring semester because
I have already completed one semester
and I have already began my study habits.
Fall semester can be hard because students are jumping into the school year after a 3 month-long summer break.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I would like to leave a legacy of compassion. In the healthcare field, compassion is
very necessary towards anyone we encounter and combining that with a holistic
aspect can vastly change our healthcare
system for the better.
If you could give any advice to your
younger self, what would it be?
If I could give any advice to my younger
self, I would tell me to go for all of the
dreams and aspirations I have, not just the
ones that seem attainable.
With Christmas on the horizon and spring
semester around the corner, students
should keep their brains fresh and stay encouraged. Although this fall semester
might have been exhausting, the spring semester is a chance to start new and to
take classes that interest students. Especially first years who are beginning to understand and determine what they will major in, this is one of your last chances to explore what UVA has to offer and take
classes that you thought you might never
take. After finals, breaks are needed and
required, but also keep in mind the anticipation and excitement that spring semester can bring and all the brand new discoveries that can go along with it.
What are your future plans?
I plan to go to graduate school to get my
Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) to be
a Family Nurse Practitioner. With this degree, I hope to eventually open my own
practice that focuses on holistic healthcare.
GUESS HOO CONTEST! Enter by sending your guesses to [email protected]
Entries will be entered into a raffle for a
$25 chipotle Gift Card!
Pg. 3 ___________________________
Pg. 11___________________________
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Post Kanye: A chameleon
elevating the rap standard
by Logan Dandridge
On the set of HBO’s Def Jam Poetry in 2004 Mos Def
introduced a, then widely unknown, “rapper from Chicago, Illinois.” And out walked a young, but still enlivened with spirit Kanye Omari West. Kanye strolled
onto a stage that was ornately decorated with luggage.
His smile, not yet glittered with a single diamond, is the
first noticeable characteristic of “Mr. West.” Beyond
that, his charisma. Although the Kanye we know today
cracks a smile at the same rate Donald Trump speaks
pleasantly about immigrants, there was a time when his
teeth made more public appearances. With the knowledge of Kanye’s current stardom his introduction as a
hometown rapper seem inconceivable to us. Even
more eerie, Mos Def’s message that Kanye is “the future of Hip-Hop.” When the future began his monologue some of the most coincidentally
accurate words were spoken following the hilarious arrogance that is Kanye West. “They
say your attitude determines your latitude. Well I’m high as a mother f***, fly as a mother
f***. And still the mother f*** you love to hate. But can’t, because you love what I make.”
This excerpt is Kanye in rare form. He explicitly states that which “we” hate and proceeds
to embody that hatred and then throw it in our faces. Kanye creates an interesting plurality
within his identity. His personality is divided by dissent into two categories. The opponents
of Kanye “the a***hole,” are tasked with dealing with his antics because they still enjoy
Kanye “the artist.” Interestingly the two sides of West impact and draw from one another
helping him use versatility to escape criticism.
In the realm of contemporary popular music there is one artist who has managed to debase preconceived notions of the prototypical “rapper” at will. The artist, whose reputation
in both infamy and brilliance proceeds him, is Kanye West. Since Mr. West stepped into
the building in 2001 as a producer on Jay Z’s Blueprint, his presence has been palpable
across several genres. In his first project College Dropout Kanye put his stamp on Hip-Hop
by replicating the same creative samples that he produced on Jay Z’s “Izzo.” Who
would’ve thought the Jackson Five to play behind one of the most recognizable hits of the
early 2000’s? College Dropout was our first real taste of Kanye West. A Kanye that would
18
be unidentifiable to the fashion designing,
Kardashian marrying, Jedi-esque vigilante
who we all know today.
Alexis Phifer, was an emotional and often
tyrannical dis album. Beyond the vulgarity
of the album there is true beauty. 808’s
and Heartbreaks best tracks are masterpieces that include full string accompaniment and whose outros could be compilated into a thirty-minute orchestral mixtape. Up until this point, barring Kid Cudi’s
cross-over success with Man on the
Moon, no rapper had ever included so
much singing on a project. Drake’s current
“sing-rap” combination that has vaulted
him into the number one spot in the past
year is unequivocally linked to the success
of 808’s and Heartbreaks.
On Saturday Night Live in February Kanye,
accompanied by Sia and fellow windy city
native Vic Mensa performed a chilling rendition of the song “Wolves.” The dim visuals
began with Ye’ laying on his back speaking
in raspy, inaudible form. The introduction
to “Wolves” was a blast from the past, the
first verse form “Jesus Walks” and a more
recent “Only One.” When Kanye rose his
long hoodie and black pants contrasted
the flashing thunderous white background.
The beginning of “Wolves” was a methodic, howling apology for being “too bad
for you.” Apart from singing the chorus,
West lets Mensa do most of the heavy lifting, content with intermittent mumbles.
This performance, vastly different from a
more recent performance of “All Day” at
the 2015 BRIT Awards. Kanye rapped
amongst a cohort of fellow admires of the
color black, some wielding flame throwers,
in a testosterone induced frenzy more like
the Kanye that we think we know. Nevertheless, the transformation Kanye has
made in regard to his image is reflected
just as much in his music. From College
Dropout to his latest track “Wolves” a single from his forthcoming album Swish, the
Kanye we once knew is a passing memory.
Yet, West is able to put his fans into a trancelike state where despite his appearance,
indifference, and perhaps musical apex,
his reign is unquestioned.
In the video for the song “Love Lockdown”
West is pictured in all white, singing in different parts of an equally as white apartment. His posture is restrained and unemotional. A stark contrast to what is probably
the albums most visceral singles. The
“lockdown” he faces is depicted metaphorically in this pseudo-jail cell. An orange
jumpsuit, replaced with a neatly tailored
suit. Kanye’s movements are neither frantic, nor particularly noticeable at all. He
sits, lays, and stands almost as though he
has been sedated. A lockdown which began in the heart, but since spread to the
body. This is one of Kanye’s more calm videos. And as such, the tone of 808’s and
Heartbreaks is mellow and introspective.
Yes, West is clearly lamenting about a broken relationship, but he does it in a manner
no rapper has been able to perfect before.
Kanye balances candid lyrical expression
with soft, minimalist production. If Chuck D
attempted to rap into a synthesizer over
violin accompaniment and electronic percussion I’m fairly certain Queens would’ve
It’s no slight on the relevance or popularity
of Drake to say that his success wouldn’t
be possible without 808’s and Heartbreak.
Kanye’s vicious ode to then girlfriend,
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eaten him alive. The image Kanye West
has presented is widely experimental and
that’s what draws him so much critical acclaim. When predictability is thrown out
the window the consumer is forced to accept everything or nothing. Kanye West is
one of the only musicians whose album to
album success seems to be more related
to the artist than to the content that he produces.
Happy Kwanzaa!
There is no proper way to define Kanye
West. On the timeline of Hip-Hop Kanye is
an outlier that has begun an entirely new
sub-genre. In that same vain Kanye’s
reach as a creator has overcame musical
and aspirational limits. To think of a rapper
whose cross-over would be felt, not only in
other genres, but in different creative mediums, is captivating. Rappers have influenced fashion and cultural trends since
they exploded onto the scene. What’s
more amazing is that in ten years Kanye
West could be known as the guy who designed a sneaker that regularly sell for over
fifteen hundred dollars on eBay, and not
the internationally recognized and selfproclaimed musical genius. Kanye’s willingness to accept the “other” label and be
considered more of an artist than a rapper
is what defines this new wave of musicians. Artists like Drake, Chance the rapper, and A$AP Rocky exist in a new hierarchy of artists that seem unfit to be compared to typical “rappers” because there
music is expressed beyond rhyme
schemes and bars. Kanye has championed the movement away from convention
and into a space for black music and the
images those artists present to be understood objectively.
However you celebrate
the holidays, we wish
you the best in the New
Year!
To: You!
From: Orpheé Noir Staff
20
State of Insecurity
by Brandon Brooks
Last November, the American Security
Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act was
introduced in the House of Representatives. Two days later, it was passed 289137, with 47 Democrats breaking from the
minority leadership to support the measure. This bill, should it pass the Senate,
would institute a pause in the current process of admitting Iraqi and Syrian refugees
while a new vetting process is created. Following this pause, refugees seeking safehaven in the United States could only do
so after receiving a signature from the secretary of Homeland Security, and the Directors of National Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While proponents such as Congressman Glenn Thompson (R-PA 5th District), have praised the
SAFE Act as “the first in many steps [that]
will provide American security while also
supporting our long-term humanitarian tradition,” opponents such as the advocacy
group Human Rights Watch have criticized
the bill for instituting “unnecessary and burdensome restrictions...[that] could make it
practically impossible for Syrian and Iraqi
refugees fleeing persecution and extremist
violence to be admitted to the US.”
to grant refuge to additional displaced persons remain unpopular, as the public increasingly perceives refugees as threats to
national security. In a November Gallup
poll 60% of Americans opposed President
Barack Obama’s plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States. Refugee resettlement has also become a crucial issue in the ongoing presidential race,
with Senator Ted Cruz accusing President
Obama’s current resettlement plan of being “nothing short of lunacy.” Senator
Marco Rubio, another presidential hopeful,
also opposes the current resettlement
plan, claiming there is no way to conduct
background checks on Syrian refugees.
While issues of national security should always be taken into consideration, critics of
the current resettlement often sensationalize the current situation. At present, the
United States has already accepted over
1,800 Syrian refugees since the start of the
civil war, many of which are women and
children. While Dr. Ben Carson and Marco
Rubio have claimed that there is no way to
vet Syrian refugees, this statement largely
ignores the rigorous vetting process currently in state for refugees of the conflicts
in Syria and Iraq. Prior to facing US screening, a refugee must receive a referral from
the United States High Commissioner for
Refugees, which refers approximately one
percent for resettlement. After, refugees’
It should not come as a surprise that the
SAFE Act was passed four days after the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) executed a series of coordinated attacks in
Paris that killed 129 people. Current plans
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names are run through federal terrorism
and criminal databases, interviewed by Department of Homeland Security officials
and undergo a medical screening. Most
refugees endure this process for one to
two years before finally stepping foot on
US soil.
ministration was working to accept 30,000
refugees over the coming year. As the
“leader of the free world,” the United
States should not only accept the 10,000
refugees proposed by the Obama administration, but also express willingness to accept even more. Not only does this delegitimize Daesh (an Arabic acronym for the Islamic state) propaganda, proclaiming the
Islamic State to be a utopia for all Muslims,
it also encourages other nations to follow
its lead. Perhaps more than anything else,
reducing the number of refugees accepted
into the United States legitimizes ISIS
claims that the United States can be bullied into disengaging from the Middle East.
Succumbing to fear merely encourages additional attacks.
Rather than adding additional hurdles to
an already cumbersome process, Congress should look into combatting more
pressing threats to national security. According to the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention, over 406,000 people were
killed by firearms on US soil from 2001 to
2013. This figure is 120 times higher than
the number of Americans killed in terrorism
incidents inside and outside of the United
States in the same time period. If Congress is serious about combatting domestic terrorism, it should pass comprehensive
gun control legislation, which expands existing background checks for purchases of
firearms and makes it harder for weapons
to end up in the wrong hands.
ORPHEÉ NOIR
Will be hosting an
Informational and Writer’s Fair in the
Spring. We are preparing to push to
the next level! Join us.
Rather than succumb to fear and insecurity, the United States should reaffirm its
commitment to providing safe refuge to
Syrian refugees. Despite the rhetoric of
fearmongers, the US should remember
that the 10,000 refugees Obama has offered to accept is small relative to many of
our European allies. At present, Germany
has accepted over 44,000 refugees; Sweden has accepted 13,000, and newly
elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau has recently committed to resettling 25,000 Syrians by the end of the year.
Furthermore, despite the heinous assault
on Paris last year, French President Francois Hollande has announced that his ad-
RSVP to: Alexander Adames
([email protected])
22
Winter Break Bliss
by Myliyah Hanna
As finals week approaches, most students
here on Grounds are looking forward to the
sweet relief of being able to leave the highstress environment and go back home.
There is nothing more enjoyable than being able to turn off alarms, to have a real
decent sleep, and to not wake up already
stressing the events of a new
day.Truly, winter break gives
students a chance to recuperate from the anxieties and obstacles that often come our
way during the course of our
four years here on Grounds. Although the college experience
is one that is full of great friendships and opportunities, the
path to those experiences is
not always pleasant, and this is something
many students feel around the stressful
time of midterms and finals. Beyond the exhaustion of homework and other assignments, finals is another hurdle for students
to worry about getting over before they
can go home. Motivation is low and many
students have abandoned a healthy night’s
sleep for a few more hours of cramming.
Use winter break to reflect on fall semester: what worked and what didn’t work?
What were the classes you loved and the
classes you will never touch again? If you
joined any clubs, will you be continuing
them? For returning upperclassmen and
for first years, fall semester is always the
semester that one has to relearn and im-
prove on habits that often get pushed
aside during the summer months. Winter
break’s timing allows for the chance to reflect on these things so that you can make
spring semester a much smoother ride.
This winter break, I encourage everyone to
connect with family and friends
and truly enjoy your time from
the college stress. Curl up under your bed and sleep until
you feel like waking up. Enjoy
homemade meals from Mom
that can’t be mimicked in the
dining halls. Take up the hobbies you’ve had to put off for
textbook readings and online
submissions. Go to a new restaurant over break, and discover a new food to try. Visit friends and
laugh over memories old and new. Participate in holiday traditions, whether that be
watching a favorite holiday movie or making holiday treats. Most of all, rest. Get the
well-earned rest you need to come back to
go through spring semester strong. Come
back healthy, come back motivated and
come back ready to, once again, prove
that you are strong enough to overcome
any obstacle that comes in your way. Don’t
feel intimidated by the spring semester, by
grades that are not reflections of your brilliant minds. Spring semester is your
chance to get back to where you want to
be, and winter break is the perfect time to
figure out exactly where that place is.
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