11/6/20 Red & Black Issue

Red & Black

The Free

s t u d e n t n e w s pa p e r o f w a s h i n g t o n a n d j e f f e r s o n c o l l e g e w j r e da n d b l ac k . c o m W a s h i n g t o n , P e n n s y lva n i a November 6, 2020

WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S PAPER...

CURRENT EVENTS At 1 p.m. on Friday, the presidential race is very close to being called for Joe Biden.

-P.7

Biden Remains on the Verge of Presidency PAGE 7

DIVERSITY

While Black employees at [Planned Parenthood] are glad to see their experiences and injustices come to light, many are skeptical that anything will change after seeing their claims fall on deaf ears for so long. -P.8

OPINIONS To advance economic mobility and close the racial wealth and income gaps, Biden plans to invest in African American businesses and ensure access to credit and capital for African American businesses to succeed. -P.11

SPORTS

The Pittsburgh Steelers got the better of the Baltimore Ravens this past weekend, moving them to the top of the conference with an impressive record of 7-0. -P.17

WJREDANDBLACK.COM

Courtesy The Associated Press

2 CAMPUS NEWS

Red & Black

6 November 2020

Student Spotlight: Noah Hoffman ‘21 Alexandra Wagner Red & Black Editor

The first student spotlight for Nov. is for a well deserving senior. Noah Hoffman is a double major at Washington & Jefferson College, focusing on biology and Spanish for his undergraduate.

He doesn’t live too far from campus, as he is an in-state student from Muncy Pa. In addition to his rigorous studies, Hoffman has made time to become involved in two very important groups on W&J’s campus, the primary one being Residence Life. After serving his time in the residence assistance (RA) role, he has been promoted to the position of community advisor (CA).

As a new CA, Hoffman is responsible for the development of his RA’s communities, as well as assisting in the overall safety and security of his respective buildings. Beyond working for Res Life, Hoffman is a Student Ambassador for the College’s Office of Admissions.

“I love working at Admissions because I can help prospective students determine if W&J is the right fit for them.” commented Hoffman.

With the added stress of not only two majors, but also two important positions on campus, Hoffman still makes sure to find some personal time to unwind when his schedule allows it. One of his favorite pastimes is PC gaming. Another hobby of Hoffman’s is working out, more specifically weightlifting. He finds that working out consistently helps him maintain other healthy habits at college.“Going

to the gym helps me de-stress from my heavy work-load and keeps me motivated to stay active.” says Hoffman.

If he isn’t at the gym, Hoffman mentioned he loves to watch his favorite TV show on Netflix, Stranger Things. Even with all the added regulations that W&J has implemented into the 2020 fall semester, Hoffman stays positive and tries to focus on the good coming from these new rules.

He comments, “Overall, I feel that I have been able to make the most out of this semester, despite all the changes and limitations put in place to keep us safe. While it hasn’t been what I ex-

“Overall I feel like I have been able to make the the most out of this semester” - Noah Hoffman ‘21 pected, I feel safe knowing W&J is doing everything they can to keep campus running and limiting the spread of COVID.” Hoffman plans to attend medical school after W&J, hoping to pursue a career as a primary care physician (PCP). He finds that this job is the best way he can use his skills, given his love for science and working directly with people.

“I love being able to reach out and work with others, so being a PCP lets me do a lot of that, teaching and working directly with my patients.”

Courtesy Alex Wagner

Noah Hoffman ‘21 is planning on attending medical school after graduation.

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6 November 2020

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Poetry Corner Dry Eyes

Alex Wagner ‘22 A lot was hidden behind The broken frames of those beige glasses.

His eyes, sunken into his head from the weight of his unwanted baggage.

They were unbearably heavy, pulling downward deeper, rooted into his skull.

They still worked of course, only with the help of the prescription.

Seeing was not a problem, yet these eyes could not produce tears.

Maybe that’s what filled the baggage.

The salted water, Stuck behind the lock almost bursting at the seams.

CAMPUS NEWS 3

4 Campus News

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Follow @wandjcareerservices on Instagram!

6 November 2020

Speak Out: How are you preparing for finals?

“I’m going to grab a lot of coffee, get real caffeinated and pray for the best. Probably going to wing it to the best of my abilities.”

- Sean Doran ‘21

The Career Services Office would like to know if you are following us on Instagram? If you are not, you definitely should be! Not only will you be kept well-informed about the events and programs we sponsor, but you will be entered into raffles all semester long. Names will be drawn from our followers for great prizes such as: a limited edition HydroFlask, Starbucks gift cards, W&J swag, and much more!

“Since finals are at home and I haven’t been used to studying there, I plan to study somewhere outside of my home.

For example, a coffee shop or maybe a Panera Bread. This will mimic studying in a public setting on campus- having noises around me while still having a private space.”

- Mary Kate Tarczynski ‘21 “I’m trying stay cognizant of my mental health through the last couple weeks of school. Between the pandemic and the election, I’ve had a lot of anxiety. I’m trying my best to stay on top of my final projects and studying so finals week doesn’t become additional stress.”

- Chase Weiland ‘20

6 November 2020

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CAMPUS NEWS 5

Meet the Editorial Board

Copy Editor: McKayla Rollison

Red & Black Established 1909

McKayla is a Copy Editor for the Red & Black.

She is a senior, and she is a business major and German minor. She is also the VP of PRSSA. “I like working for the Red & Black because I want to support the voices of students and help them share their opinions across campus,� McKayla explained.

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Campus News Editor Current Events Editor Diversity Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Social Media Manager Website Design Manager Distribution Manager Interim Faculty Advisor

Marcy Saldivar Erin Herock Reilly Oliverio Molly Kilbourne Amanda Fitzpatrick Paul Collier Nick Krugh Kelsey Julien McKayla Rollison Grace Depaul Raheem Clemons Alex Wagner Kellin Cavanaugh

6 Current Events

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Current Events

6 November 2020

Invasive Exams In Qatar Sparks Outrage

Courtesy Reuters, BBC News

A Qatar airplane takes off from Hamad International Airport.

Akansha Das Red & Black Staff

It has recently come to light that on Oct. 2., Qatari airport officials escorted 18 women off of ten different flights flying out of Hamad International Airport in Doha onto an ambulance on the tarmac in order to perform invasive vaginal and pelvic exams and strip-searches.

These invasive procedures, done without the consent of the passengers examined, were done in a hurried attempt to find the mother of a baby that was found lying in a trash can and “concealed in a plastic bag” in an

apparent attempt to kill the baby girl.

All ten flights from which women were examined were headed to Sydney at the time and the majority of the females were said to be Australian citizens with a couple of others having British and New Zealand citizenship.

The exams were conducted by medical professionals in an effort to search for any signs of recent childbirth and to locate the parents of the child before they could escape.

The Qatari government released a statement via Twitter on Oct. 25. saying that this was the first time any incident of this sort had happened and that they were conducting a thorough investigation into their medical professionals for any wrongdoing. While the comments

from the examinees themselves have been understandably limited, a male passenger noted that the women arrived back on the plane noticeably uncomfortable and no explanation was given afterwards.

The women appeared “shellshocked” upon return and one was in tears according to male passenger Wolfgang Babeck. Qatar’s Prime Minister condemned the actions calling it “unacceptable” and saying “What took place does not represent Qatar’s laws or values. We will undertake all measures to prevent a recurrence.”

This infringement on a woman’s right to her body and her invasion of privacy comes in the wake of Qatar attempting to secure its position as a

protector of women’s freedoms and an embodiment of democracy ahead of its hosting of the 2022 World Cup for football.

In Qatar, a woman who has become pregnant outside of wedlock can be arrested and even prosecuted making the matter even more dire.

Despite the sincere statements of the Qatari government, they were largely reactive, only being released after Australia reported the incident and taking a rather lengthy three weeks to address it.

In protest, Sydney airline workers who are part of the Transport Workers Union have considered refusing to clean and refuel Qatar Airline jets as the countries of citizens affected have also expressed similar outrage.

6 November 2020

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Current Events 7

Biden Remains on the Verge of Presidency

Courtesy The Associated Press

NV, PA, GA, and NC have yet to be called according to the Associated Press.

Paul Collier Red & Black Editor

At 1 p.m. on Friday, the presidential race is very close to being called for Joe Biden. Over the night, he flipped Pennsylvania and is now leading Donald Trump by 9,756 votes. He also flipped Georgia and is leading by almost 4,000 votes. Victories in these two states would make Nevada, still taking their time to count ballots, obsolete. Arizona would no longer be a point of contention if Biden claims Pennsylvania because he would reach 273 electoral votes, and 289 if the polls stay accurate and Biden does win Georgia.

Of course, inaccuracy in polling is a big part of how the United States got here. It’s not even that any of the results were surprising, but Biden was

expected to win by much larger margins in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Arizona and Nevada were also not expected to be quite so competitive, especially with Arizona claiming another Democratic National Senator as Mark Kelley defeated incumbent Martha McSally. If Biden does claim the presidency, governance may be difficult because Republicans are likely to hold the senate as Susan Collins won her reelection race in Maine despite Sara Gideon’s consistent lead in the polls, Lindsey Graham held off high funding levels for Jamie Harrison in South Carolina and Mitch McConnell defeated challenger Amy McGrath handily in Kentucky. It will come down to two possible run-off elections in Georgia, where both incumbents are Republican, even though David Perdue is still currently winning beyond run-off range.

Even in lost races, John James was far closer to defeating Democrat incumbent Gary Peters in Michigan than polls suggested he should’ve

been, which also speaks to the strong rejection of Trump in some midwestern states: it’s not often a legislator of the same party as the president outperforms the president so drastically compared to expected results. House results were also surprisingly poor for Democrats.

Even though they will retain control, the polls suggesting a “Blue Wave” were even more stunningly incorrect than 2016 as the Republican Party has gained six seats and the Democratic Party has lost five, with 34 races still too close to call. Republicans also held on to state legislatures, which will heavily influence gerrymandering as district lines are redrawn for the next decade following the completion of the census.

The closeness of races has also allowed Trump to call for recounts in Wisconsin and sue election officials over voter fraud on unfounded claims in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Michigan, as the sharpie controversy has been resolved for votes using

sharpie were counted, and election fraud rates sit at an exceedingly rare .025 percent. Trump is also currently losing Wisconsin by 20,000, which sits well outside of the state’s historic count readjustment of around 150 votes. His claims for voter fraud there are also shaky: while Wisconsin does have an astronomically high turnout of 89 percent, they have always been consistently over 60 percent which is higher than average for the country, and this turnout rate is understandable in a contentious year.

As it stands, Biden is in control, and Trump’s path to reelection is quickly fading. He holds 214 electoral votes to Biden’s 264 (253 if you don’t yet count Arizona), and Biden holds advantages in all of the still uncalled Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona, while Trump only looks promising in Alaska and North Carolina. As long as these current trends stand, it is predicted by most analysts that even while Biden underperformed, he will be able to hold on and unseat Trump.

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6 November 2020 Red & Black

Diversity

Planned Parenthood Vows to Combat Racism Akansha Das Red & Black Staff

On Oct. 7., the Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance (AORTA) presented an assessment three years in the making that interviewed 64 past and 12 employees at Planned Parenthood’s national wing about the racism they had experienced at the organization.

AORTA presented its findings to an online Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) Board Meeting with over 60 members some of whom included Alexis Johnson (president of Planned Parenthood), Danette Hill (head of HR) and George Walker (the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) along with other Black senior leaders. The findings match a similar report BuzzFeed released in August saying that 26 sources said they weren’t given promotions as readily as their white counterparts, were belittled by their bosses and felt they had no support to deal with these issues as reporting to HR often accomplished nothing.

The AORTA report itself cites eight different injustices including over-scrutiny (expecting Black employees to put in longer hours), childi-

fication or patronization of Black workers, microaggressions (confusing 2 Black people for each other and touching a Black employee’s hair without their consent), unequal promotions when all other factors seem equal and assumptions that individuals can’t be racist if they are fighting gender-based oppression.

But for the public, this is exactly what makes these reports so jarring— the juxtaposition in an organization known for tackling social and healthcare issues to advance rights for women while mistreating Black workers.

On the surface, Planned Parenthood seems to be a strong advocate for anti-racism. Their office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosts Black Feminism circles with a focus on intersectionality and this past summer they removed Maragaret Sanger’s name from a clinic due to her racist historical comments and history of eugenics support.

This contrast underscores the key principle that it’s not enough for corporations to “post the Black square” or simply symbolically align with the Black Lives Matter Movement; they must also actively screen their own actions and employees for racism.

One employee even said “Planned Parenthood is filled with people who, because they do work in reproductive rights, think they can’t be racist or prejudice, but keep saying and doing racist things, and nothing is being done about it.” These Planned Par-

enthood allegations also pose a key question about the role of leadership in combating racism in an organization. Johnson, who identifies as Black, was cited as one of the key reasons this study that was three years in the making was completed and has said “stepping into leadership in this moment, I have never felt more urgent, and I’ve never actually felt more free.”

Johnson has been leading the group for just four months, but many will note that Planned Parenthood has been integrating more people for color into their management for years.

However, as one employee noted, “Just because you change the racial makeup of your leadership doesn’t mean that staff of color aren’t still experiencing

the same problems.” Hill has stated that a zero-tolerance policy for racism and equal pay initiatives will be drafted in an effort to create racial equality in their workforce.

While Black employees at the organization are glad to see their experiences and injustices come to light, many are skeptical that anything will change after seeing their claims fall on deaf ears for so long.

But Planned Parenthood’s tackling of this issue is a key example of how every organization, even ones so closely tied to the freedom of one demographic, must constantly reassess to ensure they are promoting social justice for everyone in every way that they can.

Courtesy The Nation

In the face of allegations of employee allegations of racism, Planned Parenthood has committed itself to tackling this issue.

6 November 2020

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Diversity 9

Reproductive Justice is at Risk Post-RBG

Courtesy Ms.

Bavi Makkar Red & Black Staff

In a post-Ginsburg world, the people of America are fighting for their right of choice—the right to keep religion and government out of private decisions in the lives of women.

Reproductive justice is not just the right to abortion or birth control, but it also links rights with social, political and economic inequalities that impact a woman’s ability to access reproductive care services. This focuses on equal access to safe abortion, affordable and safe contraceptives, proper sex education in schools and freedom from sexual violence.

While legality is important, the issue comes down to access. In 2016, the court was considering a set of abortion restrictions in Texas that shut down nearly half the state’s clinics. While conditions improved conditionally under the late Justice Ginsburg,

America is back full circle as Louisiana tried to restrict the right to abortion.

In the past decade, anti-abortion lawmakers have passed over 450 restrictions, many of which are still active.

This is impacting minorities, poor and low-income people, the LGBTQ+ community and those in rural areas.

Sydney Fischer ’21 commented: “I am concerned for Barrett overruling reproductive rights as she will likely harm the rights of people not in a privileged class.” Abortion clinics are in select locations that not everyone has access to. Similarly, there are insurance companies that no longer cover contraceptive pills. A woman who works all day and has to come home to a family will lack time to travel out or cross state borders and money to get the services they need.

For those who are not privileged, “women, especially people of color, have encountered barriers to accessing essential reproductive health care as a result of systemic racism that has infiltrated all aspects of society, including our health care system. With the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, these barriers will only increase as the right for women to have basic access to doctors and facilities and the right for a woman to choose standards to be threatened” Amanda Fitzpatrick ’22.”

Law makers have made it nearly impossible for millions of people to not get the resources they need, and Justice Barrett might further fuel the fire. Back in 2006, she had signed on for Roe. V. Wade to be overturned, pushing for the “right to life from fertilization to natural death.” Shall she plan to continue down this path, Justice Barrett would be pushing for the prohibition of abortion or further restrictions.

Courtesy HuffPost

Reproductive justice is the vision in which everyone is able to decide if, when, and how to create a family and that they have the ability to raise their children safely.

10 Diversity

Red & Black

6 November 2020

Is the Vegan Lifestyle Completely Ethical?

Brendan Troesch Red & Black Staff

Veganism, while providing a seemingly nice alternative to using animal products, is not always the most ethical option.

In the United States, food waste is a huge issue in homes, with households wasting 31.9 percent of their food each year as reported by Forbes. While avoiding animal products during a trip to the grocery store would be a primary route to ethical consumption of food products, one cannot always control what they are served while over at another’s house. For example, if one visits family or friends and is served animal-based products, would it be less impactful if one simply ate them (assuming they have no health or religious obligations not to) or requested a new dish?

Flexitarianism describes the lifestyle of these people - those who usually have a plant-based diet but occasionally use animal products. Although environmental impact from individuals pales in comparison to the damage caused by companies, like ones that thrive off of factory farming, the small decisions we make (if we have the privilege to) could begin to send messages to corporations.

When asked her opinion on this issue, Bri Billingsley ‘21 says “I think it’s important to go out of your way to live a more sustainable lifestyle, but that doesn’t always work for everyone.

More sustainable options are usually not accessible since they tend to be more expensive, and it feels like there’s always some sense of pressure put on

lower-income people even though there are millionaires who could make much substantial impact on helping the environment.”

One non-food example often brought up is in the fashion industry, namely leather. While there are vegan leathers from plant-based products like apple peels, pineapple leaves and corks, the most available option is synthetic leather made of petroleum-based polyurethane (PU) or

polyvinylchloride (PVC). PETA touts PU as “a polymer that can be made to order for any designer’s whim,” conveniently ignoring the harsh chemicals used in its production and the fact that PU, being a plastic, has a very difficult time naturally degrading once thrown away.

This same logic extends to PVC and other commonly-used plastics not made with environmental consequences in mind. Plastics take at least

a half millennium to even begin to break down; by using synthetic leathers and showing demand for them, we leave our current mess for future generations to clean up, essentially becoming the very thing we sought to destroy. There is, as of now, no 100 percent correct answer to the question of sustainable, ethical consumption, but our generation has the power to call out companies to make less harmful options available.

Courtesy Vegan Food and Living

As the vegan diet expands in popularity, is important we consider all aspects of what is ethical such as avoiding food waste and alternatives that are worse for the environment as well as the issue of accessibility.

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opinions Red & Black

Opinions 11

Joe Biden Plans To Uplift Black Americans Amanda Fitzpatrick Red & Black Editor

Though Election Day has passed, it is worth mentioning Biden’s plan, titled “Lift Every Voice.” Given this moment in history with the Black Lives Matter movement being referred to as the largest movement in U.S. history, addressing systemic racism present in the United States is crucial.

This is more important now than ever, as COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated disparities long endured by Black Americans. African Americans are dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate with systemic inequalities contributing to this disparity. In addition to the impact on

African Americans’ health, COVID-19 is having a disproportionate economic impact. As such, the Biden Plan for Black America will address six goals: advance the economic mobility of African Americans and close the racial wealth and income gaps, expand access to high-quality education and tackle racial inequity in our education system, make far-reaching investments in ending health disparities by race, strengthening America’s commitment to justice, make the right to vote and the right to equal protection real for African Americans, and address environmental justice.

To advance economic mobility and close the racial wealth and income gaps, Biden plans to invest in African American businesses and ensure access to credit and capital for African American businesses to succeed.

Recognizing that African American businesses are rejected at a rate 20

percent higher than white-owned businesses, and African American businesses that receive funding only receive 40 percent of requested funds compared to 70 percent for white businesses, Biden plans to address these disparities. Biden plans to double funding for the State Small Business Credit Initiative, expand the New Markets Tax Credit and expand the Small Business Administration. Biden intends to increase opportunities for African American-owned businesses to obtain federal contracts, increase funding for the Minority Business Development Agency budget, protect small and disadvantaged businesses from federal and state contract bidding which often lock out African American-owned smaller firms and ensure economic relief reaches African American businesses.

To address COVID-19, Biden intends to provide African American

E ditorial P olicy The Red & Black is the official, registered student-produced newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College. It is published Fridays with the exception of exams and break periods.

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entrepreneurs and business owners technical assistance, reserve half of all new PPP funds for businesses with 50 employees or less and produce a weekly dashboard to show which businesses are accessing loans to provide transparency. To address the gap in homeownership which is larger today than when the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968, Biden plans to expand African American homeownership and access to affordable housing. This begins with families buying their first homes by creating a new tax credit of up to $15,000.

Further, Biden plans to tackle racial bias leading to homes in communities of color assessed below their fair value. Additionally, Biden plans to roll back Trump Administration policies gutting fair lending and fair housing protections, enforce fair credit reporting laws and create a new (continued on page 12)

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12 Opinions (continued from page 11) Public Credit Reporting Agency. He also intends to protect homeowners and renters from abusive lenders and landlords through a Homeowner and Renter Bill of Rights.

To address Trump Administration policies, Biden plans to give elected officials tools to combat gentrification, hold financial institutions and restore the federal government’s power to enforce settlements against discriminatory lenders. Moreover, Biden plans to expand the Community Reinvestment Act to ensure our bank and financial institutions are serving all communities.

To address accessibility, Biden plans to establish a $100 billion Affordable Housing Fund to construct and upgrade affordable housing, provide tax incentives for the construction of more affordable housing and protect homeowners during the COVID-19 crisis.

To promote wealth building and create secure retirement, Biden plans to equalize tax benefits of defined contribution plans, remove penalties for caregivers who want to save for retirement, give small businesses a tax break for starting a retirement plan and make Social Security benefits more equitable. Wealth building also requires community investment.

Biden plans to fully implement Congressman Clyburn’s 10-2030 Plan to help all individuals living in persistently impoverished communities, create a White House “StrikeForce” to partner with rural communities to help them access federal funds, drive capital into low-income communities to spur development of housing and build infrastructure in communities that need it.

By investing in marginalized communities, bringing everyone to the table for transportation planning and bringing broadband to every American household, Biden will close the community divide and

6 November 2020 Red & Black

the digital divide. It is evident that Biden is focused on the economy in this plan, as he has specific ideas to support African American workers.

This begins with fighting for equal pay and ensuring federally funded projects protect workers.

Additionally, Biden intends to encourage diverse hiring and promotion, restore the federal government’s role in setting the bar for other employers to advance opportunities for workers and protect essential workers during COVID-19.

Lastly, Biden plans to turn unemployment into employment insurance by getting states to adopt and scale up short-term compensation programs.

To expand access to high-quality education and tackle racial inequity in our education system, Biden plans to provide universal pre-kindergarten, eliminate the funding gap in schools, improve teacher diversity, reinstate the Obama-Biden Administration’s actions to diversify schools, ensure African American students are not inappropriately identified as having disabilities, ensure African American students with disabilities have the support to succeed, address the African American student debt crisis and increase college completion by making college affordable.

Moreover, Biden plans to invest over $70 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions, create a “Title I for postsecondary education” and make a $50 billion investment in workforce training.

With the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting disparities that exist within the health care system, Biden plans to ensure health care to all. However, this does not end with COVID-19. Biden plans to ensure access to affordable health care beyond the crisis with a public option, improving care for patients with chronic conditions, lowering costs for African Americans enrolled

Courtesy Joe Biden for President

Joe Biden unveils his Lift Every Voice Plan.

in Obamacare, lowering drug prices, reducing our high African American maternal mortality race, expanding access to reproductive health care, doubling the nation’s investment in community health centers, expanding access to mental health care and tackling social determinants of health.

To build a stronger health care system for the future, Biden plans to invest in the diverse talent at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions to solve health disparities as well as build diverse health care professionals.

Most Americans will say that too many people are incarcerated in the United States. To address mass incarceration, Biden plans to reduce the number of people incarcerated while reducing crime by investing in communities, rooting out the disparities in our criminal justice system, focusing our criminal justice system on redemption and rehabilitation and ending profiteering off of our criminal justice system.

Biden will call for the passage of Congressman Bobby Scott’s SAFE Justice Act to reform our criminal

justice system and go further by doing the following: expand and use the power of the U.S. Justice Department to address systemic misconduct in police departments and prosecutors’ offices, establish a Task Force on Prosecutorial Discretion, reinvigorate community-oriented policing, invest in public defenders’ offices to ensure defendants’ access to quality counsel, create a $20 billion grant program to support criminal justice reform at the state and local level, reform sentencing, end the criminalization of poverty, stop corporations from profiteering off incarceration, eliminate existing barriers preventing formerly incarcerated individuals from participating in society, reform the juvenile justice system and make our communities safer.

Ultimately, Biden may not have been your first choice, but again, I am left with a comparison of plans where it is evident which is more comprehensive and addresses what the country so desperately needs. Regardless of the outcome, the President of the United States must commit themselves to lifting every voice, especially those of America’s Black communities.

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Opinions 13

Trump Cannot Be Trusted To Assist Black Americans

Courtesy CNN

Trump unveils his Platinum Plan to invest in the Black Community.

Paul Collier Red & Black Editor

As the election progressed, one of the defining issues was the fight for racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement. Donald Trump’s rhetoric continually disparaged this fight and showed his lack of respect for Black Americans. However, within his Platinum Plan is an attempt to help create equity for the black community.

His proposal for the Platinum Plan is far from perfect and is more rooted in ideals than actual policy to carry out his goals.

Beginning with his economic goals, Trump wants to continue to decrease the Black unemployment rate while also passing additional tax cuts to stimulate the growth of minorityowned business. His first rounds of

tax cuts ended up being concentrated in those that already have established businesses and top-percentage incomes, so even though the desire to invest in minority business is beneficial, there is a lack of proof a trickle-down investment will occur to help minority-owned businesses get off the ground.

This also coincides with wages not increasing alongside tax cuts. This means that while unemployment may decrease, the ability to make more money is still being limited by the administration’s refusal to actually hold the wealthy accountable for investing in employees and communities.

He also wants to continue to expand Opportunity Zones; however, these also make it easier for whiteowned and well-established businesses to move into the more impoverished areas the Opportunity Zones support.

This is due to the decreased tax in those areas in conjunction with Trump’s gutting of laws allowing for rented buildings to be assigned by race

to protect equity, limiting these zones effectiveness.

While all of these may seem good on paper, there is little described to facilitate free economic expansion.

However, Trump does want to increase the federal government’s investment of capital in minority communities and for minority-owned businesses.

He plans to begin by making the Minority Business Development Agency permanent, which will help cooperation between the private sector and federal government to help create economic solutions for struggling communities.

Alongside this, he wants to put $40 billion towards federally funding minority-owned businesses. Together, these policies can help economically struggling minority communities begin development. He also wants to help people build credit early in life, including on rent, utility payments and phone bills. While these policies could certainly be more radical such as providing housing for all Americans

and removing the focus on credit to be able to take out required loans early in life before credit can be built to a reasonable standard, these steps are valuable ways of assisting the minority community economically within the current system.

Educationally, however, this plan is much weaker. Instead of taking on Redlining and redefining Common Core so it’s more applicable to a wider range of students’ needs, Trump continues to focus on school choice, and while he proposes an increased number of Pell Grants, private schools will still be overly expensive for many minority families. He also still wants to attack what he labels as “failing schools” by closing them down. Redlining has led to a lack of funding and support for majority-minority schools, and by refusing to assist increasing their education quality and making access to education within a geographic area equitable to that of other areas, Trump is continuing to ignore a major need (continued on page 14)

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Red & Black

Barrett Is a Danger To America Bavi Makkar Red & Black Staff

Courtesy NPR

Rapper’s families clap for Trump at the announcement of his Platinum Plan.

(continued from 13) of the minority community. Even the $20 billion he plans on directing towards broadband to help improve school connectivity won’t be helpful if students’ in-class learning experiences, outside of technology, aren’t improved.

The healthcare section of the Platinum Plan is also underwhelming.

While the plan supports price transparency and investing in research into health problems that disproportionately affect Black Americans, this is also a place in which many call for revolutionary change to alleviate all insurance costs and cheapen hospital visits through things like the Affordable Care Act or even more widespread socialized healthcare. Simply put, his goals are valuable within the system, but a systemic change is what the country and Black community need to have true equity.

This refusal for systematic change extends into the final part. In his attempt to improve race relations between Black Americans and their past and current oppressors, Trump is comfortable doing the visual minimum. To begin, he plans to make Juneteenth a national holiday, which is a positive even though he claimed no one knew about Juneteenth before he brought it to national attention.

He also plans to begin prosecution of KKK members as terrorists and to make lynching a national hate crime,

which are also steps in the right direction even though they should’ve been taken long ago.

However, these don’t truly get to the heart of the issue: oppressive systems that allowed these practices to be normalized, especially a police force that doesn’t take Black lives seriously. He doesn’t plan to support defunding police departments and putting that money into community prevention programs. Instead, he claims to support diversity training for police departments even though he’s opposed that training for federal bureaucratic jobs. While he supports drug rehabilitation as opposed to incarceration, the lack of prevention programs will make these rehabilitation services even more costly due to an increased volume of abusers, and it will still allow addiction to take hold in minority communities.

Many of these policies are at least a positive attempt or step within the system towards equity. But these policies are difficult to take seriously coming from Trump. Trump’s track record implies he could be making promises he only partly intends to keep. And these aren’t issues you can ignore or avoid any longer in America.

If no one can be certain Trump intends to employ these policies, which will have a positive effect, then regardless of what the policies may achieve Trump cannot be offered the chance to see them through.

After the death of feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on Sept. 18., President Donald Trump rushed to fill the empty seat. Despite public outcry for the government to wait until after the 2020 presidential election, Trump pushed to fill it despite the fact that Republicans blocked former President Barack Obama’s 2016 court nominee for 11 months for being “too close to an election.”

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative, is going to work against everything this country has accomplished in the years past.

She frequently works against rights that women have long fought for. Women who use their power to harm other women by reducing their rights and freedom are anti-feminist.

In her legal writings, Barrett does not even believe that the Constitution guarantees women equal protection before the law.

Sydney Fischer ’21 finds “Barrett on the Supreme Court to be deeply concerning as she is frequently questioned of her ability to separate religion from state.” One of the most heavily debated issues she faces is abortion and women’s rights.

Amanda Fitzpatrick ’22 noted that “despite existing barriers in reproductive health care and the fact that abortion remains a complex issue in society, the majority of Americans support a women’s right to legal access to abortion and Justice Barrett is not

representative of this reality. Her expected actions in issues of abortion and health insurance will negatively impact countless women, with a disproportionate impact on people of color.”

Justice Barrett also fights to have the Affordable Care Act ruled unconstitutional, taking way healthcare for millions, which is not exactly favorable during a global pandemic.

Furthermore, there are worries that she would also reverse rights for the LGBTQ+ community, therefore preventing them for either using the restroom they gender identify with, adopting children or even getting married and not just a domestic partnership.

Outside of human rights, Barrett and her conservative panel has considerable influence on environmental policy and as she has called climate change controversial, she is not one to take preventative measures and damage control for global warming.

Courtesy CNN

Amy Coney Barrett takes the oath of office for the Supreme Court.

6 November 2020

Red & Black

Opinions 15

Movie Review: Feminism In Netflix Original Enola Holmes Akansha Das Red & Black Staff

The latest Sherlock Holmes-related content to release on Netflix, Enola Holmes brings a refreshing and witty perspective to the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Starting with the disappearance of Enola’s beloved mother, Eudoria, the movie details her journey to finding Eudoria with the help/ interruptions of her brothers Sherlock and Mycroft.

Right off the bat, viewers will notice the clever ciphers gracefully placed throughout the film to solve the mystery. Along with adding mystery and intrigue, it ties into the inherent extraordinary nature of Enola and her mother while keeping the storyline moving along.

Even better, the explicit and even subtle feminist overtones provide interesting social commentary.

Explicitly, the Victorian era and even today’s day and age holds a stereotypical archetype for an aged woman: senile, unable to make meaningful contributions to society, utterly obsessed and sentimental about their grandchildren. However, a key plot twist within the film along with Enola’s mother herself strongly contradict this stereotype in amazing ways. In pace with the films theme of mocking previously held gender stereotypes, the use of costumes throughout the movie, whether it’s a traditional Victorian gown and it’s accompanying corset, a widow’s costume or a worker’s clothes, provide a symbol of not only how important these “common citizens” are to society

but turns previously restricting clothes that traditionally keep women in their place to one that is empowering and unexpectedly functional. The reveal of what Enola’s mother is ultimately up to will leave viewers surprised but in the end, it demonstrates the way daughters and children don’t weaken a mother by supposedly making them more “emotional” but rather give them a unique strength (as depicted in the movie).

The movie does not simply revolve around Enola. Sherlock is projected in a somewhat new light. Though previously known as an incredibly intelligent detective with an esteemed, untouchable reputation, the ability for Enola and a later character to reduce his reputation so quickly—citing his arrogance and lack of care for his family—is very entertaining and makes his redemption and eventual support of Enola so much more interesting. Along her journey, Enola meets a boy her age also fleeing from home, the Viscount Tewkesbury.

Along with making their journey more adventurous, the Viscount provides an interesting gender role reversal. Rather than embodying the “hero” archetype that whisks his “damsel in distress” to safety, the Viscount Tewkesbury is projected as the “stupid and clueless” of the pair and Enola becomes the one to save his life—on countless occasions.

As enjoyable as the movie was, it could have been trimmed to a crisp hour-and-a-half. Additionally, Enola doesn’t get a complete answer to the central mystery, which could be interpreted as an attempt at leaving the door open for a sequel, an example of artful ambiguity, or for me, simply a little annoying. But overall, Enola Holmes is entertaining, witty,and full of social commentary that is worth your time.

Courtesy The Hoya

Millie Bobby Brown stars in Netflix movie Enola Holmes.

16 Opinions

6 November 2020 Red & Black

Senate Balance Remains Up In the Air

Courtesy Bangor Daily News

Democrat Sara Gideon (left) surprisingly loses to Republican Susan Collins (right).

Dylan Bertovich Red & Black Staff

After Tuesday’s election, much is still in the air. The current Senate balance is being reported as 48 Republican and 46 Democrat seats. The current House has 208 Democrats and 193 Republican seats. Even if the Democrats hold the House and win the White House,

these are not the results that were expected.

There was a large expected blue wave that never materialized. There have been many people guessing to what may have caused this, some blame the left and some blame the center. The only clear answer is that the Republicans definitely did outperform their expectations.

There were some notable losses that the Democrats had placed high hopes on such as Sara Gideon and Cal Cunningham. Sara Gideon surprisingly lost to Susan Collins who was running for her seventh term; winning this, cements her as a Senate powerhouse. Cal

Cunningham lost to first term Thom Tillis, possibly due to his recent scandals. This follows some losses in the House that members have called “future stars,” claiming they were lost too early.

Amanda Fitzpatrick ‘21 stated, “I think that the establishment Democrats failed in this election in getting the votes out. If they cannot get the votes out in this election, when can they get the votes out? The next election in 2022 will most likely have a lower turnout.” The news out of the House after the election was that the chair of the campaigning arm was in serious hot water. He is being accused

of making mistakes that cost the DNC seats and made it harder in the future.

Sydney Fischer ‘21 looked to the future, “I think that we are going to see a lot less accomplishments in the next couple of years. I believe that the next couple of years will look like the years where Obama had a Republican Senate. America in this time of crisis really needs action and I cannot see that happening right now.”

The only thing that all citizens can currently do is look towards the future and the possibility of more shutdowns and stalemates, while the DNC and RNC look forward to what happens in 2022.

sports 6 November 2020

Red & Black

Sports 17

Steelers’ Perfect Season Hopes Stay Alive

Courtesy Steelers Depot

The Steelers’ defense force Lamar Jackson’s 4th turnover on the day.

Grant Allison Red & Black Contributor

The Pittsburgh Steelers got the better of the Baltimore Ravens this past weekend, moving them to the top of the conference with an impressive record of 7-0.

The first half of the game saw the Ravens jump up to an early 17-7 lead, with the Pittsburgh offense not being

able to do much. The only score in the first half for Pittsburgh was an interception returned for a touchdown by up and coming linebacker Robert Spillane.

While the first half saw poor numbers from the offense, the second half was a completely different story. Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took control of the offense, leading them on scoring drives that saw involvement from numerous different players for the Steelers.

Running back James Conner continues to have a good year, finding the end zone once. Rookie wideout Chase Claypool reeled in another receiving touchdown, giving him five on the year. Whenever Big Ben can move the

ball and take command of the offense, not much can stop the Steelers from scoring.

This past weekend, the offense proved it had the ability to hang with a premier defense in Baltimore, and much of it comes at the hands of the longtime QB1.

The defense had a field day against Lamar Jackson, forcing four total turnovers and sacking him numerous times. Although the Ravens were able to accumulate 250+ rushing yards, the Steelers’ defense was able to make their mark on the game by forcing takeaways at key moments.

With the injury of second-year linebacker Devin Bush, Spillane has stepped up and really fulfilled the “next

man up” mentality that the Steelers embellish. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson threw two interceptions and fumbled twice, which is the most turnovers he’s ever had in a single game so far in his young career.

The second most turnovers that Jackson has accumulated in a game?

Also, against the Steelers, last year.

Whatever it is about the Steelers that has the ability to completely halt the former MVP in his tracks should put widespread fear across the league.

The Steelers have proven week in and week out just how lethal they can be. Next game, Pittsburgh matches up with the struggling Dallas Cowboys and should be able to find success against them as well.

18 Sports

Red & Black

6 November 2020

Fantasy Football: Start Them or Sit Them Start Them James Conner Pittsburgh Steelers HB

The Steelers are the only remaining unbeaten team in the NFL through 8 weeks. I don’t see that changing here in week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys. Since the injury to Dak Prescott, the Cowboys haven’t been the same team. Defensively, the Dallas squad has been terrible all year. Conner has had a solid year on the ground while managing to stay healthy. The spiral down hill is going to continue for Dallas and Conner will take advantage.

J.K. Dobbins

Baltimore Ravens HB

Last weekend against the Steelers we may have seen the coming out party of rookie running back from Ohio State, J.K. Dobbins.

With Mark Ingram still hurt and Dobbins 113 yard performance against the NFL’s best defense, expect his snap count to rise this against the Colts. Dobbins talent has never been in question, finding playing time in a very deep running back position for the Ravens has been the issue. I expect to Dobbins to take full advantage of his opportunities again this week.

Sit Them

Courtesy Pittsburgh Steelers

Ezekiel Elliott Dallas Cowboys hB

If you read the Start Them or Sit Them every week will probably picked up on a trend of mine. Sit the running back playing against the Steelers’ defense. Sitting Elliott goes deeper than just the defense he is playing. Since the injury to Prescott, Elliott looks lost on the field. Fumbling has become an issue for a back who normall secures the ball well. Elliott along with other Dallas stars look like they don’t want to be out there anymore.

Antonio Brown

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR

It is good to see Brown back in the NFL. It is not very fun to watch someone go down a path like Brown did, especially when they are one of the best wide recievers of all time. I have no doubt that Brown find success quickly this year, I just don’t think it will be his first week back. Give him this week and maybe next week to get back in game shape and catch up to speed with the rest of the league. By the end of the year, he will be the Bucs WR1.

Courtesy Sportscasting