PRISM April 2019

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Welcome to PRISM EDITED BY SARAH MOLANO prism@bupipedream.com

Letter from the Editor SARAH MOLANO

ASSISTANT EDITOR TYKEEM BANINI tbanini1@binghamton.edu

DESIGNED BY CORY BREMER design@bupipedream.com

DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR DAQUAN TAYLOR dtaylor6@binghamton.edu

PHOTOS EDITED BY JOEL VELASCO jvelasc2@binghamton.edu

COPY EDITED BY LIA BERGER copy@bupipedream.com

COORDINATED WITH ANDY JEAN-BAPTISTE vpma@binghamtonsa.org

COVER PHOTOS BY JOEL VELASCO

PRISM is published monthly during the fall and spring semesters, except during finals weeks and academic breaks.

The content of PRISM represents the opinions of its authors, and not necessarily the views of Pipe Dream.

After taking a month off PRISM in March due to midterms and spring break, the April issue is here! I really want to say “Happy spring,” but I’m still not sure we’re quite there yet. Regardless, we’re starting to get close to the end of the semester, making this one of my last PRISMs as your editor. I’m trying to pretend that’s not true, so let’s get into the content of this issue! We have a lot of great coverage of multicultural groups, feature student business owners and include some opinions pieces regarding issues pertinent to the multicultural community.

Starting off, we showcase some lovely photos from the African Student Organization’s (ASO) annual fashion show, Threads of the Motherland: Cirque D’Afrique. The event commemorated the organization’s 30th year on campus. We would like to congratulate ASO on all that it has done for the campus community and for all the hard work that went into creating such an unforgettable event.

We continue with on-campus group coverage with a preview of Latin Weekend, specifically focusing on Quimbamba Latin Dance Team’s event, El Polvorín Latin Festival. Personally, I can’t wait to celebrate my own culture by attending all the great festivities Latin Weekend has to offer. Next, we preview the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program’s (JUMP Nation) main event of the school year, JUMP Weekend, in which middle school students from the Binghamton area and New York City visit the Binghamton University campus for a four-day weekend. JUMP Nation continually does important work for underserved students.

In keeping with tradition, we have our style spread — with a

twist. We feature five BU students of color who have their own beauty-related businesses, from hair stylists to makeup artists to a business that creates custom-made clothing and jewelry.

In keeping with PRISM’s mission to support people of color at BU, we felt it important to highlight POC-owned businesses and promote entrepreneurship within our communities. Everyone we feature is immensely talented and has so much to offer our campus and people of color in general.

Finally, we end the issue with a pair of opinions columns.

First, our writer discusses consumer activism and how quickly people forget about controversies, such as the public’s response to Gucci’s blackface-imitating sweater. Following that, our writer condemns Joe Budden’s comments about Carnival outfits and explains their cultural significance. My column rounds out the issue with a discussion of mainstream media’s representation of the situation in Venezuela, and why I feel we shouldn’t take the information we’re presented at face value.

Like I said before, I’m nearing the end of my tenure as your PRISM editor and I’m trying to come to terms with that. I know that working on PRISM has been an invaluable experience for me, not only because it has helped me develop my skills as an editor but also because I truly feel a sense of joy every time I see our beautiful community represented in a campus publication.

The next PRISM will be my last, so I’ll save the real sappy stuff for my letter in that issue. For now, please enjoy our April issue in the (hopefully) warm weather that we’re finally (kind of) being graced with. Have a great month!

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ASO FASHION SHOW Photos by JOEL VELASCO & THEO MASON

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Quimbamba prepares for Latin Weekend El Polvorín invites Latin dance teams from various schools

KIM GONZALEZ El Polvorín Latin Festival aims to present an explosive battle of Latin dance and culture through a statewide competition during Latin Weekend.

Hosted by Quimbamba Latin Dance Team, El Polvorín invites several SUNY schools along with New Haven and others to perform at the Peace Quad in a battle for a trophy. According to the event page on the Binghamton University events calendar, “The term ‘El Polvorín’ derives from the Puerto Rican tradition where people of humble backgrounds would gather together to celebrate their culture by sharing food, live singing and dancing,” an environment Quimbamba hopes to emulate. Other than the competition, audience members can enjoy food, games, souvenirs and giveaways. Jorwell Perez, president of Quimbamba and a junior majoring in human development, noted the welcomeness the event aims to promote.

“The goal of the event is to not only to highlight Latinx culture, but also to enhance and expand our culture to the general Binghamton area, so we hope to invite not only students and faculty members but also community members and affiliates of the community,” Perez said.

With this search of inclusivity, all the events during Latin Weekend are free.

“We feel a big part of Latinx culture derives from struggle and not being able to have certain luxuries, so we try to all work very hard in order to raise funding and sponsorship in order to get

JOEL VELASCO Quimbamba Latin Dance Team performs at Uyai Nnua’s fifth annual Banquet Afriquella in December 2018. that the whole weekend is free and includes all free activities,” Perez said.

This 7th annual El Polvorín Latin Festival is held on one of the three days of Latin Weekend, where the Latinx organizations on BU’s campus collaborate for a culmination of culture and pride for a wide community event.

Along with Quimbamba’s El Polvorín, the Latin American Student Union (LASU) will be hosting its annual pageant, Nuestra Belleza y Galan Latinx, and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) will hold its NALFO Brunch during the weekend.

As for El Polvorín and the competition itself, practice for the performance is all worth it for the end goal according to Alexander Ortiz, a first-year member of Quimbamba and freshman majoring in sociology.

“Dance practices are always fun. After a long day of classes it feels good to be around people who you can call family, practicing our favorite dances,” Ortiz wrote. “In preparation for Polvorín, practices do get longer and stricter, but this is all to perfect our routines as it is our own show.”

Ortiz will be performing in his first El Polvorín this year and is

excited for what Latin Weekend and Quimbamba can express for the community.

“I’ve been able to learn and appreciate all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes of all student events,” Ortiz noted. “We strive to show the unity we have here, being that we are the underprivileged percentage.”

Although the event is meant to embrace Latinx culture, it is not just for the Latinx community, according to Perez.

“I’d say that even though it’s a Latin dance thing, it is definitely included to everyone,” Perez said.

“We, and the people we invite, although we are Latin-based, we

try to diversify our dances and our genres in order to appease multiple audiences. I don’t want people to think that this event is only for people of Latinx descent — that’s not it at all.”

Latin Weekend will take place from Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21. LASU’s Nuestra Belleza y Galan Latinx Pageant will take place in the Mandela Room in the University Union on Friday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., Quimbamba’s El Polvorín will be hosted on the Peace Quad on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and NALFO Brunch will be on Sunday at noon at Los Tapatios at 1101 Bunn Hill Rd.

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JUMP Nation supports the next generation JUMP Weekend aims to inspire youth to pursue higher education

CHRISTIAN CUATLATL Every spring, the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program, also known as JUMP Nation, holds its most critical event that showcases the purpose of the organization. Through a four-day, all-expenses-paid weekend, middle school students are given the opportunity to come to the Binghamton University campus and learn about student organizations, student life and other resources this school offers.

This yearly event is planned out throughout the entire academic year in order to guarantee the success it has had in the past and continues to have. This year, JUMP Weekend will be held from April 11 to 14.

Matthew Vizcaino, current cofundraiser for JUMP Nation, next year’s vice president for the organization and a junior majoring in sociology, briefly described his sentiment toward this event and provided us with details for the weekend.

“JUMP Nation has created an impact on the lives of many atrisk students and will continue to do so,” Vizcaino said. “This is the reason I have joined and put a lot of my time into this organization.

If I can influence even one student to pursue a higher education this weekend, it would have been a successful weekend.”

On Thursday, students will arrive to campus from either the New York metropolitan area or the Binghamton community at 9 p.m. This is when the students, also known as proteges, will be introduced to their mentors and hosts. Both mentors and hosts

are current students enrolled at BU who have signed up to be a part of the weekend of events.

As many may know, students at BU can volunteer to become either a mentor or a host and have the ability to influence the life of a future college student. The difference between a mentor and a host is that a host must be a student residing in the on-campus communities, while mentors are typically upperclassmen who live off campus. Soon after, the students will enjoy dinner and be exposed to different Greek councils such as the National PanHellenic Council, the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations and the Multicultural Greek Council. The day is concluded with the proteges returning to their hosts and being introduced to their temporary

dorms for the weekend.

Day two starts bright and early. After breakfast is served, proteges, hosts and mentors attend different forums led by multicultural organizations on campus. The organizations that participate include but are not limited to the Bert Mitchell Minority Management Organization, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society, among others. Proteges have the opportunity to learn and interact professionally with organizations created for students of color at the University. In addition, throughout this day, proteges, their hosts and mentors get the opportunity to further get to know each other on a personal level. During the “Brother to Hermano” and “Sister to Hermana”

forum, those attending speak about their personal lives and what they have been through. After a day of getting to know each other and learning, the proteges are taken to Skate Estate, a local center with attractions like roller skating, laser tag and an arcade, which is one of the more fun activities that the proteges look forward to participating in. It is also a perfect time to connect with their mentors and hosts. Saturday is very similar to Friday, and once again everyone involved participates in a busy day full of learning and establishing strong relationships. This year, JUMP Nation is bringing 80 proteges to the University, and Vizcaino said the executive board is working really hard on providing these 80 students with incredible forums and activities.

Provided by JUMP NATION The Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program welcomes middle school students during JUMP Weekend 2018.

The purpose of this organization is to increase the attendance of students of low socioeconomic backgrounds in higher education and to decrease dropout rates. JUMP Weekend leaves a strong mark on those who participate in it and especially the proteges who come up for the weekend. In fact, the very president of JUMP Nation, Edirka Alcantara, was a protege once and is now a senior majoring in economics at BU. She is a firsthand account of the success of this organization.

Overall, the amount of hard work and determination to execute this weekend is immaculate to say the least. Everyone involved, including the proteges, students, hosts, alumni and especially the executive board, all change for the better after this weekend.

STYLIST SPOTLIGHT DANIELLE CHRISTIAN

JADA GREENE

Senior majoring in business administration

Junior majoring in graphic design

Business Djenedesigns

Business JadaDidMyHair JadaDidMyMinks

Custom-made clothing, jewelry and art @Djenedesigns on Instagram djenedesigns@gmail.com

FROM COVER “I’ve been interested in fashion since about middle school and always created DIY projects during my free time. I also gave my friends handmade gifts, jewelry and drawings as gifts for years. When I got to college and switched my major to business administration junior year, I realized that people liked my creations, so I decided to start selling them. I needed a side hustle to pay for everything here, and I had a fundraiser during my gap year, so I just applied those same skills to my craft to build my brand and support myself. Generally, if someone likes any of my pieces whether it be art, jewelry, or clothing, I follow up with them to see if they want to purchase that piece as is or if they want color changes or anything that fits their personality better.

In the past I have recreated paintings in people’s favorite colors and taken requests. My biggest project was definitely the African Student Organization fashion show.”

For our style spread this issue, PRI Binghamton University students of businesses related to beauty and f

Hair stylist and eyelash technician @JadaDidMyHair on Instagram JadaDidMyHair.com

FROM COVER “The start of my business was initially inspired by wanting to provide a service that I saw was lacking for people of color in the Binghamton area.

Aside from the need to make money once leaving home, I enjoyed the glow of confidence that I saw on each client as they looked at my work on them in my mirror. From there, I knew that my business had the potential to grow and flourish. My creative process starts with the vision of the client. A lot of people come in my room with an automatic trust for me to ‘do my thing’ as many of them say. To create a comfortable space, I like to play music, movies, and have conversations with the majority of my clients. I give suggestions on what would be best for them based on my knowledge and experience while leaving the final decision up to them.”

FROM COVER “Makeup is that you from feeling 100/10, so I wan confident. Make their own style o asks me for a sp the same look. B full creative control, then I usually t cally their eye color and shape. For eyeshadow colors and the placeme You don’t want the client leaving th black eyes. Next, I ask what they w their face to go with their outfit, so when choosing the eyeshadow col all these things in mind, I usually tr they sit on my chair or I just go for

ISM chose to highlight f color who operate their own fashion.

JESSICA SUMMERS

We feature women of color who style hair and install eyelash extensions, provide hair extensions and eyelashes, custom-make clothing, jewelry and art and provide makeup services.

NICKYLA THOMAS

PRISM greatly admires the talent, determination and entrepreneurship of these women. Get to know them and their businesses below and show some support!

SUSAN OBATOLA

Junior majoring in economics

Junior majoring in human development

Sophomore majoring in economics

Business SummerssBeats

Business LooksByNicks

Business Adunni Angel Extensions

Makeup artist

Makeup artist

Virgin hair extensions and mink eyelashes

@SummerssBeats or @acoolone on Instagram

@LooksByNicks on Instagram

extra oomph you need to take g and looking like a 10/10 to a nt them to feel comfortable and eup is an art and everyone has of doing it. Therefore, when a client pecific look, they won’t get exactly But if they choose to give me the try to analyze their face, specifir example, for hooded eyes, the ent of those colors are important. he chair looking like they have two will be wearing because you want I usually refer to the color wheel lors that go with their outfit. With ry to have the look in mind before it.”

FROM COVER “When I started my business my sophomore year, I did it because that’s when I started taking makeup more seriously in terms of actually trying to perfect my craft. People would notice and start referring others to me even though I wasn’t technically a business yet! It was the push I got from others that made me realize it was time to expand onto campus. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a love for make up, so I was really excited to share that with everyone else, too! My ‘biggest’ project was when I dropped a new makeup look every day for a week straight. Since my Instagram page is a business page, I really got to see the number of times my pictures were seen, shared or saved. I accumulated a reach of 6.6k and I gained a lot of followers after that! Although this project wasn’t a big one, it was a really cool one to start off with. I have something coming really soon though that will be bigger and better, so be on the look out for that!”

@AdunniAngelExtensions on Instagram (607) 293-2220

FROM COVER “We provide affordable and durable hair and lashes that will last you months, even years. I created this brand out of my love for beauty and love the beauty of women and how we can enhance it. I want every woman and girl who wears my products to know that they are deserving and not just defined by their looks but their character.

Since a very young age, I always dabbled in artistic crafts ranging from art, make-up, music and hair. I grew up as an only child, so I had a lot of time to explore what my new interest was at the time.

Doing my own hair and make-up was a skill that I secretly loved doing and what made it more rewarding was that my friends and strangers loved my creations as well. As I grew, watching other women explore their areas of interest while dealing into business motivated me that I can do it as well and become my own boss, even at a young age. I realized all it took was passion, inspiration to do whatever I put my mind to.”

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Consumer activism in the face of controversy We should be conscious of which businesses we support

FERNANDO RAMIREZ From Gucci to H&M, it seems like no company is spared from controversy. However, it seems that the backlash never seems to last.

Let’s start with H&M and its advertisement of an African American boy in a sweatshirt with the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle.” This ad was cast as racist because of the history of the frequent racist comparisons of African Americans to monkeys. While it may not be intentionally racist, it should be regarded, in the very least, as insensitive. After an apology to the public, H&M followed up with a sale promotion that some people linked as a way to boost sales after the backlash.

Do corporations intend to create controversy, or is it simply human error? We don’t know for sure; as controversy comes and goes, so does backlash. Like in politics, consumers have short memories.

Odds are, if you shopped at H&M before the racist advertisement, you still do now. Companies may fall out of the grace of the consumer, but the companies don’t worry too much as they know their mistakes will eventually be forgotten.

Most recently, a corporation that has created controversy is Gucci with the sale of a blackfaceimitating sweater. This created an arguably still-standing boycott by a lot of entertainment figures and artists alike, which ultimately translated to a boycott by everyday consumers. Soulja Boy, who was notoriously known to wear a Gucci headband often, boycotted the brand after the incident and appears to still be continuing the boy-

cott. However, since the start, there have been entertainers who have refused to take part in the boycott such as prominent figures Floyd Mayweather and Young Thug, who even posted on social media a video of him sporting what appears to be the racist sweater.

On the flip side, there have been figures who have stayed true to the boycott. For example, rapper T.I. was recently seen interrogating another African American male on why he was wearing Gucci. T.I. went on to say, “It’s what’s in ya, not what’s on ya. We make that shit fly.” T.I. effectively points out the purpose of consumer activism that results in boycotts. The purpose of the boycott is to tell corporations that that their actions must not degrade any groups. In this event particularly, the boycott was an attempt to demonstrate to Gucci that its racist action toward African Americans is demeaning and will not be accepted. Those that still wear Gucci, as pointed out by T.I, are illustrating subconsciously that they do not value Africans Americans and their portrayal in media enough to stop wearing Gucci. Boycotting Gucci is a call to respect African American people and culture.

This is noteworthy because it’s undeniable that African American artists have contributed to the clout Gucci maintains, and hip-hop and R&B are predominantly filled with African American artists who set trends young people follow.

There may be one main reason why boycotts with good intentions don’t have the effect desired: People tend to forget why there’s a boycott and don’t acknowledge the real reasoning behind the boycott.

Likewise, there is the feeling that consumers’ voices do not matter.

Let me remind you that it is the consumer’s grace that pushes a company to grow.

As a consumer, remember to participate in consumer activism.

Provided by GUCCI Pictured above is the Gucci sweater that caused controversy for appearing to imitate blackface.

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Condemning Joe Budden’s views on Carnival Carnival outfits are a celebration of Caribbean culture

LORRAINE O’CONNOR On March 9, The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal aired its “Leftover Lust” episode, in which Joe Budden made a disrespectful comment about women who participate in Carnival and the Carnival events. He expressed, “These chicks can’t wait to put on these Carnival outfits and be hoes.” This was followed by massive backlash from the Caribbean community.

The rapper made the comment when his co-host Rory reminisced on TLC’s Chilli being his first crush. Mya, Lil Kim and Chilli were spotted in Trini-

dad together during the Carnival season for their future reality TV show “Girls Crew.” Additionally, the R&B singer Ashanti was there.

Following the crush confession, Budden asked, “What’s up with Mya?” Rory implied that Mya was, “doing that little Carnival shit. She looked aight,” to which Budden laughed and responded, “These chicks can’t wait to put on these Carnival outfits and be hoes.”

The conversation went left after Budden expressed those thoughts; he was called out by his co-host for them and hit with, “And what are you saying?”

“You mad?” and “I have yet to see a problem.”

The commentary began to surface on the internet when many West Indians and women were upset about Budden’s ig-

norant comment on the Caribbean Carnival culture. With the push from such great backlash, the rapper went to social media to apologize on his derogatory comments: “On my most recent podcast we were having a conversation about ‘other’ [people] appropriating Culture they weren’t apart of (as we normally do). We were not discussing Carnival, Caribbean Culture or anything of the sort and never would as I’m well aware of the strong and proud history & heritage,” Budden wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post. “To anyone who heard that conversation and felt offended I’d like to humbly apologize, that’s just never my intention. To those of you outraged by this 7 second clip of audio being matched [with] pictures of beautiful women to

Provided by SHUTTERSTOCK A woman takes part in the Carnival festivities in Fort-de-France, Martinique in the Caribbean.

push a narrative we aren’t adding to let me say, I didn’t publish that, those are not my thoughts or sentiments and I don’t feel that way. I can assure you your anger is misplaced. That isn’t journalism, it’s cheap clickbait to weaponize emotions to push an agenda.”

However, the apology was not good enough for people to forget, including myself. I understand as a blogger that some blogs do malicious things to get attention, likes and views, but the joke was disrespectful toward women. He also tries to cast blame on journalists instead of taking responsibility for what he said. Additionally, since he deleted the post, this raises some doubt on the apology.

Men in general should not joke or comment on a woman’s personality based on what she

wears. Clothing does not define us, personality does! We should wear what we want freely without having to worry about random slut-shaming and ignorant commentary on who we are.

Furthermore, a woman should not be sexualized based on how she dresses. Just because she is showing a lot of skin does not make her a “hoe.”

Situations like this occur when we lack the education on the cultures of other black diasporas. If Budden understood Caribbean culture, he would have known that Carnival is a celebration of life and not just some random event that happens every year for women to show skin. This is all culture, more specifically black culture, and we should make it our duty to respect and embrace that culture.

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Casting doubt on news portrayal of Venezuela Mainstream media has historically distorted US affairs in Latin America

SARAH MOLANO Bringing up the current political situation in Venezuela often produces strong reactions.

People either immediately condemn Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and support U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s attempt to take over, or express skepticism about the United States’ interest in changing Venezuela’s leadership. What both sides have in common, though, is that their views are largely shaped by media representation of what’s happening in Venezuela. Here’s the

The people who were hurt the most by the invasion were never represented on mainstream television. problem: If the United States has its own interests — propping up a leader who will cooperate with the United States — how do we know that mainstream media remains unbiased in its reports on Venezuela? We don’t. In fact, we have good reason to assume mainstream media deliberately misrepresents the situation.

This is not mere speculation; it’s already obviously happening.

When Guaidó claimed to be the legitimate president of Venezuela, the United States was quick to recognize him as such, presumably due to its poor relationship

with Maduro, who has a history of denouncing U.S. involvement in Venezuela’s affairs. To me, it’s clear what this is: The United States jumped on the chance to prop up a Venezuelan leader who aligns with U.S. interests.

Maduro moved to cut diplomatic ties with the United States, but recognizing Guaidó as the real leader gave the United States an excuse not to listen to Maduro and maintain diplomatic relations. The last couple of months, mainstream media has latched onto the story of the dictatorial Maduro who refuses humanitarian aid and who Venezuelans vehemently oppose in the hundreds of thousands. The New York Times published an op-ed video from Joanna Hausmann, in which she said, “Stop sanitizing a tyrannical dictator. My country deserves change.”

All of this certainly makes the case for U.S. intervention in Venezuela. However, it’s not quite that simple. When mainstream media circulated the news that Maduro’s forces set fire to humanitarian aid, a video emerged showing that opposition forces started the fire, not Maduro’s people. Accusations that Maduro blocked a bridge to prevent humanitarian aid also missed important context, including that the Red Cross and United Nations both advised the United States “not to engage in this aid PR stunt” and that “the person in charge of US operations in Venezuela has a history of using aid as a cover to deliver weapons to right-wing mercenaries,” according to the Global Justice Equality Project. In addition, mainstream media often represents the majority of Venezuela as supporters of Guaidó, but never shows proMaduro rallies and gatherings.

Moreover, The New York Times’ video with Hausmann failed to

Provided by SHUTTERSTOCK Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro speaks to a crowd in Caracas, Venezuela. disclose that she is the daughter of Guaidó economic adviser Ricardo Hausmann. Not only did The Times spread information that is likely skewed since it comes from an opposition leader’s daughter, but it also fell into the trap of only telling the story of Venezuela through the lens of a white, well-off Venezuelan

This is not mere speculation; it’s already obviously happening. whose experiences are certainly not representative of poor and working-class Venezuelans. This is noteworthy because history has shown that U.S. invasions in Latin America hurt poor and working-class citizens the most.

Before I get accused of peddling conspiracy theories about

“Fake News,” this is something the United States has done before. Look no further than what happened during the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama. The Academy Award-winning documentary “The Panama Deception” details the history of U.S.-Panama relations and accuses the United States of using the invasion to regain control of Panama after Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega outlived his usefulness.

Before the invasion, the CIA had worked closely with Noriega as a valued paid informant and regarded him as an ally, especially concerning the U.S. war on drugs. Since he was an asset to U.S. interests in Latin America, the U.S. government was willing to look the other way when Noriega profited off drug trafficking and assisted in money laundering. However, once Noriega stopped cooperating with the United States, intervention was

imminent.

The film details that the United States imposed economic sanctions, gave Noriega’s opposition in Panama more than $10 million and, finally, deployed U.S. military personnel to patrol and ultimately provoke Panamanians into attacking them to justify retaliation. According to the documentary, after a group of U.S. Marines known as the “Hard Chargers” — whose goal was to purposely provoke Panamanian forces — was attacked by Panamanian guards and one Marine was killed, the U.S. administration had the ammo it needed to invade. The first night of the invasion, U.S. troops simultaneously attacked 27 targets, with many in densely populated areas. The true number of Panamanian civilian casualties is unknown; the goal was only to capture Noriega.

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against the U.S. government, the film also highlights how American mainstream media largely reproduced the government’s account of what was happening. It sensationalized Noriega as a cruel criminal dictator, painted a Panama plagued with violence, played up the American soldier’s death and portrayed all Panamanians as grateful when Noriega was removed. However, “The Panama Deception” notes that mainstream media grossly underreported civilian deaths and failed to show the disastrous effects the invasion had on working-class and poor Panamanians. The U.S. military regularly interrogated, imprisoned and mistreated citizens, especially many progressives, leftist activists, nationalists and cultural leaders without charging them, and destroyed neighborhoods largely inhabited by poor people, with no plan in place to

If the United States has its own interests — propping up a leader who will cooperate with the United States — how do we know that mainstream media remains unbiased in its reports on Venezuela? repair them. The people who were hurt the most by the invasion were never represented on mainstream television. One man passionately said in the film,

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“This is not no democracy. [The United States] said to get rid of Noriega and they’re worse than Noriega. They’re plenty worse.

Because with Noriega, we used to eat our three meals a day.

The United States jumped on the chance to prop up a Venezuelan leader who aligns with U.S. interests.

Now we’re not even eating one.”

The film goes extremely indepth about the invasion, but the main point is to highlight the U.S. government’s motives in the invasion of Panama as well as show the complicity of mainstream media, which provided virtually no challenge to the U.S. government’s account of the events. The media stirred the pot and mobilized Americans and the world against Noriega, portrayed Panamanians as happy about the invasion and neglected any mention of the invasion’s greatest victims: poor and working-class Panamanians.

With this knowledge, how can anyone trust the mainstream media’s portrayal of the situation in Venezuela?

In no way am I implying that there aren’t people in Venezuela who are suffering under Maduro’s rule. Even if that’s true, though, we cannot ignore the United States’ track record when it comes to Latin American leaders who don’t bend to the United States’ will, nor can we forget the uncritical media coverage that usually follows. It’s naive to think the United States truly has the interest of the Venezuelan

people at heart. Frankly, if the Trump administration did little to aid Puerto Rico — whose inhabitants are American citizens — after Hurricane Maria, how could anyone possibly believe it cares about Venezuelans?

At this point, mainstream media companies are highly corporate and have bases and interests to cater to. I encourage people to seek out smaller, independent media if they want a better look at not only Venezuela, but any global affair whose media coverage may be skewed due to big money or connections to a government. After all, before The New York Times debunked the burning-aid conspiracy almost two weeks after the story broke, independent journalists published the damning video the same day it occurred. Stay skeptical of mainstream media, and keep your eyes on Venezuela.

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JOEL VELASCO The Binghamton University chapter of the NAACP celebrated its eighth annual Image Awards on March 8.

JOEL VELASCO Powerful United Ladies Striving to Elevate celebrated their seventh annual banquet where they highlighted prominent female figures on campus.