by Sabrina Cadiz, Elizabeth Jimenez Fique, and Sydney Tischler In an age when deconstructing binaries of all kinds has become next to normal, attempting to describe racial boundaries is a daunting feat. This is especially relevant when we think about the complex narratives intertwined with Jewish history. It begs quite a few questions: is Jewishness […]
by Cecilia Barreto, Aditi Joshi, Alexa Kasner, and Ixchel Lopez The Women’s March on Washington, at its highest level was coordinated and led by women of color—many of whom are activists in their local communities. Women such as Linda Sarsour, a Muslim activist focuses her activism on the rise of Islamophobia in the United […]
by Sabrina Cadiz, Elizabeth Jimenez Fique, and Sydney Tischler Casta paintings, like the one depicted above, date back to the mid 1700s in Mexico, where they were used as visual “guides” to the names and attributes of offspring of interracial couples. Usually in a series of 16 paintings, each image featured a mother, a father […]
The Pseudo-Science of Race in the Enlightenment by Molly Hoyer, Shivani Dayal, and Rachele Byrd When studying the Enlightenment, the self-professed Age of Reason presents a challenge: because intellectual thought during this time period was based entirely around reason and objectivity, the era is associated with significant scientific and academic progress. Kant’s major works are […]
A Short Reflection on What Blackness May Be by Anjali Benjamin-Webb In the wake of #altonsterling and #philandocastile, we must all be aware of, call out, and work to reverse the narrowing of black and brown senses. Upon being asked to define himself, Fanon responds: “I am one who waits; I investigate my surroundings, […]
Some Reflections on Police Shootings and Shootings of Police by Cord J. Whitaker In the wake of this week’s biggest news items—Alton Sterling’s killing at the hands of Baton Rouge police; Philando Castile’s killing at the hands of Minnesota police; the retaliatory killing of five police officers and wounding of seven more and […]
by Cord J. Whitaker The internet has been abuzz with commentary on Beyoncé’s new surprise video “Formation.” Critics have discussed it as Beyoncé’s most explicit proclamation of her blackness. In one lyric, she identifies carrying hot sauce in her bag as swag. One critic identifies this as not Pharrell’s “new black” but rather your […]
By Jonathan Hsy Jonathan Hsy is an Associate Professor of English at George Washington University, and his teaching and research interests span medieval literature, translation studies, and disability theory. He blogs at In The Middle (a group medieval studies blog) and co-directs the Global Chaucers project, a real-life and online community exploring Chaucer’s modern reception […]
by “The Pseudo-Scientist,” Tiffany Kinh Lam As an Asian American who grew up in a predominantly Latino community of inner city Los Angeles, I stood out significantly in appearance as a minority among minorities. I grew up in a highly racialized setting where I was treated differently due to my physical attributes characteristic of East […]
