The New Face of Racism

I s s u e 9

The New face of racism

Paws: Providing awareness for wildcat students 2017-2018 PAWS Staff

Cameron Wehr ‘18 Aida raza ‘18 ALice Bibaud ‘19 Andy braham ‘19 Sami Linden ‘19 Alec Marcellin ‘19 Alex Niles ‘19 Justin quan ‘19 Renin surucu ‘19 Tatum jenkins ‘19 Rachel lowenbraun ‘20 charlotte brezoczky ‘20 Kathleen wehr

All artwork by alice bibaud and sami linden

Our staff would like to thank the Los Gatos High School Administration for their support. A huge thank you goes out to our advisor Kathleen Wehr, and our editors, Renin Surucu, Cameron Wehr, and Sami Linden, for pioneering this issue. Table of Contents Introduction...... 1

Roots of racism...... 2-3 racism at lghs...... 4

Student Responses...... 5

Role of media...... 6-8

Islamophobia...... 9-10 black lives matter...... 11-12

Reverse racism...... 13-14 how to be an ally...... 15

Sources...... 16 Introduction by Renin Surucu

Let’s face it: racism exists. It has been around since hundreds of years ago and it still around today. Although racism has always been simmering in our national consciousness, recent events have increased the size and prevalence of the elephant in the room. Nowadays, you cannot go through the news without seeing a vid- eo of a police officer abusing or mistreating a black person either physically or verbally. Debates are erupting of athletes either being heroes or traitors for using their platforms to send political messages. Caucasians are continually taking Asian and Mid- dle Eastern roles in Hollywood. We’re arguing about the policy of travel bans and possibly implementing border walls. Even at Los Gatos High School, racism has appeared in classrooms, conver- sations, and even prom proposals. In response, Los Gatos High School is taking steps to combat racism within the campus with the guidance of Epoch Education. Epoch, founded by Dr. Nancy Dome, is working with students and faculty to teach and develop strategies. The root of all these problems boils down to race. Race needs to be talked about, period. We can no longer avoid the topic if we want to move forward as a nation. In light of these issues regarding racism, the PAWS staff decided to dedicate our 9th issue discussing the new face of racism. 1 the Roots of racism By Cameron wehr and charlotte brezoczky

Racism pervades communities on an and community. Identifying with the LGBT+ international scale. Within many diverse community leads to greater support and un- populations, conflicts pertaining to race, derstanding from those within that group. class, and religion are inevitable. These However, recognition with certain causes range from genocide of the Rwandan Tutsis has the potential to close off any areas of to xenophobia directed toward Syrian refu- exploration and individual contemplation, gees to microaggressions within the class- leading to the suspicion and doubt of oth- room environment. The range of unintended ers. Ultimately, group polarization intensi- and intended discriminatory acts are both fies ignorance. This doubt is natural and in- a reflection of our conscious decisions to stinctive to protect the interests of the group learn and of the values that our society holds and remain assured, and, subsequently, this dear. concept pervades religious disputes to this We, the PAWS staff, have identified day. that racism, classism, religious persecu- Fear is more prevalent in the Los Ga- tion, and other forms of oppression are a re- tos community than is commonly perceived. sult of four factors: fear, ignorance, lack of While it is branded as a “white communi- education, and bystanding. These ideas are ty,” the town does not try to actively combat all pervading facets of systemic discrimi- the racist behaviors that produce from ho- nation, prejudice, xenophobia, and bigotry, mogeneity. After a student promposed us- respectively, which culminate to normalize ing blackface in the spring of 2017, fear to forms of inequality. speak out against casual microaggressions, Fear general stereotypes, or commonly harmful Within different regions of the world, associations has been highlighted within the fear has manifested itself in different ways, school system. Within classrooms, discus- from political correctness to genocide. Over sions of race and religion are highly avoided centuries, humans have created conflict in order not to offend anyone. Especially with over differences in beliefs, race, and ideol- Caucasians, the fear of political correctness ogy. The Crusades were fought out of fear scares most into silence; discussion of race that other, supposedly inferior, religions thus becomes null. would take hold of the Holy Land. By falsely Ignorance accusing minority groups, such as the Jews, It is easier to be ignorant at times. disabled, Gypsies, and Communists, the People may not truly believe that their race is Nazis fueled their political agenda to ma- superior to another; however, making gen- nipulate their citizens into fear and irratio- eralizations based on stereotypes allows nal behavior. Even today, the Bengali gov- easier and more incorrect social judgments. ernment refuses entrance to the persecuted Hiring decisions and other opportunities Myanmar Rohingya because of the fear that can be taken away because one assumes all they will become an economic burden. people of one specific race, gender, sexu- Strong identification with a particular ality, or age are incompetent because of a group has many benefits: it allows people stereotype or assumption they have heard. to find a sense of belonging, compassion, Respected and powerful individuals produce racist ideas time and time again in or- 2 der to push racist societal norms away from emphasizes the need for education to en- themselves. Often, immigrant workers are dorse principles of equal treatment. blamed for “stealing” jobs, or further low- Bystanding ering the rates of unemployment in the The most blatantly harmful form of rac- United States. The same workers are taking ism comes in the form of bystanding: the act of the jobs that others do not want, and feel inaction. By choosing to remain silent, people too superior to do. People who push aside permit and perpetuate discrimination with- another race may not be directly racist, but in the overall culture. This is the most wide- they allow and benefit from the system. ly covered topic throughout middle and high They are still responsible for their state- school; however, bystanding comes in small ments, even if they do not intend to act in a forms and is easily overlooked in our every- racist manner. day lives. Most people feel the assurance Lack of Education that, come a racist act, they will react. Peo- Studies surrounding the way ideas, ple tend to think that racism is an occurrence attitudes, and mindsets form suggest that on the other side of the country: it is distant intelligence and education are key factors and nowhere near the “welcoming state of in this development. In a 2008 study pub- California!” However, people usually remain lished in Psychological Science, behavioral silent when hearing jokes involving negative scientists found that there is a “strong as- stereotypes or singling out a single minority. sociation between children’s general intel- Poking fun at religion or sexual orientation ligence and their social attitudes as adults.” has become all too common within the school If a general home environment encourages atmosphere especially, and it depreciates the racist ideas, the children tend to form narrow weight of the subjects’ importance. mindsets. The lack of exposure to diverse The student culture that has accepted culture and ideas can create a block in that these subtle forms of bigotry enforces a sta- individual’s desire for education. This then tus quo that is subconsciously and inherent- creates a domino effect; if a person doesn’t ly discriminatory. Proactively listening and know something is wrong, how can they fix counteracting these slurs and stereotypes it? How can someone stand up to something presents the only solution for the culture to they don’t know is incorrect? There is a grey reform in order to become more inclusive and area between not knowing and not caring, understanding of minority communities on but systematic discrimination allows rac- campus. Ways to show respect and under- ism to comfortably exist in society. In some standing with minority communities may come organizations, bigotry creates a barrier in the form of addressing gender-noncon- that certain groups of people are unable to forming individuals by their correct pronouns cross. The lack of diversity further enforces or calling out someone when they say a racial an inferior outlook and creates an environ- slur. The mere act of interrupting someone for ment for prejudice to thrive. their offense forces them to reevaluate their Individuals, such as Michelle Obama, actions, whether intentional or not. Trying to have recognized a call to promote a more understand and appreciate differences vali- enlightened world outlook, through educa- dates students for their worth. tion. A more “advanced” education height- When confronted and corrected, peo- ens commitment to equality and tolerance ple are more likely to remember and fix their of contrasting racial groups. Highly edu- mistakes later within similar situations. Over cated white people are more likely to reject time, the student culture may shift to fully negative racial stereotypes, which further represent and celebrate student diversity.

3 Racism at LGHS

by Andy braham and alex niles

Race-related issues seem to be everywhere right impact students and many would argue they do not belong now, and it begs the question, is there racism at our school? at LGHS. However, in reality many of these students are not

Are students being affected by racism or prejudice? Is there prejudiced, they are simply unaware of, and insensitive to, really a problem? How commonplace is it? the outcomes of their words. However, this is still a problem,

We are a school that puts on a persona of a mono- and still negatively affects students on campus. Like with chromatic place that celebrates the little diversity that it last year’s promposals, some students use slurs and make has. These stereotypes, however, do not reflect the school racist jokes but do not believe the racist things they say. Most in a significant manner. Racism does exist here, but the often, they do not wish to attack or hurt anyone, but instead manifestation of the problem usually stems from a different wish to amuse or provoke a reaction. Several of the com- source: our words. PAWS issued a voluntary student survey ments left by students who admit to using racist slurs often to fourth period classes on a regular school day. In total, shared a similar message: they felt that their use of slurs was

36% of responses stated that they have personally expe- not a problem because it was meant as a joke. Some said that rienced racism at school. Considering this a school that is people did not deserve to be offended because that was not

70% caucasian, the fact that the percentage exceeds this is their intent. They believe that racist language is only wrong noteworthy, especially since the vast majority of students when it is said in a hateful rather than “humorous” way. They reporting a personal encounter with racism were minorities. fail to empathize with the people these slurs apply to and fail

Furthermore, student descriptions of racist incidents show to recognize the hate and dark history that is tied to each and that often it is student to student, either using a slur or every offensive comment. They are unaware of the reality of somehow invoking a stereotype. 21% of students said they the situation, possibly because they simply never learned use racial slurs almost daily while only 44% said they never better or because they are unempathetic to those hurt by use racial slurs. Most importantly, nearly 60% of students these words. Whether they are willfully ignorant or unin- at LGHS hear slurs almost every day. What all this means is formed, the fact is that these words were created to target that while LGHS has made slight strides towards inclusion, a part of someone’s identity and dehumanize them. Slurs we are very far from eliminating prejudice, or even limiting attempt to arbitrarily group people by their appearance and it. Most of the racism that occurs is in the form of a spoken turn an individual into no more than the stereotypes about slur or stereotype, and the target is more often than not their race. This is why slurs are never “just jokes”, and why a minority student. Since racist comments have become it can be hard for some to “get over it” when they are called a part of this school’s identity, an awareness of our own one of these terms. Ultimately, we are responsible for our words is vital in moving forward. words and their effects, regardless of intent. Our words are

So, are the 20 percent of LGHS students who use a reflection of ourselves and how we see the world. How do slurs daily a group of racist bigots? Their words negatively yours compare?

4 Students at lghs say*... 35.6% have experienced racism personally

“Racism, antisemitism, and sexism are exchanged daily

through implicit subtleties. It’s sad that LGHS had to wait un-

til there was an act of blatant racism to actually consider the

problems.”

58.9% hear racial slurs or jokes about racial

background almost every day

“I have been present among countless racial slurs or jokes

during school and on campus. It’s everywhere.”

56.6% use racial slurs once a month or more

“Today, the use of the term “racism” does not easily fall under

a single definition.”

*Responses taken from a voluntary student survey conducted by the PAWS staff.

5 The Birth of Modern Bias

By Alec Marcellin and Justin Quan

In a country where systemic racism was murdered by two African Americans still runs rampant, the origins are often and one caucasian. There was no evi- times considered to be the unavoidable, dence that the murder was related to race innate beliefs of a disgraced minority of in any way, yet Fox News referred to it whites. However, racism can also manifest as “a racial hate crime” and a murder by itself within people as a result of the way “three African American men.” The as- information is presented to them. One of sumptions and inaccurate information the most prevalent forms is through pop- presented paints African Americans in ular media. It is a general misconception an unfair and incorrect light, a tactic that that the news people receive is the unbi- may be used to subtly fit in with the au- ased truth presented through a fair lens, dience. The further perpetuation of rac- but this is often times far from the truth. It ism through media coverage often lies in is essential to understand how powerful the wording. While white on black crime, the media is, as it can warp people’s views rarely covered yet prevalent, is not usu- if not seen through an unbiased and aware ally labeled in a racist light, media outlets set of eyes. like Fox News will present the reverse as Often times the bias that exists in racially motivated whenever possible. A the country is fostered by misrepresen- beating of a white man in Spokane was tative media coverage of violent crimes. considered a random robbery at the time A major culprit of this is Fox News, which of occurrence, yet Fox News covered it is widely regarded as a Conservative me- as the police seeking “two black sub- dia source. On air, facts are sometimes jects who murdered a white World War slightly twisted to appeal to the presumed Two veteran.” This is an instance of rac- audience without their complete knowl- ism being added to an equation when it edge. An example of the presentation of was not even there to begin with. A final crime being used as a catalyst to spread example illustrates how this is not only a racist ideas was Christopher Lane, who Fox News problem, but an issue that ex- 6 ists across all outlets. A study by Color of able pictures of Trayvon Martin, who was Change found that while 54% of murders shot and killed by George Zimmerman, in New York were by African Americans, have also surfaced in media, depicting 74% of murders covered by media outlets him with marijuana plants and fake gold were by African Americans. The same stat teeth. When these articles are compared illustrated a 29% and 24% skewed ratio for to other reports regarding white victims, theft and assault respectively. News out- or even white murderers, the blatant dif- lets hold the power of information at their ference in portrayal is obvious. Articles fingertips with the ability to change the with cases regarding white victims have view of portions of the nation with word- more charming pictures, emphasize their ing and statements. The danger of get- impact on their school and family, and ting news from one source is the bias will most importantly, almost never attempt most likely be there in some form and start to justify their death. When Dylan Noble, a to manifest itself in the viewer. News is a white nineteen-year old Californian, was powerful tool, but it can also be used as shot and killed by police, he was described a universal weapon to subtly spread and by The New York Post as “a good kid with perpetuate hate. a job and girlfriend who was looking for- For decades, the media has unjust- ward to being a father”. However, much ly portrayed victims, not just felons, from of the press failed to mention that Dylan minority groups as unlawful and aggres- was drunk and had traces of cocaine in his sive to make them culpable for their own body when he was killed. The contrast be- deaths. This has become obvious in the tween the media’s portrayal of victims of past few years after controversies sur- different races is dramatic. By demoniz- round numerous cases where police offi- ing African American victims of crime, the cers have killed African Americans. Mur- media sends our country back in time by ders of African American men like Michael promoting racial inequality. Brown, Trayvon Martin, and Eric Garner Racism in the media is by no means have spurred movements against system- limited to just news, as racism is also ic racism and police brutality like Black prevalent in the entertainment industry. Lives Matter. On the other hand, many me- People have been accustomed to see- dia outlets have tried to justify the deaths ing specific demographics on shows and of the men by portraying them in incrim- movies, so it is difficult to notice the rac- inating ways. According to The New York ism on television while we view it. Howev- Times, Michael Brown, who was murdered er, when looking at award shows like The in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2014, Oscars, the prevalence of racism in judg- “was no angel”. By grossly emphasizing ing media is clear, as The Oscars seems Michael Brown’s involvement with alco- to favor white actors over any other race. hol and drugs, The New York Times took 84% of men who have won an Oscar be- truth away from the actual murder, clearly tween 1980 and 2015 were white, while taking the side of the police. The New York only 64% of men and women in the Unit- Post also describes Eric Garner, who was ed States are white. The disparity is even murdered while chanting desperately, “I worse among women, as 89% of actress- can’t breathe” as making “epically bad es who have won an Oscar have been decisions” to qualify his murder. Unfavor- white. On the other hand, the percentag- 7 es of African American, Asian American, know it or not, the Oscar winners decided and Hispanic Oscar winners have been by caucasian men who perpetuate obso- drastically lower than the percentages lete stereotypes while depriving minority of these racial groups in our population. groups of recognition. The presence of racism at The Oscars is The central way to not falling victim even clearer when examining the rea- to the bias that exists in media and enter- sons why actors in minority groups have tainment is being aware of what is being won. More than half the Oscar winners in presented. It seems like such a simple minority groups have won while playing task, but simply being aware that informa- stereotypical roles. For instance, many tion and opinions are often skewed allows films and television shows portray black us to form our own opinions. With many women as being sassy and Hispanics as outlets the stories are not controlled by a being thugs. This is problematic as it not representation of all demographics of our only robs minority actors and actresses country, which is where the problem often from playing the lead role, but it forces lies. More often than not, crime is driven both the actor and the viewer into a corner by poverty and circumstance, yet that is of outdated stereotypes. Furthermore, not what is presented in the media. Crime although Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the 2016 is not a racial issue until it is made to be president of the organization which hosts one, and the origins of this manifestation The Oscars, is African American, 91% of lie within the depths of the media and en- the Oscar voters in that year were white tertainment. and 76% were men. Whether viewers

8 Islamophobia in

modern america

by aida Raza

With the term “Islamophobia” as human beings who are more similar to reaching an all-time high in Google the majority than not. search frequency, there is no doubt that What has made the true nature of the concerns about Muslims have been Muslims subject to such wide interpreta- increasingly noticeable in recent years. tions? For the average citizen, misrepre- Mainstream media coverage and for- sentation in the press is at the root of the eign policy attempts alike have created issue. The fact of the matter is that many misconceptions about the true nature Americans are not familiar with Islam, pri- of Muslims and their place in Ameri- marily because they have little or no con- can society, so much so that it has been tact with Muslims in their lives. Naturally, difficult for many to put aside the con- such people look to base their opinions troversy and view Muslim-Americans and assumptions off of one of the most 9 accessible and convenient sources of species. It may seem awkward at first, information: the media. This approach to but it would be much better to be curious self-education may be effective for ex- than to make incorrect assumptions. amining the weather or keeping tabs on Though preconceived notions paint a football game, but the negative repre- Muslims as violent people, there’s more sentation of Muslims in the media makes evidence that contradicts this assump- it problematic. Through fear-mongering tion than evidence that supports it. Even and unrightfully extensive lines of ques- the most selective, unbiased studies tioning after “Islamist” terrorist attacks, done by Arabic media sources reveal mainstream media maintains a focus that Al Qaeda has killed eight times as on the 6% of all terrorist attacks in the many Muslims as non-Muslims, and the US that were executed by Muslims. The statistics for other large-scale terrorist other 94% of terrorist attacks are com- groups are not much different. Individu- paratively underrepresented and are not als nationwide continue to point fingers singled out for their ideological back- at publicized terrorist groups such as Al grounds. This selective representation Qaeda as justification for their discrim- in the media, in addition to the selective ination, yet they have failed to under- perception among American viewers, stand an important point: such “jihadist” makes for a widespread prejudice wait- groups wouldn’t be attacking Muslims if ing to happen. their motives were legitimately bound to Sadly enough, generalizing Mus- the Islamic belief. The dozens of attacks lims as predators has made them the on Muslim countries—unreported by victims of widespread discrimination. the mainstream media, of course—have The number of hate crime incidents to- been more about establishing power wards Muslims are steadily growing as than anything. Pinning such groups to the years progress, which is largely due Islam is like pinning the KKK to Prot- to the common assumption that the Is- estantism; either comparison is large- lam depicted in the press is what de- ly inaccurate and uninformed. Anoth- fines Muslims as individuals. Given such er point worth taking note of is that it’s widespread stereotypes about Islam, more reasonable to say that all Muslims there remains one longstanding ques- are peacemakers than accusing them of tion: what can non-Muslims do to help being terrorists. How so? Well, a single Muslims feel safe? It’s vital to begin by digit percentage of terrorists happen acknowledging the elephant in the room, to be Muslim, while 5 out of the past 12 since non-Muslims can’t speak out Nobel Peace Prize winners have been against Islamophobic hate crimes with- Muslims. If you crunch the numbers, the out understanding the extent to which it forty-two percent used to justify Islam exists in the community. Education is the as a peaceful religion just so happens to next best step after acknowledgement. outshine one percent that justifies a vi- Asking questions and creating ties with olent one. After all, you are five hundred Muslims has the power to demolish the times more likely to die by choking on preconceived notions that stem from food than you are likely to die via jihadist viewing Muslims as a distant, foreign terrorist attack. 10 Black Lives Matter

By Tatum Jenkins and Renin Surucu

What is Black Lives Matter? gles with those who will not, or never have been sin- Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia gled out due to their ethnicity. Garza formed the Official BlackLivesMatter organization to unite African Americans and their Do you have evidence backing the movement? allies in order to fight racism and the ignorance Police Brutality: It is a proven fact that even resulting from community silence. though there have been more white people killed by black people, based on population and the num- But don’t all lives matter? ber of people killed, black people are 3 times more Yes, of course all lives matter, but at this likely to be killed while unarmed compared to white very point in time it is obvious from recent events, people. especially incidents involving hate crimes, police - (2010) Aiyana Stanley Jones: seven year old little brutality, our judicial system, and hate speech/ girl, Detroit SWAT team threw flash grenade into her crime, that black lives have been targeted and family’s window and shot her while asleep. This case consequently slain in the name of racism. ended in mistrial. I n an ideal world, the punishment of a cer- - (2012) Ramarley Graham: 18 year old teen- tain crime would be the same for anyone, re- age boy, narcotics cop chased and shot him for un- gardless of skin color. Since this is usually not clear reasons. Police later found a small square of the case, specifically for African Americans, we marijuana on him. The cop who killed him remains cannot be diminishing the struggle Black peo- unindicted. ple inherently go through by saying everyone is - (2012) Tamon Robinson: 27 year old man, equal if they are not treated as such. NYPD patrol car collided into Tamon, killing him while he was digging up stones to make some extra What about the All Lives Matter movement? crash. Police report states Tamon brought the inju- This movement was created after BLM ries upon himself, but several eyewitnesses report in order to portray white people as victims and seeing the patrol car driving at upwards of 70 mph. group the greater sufferings of black people with This case has yet to go before a grand jury. the lesser of white people. People who prefer - (2012) Rekia Boyd: 22 year old wom- All Lives Matter usually believe the Black Lives an, off-duty cop opens fire into a group of people Matter movement was created to depict black claiming his life was in danger, Rekia takes a bul- people as superior to whites, when in reality, it let to the head. This cop was the first Chicago cop in was created to point out the injustice between many years to be indicted for a fatal shooting. them. By acknowledging this inequality, people Riots: KKK groups and white supremacists organi- can take steps within our justice systems and zations still exist in over 22 states today. government to fix this. This is only a sample of the cases that occur regular- If racism was truly no longer prevalent ly. Cases like these are readily found in the news on within our society, All Lives Matter could be a le- any given day. Unfortunately, these scenarios are gitimate organization. However, since there are quite a regular occurrence and it does not take much obviously more minorities who suffer due to fac- to find evidence of shaky race relations between the tors out of their control, it is not humane or fair to police and minorities. minimize their sufferings and group their strug- Why should I care? 11 If you ally yourself with Black Lives Mat- are more at risk. The police don’t face injustice ter, you are standing against injustice that roots when it comes to death, but those involved in fatal itself in hundreds of years of history. You choose cases of police brutality do and they need a voice. to use your privilege to speak out for those who This voice comes in the form of the Black Lives have trouble finding their voices heard in our so- Matter movement. ciety. You work to protect the lives of black people everywhere. You take steps toward creating How do the police feel about Black Lives Matter? a safe environment for black children and allow According to the Pew Research Center from them to play with toy weapons without risk, just a survey of 8,000 policemen and women, 80% of as you have. Also, if it were the other way around, all police officers think the statement “our coun- you would want people to acknowledge and solve try has made the changes needed to give blacks a problem that has to do with your basic rights. equal rights with whites” is true. 92% of white po- That’s what you do when you choose to care about lice and 29% of black police agree with that state- this movement. You fight for rights that you can’t ment, clearly revealing miseducation of white po- imagine not having, but that black people still lice officers about the situation of black people have to fight for on a daily basis. It’s all about em- in America. This research done by Pew Research pathy, putting yourself in their shoes, and decid- Center uncovers how many officers, despite evi- ing whether you want to protect black people from dence of police discrimination against blacks oc- dying by the hands of biased police officers in un- curring regularly, still don’t see a problem with the just circumstances or ignore the truth of our polic- way the police system is run. ing system. Do supporters of Black Lives Matter hate the po- Is Black Lives Matter a violent movement? lice? No, genuine Black Lives Matter allies and No, they don’t hate police officers because believers stay true to this movement’s foundation Black Lives Matter recognizes the importance of of peacefully protesting and fighting ignorance. the lives of all people. They just want to change Tragically, as exemplified by other organizations the way the police interact with people of color, so such as this one, there will always be radicals who that these authority figures are no longer seen as a may take things to a violent level. These radicals threat to minorities. Supporters of this movement do not define the Black Lives Matter movement would like for police officers to acknowledge they and cannot be titled as an ally of the Black Lives are involved in a system that discriminates against Matter movement because of their defiance of a black people and attempt to restore the broken very key principal: peaceful protesting. trust between themselves and these communities of color. Didn’t supporters of this movement kill police officers? What are people doing to change the policing If there are so called supporters killing of- system?/What solutions are being presented for ficers, they are not true supporters. Those who this problem? have killed officers in the name of Black Lives Campaign Zero is a movement working to- Matter do not entirely understand the purpose of ward ending police brutality and improving race the movement. Black Lives Matter cannot be held relations with the police. They plan to end “broken responsible for the actions of these people. You windows policing,” which is when police officers cannot blame the movement for an individual’s target low-level crimes in order to “better a com- violent actions, especially if the movement does munity.” Many officers abuse this power and tar- the opposite of promoting violence or harm in any get people of color in the process. They are also sort. working to demilitarize police departments all around the country, which would stop the use of What about Blue Lives Matter? weapons such as tear-gas. Blue Lives Matter focuses on the impor- Many others are suggesting that police depart- tance of police lives. Black Lives Matter doesn’t ments start placing a body camera on every police belittle that movement, it only pushes us to focus officer, so that their activity and behavior toward more on lives, such as those of black people, who people of color can be monitored.

12 Reverse Racism By ALice Bibaud

Racism is prejudice against a racial minority, usually implemented by a racial, ethnic, or cultural majority. Such oppression makes life more difficult for the minority. This is why racism is such a problem in any society: the hate spread by racism of any sort is harmless on its own, but the hate of a majority directed at a minority often becomes ingrained into the culture and law of the af- flicted nation. Hate against a group of people becomes normalized, institutionalized, and spread to younger generations. Conversely, reverse racism is a racial minorityś discrimination of a racial, ethnic, or cultural majority. This seems to make sense. Both are fueled by hate, both grow by hate, and both make the lives of the oppressed miser- able, if not impossible… Right? Since America’s conception, the racial majority of this country has been Caucasian. Granted, there is more racial diversity in America today than there ever has been before, and that amount can do nothing but grow. In 1991, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, only eight percent of Americans identified as non-white. Today, that number has skyrocketed to 23%. That’s more than seventy-five million people. Even so, these individuals represent a minority in an America that is three-hundred twenty-six million strong. Thus, seventy-five million in- 13 dividuals in America are subject to a culture which is dominated by people who do not look like them. Sev- enty-five million people look just different enough to inspire hate in the hearts of people who believe that America should be monochromatic. This diversity is more than just positive change; it adds fuel to the fire that has been raging for centuries. A rift between groups opens, and we have racism. What does all this mean? The Black Lives Matter movement and the All Lives Matter movement are both products of racism. BLM was founded “to build local power [within black communities] and to intervene in violence inflicted on black communities by the state and vigilantes.” ALM is not an organization: it is a direct response to the creation of something that protects minorities against oppression. The trending hashtag #alllivesmatter on Twitter, protests all over the country, and marches add to its claim. Reverse racism is the same. The fighting against social oppression by people of color is perceived as a threat by white America. At- tacking the viewpoint of so many people seems to be prejudice enough to justify the use of the word “racism.” The only problem with this is that the hate here is completely harmless. Where racism in its full form alters the world around it, reverse racism can do nothing. The hate of a minority does not shape society, get taught in school, get implemented by law, or have a death toll. Racism is hate that harms. Reverse racism does not exist.

14 How To Be An Ally

Educate yourself: keep yourself in-

formed and inform others around you

Speak out: stand up and speak out when

you hear or see something wrong

Be aware: check where you are getting

your information, look out for sensation-

alism

Support: support social justice causes

Be a role model: reach out and inspire

those who are younger or less aware

Strive: work to surround yourself with

diversity in your daily life

15 Sources

https://mappingpoliceviolence.org http://blacklivesmatter.com https://www.policemisconduct.net https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coryt8IZ-DE http://www.npr.org/2015/08/26/434975505/black-lives-matter-publishes-campaign-zero-plan-to-reduce-police-violence http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-patrisse-cullors-black-lives-matter-2017-htmlstory.html http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2017/images/01/10/police.report_final.embargoed.pdf http://blacklivesmatter.com/11-major-misconceptions-about-the-black-lives-matter-movement/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/spreading-islamophobia-consequences-of-negative-media-representations_us_58fe682de4b06b9cb91963fb https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/05/11/hate-crimes-against-muslims-us-continue-rise-2016 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/media-islamophobia_us_5735e9aee4b08f96c182efb1 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-alnatour/muslims-are-not-terrorist_b_8718000.html https://ctc.usma.edu/posts/deadly-vanguards-a-study-of-al-qaidas-violence-against-muslims http://www.huffingtonpost.com/whitney-buchanan/addressing-the-rise-of-is_b_14241602.html https://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/news-media/racial-bias-reporting-research-trends https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2015/04/09/racial-bias-and-media-coverage-of-violent-crime/ http://journalisms.theroot.com/how-media-have-shaped-our-perception-of-race-and-crime-1790885677 https://psmag.com/social-justice/racial-bias-and-how-the-media-perpetuates-it-with-coverage-of-violent-crime https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2013/03/05/55599/the-medias-stereotypical-portrayals-of-race/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/media-black-victims_n_5673291.html https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/08/23/fox-news-racial-crime-coverage-is-hurting-peopl/195567 https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/30/acid-attack-victim-says-he-and-cousin-targeted-because-they-are-muslim-beckton-london http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chiaku-hanson/subtle-racism_b_14113118.html https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/07/the-media-white-privilege/ http://graphics.latimes.com/oscars-2016-voters/ http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2010/04/when-social-fear-disappears-so-does-racism https://www.verywell.com/xenophobia-fear-of-strangers-2671881 http://theconversation.com/uncovering-the-roots-of-racist-ideas-in-america-71467 https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102004642 https://medium.com/philosophy-logic/racial-ignorance-eliminating-the-words-racist-racism-8adacc06f594 https://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/race-society/smart-people-racism-equality-prejudice https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/us/was-that-racist.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3883053/ http://www.breezejmu.org/opinion/if-you-re-a-bystander-you-re-a-racist/article_d7d83444-90cc-11e6-870c-4b9e8554a534.html https://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/what-can-you-do/speak/bystanders http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/reverse-racism-isnt-a-thing_us_55d60a91e4b07addcb45da97 http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-reverse-racism-doesnt-actually-exist-in-the-us-2016-4 http://www.ucalgary.ca/cared/mythofreverseracism http://www.radford.edu/~archive/season07/vent/stories/racism.html https://www.thenation.com/article/race-millennials-and-reverse-discrimination/ https://www.thoughtco.com/myth-of-reverse-racism-quotes-2834948 http://fortune.com/2016/06/07/donald-trump-racism-quotes/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/09/07/its-time-to-stop-talking-about-racism-with-white-people/?utm_term=.02f1fbf955fc https://chrisbourg.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/us-pop-by-race-2013-pie.jpg http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/reverse-racism-isnt-a-thing_us_55d60a91e4b07addcb45da97 https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/dear-white-people-please-stop-pretending-reverse-racism-is-real https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/opinion/white-students-unfair-advantage-in-admissions.html?mcubz=1&_r=0 http://www.tolerance.org/article/racism-and-white-privilege http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/06/06/black-lives-matter-black-only-memorial-day-picnic-tucker-carlson-lisa-durden http://www.theemotionmachine.com/the-us-vs-them-mentality-how-group-thinking-can-irrationally-divide-us/