Dear White People

For Justin Simien’s first “real” film, Dear White People makes a grand statement about race relations and racial identity in America, causing conversation about what most Americans have attempted to avoid. The depth and development of the characters, along with the mix of humorous and serious content provided in the script is what makes this movie such a hit.

The movie is about black students who attend a predominantly white, ivy league school, and are trying to get back their rights to have an all black house on campus, not supported by the recent changes to housing. When Samantha White (played by Tessa Thompson) runs for president of the residence hall and wins, she has plans to change things around, not realizing how hard it might be. On the way, she finds herself the subject of a reality show called “Black Face/White Place,” and the envy of fellow black student, Coco Conners (played by Teyonah Parris). The rise of Sam’s “fame” among the school community also helps to establish the quirky freshman Lionel Higgins’ place on the all white staffed campus newspaper, with the incorrect assumption that he is familiar with black culture, in order to get an inside look on what’s really going on.

Although the storyline and plot development do the film great justice, the acting is what tops it off. Simien starts Tessa Thompson’s character, Samantha White, off as a self assured and incredibly outspoken young woman, using her radio show “Dear White People” and her new presidency as her platform. Instead of keeping her in this mold, holes in her character emerge, telling the story of a biracial girl trying to stand up for social change for a people who don’t fully believe in her.

The development of Tyler James Williams’ character, Lionel Higgins, was equally important in its showing of the difficulties he goes through being gay and trying to fit into a culture that he doesn’t believe understands, represents or supports him. The development of his character is essential to the story because the way he grows to find where he fits in helps to demonstrate the depth of black culture, as well as to show the perspective of a gay youth that viewers don’t usually see.

This movie did exactly what it was intended to do, which was to get people talking. The movie, however, was not just about having these conversations, but it also served as great entertainment. The intellect mixed with humor of the script are reasons why this movie could be watched again and again.

On-Campus Rapes Cause Controversy Between Students and Administration

During the 2014 Fall Semester at Bridgewater State University, the student body was uninformed about two on-campus rapes because the police determined that there was no immediate threat, leaving students to find out only through news and media and causing distrust between students and officials.

“It was late afternoon when I got the email from the Presidents Office,” freshman Ilenny Nunez said, “but that was not the first I had heard of the incident.” She reported that she first heard about the sexual assaults from her aunt, who called her two nights before to ask if she knew what was going on.

Another student, Josh Rosa, said that he was “shocked that he heard the news from the television before hearing anything from school.” He expressed the importance of informing the entire campus of events like this, even if they are believed to be taken care of. “We deserve to know what’s going on, especially if we live here.”

Bridgewater police and administration felt slightly differently about the situation.  The police reported that there was “no longer an immediate threat” and felt no need to notify residents promptly. This caused controversy and a large disconnect between students and officials because, as reported by students, it felt as though they were trying to “cover it up” instead of addressing the situations.

Administration is aware, however, that according the the Clery Act, they are required to “disseminate information about certain crimes occurring on and near their respective campuses, including timely warnings of crimes that may represent a ‘serious or continuing threat’ to the safety of students and employees,” which was revealed in an email sent to students and faculty two weeks after the incidents had occurred.

Although things started off rough, students have reported that administration has gotten better at communicating. According to Jassmine Munoz-Torres, the police department and administration sent out an email quickly after a student was sexually harassed on November 8th, 2014. “Although it doesn’t seem like a lot, it matters to me,” she said. “I actually feel safer knowing what’s going on around campus, even if it’s hearing about the bad things. And I’d rather hear it from campus police than Fox25, that way I know they’re doing something to handle it.”

Students have expressed their concern with the timing of these messages getting out, and it seems that administration is responding openly and quickly, and hopefully this cooperation will continue.

"Creamy Crack"

Relaxer, perm, creamy crack- the name may change but it product stays the same. This product, most commonly called relaxer, is predominantly used by African-American and Latina women, or in general people with a tighter curl pattern, in order to straighten out the hair. The problem with relaxers are the chemicals they contain, and what they can actually do.

On the back of a box of relaxer that can be purchased at places like CVS or walgreens,

ingredients such as sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, guanidine carbonate, guanidine hydroxide, thioglycolic acid and lithium hydroxide can be found. These chemicals together, when placed in the hair, break down the bonds of the hair in order to straighten it. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Well they actually do a lot more than that. These chemicals, if left on the scalp for too long, can cause severe burns, scars and hair loss that are incredibly painful and sometimes permanent, deep ulcerations in the skin, drying and cracking of the skin, and if they get into the eyes, they can cause eye damage and even blindness. A study by Boston University in 2012 found that “black women who use hair relaxers are at slightly higher risk of developing uterine fibroids” which causes non cancerous tumors to grow on the walls of the uterus causing heavy bleeding and painful periods, and are a leading cause of hysterectomies.

Beyond this, it’s equally surprising to hear what else these chemicals are found in, besides products some women put in their hair every four to six weeks. Sodium hydroxide can be found in drain and pipe cleaners such as Drano, septic tank and cesspool cleaners and oven and grill cleaners. Sodium hydroxide is used to dissolve hair in sinks, so why would anyone knowingly use a product like relaxer in their hair when it’s one of the main ingredients? Even with all the risks, millions of women and girls take their chances.

However, the numbers of women discontinuing their relaxers and “going natural” are growing. Thankfully, the stigma of “bad hair” is dying away, and more and more women are not only embracing their natural kinks and curls, but they’re choosing safer ways to take care of their hair, like using protective styles, instead of just relaxing and flat ironing it. This change is definitely for the better, seeing as it will dramatically reduce the health issues that can come with relaxing ones hair, and will help to build confidence in wearing natural hair.

Grandmother

She wasn’t very tall and didn’t look too muscular, but Dorothy Price would be anybody- boy, girl, adult or child- anybody’s ass if they crossed her. My grandmother was hard as a rock, and everyone knew it. There was no “acting a fool” in her house, and her 8 children knew exactly what they were in for if she heard they were misbehaving.

Her eyes were always red and her mind was tired, but her body never stopped. She worked two jobs to keep food on the table, as she was a single mother of 8. But it wasn’t just her children that would come home for dinner when she would call out from the door. Eight of her own followed by maybe three or four friends, a few cousins would maybe stop by, a local maintenance worker who just got off the job and was craving a hot meal, and others, would all come by the house to enjoy the perfectly seasoned, crispy crunchy fried chicken and sweet, fluffy biscuits that she prepared. Dorothy was a strong woman who cared extensively for her family and community.

Every night at 6:30, she would come home from her second job, place her things on the table in the hall and head for the kitchen. The bare chicken was breaded and tastefully seasoned and then fried to a golden crisp. Meanwhile, she’d have the corn, collard greens, potatoes and hushpuppies all going, and no problem keeping up with all of that. When it was just about dinner time, she’d yell out the front door, “All y’all kids get on in here and wash up, it’s ‘bout time to eat,” and without hesitation, all eight hurried in to clean their hands and faces. Never did anyone go without a meal on that side of the railroad tracks in Hogansville, GA. Ms. Dot fed any face that came to the door. Her generosity never ceased to expand, and if any honest person needed anything, they knew where to go.

However, her generosity went hand in hand with her expectations that the people that came to her house never brought trouble. “I don’t play around,” she always said, “and I won’t ever have my family in danger because of my big heart. If you come in here to eat and enjoy ya’self, then that there is alright, but I won’t tolerate none of that other foolishness.” And she stuck to her word. Her loving but stern ways were only two of the many characteristics that made her a wonderful neighbor, aunt, sister, mother and grandmother.

The Price of Happiness

The envelope was small and that was never a good sign. I was beyond convinced that it couldn't be a rejection, but at the same time I was confused. It said, “Bridgewater State University, Office of Admissions” and was addressed in my name. I told my mom to open it because I couldn’t open any of those things; the anxiety would eat me up. My mom, though only 5’2”, is tough as nails, but even these killed her to read because it meant she was losing her oldest child. She opened it quickly and read over the beginning, quietly mouthing through the words.

“You’re in!!” she shouted. “Duh, I knew you would get accepted, my super smart girl!” she said, her smile stretching ear to ear.

“Oh stop mom,” I laughed. “It’s not that serious. I don’t want to go there anyway. I’m going straight to Georgia.” She didn’t look too happy about that one. Georgia was too far for her, even though I had enough relatives there to make up the student population of UGA. I always hated New England weather and she knew she had a slim chance of getting me to stay. I took the envelope off the table, said, “thanks for the good news,” and returned to my room. I never thought I would end up a freshman at Bridgewater State University, and I especially never thought I would like it.

Later that day, my mother came up to my room.

“Olivia,” she said, “wanna talk about college?”  

I had been talking about college all day every day for months, so the truth was that no, I didn’t want to talk about college. However, I knew she had some important stuff to say, so I suppressed every urge to say, “honestly I don’t even want to go to college at this point,” and decided to listen. We talked about where I wanted to go and how important it is that I’m happy wherever I end up. We talked about everything, except for what was really on her mind: money. I knew the cost of school was going to be a problem, but my parents would never admit it to me.

“Money is for us to worry about, you worry about those grades!” is what my dad always told me. At this point, I knew, regardless of where I really wanted to go, I had to make a smart decision. Did I really want to be paying student loans until I retire? The choice was clear. With great education at a “reasonable” price, Bridgewater was the place for me.

Peace Corps Dreams

Prompt: Peace Corps service presents major physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges. In the space below, please provide a few paragraphs explaining your reasons for wanting to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer and how you plan to overcome the various challenges associated with Peace Corps service

I would love to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer to continue my work serving youth, and through my dedication and love for the kids, I would be able to persevere through the challenges put before me.

I have worked with children of many ages and backgrounds since I was 14, through summer camps and community service opportunities, and I love to see how children can grow and how they work.  I believe that every child holds so much potential, regardless of where they grow up and the resources they are provided. With that being said, it is necessary that all children have equal access to resources that will help them fulfill their entire potential. Being a Peace Corps volunteer, I feel that I can help to provide children with the support and help that they need to continue to grow and learn, and be productive members of their community.

I am working towards becoming a social worker, hopefully within the next four years, because not only would I love to serve children in other communities, but I would be honored to be able to work with and support children in and around the community I grew up in. Serving in the Peace Corps would definitely better help me do my job as a social worker in my own community, because I would be able to better acclimate to situations I’m not used to through my work as a volunteer in another country. With that being said, my courses in social work will definitely help me in my service as a volunteer, because I have acquired a good deal of skills and information that I can and will apply to my work now, as a volunteer and in the future as a social worker.

I am aware, however, that serving as a Peace Corps volunteer requires a lot of hard work and ability to work through difficulties. I believe that because I am so dedicated to working with children and being there for them, and through my love for the work that I’ll be doing and that the Peace Corps does, I will be able to adapt accordingly, and not get stuck. Along with that, I understand the importance of asking for help, and will not fail to do so from my fellow peers. I am very excited about all of the opportunities that the Peace Corps provides, and I hope that I’ll be able to help continue the amazing things that it does for people and places of our world.

Race Remixed Rhetorical Analysis

The article “Race Remixed” by Susan Saulny provides an insight on the mixed race population of the United States, and the growing support they are receiving from each other. The piece is a nonfiction article that was written for the New York Times, and I think it was meant to bring awareness of the growing population of mixed race people today. Although it is nonfiction, it does reflect the opinions of the author and interviewees in some aspects. Because of this, the genre determination is more fluid.

In the article, the author focuses on the question “ What are you?” and what that means to mixed race Americans in today’s society. She talks to many college students, most of whom are involved in a mixed race student group on campus. Through these groups, the students find support in people who “look like” them, and can talk about the pros and cons of identifying with more than one race. Saulny also talks about the demographics of the U.S. and how “the mixed race population has grown by roughly 35 percent since 2000.” With these observations, she explores the possibilities of either an increasingly mixed American society, or a more stratified society, focused on keeping people under labels.

Because parts of the article were opinion-based, I would not be surprised if a reader looked at some of the issues with a different approach. For example, towards the end, Saulny writes about a mixed race woman who questions President Obama’s decision to only check black on the census. In a discussion, a good amount of the mixed race people in the room agree that although he did only check black, he could (or should) identify as black and white. Others, however, argued using the “one drop rule,” which says that if you are any portion black, you are to identify as black. This could prove offensive to mixed race people, who, because they are in fact two or more races, will identify with all of them and refuse to be categorized as just one. Because race is such an important but controversial part of our society, in a way, it is understood that the discussion about this would be extensive and heavily debated.