January 24th, 2024 TCC the Collegian

Stacy Stuewe - Professor advocates for students and faculty Page 3

Wednesday, January 24, 2024 – Volume 37 • Issue 12

@tccthecollegian • collegian.tccd.edu

CRIME

DISTRICT

Looking for answers

Board passes day care services in vote HOPE SMITH

editor-in-chief hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

TR ESOL instructor Lourdes Laguna holds the graduation photo of her son Luis Carlos Laguna Jr. The TCC student was murdered after a ranch party on November 18 in Fort Worth.

Family of murdered student seeks justice HOPE SMITH

editor-in-chief hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu

It was a knock at Lourdes Laguna’s door around 4 a.m. that told her something was not right.

When she opened the door, her son’s best friend told her that he was not responding to his messages. Her fears were confirmed when they found him in the hospital in critical condition.

“Nobody comes to knock on a door with good news,” she said.

TCC student Luis Carlos Laguna Jr., who went by Carlos, was at a ranch party on Northwest 35th Street, in Fort Worth on Nov. 18 with two friends to see the band Nivel Codiciado. At 2 a.m., an altercation occurred involving a group of Hispanic males and females that led to Carlos being shot in his truck while attempting to leave the parking lot. He later died in the ICU. More than two months later, no arrest has been made and the family is still seeking justice.

According to Fort Worth Police Department Detective John Sullivan, there was no clear motive but multiple witnesses at the altercation.

“Somebody in that group witnessed this, and I think that what I’m trying to get across is they need to come forward and tell me,” he said.

Carlos was studying to get his Associate of Arts degree and join the

Navy. He was respectful and independent, and fiercely loving of his family and siblings. Lourdes Laguna, an ESOL instructor at TR Campus, explained that he loved to dance and did not need a dance floor to do it.

He lit up the room.

Anywhere he went, he made a friend

Lourdes Laguna TR ESOL instructor

“He lit up the room,” Laguna said. “Anywhere he went, he made a friend.”

He had a truck that he loved, a black 2008 single cab Silverado that he used to work on with his father.

She explained that he had his truck lowered, while his best friend had his own truck lifted. They often spent time working on their trucks together.

“They just had a good working relationship,” she said. “They were like brothers.”

She explained that Carlos would want to be remembered for his smile, his love of music and his truck.

“He wanted to learn more about his Hispanic roots, which is why he listened to all this music,” she said.

“His goal was to learn more about his heritage. He was very much into that. And that’s why he went to the concert.”

Laguna has had to stay strong for her family and ensure that her children are supported during this time.

“My family comes from a long line of traditional people,” she said.

“We don’t believe in seeking help or getting counseling, but this one was hard. This one, we’re definitely getting help for.”

Carlos’ older sister, Kathi Perez, said she always saw him as strongminded.

“He has always been very blunt – very honest – so he’ll tell you the truth,” she said. “He’s very upfront about how he feels. He’s always been about doing the right thing.”

Her favorite memory with him was the day she took his high school graduation pictures. She said they didn’t often get to hang out together, but that day they had been able to have fun and laugh together.

She explained that the bracelets he had on his wrist were significant to him and his family. He had a red bracelet he always wore that had St. Benedict on it, the saint he chose for his confirmation.

Perez said her father made replicas of the bracelet and gave them See Carlos, Page 2

Both NW and South Campus can expect new child care facilities in 2025 with the Early Head Start program.

Proposed on the Jan. 11 work session, the TCC Board of Trustees reviewed interlocal agreements for two new facilities that would assist student-parents, staff and faculty.

Currently, the only child care program available at TCC can be found at NE Campus.

Kara Waddell, president and CEO of Childcare Associates, explained to the board that the facilities would aid TCC success in more than just parental assistance.

“Head Start and Early Head Start really helps ensure that you’re bringing some of the best practices and quality early education,” Waddell said. “In addition to quality standards, it also brings some resources to the table.”

Trustee Kenneth Barr said that this action holds immense importance in supporting the members of TCC. “I think this is a very See Board, Page 2

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

Gordon Jones, who lives in Denton County, speaks to the board about invocation vote.

DISTRICT

Rain, shine or pandemic, show must go on for TCC district

TCC updated its Academic Continuity Plan on Sept. 1, ensuring that school and administrative services would carry on regardless of disruptions.

The beginning of the semester brought many headaches for students, staff and faculty. Temperatures fell below freezing, with wind chills of up to -10. A wind chill advisory was issued by the National Weather Service as well as The Electric Reliability Council of

Texas issuing weather watch notifications of forecasted significant weather with higher electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves.

When it was announced that classes would begin as scheduled many students took to social media to air their anger and criticism of the school's decision because of freezing temperature and lack of childcare.

"I felt a little disappointed is the best word to use for that,” said SE student Cheyenne Kingston “It was a little difficult mostly for me due to the fact I have a 2-year-old son and I'm a single mom and his

daycare was closed. I had the grace of my great aunt who is a 70-yearold woman, to opt to watch not only my child but my cousin's.”

Many factors such as the pandemic, weather or infrastructure failure like those that affected NW, safeguards the ability to continue online.

Other departments like administration and student services would also be able to continue supporting students and staff online or over the phone depending on the scenario.

"We learned a lot in the pandemic [about] the ability to provide services and instruction in a remote See Weather, Page 2

During the freeze, many roads and highways were iced over.

Mosaic Dance Project NW dance group performed at Dallas Page 4

The Color Purple Actors give noteworthy performance of musical Page 4

Alarming advertising The world has been consumed in targeted advertising Page 5

New Year’s Resolutions Your self-sabatage is stopping you from your goals Page 5

FOUSIA ABDULLAHI

campus editor fousia.abdullahi@my.tccd.edu

Alex Hoben/The Collegian

White Knighting Being a white knight does more harm than you might think Page 5

NEWS

2 • Wednesday, January 24, 2024 STUDENT LIFE

Infographic by Dominick Martinez/The Collegian

Board

Carlos

(continued from page 1)

significant step forward for TCC as something I’ve wanted to see ever since I came on this board,” he said. “I want to applaud the chancellor for her work on this and partnering with Tarrant County and the county judge, Tim O’Hare, to make this happen.”

Chancellor Elva LeBlanc shared the sentiment, explaining that she had been excited to work towards expanding childcare services with Head Start.

“This truly is a special day because we’ve been talking about child years since the college opened 58 years ago,” she said.

In other news, Trustees also approved implementing the United States and State of Texas pledge into each board meeting.

A separate action item, proposed by trustee Laura Forkner Pritchett, would have an invocation, or prayer, included for each meeting.

Pritchett reasoned in a comment to the board that it was the responsibility of the

Trustees, as a government entity, to seek help in these meetings through invocation.

“This board consists of seven individuals representing seven districts across Tarrant County, but this board is also a body that will be held responsible for its decisions and actions,” she said. “How can we not jointly ask for wisdom on decisions and general guidance?”

It was a point of issue a week prior during the work session, with three public comments from community members on the matter that day and two more during the board meeting.

In the end, however, only the pledges were voted on.

“I just wanted to say that I feel that this is something we should do. I was happy that we now have implementation and parameters around how to implement the pledge,” Trustee Shannon Wood said. “I look forward to saying this at every one of our work sessions and board meetings.”

(continued from page 1)

to the immediate family at Carlos’ funeral.

“He said, ‘If there’s ever a point where you miss him, or you are thinking about him, just look at your bracelet,’” she said.

The day Carlos was shot, Perez explained she was at the Fort Worth Stockyards with friends. On her way back, the driver made a detour to check on a friend who had been in a car accident.

“Where the car accident happened ended up being just four minutes away from where my little brother was when he got shot,” she said. “It was at the same time, the exact same time.”

Perez said she is still grappling with the loss of her brother.

“To be honest, I feel like everyone tells

Weather

you it gets easier as time goes, but I feel like it doesn’t get easier. You just learn to live with it,” she said. “It’s kind of like a survival thing after that.”

Perez has gone over in her head the things she felt could have gone differently for her and her brother. Their relationship was complex, and she wishes they had been able to spend more time together.

She addressed these regrets in her final line of her speech at Carlos’ funeral.

“Friends and family of Carlitos, I ask that you put aside any issues that are keeping your family apart,” she said. “One day, they can be taken from you in the blink of an eye, and without reason. If you cannot do it for me, then do it for him.”

(continued from page 1)

setting where possible.” Vice Chancellor and Provost Shelly Pearson.

“It is actually much preferable to shutting down."

Each instructor is responsible for informing students of how class will be conducted in case of disruptions. The main goal is to ensure that learning occurs online

either synchronously or asynchronously. “ We ' v e b e e n d o i n g a l o t o f communication out to the campuses, to the faculty, to campus leadership on different types of scenarios, said Pearson and what responsibilities are but the overall purpose is to keep the business going, to keep instruction and for the students.”

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Wednesday, January 24, 2024 • 3

Photos by Rama Ajlouni/The Collegian

One of English professor Stacy Stuewe’s favorite places on campus is her reading nook in her office. Stuewe has worked at TCC since 2010.

A heart of a giver, she is a survivor A faculty advocate who is passionate about cancer prevention FOUSIA ABDULLAHI

campus editor fousia.abdullahi@my.tccd.edu

In a quiet, dimly lit classroom in NSCW, a handful of students gathered to present their final project for English 2311 with NE professor Stacy Stuewe. Each group or solo presenter picked something about TCC they would like to see change or be fixed.

These topics ranged from extending the hours of the school gym to having more classes available on each campus, so students don’t have to travel between campuses because it affected their ability to be on time and saved money traveling back and forth.

Stuewe took a genuine interest in what the students had to say and encouraged them to find solutions to these issues.

“She’s always been one of those types of faculty members and colleagues that is willing to go above and beyond for anybody, whether it’s students or whether it’s additional faculty,” said graphic communications instructor Sean Fousheé.

That sentiment is shared by students as well, like NE student Ian Kong who notes how kind Stuewe is. “The first thing I noticed when I first walked in is that she’s expressive, and she’s very supportive of people working. Definitely more flexible with their schedules,” Kong said.

Stuewe is originally from Tennessee, where she attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She later got her master’s from Middle Tennessee State University in August 1996 and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington in May 2010.

In May 2018, Stuewe became the English department chair, managing a department with an English faculty of 59, 27 full-time

and 32 part-time.

In November 2022, Stuewe was diagnosed with tonsil cancer.

After chemotherapy and radiation, she is in remission, though she still has scans every three months.

She recently celebrated one-year of being cancer free.

“My husband was just invaluable, she said. He was such a strong support, and my colleagues are so supportive. I just had well wishes from so many people, and that helps a person get through as well.”

According to the American Cancer Society, some studies have shown that a positive attitude improves a person’s chance of survival throughout their disease.

“I really value those times when, especially over the holidays, when we can all get together Stuewe said. And over Thanksgiving It was just thrilling because I had every room filled while everybody was together. I think my husband and family and friends really helped me get through some challenging times this year and it’s really important to make time to spend with all with friends with family in addition to work.”

She radiates optimism and spoke about the importance of having a strong support system in the form of family and friends.

“You know, someone of her age having to deal with such a diagnosis was a shock. But at the same time, you wouldn’t have known it just by being around her, Foushee said. That’s kind of a testament to just her mindset and the way that she approached it.”

Stuewe has become passionate about cancer prevention, and she hopes her experience can help others.

“She has learned from her oncologist to be more aware of her body and to take a proactive approach to her health if there’s

Professor Stuewe is in remission from tonsil cancer. She said one of her favorite places is outside the library.

Stuewe has been awarded the Outstanding Division Department Chair Award for the spring in 2023. something that’s different, notice it and get to a doctor and be an advocate for yourself to get in as soon as possible,” she said “If they find cancer early, and thank goodness, they found mine very early. If they find it early, then they can get rid of it, more easily, and the treatment is more effective. It’s very hard when you get to the later stages.”

Along with that she advocates against the increase in young people becoming addicted to vaping and its adverse health effects, as well as the risk factor for cancer.

“My oncologist mentioned to me that if it weren’t for alcohol, for smoking and for the HPV virus, that we would not have 80% of the cancers that we have today, Said Stuewe So, I think it’s very important, especially for young people in their 20s. There’s an HPV vaccine that prevents six different types of cancer.”

In her 13-year career teaching at TCC, Stuewe has worked closely with this students and staff advocating for the well-being and success of those she teaches and works with.

Foushee describes Stuewe as having the heart of a servant. “She doesn’t shy away from an opportunity to help students, first and foremost, but then also her colleagues.

She puts others first. Pretty much everything that she does and that to me is the defining characteristic of somebody who has a heart of a servant.”

Stuewe also held various leadership roles serving the Texas Community College Teachers Association, the Faculty Senate NE Campus and the NE Faculty Association.

“Professor Stuewe is organized and responsive and leads with pas-

sion and conviction,” Michelle York said, the academic foundations department chair and English instructor.

I have always found her to be a strong faculty advocate and a dedicated teacher.”

One of the things Stuewe is proud of is that when she was president of TCCTA, a when a statement on academic freedom was approved unanimously. The statement said that TCCTA strongly opposes any legislation that seeks to limit open inquiry and discussion on any academic issue, either explicitly or implicitly, including legislation forbidding consideration of subject matter, political tests for faculty or institutions or attacks on faculty tenure.

“If we don’t have that academic freedom, we can’t do our job, said Stuewe. You can’t do service to teaching certain types of literature if you can’t talk about the themes that are in that literature. And so, sometimes those themes are controversial, but we can handle that.

Students can handle that, and faculty can handle that in a diplomatic way and cover those topics.”

While Stuewe continues to support her students, fellow faculty and staff on campus and statewide, she stays upbeat and supportive.

“You can’t get really stressed out about the small stuff, said Stuewe. It makes you. It helps you to put things in perspective about what’s important, like family, friends, having a job where you feel like you are making a difference, because you just never know how much time you have.”

4 • Wednesday, January 24, 2024

ENTERTAINMENT

PERFORMANCE REVIEW

NW dance company performs in Dallas Mosaic Dance takes the stage at All City Dance Ensemble Concert NINA BANKS

managing editor nina.banks@my.tccd.edu

Anela Kindle has been lifted before, but not thrown. In Mosaic Dance Project’s performance, however, she does the latter.

Mosaic Dance Project was cofounded by NW associate professor of dance Lacreacia Sanders in 2004.

Sanders has since co-directed the company with the recent addition Amy Jennings, NW associate professor of dance, joining one year ago.

The company was invited to the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Conference and performed their piece “Monsoon” in three different concerts. An adjudicator was the head of the dance program at Dallas ISD and invited the group to perform at the Dallas ISD All City Dance Ensemble Concert at the Winspear Opera House on Jan. 17.

The company has worked on “Monsoon,” choreographed by Sarah Tran, since September.

“Us as directors, we were on the outskirts as the choreographer came in to work with the dancers and restage the piece. It was so awesome watching her impart her vision onto the dancers and the way they took all of that in. So, I even talked to the dancers now a lot about ‘Where is the calm in the storm?’ And, even in life and other things, they can connect back to that because she did such a great job connecting the work back to life.”

We’re really grateful to work outside as professional artists in the community

Amy Jennings

Associate professor of dance

Photos by Alex Hoben /The Collegian

NW Mosaic Dance Project and Alumni Connection member Queen D’Amore Peters practicing “Monsoon” with the rest of the Mosaic crew. The piece was choreographed by guest artist Sarah Tran. Mosaic has been working on this piece since September.

In addition to serving as the NW instructional aide for the dance department, Faber enjoys embracing the “chaos” of the dance.

“It’s very unique and visually pleasing to look at,” Faber said.

“There are different parts going on at different times. There will be duets and trios and little ensembles.

Monsoon is just the unexpected and that’s kind of how this dance functions. You don’t know what’s coming next.”

The show featured several genres of dance and a stunt. Company member and NW student Anela Kindle was the flyer in the stunt.

“I wanted to try it because you never know if you don’t try it,” Kindle said. “The first thing that went through my head was ‘OK I

trust everyone, and if they drop me, then that trust will be broken, so they better not drop me.’”

Mosaic Dance Project has several performances in the coming semester, including the Silver Edition Anniversary Concert celebrating the 25th year of the NW dance program. Jennings is proud of the work the dancers have put in and the community they have gained along the way.

“We’re just so proud because we were on the verge of it being cancelled,” Jennings said. “And that’s what is so amazing, it’s not just the dancers, it’s the community. Having those connections and we’re really grateful to work outside as professional artists in the community.”

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Alex Hoben/The Collegian

Mosaic members sway back and forth during the practice runs of “Monsoon” in Hamon Hall at the Winspear Opera House.

MOVIE REVIEW

‘The Color Purple’ cast is full of Oscar-worthy performances OLLA MOKHTAR

campus editor olla.mokhtar@my.tccd.edu

how severe and incomparable it is, and the producers, which include original cast member Oprah Winfrey, did it with their talented actors seamlessly.

Nettie’s younger self was briefly played

by Halle Bailey. While marketing has a purpose and putting a well-known face to a movie like this will be great for clicks, she was barely in the movie. It felt like she was put there solely because she is famous.

That isn’t to say she didn’t do well. She did. But why put her promoting the movie in every social media site over another actor who was in the movie longer?

All in all, “The Color Purple” amazed me. It left me wanting to listen to the playlist on the ride home. It made me excited for the first time in a while to see a movie with a mostly Black cast that touched on the sensitive topic of familial abuse in the Black community. One that is taboo at least from what I see in my community and I’m glad it was showcased in a beautifully curated movie.

“The Color Purple” checked off everything needed to be considered a “good movie.”

Full theater filled with Black people – check.

Actual talented people singing – check.

The current version is a remake of the 1985 version. This version stars Fantasia Barrino (Celie), Taraji P. Henson (Shug Avery) and Colman Domingo (Mister.) Both versions are based on the book discussing the tale of two sisters battling misogyny, abuse and sisterhood all the while being separated for the majority of their lives in the early 1900s.

Celie stays with her abusive husband while her sister Nettie gets kicked out after her father tries to touch her inappropriately. Nettie seeks shelter with her sister and brother-in-law, but bad luck doesn’t escape her after that. She is kicked out after her brother-in-law’s failed attempt to rape her as well. The sisters promise to stay in touch with each other but to no avail.

It is a musical, and while I’m not the biggest musical fan, especially not with movies, this one hooked me. However, it was not like any other musical I was dragged into watching. They all seamlessly transitioned into the songs. They were all purposeful, colorful and made the movie more exciting to watch.

The film centered on how Celie endured her husband’s abuse and her life after it.

At one point, I even forgot she was acting, especially when her husband was being so violent. Fantasia, simply put, gave her character her all.

It was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen, and it easily reached the top of my “favorite movies” list.

It was like the audience was there in the setting, there when it happened and was Photo courtesy of Alon Amir almost feeling what she was feeling though it was impossible since it was fiction. It is “The Color Purple” portrays the life of largely about loss and pain and societal pres- the abuse endured by Celie and what sure on women to endure both, no matter she does after she survives it.

OPINION

Wednesday, January 24, 2024 • 5

EDITORIAL

Society can’t go on like ‘The Truman Show’ As people’s needs continue to grow, so does the desire for companies to output tons of advertising.

The discussion surrounding advertisers and their tendency to “over-advertise” has raged on for many years. Countless articles have been published from over five, ten, even fifteen years ago and beyond debating the question of – when is enough, enough? At what point is marketing too much?

And that’s a question that gains even more relevance as time passes.

In the all-new, all-different digital age that people find themselves in, it’s become difficult to avoid the barrage of hundreds, even thousands of in-your-face ads and promos being pushed out onto social media, streaming services, YouTube videos and more.

It’s a lot of information to process. With so many products pushed relentlessly into people’s faces by media personalities, many of which are viewed as a means of escape from the frantic nature of everyday life, it becomes exhausting.

To m a k e m a t t e r s m o r e overwhelming, because of the prominence of personalized browsing in the digital age, a sizable chuck of the ads people see on a day-to-day basis that show off some hot new junk, whether it be some random site or before a YouTube video, only pop-up based on search history and adjusted preferences.

The advertisements are personalized to get not just any

Tj Favela/The Collegian

eyes on it, but your eyes on it. On something to purchase. Something to buy.

Selling people more “stuff” is how companies grow of course, but the methods of which the modern

style of advertising is achieved is intrusive and painfully, once again, in-your-face. The rampant product placements have become so personalized and in-your-face that companies have enlisted the aid

of social media personalities and influencers to promote their products even more to their communities.

There are many exceptions of course, but Instagram, X, YouTube influencers, etc., followed by

hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people can be handed the keys to drive the sparkly sponsorship car and encourage their followers to buy this and that before cheekily chuckling about the link in their bios.

Advertisements have grown in scope and confidence. It’s admirable, but churning out these promotional stunts and sponsorships comes with a price to pay – in this case both figuratively and literally.

Oversaturation is a word many are familiar with, but for the folks who aren’t, it means too much. Too much of a good thing? Too much of a bad thing? No. It’s too much of a thing. Anything, but in this instance it’s about the real possibility that advertisers could be pushing their luck.

Slapping ads on something, anything, will, maybe already has, grown tiresome. Too much stuff to sell to customers who have, much like the process of slapping ads on things, grown equally, if not more tired.

When will the breaking point be? Who’s to say. All that is known now is that there are more and more people who have grown sick of the force-fed advertisements, sponsorships, product placements, etc.

It’s not like people in the digital age can’t be swayed or convinced to buy new things, as there a plenty of instances every day in which people do buy said new things, but in an age where people are more aware than ever of what’s being pushed upon them, utilizing unintrusive marketing strategies could be beneficial.

VIEWPOINTS

New Year’s resolutions can be acheived through habits

HOPE SMITH editor-in-chief

hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu

New Year’s resolutions end where selfsabotaging begins. I write from a place of understanding this concept, four weeks after beginning the new year. It was all so easy to think about, hunched under a table with friends eating grapes and cheering on 2024. The few hours after leave you in a determined mood and anything is possible with that kind of motivation.

But time passes and that motivation packs up faster than a classroom ten minutes before the end of a lecture.

This happens every year without fail.

There are days dedicated to it, in fact. As tribute to the steep drop from the highest hopes people set for themselves, one might unconsciously opt for Quitter’s Day, the second Friday in January. If one is feeling a little bolder, National Ditch Your Resolutions Day falls on January 17. Unlucky for TCC to resume classes on this day, by the way.

Don’t let the pessimism and lack of drive take away from the goals you set for yourself, though. We develop an “all hope is lost” mindset not long after we see the trouble ahead of us.

But these self-sabotaging behaviors take away from a chance at change, and it is not so easy to see it at first.

Psychology Today explained that the most common forms of self-sabotage could

look like procrastination, perfectionism, relationships, work, finances, time and change.

How many times do you feel you pushed your resolutions to the side for those listed reasons?

Sometimes, we do not take our success seriously enough. I think there is a disconnect between New Year’s resolutions and success because we look at resolutions as a year-long attempt at a goal and it becomes dropped because that success only comes after 12 months of working on it. Taking them seriously means knowing when you are holding yourself back.

Habit building is incredibly important in this process because it highlights how you will be able to function in society. Your habits reflect who you are and what you are willing to do.

It was recommended by Mandy French from Medical News Today in the article “Selfsabotage: Why it happens and how to overcome it” that circumnavigating these habits could include setting small goals and seeking support.

Imagine if you were to break your resolutions up smaller and readily achievable? It might also leave less room for procrastination because the pieces can actively be worked on to gain a sense of completion.

It feels more discouraging to try a resolution assuming you’ll stick with it for six months, only to forget and beat yourself up for it.

As an expert in procrastination and distraction, I can easily say working on smaller, shorter deadlines for what I want to accomplish gives me the drive to complete one thing to do another. It’s important that you are doing what works for you.

You deserve the things you want this year and the feeling of accomplishment if you too decide to take on the grapes-under-table tradition with resolutions you are prepared to take on in the new year.

Being a knight in shining armor is not what you think

XAVIER BOATNER campus editor

xavier.boatner@my.tccd.edu

Standing up for people in need is an admirable thing for anyone to do – assuming it’s in good faith.

“White knight” or “white knighting” is a term that, among others, has garnered plenty of attention from people on social media over the years. However, prior to its modern meaning as many now know it, it was a term simply used to describe a heroic figure who fights against injustice and evil. A literal knight or “knight in shining armor” type of character archetype.

The “white” in the term is often in reference to purity, innocence, heroism, among other words with positive connotations. The phrase is a symbol of open mindedness and chivalrous behavior. Both of which have arguably been phased out.

The term is often used in reference to certain people on social media, in an attempt to “protect” and “stand up for” minority groups.

It sounds harmless, but the lengths at which certain folks will justify putting words in the mouths of minority groups is excessive and not the best way to help said groups.

Now, I understand it comes from a place of wanting to do a good thing. People want to be liked. It’s completely normal. People want to help other people. That’s completely normal. But the intent of an action becomes null and void when the action is to the detriment or

pity of others. At least, that’s what I figure.

The idea to take to social media and shoot down things deemed as “problematic” against certain minority groups, under the assumption that those groups are offended paints the picture that said groups can’t speak up for themselves.

There are multiple examples of folks who have taken offense to things on behalf of groups they’re not included in. It is a sort of “second hand outrage” in a way.

Let’s picture a scenario to make this make sense. Envision you’re scrolling through X or Instagram, and you see some artwork of a non-white character. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Now, what if the artist of that work made that character’s skin lighter than usual?

Would that be an invitation to harass the artist on behalf of all non-white people?

Let’s look at a character like Speedy Gonzales from Looney Tunes. A character known for being a kind, super-fast little mouse guy – and a Mexican stereotype complete with a stereotypical Mexican cartoon accent and sombrero. The character has been dragged through the trenches of social media controversy because lots of non-Mexican people have been offended on behalf of Mexican people. It is best to encourage people to speak up against things that bother them, instead of putting words in their mouths and speaking for them.

To me, white knighting, at least now, is the act of talking for groups of people, not to come to their aid, but to be perceived as a good person on the outside and look better standing up for those who apparently can’t stand up for themselves.

It’s admirable to want to stand up for those in need, assuming it’s in good faith.

However, it is anything but admirable to victimize and infantilize groups of people for the sake of becoming your own self-proclaimed hero. At least that’s what I figure.

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6 • Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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