This week’s class discussions were two of my favorite. These discussions left me with questions I never had to face before, in regards to using the N-word, listening to music that objectifies women and watching music videos that glorify violence and drugs.

I always glorified hip hop. Thinking of its unique use of beats and rhymes, its eccentric history dating back to my hometown, the Bronx, NY and it’s authentic use of integrating dance, lyrics and beats. It is truly an art and something to admire.

However, Hip Hop has evolved overtime and is not the same as before. As the first group who presented on Monday said, hip hop has turned into less of a focus on the DJ, beats and beatboxing, and more of a focus on the artist. This has presented a challenge to the music industry, because we see these artists in their videos, both men and women, objectifying the opposite (or same) gender, while also using their own bodies as objects of sexual desire.

In hip hop, it is no doubt that hyper masculinity, objectification of women and violence are all portrayed in both lyrics and music videos. When we see this, we think this is what hip hop is. Arguably, this is what is has turned out to be.

As Dr. Michael Dyson comments in the “Hip Hop: Beyond the beats and Rhymes” video, “violent masculinity is at the heart of American identity.” I agree with this statement 100%. I don’t know what it is about our country, but we revolve around a hyper masculine culture, that validates masculinity, most common in black and latino men, on things like owning a gun, having sex with lots of women and being violent towards other men. It’s disgusting and scary, but worst of all, it’s normalized.

I myself do not watch music videos, but after seeing clips in class, I must admit it did make me uncomfortable. As I get older, I am becoming more aware of what I mentally absorb, and I would never want to use my free time watching videos of women with huge butts shaking them up and down on men, or women pouring water down the shirts of men, rubbing baby oil on their abs. (okay, maybe I wouldn’t mind watching that, but that isn’t the point).

This week, my eyes were opened to see that both men and women are objectified in all genres – pop, hip hop, rap, R&B, and even country! This was extremely eye opening because many people, including myself, often believe women and men are objectified only in hip hop, rap and R&B.

This week, I was also challenged to really, really think about the use of the N-word. It is so complex for me, being a black woman in America, viewing the N-word as either a good thing or a bad thing. I am just not sure where I stand. After watching Jay-Z’s interview with Oprah in class, I did agree with some things he said, such as words being made up everyday and instead of eradicating the word (not easy to do) we should takes its power back and use it as a term of endearment. However, I also strongly agreed with David Banner, a rapper and activist who made a great point, saying out of ALL the words in the English dictionary, why use this one? This word was used to degrade our ancestors, make them feel low and blatantly insult them. Yet we, including myself sometimes, throw it around casually in a conversation referring to our friends as this.

I was really challenged to dig deep and choose a side on how I feel about this. I do believe when it comes to something as big as this, it is important to stand firm in a belief and not be wishy washy. I am still unsure where I stand, but I am leaning more towards not using the word at all, and not listening to music that repeatedly uses the word. I don’t think I can get away from it, because it has become a part of my generation, the music we listen to, the way my friends talk and even artists. However, when I realize we literally come from Kings and Queens, not segregation and slavery, I ask myself, “why are we using this word?”

Another word that brought up a lot of controversy was Bitch. I really don’t like this word at all and I only have two friends that call me this. I don’t say anything because they throw it around so comfortably and playfully and really mean no harm by it, that I don’t mind either.

However, maybe I should. Bitch is just as degrading as “nigga.” However, some women say that artists are not talking about them when they say “bitches” and “hoes” and that is why they are not offended, because they say whatever they have to to sell records. I loved how in the documentary, it was said that if George Bush was to go on stage and call all black people “niggers,” would black people say, “oh, he is not talking about me he is talking about someone else.”

This analogy really made me think.

I hate how women and men, specifically of color, are portrayed in America. We focus so much on hyper masculinity, objectification of women and use of violence to validate someone’s gender identification and it hurts a lot of people’s self-esteem.

In the textbook, it speaks of women in Latina countries, saying that Latina women who come to the U.S. at an older age, versus those who are born and raised in the U.S., have a higher self-esteem and more confidence in regards to appearance.

A very thin line.

So the question to ask ourselves, is why is our country obsessed with sex, degrading each other and setting unrealistic body standards?

Black Women Rock – An event hosted every year by Penn State’s Black Student Union.

For my fourth Multicultural Learning Experience, I went to an event hosted by the Black Student Union called Black Women Rock. This event was held at the Days Inn hotel on Saturday, March 18, 2017. This event is held every year in honor of all black women on campus to uplift and empower them. This was my first time being at this event and I am happy to say that I really had an amazing time. I enjoyed this event not only because I am a black woman, but I really learned a lot and left feeling so empowered and inspired. I received so much advice and words of encouragement that I will take with me throughout life.

For the first half of the event, it was focused on intellectual growth. Each individual at a table received a goodie bag with a slip of paper in it that had the name of a black woman who accomplished a milestone or milestones in history, paving the way for the rest of us. I loved that this portion of the event covered a whole spectrum of black women who made accomplishments in every industry, including music, politics, sports and education. Some of the accomplishments were already known to me, but some I did not know, such as Loretta Lynch being the first African American to serve as U.S. attorney general. Politics is something I am definitely trying to become more informed about, so I was grateful to have received this information.

The second half of the event was made up of performances by individual students and groups who sang, danced or performed spoken word. This segment was so amazing. Some of the people who performed were my friends and I was so proud of them for being open and vulnerable enough to share their art with the audience, to glorify the beauty, strength and resilience of black women everywhere. The words poets spoke and singers sang, and the passion that evolved on stage as dancers performed their routines left my heart warm and my mind inspired.

In between each performance, awards were given out to honor some of the black women on campus who achieved great things throughout their time on campus and made an impact on not only other black females on campus, but the Penn State community as a whole. One of these women, who I have had the privilege and honor of speaking to, is Symone McCollum. She is a sophomore here at Penn State and is the founder and CEO of a company called RUDE, that specializes in making all natural beauty products for women. Symone received the Michelle Obama award for leadership, being recognized as the woman of the year. I don’t know Symone too personally, but I am so proud of her, because she has accomplished so much as a young, black female, at a predominantly white campus and still has so much more to achieve. She is an awesome example of what hard work, determination, resilience and believing in yourself can do.

Some of the other awards that were given out were the Maya Angelou award, which recognizes a motivational woman in the black community, the Oprah Winfrey award, which recognizes a female humanitarian in the black community and some other awards that recognized outstanding achievements in academics, sports and the arts.

This event was both healing, eye opening and empowering. I say healing because I finally realized that society really tries to make black women think that we are all competing for the same spot and we must all engage in aggressive competition with each other. However, after interviewing the host, Jerry Johnson, a Penn State alumn who now lives in L.A., I realized we are all individuals, meaning we all have different paths and are not competing for the same spot. There is enough room for ALL of us to shine, wherever we go. This was eye opening because I realized how much black women at Penn State do uplift and support and genuinely love each other, but do not always feel that we are in the space to do so. This event was a time and space for everyone to let their guard down, LOVE each other and SMILE at each other. Something we unfortunately don’t do enough of when walking past each other on campus. Again, being at a predominantly white campus, there is a stigma that there is little room for all of us to shine, be recognized or accomplish great things. This event proved that stigma to be wrong.

Finally, I left empowered because I just felt like I could take on the world after this event. After seeing so many performances, seeing the happiness from award recipients and hearing our special guest, Jasmine Guy from the hit 80s sitcom, A Different World speak about self-care and self-love, I was so proud and happy to call myself a beautiful, black woman.

 This is why WE ROCK 🙂 

This week in class, we discussed how the LGBT community and women are portrayed in the media. It’s always challenging for me to open my mind to the ways in which the LGBT community are portrayed in the media, because I grew up in a household where it is completely unacceptable to be homosexual, bisexual or anything related. My dad even went as far to say that he would never speak to me again if I ever came out and said I was gay. Fortunately, for the sake of maintaining a great relationship with my father, I am heterosexual by my own choice. However, if I wasn’t, I’m not sure what would happen.

So when we discussed the portrayal of those in the LGBT community in the media, I must admit I had a hard time understanding. I am a christian, and that has a lot to do with why I feel it is wrong to pursue a relationship with a person of the same sex or choose to undergo an operation where you change your sex. However, I do not want to ever make a person feel less than human, left out or wrong for having feelings. That’s what makes us human and I think everyone should be heard and people’s feelings are valid.

It’s sort of complicated, but I love people and I love seeing people happy. But growing up on certain values and opinions from my family, these have been engrained in me since birth so it’s hard for me to understand the struggles of the LGBT community. However, I am very open minded to listening to their journeys and trying to understand more, because I want to, I believe everyone has a story worth telling and we should all seek to at least make an effort to understand and even when we don’t still respect people, and if you find it in you, love them.

Being educated on what the LGBT community goes through trying to get jobs and have shows that portray them less stereotypically, made me realize it is similar to my struggles as not only an African American but an African American women. Being a minority in America is not easy, and it is a fight everyday to break through and complete milestones, especially in the media.

As the next group came and presented on the objectification of women, it sunk in even more that I too am a part of a minority group and although I may not experience the same struggles as someone in the LGBT community, we still experience struggles and work hard to change how we are portrayed in the media.

A part from our class discussion, this week’s readings made me realize how prevalent social class and advertising is in the division of our society. I never gave much thought to what social class I am a part of, nor thought to compare myself to the social class of my friends or even family, because most are in the same class. But like race, class is socially constructed and these readings helped me to become more aware of how much division it can cause between groups of people. Consequently, advertising can be just as dividing. I know people need to make money, but I don’t think it should be on the basis of stereotyping groups of people.

This picture is a great example of how much America relies on the sexual objectification of women, being that men in the same advertisement wouldn’t have the same effect.

As every class, this class really made me think about the way in which sexual orientation is represented in the media, especially in regards to the LGBT community and women. The way these groups of people are portrayed in the media isn’t always accurate or largely represented. Now, of course there is never going to be an “accurate” portrayal of any community of people because diversity exists in every group. However, the media often portrays these groups of people in limited ways, frequently enforcing stereotypes as a replacement for how these groups are viewed, and sexualizing both groups.

As mentioned in the text, from the early stages of American literature and film, women have been placed into a box when represented in the media. The text states that “the American film industry has been a male bastion in which women have been allowed to enter only at time.” After reading further in the chapter and looking back on my experience with the way women are portrayed in television, I would have to say I agree. This statement is one I believe is true. Women are either subjected to be portrayed as virgin angels who submit to male power and motherly roles, such as with the Victoria Era, or viewed as sexual, sexy, confident and a “bad ass.” It seems as if women cannot be both.

When it comes to the LGBT community, portrayal is similar in the sense of limitations. As discussed in class, American entertainment has developed the stereotype of the flamboyant, outspoken gay guy with a lisp. This becomes problematic when people only see homosexual men in this context. Within every group of people there is diversity, so portraying such a complex group of people in one way presents itself as a problem for everyone.

One thing that really challenged me in class was the question of whether straight actors should be playing characters who represent the LGBT community. Although it took me a while to form an opinion about this, after hearing everyone speak, I think it is okay. As mentioned in class, there are actors of the LGBT community who also take on characters who are straight, so it would only be fair that it goes both ways. However, more than that, I think the main priority in the film and television industry is that every actress and actor understand the role they have and accepts the responsibility to portray a character or story to the best of their ability. No one is going to act out a role perfectly, but there are some amazing actors and actresses who can fulfill roles and teach others the struggles of oppressed groups.

I think the ‘Orange is the New Black’ cast portrays a diverse group of women, from gay to transgender and everything in between. I think it is even better that these women are in jail, because some people may think only “tough,” gay women exist in jail.

Lastly, I want to address the comment made in class about white actors and actresses using yellow-face makeup to play Native Americans, something that has become normalized in the American film industry, more so early on in entertainment. This does occur and this question really challenged me as well. However, out of respect for a group that has been brutally mistreated and disrespected by Americans for centuries, I think it is completely inappropriate for white actors and actresses to play Native Americans by wearing makeup. Centuries ago, this occurred because Native Americans were not allowed to act in films, not that times have changed, this practice only represents a time in history we should not be proud of nor want to remind others of.

ABC’s Modern Family actors Jesse Ferguson (left) and Eric Stonestreet (right) play a gay couple in the television series. Stonestreet, who is heterosexual, has said that playing a gay character has changed his life and he feels like he has more of a responsibility to be active in the LGBT community.

Question 4: Do you think media literacy courses (such as this course) should be taught in secondary schools? Why or why not? Support your position as described above.

I definitely think that media literacy courses should be taught in secondary schools. I think these courses should be taught in lower levels of education for a number of reasons. First, children are becoming more and more advanced when it comes to dealing with technology. Kids are learning how to work IPhones, IPads, laptops, and televisions instinctively, because it is being incorporated into their childhood. In this day and age, kids are receiving technology devices as gifts for birthdays and holidays, rather than board games or Barbie dolls. According to Market Research, kids spend about six and a half hours in front of a television screen everyday. This may not seem like a lot, but when we factor in the amount of time kids spend at school and sleeping, that doesn’t leave much room for much else. So, most of their leisure time is being spent with a device.

Now, I don’t believe technology or social media are a bad thing. However, we are all influenced by the media, and without some guidance on how the media works and why, one will believe any and everything they see. This becomes problematic because the media misrepresents groups of people and enforces stereotypes. So, children who are still young and impressionable may come in contact with something in the media before having an actual experience themselves. According to the text, cultivation studies have demonstrated how mediated stereotypes are produced in the absence of personal experience. Furthermore, we learn from media, live vicariously through media, and experience large parts of our world indirectly through mass media.

As we saw in Albert Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment, children are very much indeed influenced by what they see, so much in that they instinctively copy whatever it is they see. This can become dangerous when watching movies or shows involving heavy violence, or shows that enforce sexual objectification. This is why I believe media literacy classes are so important and extremely needed starting at the secondary education level. Because technology is such a huge part of our culture, it can be hard to keep children away from it altogether. However, it is important that we use the education system as a platform and a mediator to teach kids the role of media in society and the reality of the media.

According to a study done by the University of Washington on early childhood development, children’s self-esteem is already established by the age of 5. This is such a young age and if children are constantly being exposed to media they will constantly be influenced by the way they talk, dress, and view other groups of people. For example, if a young boy is watching music videos of men who are portraying hyper masculine roles by sexualizing and degrading women, along with using intense profanity, there is not a doubt that this young boy will be influenced by what he has seen one way or another. He can grow up to be a man who exhibits these traits, or group up thinking it is normal to sexualize and degrade women.

Another reason media literacy should be taught in classrooms is because sometimes the presence of media literacy being taught at home is absent. Sometimes, parents are too busy with work and other obligations so they can’t always be present with their child to monitor what they are watching or listening to. Also, some parents may not be fully literate themselves when it comes to media, and won’t see any harm in their child watching any and everything. Because children spend so much time at school, it is a perfect opportunity to initiate and develop media literacy while they are still young, and can carry what they learn throughout life.

I am a firm believer that media literacy should be taught in secondary education classes. We need to keep up with the changes of our culture and adopt education policies that show we understand the effects these changes are having on children.

Link to Bobo Doll Experiment: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=albert+bandura+bobo+doll+experiment

Link to University of Washington study: http://www.washington.edu/news/2015/11/02/childrens-self-esteem-already-established-by-age-5-new-study-finds/

Link to Market Research: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristina-cappetta/is-it-too-late-to-unplug-_b_14146172.html?utm_hp_ref=kids-and-screen-time

Question 3: What do you want people 20 years from now to know about your race/ethnic/cultural group. Discuss how your race/ethnic/cultural group has been (is often) portrayed in the media (news, books, films, songs, videos, TV shows), stereotypes, race politics, common perceptions and any historical aspects.

There are three things I want people to know about my race three years from now – our history is not slavery, we face challenges today because of the intentional oppression America displays towards blacks, and we are a people of resilience, strength and courage. I am extremely and unashamedly passionate about being a black person in America. This is in part due to the constant systematic and social injustice that takes place on a daily basis towards African American people, along with the fact that I am proud of the response my ancestors have exhibited. I am not only proud of my race but I stand strong in my culture. I love being black because of “black girl magic”, “melanin poppin” and “black boy joy.” My strongest hope is that these hashtags move past the internet and last a lifetime for future generations to grow confidence from, find hope in and use as a refuge in times of struggle and oppression that always seems to find its way towards us in this country. My hope is that the same strength and resilience that brought our ancestors through 400 years of slavery is the same spirit that drives us to keep fighting through new forms of oppression that aim to hinder our growth as a race.

20 years from now, I want people, especially black people, to know that we are beautiful, brave, wise and strong. However, the media has not always portrayed us in this light.

The media has instead portrayed African Americans as monsters, beasts and violent people. African Americans are largely shown in the media, but simultaneously largely misrepresented. The media paints African Americans as poor, criminals and helpless in the progression of American society. It is common to see African Americans, especially males, on the news in handcuffs, being carried into a cop car, in a mug shot photo or on other streams of media with guns, drugs and engaging in violence. According to the text, “research reveals overwhelming evidence that news coverage tends to emphasize behavior pathology among Black and Brown Americans by featuring them in stories linked to crime, drugs, gangs, violence, poverty, immigration, and lack of education.” If all we see are negative images associated with black culture, people in America, both black and white, will begin to despise the black race.

Proof of this is seen in a widely viewed YouTube video titled, “Doll Test.” In this video, children are given the option to choose between a white doll and a black doll. Majority of the children, with an exception of one or two, choose the white doll. Some even call the black doll ugly. This is evidence that shows what a lack of representation and many images of misrepresentation in the media can result to. It hurt watching this video, but it wasn’t surprising. Why should it come as a shock to anyone that a white doll was favored more over a black doll? This is reality in America. In jobs, classrooms, universities and other everyday settings, racism towards African Americans takes place. According to Solidarity News, unemployment is 50% higher for African Americans than for whites. Consequently, those a part of the black middle class, holding Ivy League degrees, continue to have a hard time finding jobs. New York Times published an article titled, In a job hunt, degree can’t close racial gap, that tells the story of a black man named Johnny Williams who alters his resume to make sure he gives no indication of his race to potential employers. This is the case not only for Johnny, but for many blacks.

Another obstacle that continues to plague the black community is the systematic oppression of black men through mass incarceration. In the text, we learn that most violent criminals, drug-users, prostitutes, drunks, illiterates, high school dropouts, juvenile delinquents, jobless and poor people in this country are neither black nor Latino, but white. Or that the vast majority of blacks and Latinos are none of the above.” So, if this statement is true, why are millions more African Americans incarcerated more than any other race? Why does America have the highest population of ethnic minorities in our country being incarcerated than any other place in the world? Why are African Americans and Hispanics making up 58% of prison systems, yet only 25% of the U.S. population? These are hard, solid truths that are hard to swallow. Yet, these are the questions that demand answers; answers that will rectify these disturbing facts.

Some may argue that we have made huge strides of progress, have moved passed the systematic forms of oppression such as slavery, segregation and Jim Crow laws. Some may even say we are in the age of “colorblindness,” ensuring equality for all. Unfortunately, this was not our reality then, and it is not our reality now. After watching the documentary, The 13^th, one can see racism is very much alive and active. This film gives us clear insight into a new system of racism and oppression through our very own government system, the 13^th amendment. This film breaks down how this system of oppression was initiated through history and brought to fruition today. Today, nearly 1 million of the 2.3 million of African Americans are serving time in prison.

Although racism seems to plague our nation on a daily basis, it has only given black people a platform to show the resilience, essence and beauty of our culture. Constantly, we are oppressed, shamed and publicly humiliated. Yet, we still managed to build, creating schools dedicated to the upliftment and progression black communities, achieving milestones in history by becoming lawyers, doctors, teachers and fulfilling dreams that were deemed impossible just a few decades ago. We now have figures to look up to, such as Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis to show everyone, including ourselves that we are more than the media portrays us to be.

20 years from now, I want anyone reading this to know that my race is strong and brave, because it is all we know how to be. I want them to know that black people are human, and as part of the human race, all we ever expected from anyone, is equality.

Link to Doll Test video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkpUyB2xgTM

Link to Solidarity News: https://www.solidarity-us.org/node/2604

Link to New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/us/01race.html