DECEMBER 2019 • ISSUE 5

THE

BLACKPRINT DEC 2019 • ISSUE 5

Inclusivity & Intersectionality

AU EXCELLENCE

LANGUAGE DEBATE

DOMINIQUE JACKSON

CARRIBEAN CIRCLE

DR. JULIANA MARTÍNEZ

THE CARRIBEAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAMPUS...6

CULTURE...14

POETRY...24

OPINION...30

COVER | INSET: ALEXIS LLEWELLYN

MODEL: MONIQUE RICKENBACKER

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E K O W Y A T #S

*Cue “Moesha” journaling music* Dear Diary, I can’t believe that my time at AU is coming to an end so soon, but I’m excited to start a new chapter of my life. I’m thankful I had the honor of being a part of and leading The Blackprint.

It will always be the best part of my college experience. Its where I learned to love reporting, found mentors and made friends. From the first meeting, I knew I wanted to be Editor-inChief, and it was everything I’d hoped it would be. Nothing has been more rewarding than proving to myself that I had the leadership skills, creativity and passion to lead this publication.

Our fifth zine is a collective work entirely by students of color. I hope you can enjoy and marvel at the final accomplishment of the team that makes Zshekinah & I so proud.

Yours,

Alexis Arnold

Dear Diary, My favorite part about being a student at AU is quite literally being apart of The Blackprint.

If I could wear BP swag all the time I would.

Every BP EIC before me, (including my current Co-EIC) overflowed with Black Excellence. Last semester when I found out I was chosen to be Co-Editor In Chief, I was nervous about the responsibility of filling those shoes. When the fall semester started, I looked around the Student Media Office saw Alexis by my side and our amazing E-Board and I knew everything was going to be chill. Our team worked so hard on this zine, so we truly hope you enjoy The Blackprint Zine: Issue 5 focusing on Caribbean Identities. Thank you to all of our BP supporters, until next time (aka Issue 6).

Love,

Zshekinah * Music fades out*

TAINAYA NASH-CHEATON

LETTERS FROM THE EDITORS

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MICHAEL OLSEN

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AU EXCELLENCE:

LEADERS OF THE CARIBBEAN CIRCLE

BY DEZIMEY KUM Caribbean Circle gives you a little taste of the Caribbean from the cultural perspective of nations such as Barbados, Guyana, Dominica, Haiti, Jamaica, and many more.

Whether you represent the Caribbean or want to indulge in the culture, American University’s Caribbean Circle provides a space for students interested in Caribbean culture and take part in event programming.

President Clifford Young and Vice President Thalia Etienne sat down with The Blackprint to discuss the presence of the Caribbean culture on campus as well as the diversity that makes the island unique.

THE BLACKPRINT: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Caribbean?

CLIFFORD YOUNG: The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the Caribbean is the vivacious spirit of the region. Our spirit shows forth in every aspect of our culture. From music and carnival time to food and our local dialects, the Caribbean—also known as the West Indies—is incomparable to none.

BP: What is a misconception about the identity of Caribbean people? What effect does that have?

THALIA ETIENNE: A common misconception is that Caribbean people are overly sexual. Caribbean culture is often hyper-sexualized based that way we dance, and certain genres of music, specifically dancehall. I feel

like this places a negative stigma on Caribbean people, specifically women.

BP: Caribbean music tends to vary in rhythm and beat from island to island, what is your favorite genre of Caribbean music? (Young) YOUNG: My favorite genre of Caribbean music is Soca music. It originated in the twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago and spread throughout the Caribbean with each island putting a twist on Soca.

BP: For someone who does not come from a Caribbean background or is not familiar with Caribbean culture, how does one appreciate Caribbean culture without disrespecting it?

ETIENNE: Recently, Caribbean music has become more mainstream. For example, the song “Toast” by Koffee has been all over the party scene lately. Someone who has been known to incorporate Caribbean Culture in his platform is Drake. He is definitely a hot take in the Caribbean community. Drake is often found speaking in an accent that is supposed to resemble the Jamaican accent and their patios. He often commercializes this to build his platform, and incorporates this in his image, which can be seen as problematic and appropriation.

BP: What are your top 3 Caribbean dishes?

YOUNG: My top three dishes are Curry Goat with White Rice, Ackee and Saltfish with Breadfruit, and Flying Fish with Breadfruit.

YOUNG: I represent the countries my parents were born in Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Jamaica, the land of wood and water, has a culture so unique that is recognizable around the world. If you starting Bob Marley, everyone worldwide will be able to sing along. For Saint Vincent, our island is recognizable through various scenes in the Pirates and the Caribbean series and the various foods including traditional whale.

BP: Do you see any overlaps of Caribbean culture in other cultures? Is it appropriation or appreciation?

ETIENNE: Since the Caribbean is extremely diverse, it can be said that there is an overlap of various cultures around the globe. Within the islands that I have more familiarity with, specifically my home island of Dominica (not to be mistaken for the Dominican Republic), I see a lot of West African and French overlaps. Since Dominica is considered to be Francophone, Zouk and Boyon is similar to that of music most common in Francophone countries in Africa. I have recently noticed that certain food staples in some West African countries are similar in some islands, but known by a different name. For example, a common herbal drink in West Indian Culture is Sorrel, but in West Africa, it is referred to as Bissap Juice.

BP: In a space that is limited to American ideals, how do you express your Caribbean identity on campus?

ETIENNE: Caribbean Circle members often express our identity by hosting events that showcase the plethora of foods within the islands as well as the music and vibrant culture. On our social media pages, we also share funny

BP: What is the mission of Caribbean Circle? How do you promote Caribbean culture on campus?

YOUNG: Caribbean Circle is to serve as an active educational vehicle for the American University by promoting the social, cultural, and political aspects of Caribbean life, and presenting issues from a Caribbean perspective. The Caribbean Circle shall also be dedicated to promoting unity among Caribbean students at the university and the entire American University community.

I promote Caribbean culture in small and large ways.

Whether I report a photo on social media detailing a historical event in the history of the region or a meme that pokes fun at the culture, people are exposed to the various parts of Caribbean culture. On a larger scale, my position in Caribbean Circle as President allows my team and I to plan general body meetings where we discuss different aspects of Caribbean culture and our annual pageant exposing the AU community to Caribbean Carnival.

BP: Why did you want to be in a leadership position? What have you learned from being a club leader?

YOUNG: I wanted to serve in Caribbean Circle because I felt that I had something to contribute concerning Caribbean culture on campus. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, I had been exposed to Caribbean culture in all parts of my life. Thus, coming to AU and seeing the lack of Caribbean culture both on campus and in the DC area, I felt as though joining Caribbean Circle would allow me to reconnect with the culture that I have always been immersed in. During my time serving as a club leader, I have learned a lot from how to plan an on campus event, request the funds to be able to do so, and build on my ability to work with others to plan, execute, and host events small and large.

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MACKENZIE MEADOWS (BELOW)

BP: Being (interviewee’s country), what sets apart (the island) from the other islands in the Caribbean?

memes that resemble common themes that we all share despite where our islands may be geographically.

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A DANCE ON COLORISM: INTERVIEW WITH STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHER DOMINIQUE DEMPSEY

BY GENEVIEVE JECROIS

Dominique Dempsey is an International Studies and Dance double major, who choreographed and presented her work in ChoreoLab, at the Greenberg Theatre. I had the pleasure to not only interview Dominique, but also dance in her piece titled, “Go Play in the Sun.” It was truly an honor to share her story on stage, and even more empowering to hear her experience as we sat down and reflected on the 10-week journey she took to develop her piece.

THE BLACKPRINT: In the context of dance, what does colorism mean to you?

DOMINIQUE DEMPSEY: Dance is a great research tool, a great tool to transcend cultural boundaries, and a great way to confront issues in a non-confrontational way. Art has the power to neutralize a controversial topic in a way that makes people sensitive enough to consider someone else’s lived experience where otherwise, if they were to say it in words, there is room for rejection. In context to colorism, I really wanted to use dance as a way to bring a topic that isn’t talked about to the forefront. Bringing it to a community that doesn’t know what colorism is or has never been affected by it.

BP: I like how you said that you wanted to bring the topic of colorism in a space where it’s not talked about, especially in the dance community that’s predominantly white. So, how did casting play a role in your decision making?

DD: You audition who was there to audition. I already knew going into making a piece about an aspect of race, ethnicity and color in a predominantly white community, that I may not have access to all the people of color I wanted to be represented. I wanted a diverse cast because colorism doesn’t only affect the black community, but it affects various communities. However, I feel like in my casting I wasn’t able to portray the global representation of colorism, but I was able to portray different body structures. I wanted to stay away from a white skinny ballet eurocentric cast, which is something I did intentionally.

The concept was still able to shine through, but not in the way that I originally planned. Ideally, I would have a person of every hue, but the casting taught me how to teach this concept to a cast that is white, black and multiethnic.

BP: What message did you want to send out?

DD: I wanted people to understand what colorism was, who it affects and why it exists. In my work, I was very tempted to have a happy ending, but two nights before the show I cut the ending leaving it where Malcolm X repeats, “bleach.” I did that because it left the audience in a space of dissonance. I didn’t want a happy ending because that’s not reality. I believe it’s more impactful to have people come up with their own conclusions about that because I didn’t want to give the audience a chance to be comfortable.

BP: In addition to using Malcolm X, “Who Taught You to Hate Yourself” speech as an agent to address the message of colorism, how else did you try to send out this message?

DD: There’s a hand game called “Get Back Jack” that I used in the piece to talk about race and skin color. I also conducted interviews with people from AU’s community that have been affected by colorism. I think that’s the dominant part of the piece because it shows that there’s a member in this community whose mother still skin bleaches, who skin bleach herself and has to deal with and overcome that. The interview talked about colorism in a historical, present and ongoing context where your hearing from a student that’s still struggling with colorism.

BP: What was your inspiration for making a piece on colorism?

DD: To be completely transparent, I’ve always struggled with colorism. My application essay to AU was about the first time I realized I was Black and the first time I realized my Blackness was too dark of a blackness. The rundown was that, I was in kindergarten playing with blocks with a white girl and another Black girl, who was lighter than me, joined in. I was then kicked out by the White girl because I was too dark. Also in ninth grade, I read The Color Complex and I wanted to share my revelation about the negative effects of colonization. The inspiration for this piece was from my personal experience, struggling with colorism growing up and seeing my friends also struggle with it.

BP: What challenges did you face? Did you want to back out of doing a concept on colorism, since it’s such a heavy topic?

DD: Definitely, there were moments where I felt that the concept wasn’t working and I wasn’t sure how to explain this concept through movement. My freshman year, Chelsea Greene choreographed a dance called “Dear Mothers of the Movement” and in that piece, she utilizes a letter she wrote thanking mothers, whose children have been killed by police brutality, for pushing for activism. I was inspired by her work in the sense that she doesn’t only utilize movement, but has other aspects that inform the movement to give the audience context to understand the movement better. I had to stop thinking that movement was the only outlet to display what the concept is.

BP: What resources and/or tools did you use to come up with the piece?

DD: I researched a lot! As an SIS major, I had to take International Research and my research paper was on colorism in Ghana. Reading about skin bleaching that’s

occurring there and how they are trying to regulate that system informed my decision to focus on, how does colorism affect an individual's relationship with the sun? I established my research question, then conducted movement research with my dancers in the studio by giving them dance prompts like, what does it feel like to bathe in the sun? I also conducted outside research, bringing in articles and videos in the studio for my dancers to be better informed.

BP: Lastly, why did you chose the title, “Go Play in the Sun? DD: I never ever want to hear again, “stop playing in the sun because you’re dark enough already.” I originally had a long title that academia would love, but what I simply wanted to say was go play in the sun and no matter what society tells you about the gradient of your skin color, you should be able to live freely and get as dark as you want.

Photographer - Jeffery Watts Title of the Piece - “Go Play in the Sun” Choreographer - Dominique Dempsey Dancer Pictured - Dominique Dempsey Date of Performance - November 8 and 9 Location - Greenberg Theater, American University (Choreo Lab)

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BLAINE MENGISTU-GUNN

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DOMINIQUE DOMINIQUE DOMINIQUE DOMINIQUE DOMINIQUE JACKSON: DOMINIQUE DOMINIQUE JACKSON: JACKSON: JACKSON: JACKSON: JACKSON: JACKSON: BEING INCLUSIVE OF DIFFERENCE & VISIBILITY

BY JAQUELINE MARTINEZ

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A

USG Women’s Initiative invited award-winning actress, activist, model, and author, Dominique Jackson to American University’s campus on Nov. 6. In addition to her role as Elektra Wintour on the hit series, “POSE,” she demonstrates versatility on a range of platforms and roles and accredits her past to much of her success today.

Jackson describes being awarded the Human Rights Campaign’s National Equality Award in Sept. 2019 as her proudest moments, “I am just being me!”. Receiving the award invoked many emotions for Dominique after words of affirmation coupled with words of self-doubt echoed in her head.

“This is where I am going to be. I'm going to be on TV. But then the other side of me will go, girl, you're a trans woman, you’re Black, it’s never happening. But I knew in my heart that that's where I belong. And it happened to me,” said Jackson. However, it was not always a smooth journey.

Born on the Island of Tobago, Dominique Jackson navigated life as a Black trans woman, encountering many trials and tribulations. She often experienced being told she would not be accepted, but tolerated, impacted her for years.

“That statement made me forever feel like I would never ever be accomplished. I would never ever be someone,” she expressed. Dominique spoke on the appreciation of growth she had for her Caribbean mother after having apologized to Dominique when mistakenly referring to her by her dead name. Although she values her mother’s love, she affirms: “I can never be established, unless I know that when I wake up in the morning, my trans sisters and brothers are not seen as trans, but as seen as human beings.”

POSE is a groundbreaking show that explores queer lives within New York during the 1980’s and features many multifaced stories of Black and Latinx trans

women. One can argue that progress is being made with representation in media, however trans women of color are still being killed and discriminated against at alarming rates. The Human Rights Campaign released an annual report regarding the epidemic on Anti-Transgender violence; since the start of 2019, at least 22 transgender and gender non-conforming people have been in the U.S., all but one were Black. It's important to note that these numbers likely underreport the fatal violence that targets those who may not be properly identified as transgender or gender non-conforming.

Jackson unpacked with the audience the idea of excluding particular groups of people. “Why would you look to the person next to you and think that they're less than you? We do that all the time. You know why? Because you're not happy and satisfied with yourself.”Jackson expressed that although she is striving for inclusion of she often questions if she had done anything wrong. Her answer: “Nope. I lived, I survived, now I thrive.”

Pain is not a foreign concept in her experiences, but she used it to grow. She has been consistent with her goal of telling the story rather than seeking out establishment.

Dominique reminisced on a beautiful life as she reflected on her discovery the night she could truly become her full self- “it was okay for me to be bold, it was okay for me to be a transwoman.”

In her words, “The traumas that you face, creates you.

The hurt, the pain, when somebody walks up to you and tells you that you don’t belong, it is not for us to turn back and embrace it. It is for us to realize that this is how people feel and then move forward from there.”

By the end of our interview, she had spoken her truths.

In spite of being emotional, she assured the audience that, “I may be crying right now and emotional. But if I wasn't heard, I wasn't great. If I wasn’t traumatized, I couldn't sit here before you and tell a story.”

AMANDA NYAKELA NYANG’ORO 12

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MIGUEL TAN

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CARNIVAL IN THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS

BY FESTICIA BOVELL AND TAINAYA NASH TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CARNIVAL The first-ever modern Carnival took place in Trinidad and Tobago. It is held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Thousands of visitors outside of the island and locals flood to the capital city, Port of Spain. Carnival Monday starts with J’Ouvert at 4 am with people flooding the streets immersed with paint, grease, and mud until sunrise. On Carnival Tuesday, masqueraders head into the streets of the island with colorful costumes with soca steelpan and calypso music following them.

BARBADOS, “CROP-OVER” In Barbados, the Carnival celebration is called “Crop-Over.” Visitors and locals flood the streets with international celebrities, including Bajan Singer and Entrepreneur, Rihanna. Revelers dress up in colorful costumes covered in feathers and jewels. They are joined with music trucks and moving bars and a climax of energy. Crop-Over ends with Grand Kadooment Day where Maquarade bands head to Spring Garden highway with revelers.

HAITI, “HAITIAN DEFILE KARNAVAL” The Haitian Carnival takes place in Port Au-Prince and has a different cultural theme every year. “Ayiti sou wout chanjman” (Haiti, on the road to change) was the theme in a previous year. The celebration includes people dancing to music in the streets with costumes, elaborate floats, and colors that reflect Haitian culture.

BRAZIL, “RIO DE JANEIRO” Brazil is home to one of the largest carnivals. Rio De Janeiro is a seaside city and each year carnival takes place right before lent. The streets will be filled with samba schools—groups of people that live in the same community and want to celebrate carnival together.

MARTINIQUE CARNIVAL This five day long celebration starts bright and early at 5am. You can expect to hear percussion instruments and trumpets. People come together to celebrate and each day there is a different theme from day of Burlesque Weddings to the day of the devil.

15 CAYMAN ISLANDS, “BATABANO”

DOMINICA CARNIVAL “MAS DOMNIK” “Mas Domnik” two day celebration happens right before lent. But the celebration spans over months before the actual celebration. Typically there will be feasts and pageants in the months leading up to carnival.

GRENADA CARNIVAL “SPICE MAS” “Mas Domnik” two day celebration happens right before lent. But the celebration spans over months before the actual celebration. Typically there will be feasts and pageants in the months leading up to carnival.

GUYANA “MASHRAMANI” This is a day of celebration for Guyana, as it was the day they became a republic in 1970. “Mashramani” means “celebration after cooperative work.” To celebrate becoming a republic there are costume competitions, float parades and much more.

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA CARNIVAL To celebrate the emancipation of slavery they have the Antigua and Barbuda Carnival. It typically takes place from the end of July to the first week of August. This 13-day carnival has been held annually since 1957.

ST. LUCIA CARNIVAL Originally the St. Lucia Carnival was known as the Lucian Carnival. The festivities begin with J’ouvert, a street party that happens on the first day of carnival. For J’ouvert it is common for people to cover themselves in foam, mud, and body paint to have fun and celebrate carnival.

ALEXIS ARNOLD

“Batabano” refers to the carnival that takes place in the Cayman Islands.

Carnival takes place in George Town and is a place where people from all backgrounds can come together to celebrate community. During the first week in May you can expect to find people ready to celebrate and ready to have a good time.

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ALEXIS ARNOLD

As a Bahamian-American, I often find myself sitting on the hyphen between these two identities— trapped between two worlds, not allowed to be one or the other.

I was born in the Bahamas and moved to New York at two years old.

At eight, I moved back to the Caribbean and eight years after that I returned to New York. Both of my parents are Bahamian-born, though my mother also has African American heritage.

Like others, I am cursed with the blessing of having a layered identity.

At times I stood out when I longed for nothing more than to fit in.

Alone in the mirror, I religiously practiced my Bahamian accent and worked to perfect the dialect— trying to get my “vell muddasick!” at just the right cadence. Needless to say, my efforts were in vain. At school, my classmates still asked, “You from the States aye?” because of my apparently unshakeable American accent, which ironically was never American enough to fool actual Americans since I always heard, “Are you Jamaican?” when I was in New York.

“OH, YOU’RE NOT CARIBBEAN CARIBBEAN”

BY ARIANA DUFORD

But here’s the reality: There is no right way to be West Indian. There’s no rulebook or guidelines. You’re still Jamaican if you can’t speak patois and you’re still Guyanese if you refuse to eat pepperpot.

Your identity is still valid even if you only get to visit the Carribbean once a year. Your identity is valid even if you’ve never stepped foot on the island where your roots spring from.

The validity of ones identity stems from the inside—no outside force has any bearing on that.

To discredit someones identity is to tell that person they don’t fit within the narrowly and arbitrarily defined parameters someone else has drawn.

It’s time to put aside the superiority

complex and put down the badge.

You’re not the identity police.

Then what makes a person an authentic Carribbean? Is it her ability to “Dutty Wine” on command or his crab catching skills? Or maybe it’s something more.

Maybe, it’s her unwavering loyalty to the island she calls home, or the sense of pride he feels when he notices a Virgin Islands sticker on a car’s bumper. Maybe it’s that instant connection the first day of class when a student announces that she too reps the 868.

To the West Indians at heart, who live thousands of miles away from their homes and code switch so often they’re not sure what they actually talk like—you are seen. To the West Indians who have never seen the sun rise over the rolling hills of an island that they pray for every night—you are understood. As West Indians we each have the freedom to decide what it means to be West Indian. Your identity is yours to define.

For me, exposure to two distinct cultures shaped my understanding of the world. From a young age, the long flights back and forth between America and the Bahamas forced me to realize that there were worlds outside of my own, ready and willing to be explored—that 30,000 feet below me other people, other cultures, and other stories existed at the same time as mine. All different and yet, all valid.

Now when someone asks where I am from, I don’t hesitate to answer because I don’t have to choose. I am a proud Bahamain—born, bred, ga dead! But I’m also from the southern shores of Long Island, New York, and will debate you until Christ comes back about the perfection that is the Long Island bagel. I am both. And so, the hyphen might not be the worst place to exist.

HIGH CULTURE VS. LOW CULTURE: The pressure to have the flyest fit in the room or even the reputation of “dressing to the nines” is one that plagues many Black Gen Zer’s. As opposed to others who don’t lose an ounce of sleep over it, but to each its own. According to an article entitled, Black Consumers Have ‘Unprecedented Impact’ in 2015’ from The Atlantic, “Black buying power is projected to reach $1.2 trillion this year and $1.4 million trillion by 2020”. Black consumerism is power, yet we are often left out of the conversation and looked down upon despite embracing our effortlessly cool style.

Growing up in suburban Minnesota, I learned at a very early age, how people perceived me would be indicative of how widely “accepted” I would be and unfortunately in a Westernized society it started and stopped with my outward appearance. From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be a fashion designer.

However, like many children, I lacked the focus and automotive skills to be able to strategically plan designs from start to finish. Due to my parents' decision to enroll me in private school, I wore uniforms my entire schooling career (literally from age 5-18), but never failed to express myself through clothing whenever I was afforded the chance.

The drive I had to be a fashion designer fizzled away quickly but was later reignited, in a new form upon my decision to come to American University, and study Public Relations. As a fashion enthusiast and aspiring fashion PR consultant, I question the existence of so-called “luxury streetwear” brands. Brands like; Off White, Yeezy, and Supreme.

These companies' business models are simple, monetize off urban streetwear, that’s been popularized by Black people in this country, while simultaneously uplifting and emboldening the inaccessibility of these “original styles”.

The monetization of the urban look and what the cool kids wear, if you will, is just another agent in the oppression of minorities in this country.

BY CHASE VINCENT Strategically and conveniently, companies negate any implications of this, despite the ample evidence. A Black man wearing a hoodie and a pair of loose-fitting jeans compared to a white male, around the same age wearing the same out will evoke different emotions from their onlookers, despite their identical apparel.

Many companies are infamous for culturally appropriating traditionally garments from a multitude of ethnic groups globally, and not attributing proper credit. It’s important to note, the biggest perpetrators of this are fast fashion companies like Forever 21 or Fashion Nova because of the reasonable prices and decent quality, its a quick fix. The entire approach of quite literally mimicking an exact type of style and upping the monetary value is an entirely different beast.

What does this mean to consumers?

It subsequently means you can dress like the cool kids in Harlem, and have the satisfaction of knowing you dropped 1.5k on a pair of diamond-studded combat boots.

One of the most beautiful things about fashion and the influence of fashion in Black communities is the essence of self-expression. Due to the ever-looming history of slavery and consequent oppression in this country, being able to self express through clothes is a beautiful thing. Let’s face it, Black people have a large influence over what being cool looks like and how it is expressed in its physicality, more specifically regarding fashion.

Being Black and accepted in American is synonymous with being accepted visually by the dominant culture, and in many of these spaces, we lack that power. However, when we get the chance to express ourselves through our clothing we do, and we trailblaze (in the process). It’s an injustice for these companies to not recognize that. In order to have our voices heard and validated we must acknowledge, support, and uplift Black designers as well as other designers of color. Black people have always made a way out of no way, our visibility in the fashion industry shouldn’t differ.

KIRAN KAUR AHLUWALIA

THROUGH THE LENS OF FASHION

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COURTLAND SUTTON

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MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA IN

BY PETRUCE JEAN-CHARLES

According to a National Center for Biotechnology Information, Black Caribbeans are disproportionately represented in mental health statistics than their counterparts and that these studies often carry racial biases and often misrepresent people of color.

According to a book titled “Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care,” by a professor of social work Frank Keating, Caribbean people are more likely to receive harsher treatment in comparison to African Americans including seclusion, control, and constraints.

These treatments contribute to negative perceptions of mental health within this community and cause Caribbeans to delay seeking help, especially men.

“A factor that contributes to the disadvantages that African and Caribbean people experience in mental health services is the ‘risk agenda’ that has dominated mental health policy over the last number of years,” as stated in the book.

Existing research revealed that the Caribbean community has depression rates at 12.9 percent, compared to African Americans at 10.4 percent. The study further explored areas of income, housing, and environment that contribute to the lack of healthcare that Caribbean communities receive.

The sample used for the study was selected from residential areas that had a large population of African American and Caribbean individuals, which made up 10 percent of the population. The response of mental health issues from Caribbean people was 77.7 percent compared to 70.7 percent for African Americans.

“Caribbean Black’s background and community life experiences distinguish them enough from African Americans to modify associations found between perceived neighborhood characteristics and depression,” according to the study.

Caribbean people tend to be prescribed drugs as a primary treatment instead of therapy, as a result suicide attempts are increasingly higher.

The study shows that Caribbean men have the highest rates of attempted suicide among Black Americans, and are three times more likely to have their symptoms

THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY ignored than their white counterparts, according to the book.

Clifford Young, President of American University Caribbean Circle at American University, agrees and thinks that having external guidance outside of family is important. Caribbean Circle seeks to promote the social, cultural and political aspects of Caribbean life on campus.

Young is the child to a Jamaican mother and father from St. Vincent who are both in the medical field. He said that his parents tried to justify mental health with physical pain, saying, “If your physical health is fine, you must be fine.”

Young believes that Caribbean immigrants are facing a crisis of understanding mental health because children are now forcing the conversation, persuading their parents to let go of the toxic ideologies that have been prevalent in the islands.

According to Young, many parents want to keep issues quiet because they don’t want to look bad in front of family and friends.

“We are first generation Americans dealing with our parents not being able to help us in certain situations, so we have to overcome different obstacles in our families,” Young said. “We are dealing with not identifying with other Black people and other things that are common with being Black in America.”

The community has come a long way in terms of mental health and Caribbean parents are becoming more exposed. Medical professionals are continuing to encourage Caribbean people to seek help, even though there are still disparities within the system.

The Biotechnology study suggest that safe spaces can only be created when mental health services change the negative perceptions associated with medical professionals in the Caribbean communities.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH A KOREAN ADOPTEE NOTE: This is the first time my mom and I had a real heart-toheart about her experiences growing up as an adoptee in the United States. Growing up myself, I saw her as an average woman with an average story because she has always been humble about her life and made sure others were taken care of before herself. She is selfless and she is kind. To start a life of her own without having the same support system as others is an incredible feat that I don’t think many people can attempt and succeed at. She will forever be the only woman I look up to. I hope this does her justice and teaches others what my mother instilled in me: to be kind, considerate and mindful of those around us. We all come from different backgrounds and that is okay.

Mom, I love you.

Miriam Post WHERE WERE YOU ADOPTED FROM? I was adopted from Gwangju, South Korea on November 10th, 1976. I was about 5 or 6 at the time.

BACKROUND: DANIST

WHAT WAS IT LIKE LIVING IN THE ORPHANAGE? DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORIES? It was a bit of a struggle when I was little. My memory starts around 4 or 5 years old. I didn’t know any better because I didn’t wasn’t aware of what life was like living with a traditional family. I moved around a lot so whoever was in the orphanage ended up being my family. I don’t have any specific memories but I was with a variety of kids and you would call the adults ‘teacher’. We would get up in the morning and play with each other, eat together, all go to bed together and on Sunday we had to go to church and if we didn’t we would get punished.

DO YOU REMEMBER BEING ON THE PLANE HEADING TOWARD THE UNITED STATES? I do remember being on the plane and there was this little girl next to me named Mia. She was the girl I sat with the

entire time. When we came off the plane we were holding hands. She started crying like crazy because we got separated and it was scary. Other than being scared and nervous that’s all I remember.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP IN A FAMILY THAT LOOKED VERY DIFFERENT FROM YOU? In the beginning, it wasn’t that much of a problem. I kept thinking I was in another orphanage. The reason why I looked at it that way is because I thought it was going to be a temporary stay. My mother ran a daycare in our neighborhood so all the kids would come over to play.

The only difference I noticed was the other kids would go home and they wouldn’t sleep with me. The only people that slept with me were my brother and my parents. My parents then explained to me that I was their daughter. I didn’t care that they looked different from me because they loved me. I knew that they were never going to go away. One thing that has stayed with me from growing up in a family that looks different from me is sometimes I wake up in the morning thinking I look white, but when I see my own face in the mirror I see Asian. At times I felt that my face didn’t match how I felt inside because I grew up in a white family and I thought I was white because of that.

WERE THERE ANY CULTURE SHOCKS? I had a few. When my mother and I were walking one time I spit on the sidewalk. My mother was mortified that I spit because that was normal back in Korea. I also didn’t know what a toilet was because in the orphanage we only had an outhouse. When I first came to the United States I used to also roll out of bed a lot too because in the orphanage we had to sleep on the floor too. I also got into a lot of physical fights at school because I was always teased

racism as much. I learned to not care because I was me and nobody else. You eventually find people who are like you. I ended up in more of an Asian American crowd and they understood me. The only time I didn’t fit in my group of Asian friends was when they spoke mandarin in front of me and forgot I didn’t know Mandarin. As I got older I also realized that people grow up and certain things in life are not as important. I don’t care about what your culture is and I don’t care where you’re from. As long as you’re a decent human being I’m good. As time goes on you find yourself and your way.

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IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO THOSE ADOPTEES FROM MY GENERATION OR YOUNGER GROWING UP AS AN ADOPTEE IN THE USA?

at school and in the orphanage you fought for what you wanted or were bullied. There was definitely a behavior shock.

WOULD YOU SAY YOU IDENTIFY WITH BEING ASIAN IN ANY WAY DESPITE GROWING UP IN A WHITE HOUSEHOLD? No, not really, except for physically looking like it. I noticed people were always looking at me and trying to figure out how I fit into my family though. I never tried to fit in when I was younger because I didn’t know any better.

When I was older though I realized I was different from other Asians. I was comfortable around them because they looked like me but I was not comfortable with their culture. I didn’t know their lifestyle but I know I looked like them. I know in my heart that I would never be fully accepted by other Asians.

Always be patient and understand and embrace the difference between you and others. It’s always about learning, especially as an adoptee. As an adopted person you learn from the situations and people around you. Try to be more patient and there will be fewer mistakes in your life.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FUNNY OR MEMORABLE STORIES SPECIFICALLY OF BEING ADOPTED? When I got off the plane and met my family for the first time my father had a ridiculous Russian hat on with rabbit fur. When we got home my father had taken his hat off and I thought he took his hair off because he was bald. That same night I watched [my mother] take her hair down and take out her fake hairpiece. I realized that Americans were weird and that inspired me to be a hairdresser. I found it also strange that Americans were all different skin colors and mesmerized by how big their noses were.

GROWING UP DID YOU EVER FEEL THE PRESSURE OF NOT BEING ASIAN ENOUGH? WERE THERE ANY PREJUDICES YOU FACED FROM OTHER ASIANS OR FROM OTHERS? FAMILY PHOTOS: MIRIAM POST

The pressure I felt from other people were from other Asians that were truly Asian. Like, their parents came over from Asia or they grew up within an Asian household. I felt like an outcast with them because they didn’t understand my situation and didn’t like the fact I grew up in a white family. I was always seen as the girl with the white family among them. Among the Caucasians and African Americans I was seen as an authentic Asian, but I really wasn’t. I faced a lot of racism in high school too. I was always teased because I was different. People always assumed I spoke some type of Asian language.

People were ignorant. On the outside, they only saw me as another Asian who only spoke Mandarin and that I knew Kung fu. As I got older I didn’t feel the pressure or

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23

LYONNA YOHANNES

SAYUKTA AGARWAL

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BROWN

BY NYVIA TAYLOR Mother taught me to regurgitate the very venom she bit me with.

How to let its burning acid rickashay off my tongue.

And seep through my teeth.

And balance beam my lips.

Mother taught me how to let my back be Brown.

Bending to the touch of ghost-like flesh.

Mushy.

Appearing solid enough for only the enjoyment of seconds.

Mother taught me to be smooth, rough where it counts.

PINK

(THANKS TRUMP)

BY NYVIA TAYLOR Been the shit.

Pussy been poppin and packing delicacy in the same menstrual cycle.

Uterus been pushin’ power.

Womb been a storagehouse for seedling ammunition.

With its tones of Pink And its hues of red.

This Pink, Been locked and loaded.

Been ready to give life And or take it.

This Pink, Ain’t neva been easy to grab.

It’s been ready, And waiting to bite back.

BY JAYDA ALIYAH HINDS raw, yes.

I ordered my steak raw inside. wellmore like medium rare, but all I see Is the Red staring back at me. the Blue is outsideon the sky and on the birds.

I see it through the windows but I know it in my head too. the doctors and videos show our hearts are Red and beating. but I know they’re Blue like snow. wellmore like snow like White. my heart is cold as ice. my heart is raw as Red. my mind is alive and dead.

I pick up the knife and fork. sad.

I am sitting alone in this restaurant. this steak is decent at best. should I have stayed in Trinidad?

I wonder. the waiters don’t even smile here and the mashed potatoes could use more butter and salt but i come back so much because i feel so Blue.

I am sitting alone smiling at no one tugging at my sleeves should I have stayed in Trinidad? im thinking.

The sun is smooth and Yellow there and it looks at your face.

The sun is rough and Yellowish here, always looks away.

I miss the Brown rum cake.

I want the Sun to look at my face.

I want the waiters to smile.

I want the food to taste good.

I miss the Red peppers and onions with fish from the rivers.

I miss my cornrows and candies.

sitting alone talking to no one looking outside the window thinking of wee“Do you need anything?” the waiter asks me.

“Maybe a bit more butter and salt.”

KENDALL CLAYTON

COLORS ARE MAD

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CAMERON DUNCAN

26

THE WRATH OF CHARLES

BY ISAIAH WASHINGTON

when i met Charles, He spoke as if He were standing behind a perennial pulpit His words made me feel as if i were a gem handpicked for His menagerie He eventually converted me to His ways — drinking until i blacked out on wednesdays being pummeled to a pulp on sundays “kiss me, belly,” He commands as if He were chiseling His words on tablets of stone His lips part like the red sea and i am deluged with the pungent smell of alcohol and concentrated venom His word is sacred and final i am to parrot back His verses line by line to His followers to show them how much He has taught me how much He has tamed me when i go to church, everyone sees that the wine has been spilled has dried up encrusted on the floor the bread has been broken and beaten but, they choose to ignore

an unattended baby sobs in the pews the organ is too loud no one hears her but, i do the deacon whispers to me that the mosaics have been shattered they have been replaced with paintings of eve she isn’t an assemblage of glass, stone, and gems she is a continuum of satiny, tenderhearted brushstrokes she is made in the image of another she is whole Charles enters late it doesn’t matter because He determines the time i am just a part of His anatomy if i were to leave Him, how would i survive? how would He? He puts on His white robes and beckons me forward only at his feet am i allowed to commune with His divinity He holds my head underwater He announces that He is baptizing me when I arise from the water, I feel no difference

“TO THE BLACK BOYS THAT MAKE IT”

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BY CAITLIN MENSAH The Black man's loyalty to the Black woman is so hard, as if it was apart of a street gang It runs when 5-0 shows up saying the white folk rang Your grandma didn’t know who her grandson was anymore, he was never the same After that white girl finally cared enough to learn his name Because he was on the court, on the field, winning games.

Your grandma was always the only woman you actually ever cared for Never a Black whore like these Black girls because for you, you’re rapport with Black girls Amounted to twisting them around until they couldn’t move no more Black girls don’t mean shit, but your grandma?

Your grandma is your world.

Black women are tired But still we fight for Black men, we hold our fist high Starting from a young age after that white girl ran from that Black boy because he said hi Emmett Till's body hung like strange fruit from a poplar tree But your sacred Black men and their white wives Still celebrate the 4th of July.

Black men don’t wanna say our name They wanna take away our breath until we can’t breathe They’ll give our breath to them white women, who couldn’t give a fuck about making us free When Black men, shoot I’m sorry, some Black men hear that Black women matter Their anger seethes Because Black women don’t mean shit, until they leave I mean who gon’ cook for them?

Oh y’all gon learn Cause we bout to make these Black men grieve.

Them white women could never be us, never be me How could they appropriate what they’ve seen?

When the power of being a Black women don’t come so easily?

Black men, I’m not mad, do what you need to do But don’t tell me to decolonize my genitalia, when that’s the shit I should be tellin’ you.

Don’t give our culture away, that’s all I ask cause that’s the blueprint to this shit For ya kids to be the “right” skin color, you don’t see dark skin women fit That’s cool, live your life and do what you gotta do But don’t come looking for the Black woman When that white woman sees the next upcoming baller and leaves you.

Ya grandma asks where did her grandson go? That sweet Black child.

I wonder too, cause’ I’ll be damned if I ever raise my Black son to be like you.

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FALL 2019 PLAYLIST

BLAINE MENGISTU-GUNN

BY SOPHIA HALLOWAY

CHINA

ANUEL AA, DADDY YANKEE, KAROL G, BALVIN, OZUNA

LA PLAYER (BANDOLERA) ZION AND LENNOX

NO LETTING GO WAYNE WONDER

TRUST BUJU BANTON

CANTALO

MURDER SHE WROTE

RICKY MARTIN, RESIDENTE, BAD BUNNY

DROGBA (JOANNA)

FEVER VYBZ KARTEL

HOLD YOU GYPTIAN

CHAKA DEMUS AND PLIERS

BRUK IT DOWN MR.VEGAS

COME CLOSER (FEAT.DRAKE) WIZKID

RISKY DAVIDO, POPCAAN

ON THE LOW BURNA BOY

AFRO B

NO GAMES SERANI

UP FRONT GOVANA

GYAL YOU A PARTY ANIMAL CHARLY BLACK

MEGATRON NICKI

MINAJ

What’s your style of choice for a night out?

A. Glitz & Glam B. Punk C. Harajuku D. Sleek N’ Chic Where do you typically end up on a Friday night?

A. Hookah lounge and bar B. At a rave C. At home watching Netflix D. The hottest club in town What would you be doing at a concert?

A. Singing on IG live B. In a mosh pit C. At the snack bar D. Driving the boat

A’S - LIZZO If you identify as Lizzo. You will literally never be a side chick— in fact, you will always be a main chick­— your relationships are only an extension of your unending self love. You literally are married to yourself. Love is a construct that you don’t need because you’re already in the best relationship possible.

Where would you go for a weekend getaway?

A. A fancy hotel in the city B. Skiing in the Poconos C. A scenic cabin D. Tropical resort What kind of boot are you likely to wear?

A. Chelsea B. Combat C. Cowgirl D. Thigh-highs

Snack of choice?

A. Ice cream B. Red velvet cake C. Hot Cheetos D. Caramel popcorn

D’S - MEGAN THEE STALLION

B’S - RICO NASTY If you identify as “Mrs. Nasty” you should probably put down this magazine and report yourself to campus police becasue you are bad AF. To be honest I don’t safe with you walking on the same street as me. Thank you.

ALEXIS ARNOLD | CAMERON RILEY

WHICH FEMALE ARTIST ARE YOU?

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C’S - DOJA CAT

To be a true Megan it requires both top-shelf thottery as well as an indomitable sense of pride. As a Megan your hustle and your funds comes first and your many side pieces come—well, second.

A Doja Cat knows their place well—usually sipping a cappuccino on top of a skateboard picking out their favorite shade of neon organic, biodegradable, preservative free hairdye in the back of a local Whole Foods.

KATLYN GIBERSON 30

BY JAYDA HINDS

T

here I was-- minding my business at a coffee shop, sipping my caramel soy latte, when a white man started talking to me in Spanish.

Excuse me?

He asked me, in Spanish, where my family was from. I told him, in English, that they were from Trinidad and Puerto Rico. Then, I asked where his family was fromassuming that perhaps, they could very well be from a Spanish speaking country. But he told me, “Oh, I’m just white, but I’ve been taking Spanish lessons since middle school.”

Assuming someone’s language is a microaggression- plain and simple. It’s essentially judging someone based on their appearance and nothing more.’

Why are you walking up to me, a complete stranger, and assuming my native tongue? The white man in the coffee shop thought he had some sort of authority over Latinx culture because he spoke Spanish.

In doing so, he tried to discredit my own Latinx identity because I did not speak Spanish, despite my actual Latinx heritage.

People assume that being Latinx and speaking Spanish go hand in hand, but speaking Spanish is usually taught during a child’s early developmental years. Growing up, it was difficult for me to feel like I “belong” in Latinx culture because I did not have a language tie. Doctors recommended my household not to use Spanish at all, because it could further affect my brother’s severe learning disabilities. Growing up, I couldn’t understand the novelas my mother would watch, or the conversations my grandparents would have with each other.

But even moreso, I was constantly reminded that I didn’t speak Spanish by others. People, both in the Latinx community and outside, have tried to have a conversation with me in Spanish. When I couldn’t reciprocate the language, I would (almost always) hear, “Well, aren’t you Latina?”

“Yes,” I’d say.

“Well, why don’t you know Spanish?” they’d (almost always) ask.

And time and time again, my Latinx identity would become ripped away from me because I only know English.

My mother cooked arroz con pollo & sanchoco nearly every week. I have all the words memorized to possibly every Marc Anthony song, because my family has coined him as our “go-to road trip artist”. I will forever have the memory of awkwardly learning how to dance bachata and salsa with my grandmother when I was 6. Here in college, cooking is my therapy. It gives me a small taste of home, especially after the minimally (and I mean, minimally) flavored food in the dining hall. My dorm floor is well-versed in the scents of sazón, sofrito, and ajíes dulces- after months of me cooking so often.

Latinx people also speak other languages than Spanish, & shouldn’t be placed in a linguistic category.

Portuguese, French, Mayan and Quechua (the language of the Incas) are also spoken. So no, I do not speak Spanish- but Latinx culture is so much more than a language. It is food, it is music, it is dance, it is art, it is happiness.

I may not know my mother’s tongue- but that does not make me any less Latina.

CAMERON RILEY

NOT SPEAKING SPANISH DOESN’T MAKE ME ANY LESS LATINA

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A CONVERSATION ON THE TERM “LATINX”

BY CAMILA CISNEROS It seemed like an overnight occurrence that the term “Latinx” came about. I had grown up hearing “Latinos” as a blanket term and the closest thing we had to a non-binary term was “Latin@.” So where did the term “Latinx” come from? Google Trends shows a rise in the usage of the term around 2004, and it witnessed an incredible spike around 2015.

However, the term is older than most may think.

Dr. Juliana Martínez, an assistant professor in the World Languages and Cultures Department at American University, sat down with me to discuss her work in regards to the term “Latinx.” She, along with Dr. Salvador Vidal-Ortiz, an associate professor of Sociology at American University, wrote an article titled “Latinx thoughts: Latinidad with an X.” I initially had somewhat of a disdain for the term “Latinx.” I believed it demonstrated the way Americans imposed themselves upon the language as a form of neocolonialism, by taking the issue and solving it for themselves. Thus, why “Latinx” is mainly used in the United States rather than Latin America.

I was a firm believer in the alternate, Spanishfriendly choice for gender neutrality, “Latine.”

“Latino emerges as a term of resistance to the explicit colonial relations that Hispanic sets between Spain and countries in Latin America.

Latino is also different from both Hispanic and Latin American by virtue of emphasizing...racialization, experiences with colonization, stereotypical social readings, and a general non-White reading.”

– Professor Martínez & Professor Ortiz-Vidal, “Latinx thoughts: Latinidad with an X”

Our conversation started by discussing the lack of terminology for people of Latin American heritage in the United States. Representation began with the “Mexican” category as a race in the 1930 U.S. Census, and then in the 1970s, Hispanic appears as an identity factor. However, the term “Hispanic” allows for a deeply rooted connection with the colonizers, connecting Latin Americans directly to Spain. It also excludes Brazilians and those of Brazilian heritage, despite them being Latin American as well.

Professor Martínez explained the lesser-known background of “X’ of Latinx, goes back to the 1950s when Chicanos and Chicanas decided to reclaim the “x” of indigenous languages and refer to themselves as Chicanx. The x in “Mexico” had been pronounced differently prior to Spaniard colonization and had sounded more like a “j” (pronounced “Méjico”). The Spanish pronunciation turned it into an English “h” sound. In other words, the “x” was used by Chicanxs with indigenous ancestry as a form of racialization, to mark their rich ancestry and differentiate themselves from white Eurocentric Mexicans that received more of the wealth and overall privilege.

I made the argument to Professor Martínez that the usage of “Latinx” went against the rules of the language, and a fair alternative for a gender-neutral term would be the usage of “Latine,” which would maintain the flow of the language through the usage of a vowel. She agreed with “e” being a good way to neutralize a male-dominated language, especially since the letter “e” was the genderneutral vowel in the Latin language. Throughout her time working with LGBTQIA+ activists, the letter “e” has been used for those who identify as non-binary as well as to include those who choose to remain genderneutral. However, there is a need to extend beyond those groups and become a normalized linguistic part of Spanish. And little by little, it is happening.

A relevant example is the Mexican original series on Netflix, La Casa de las Flores (House of Flowers).

In the most recent season, one of the main characters gives a speech during a protest and addresses the crowd as compañeras, compañeros, compañeres.

“The “x” as a marker of indigeneity was also used by scholar-activists like Cherríe Moraga, in her spelling of Xicana, as a way to resist symbolic violence and oppression.

More recently, the term Chicanx has been adopted to further our understanding of the complex relations of power among race, class, gender, and sexuality.”

– Sheila Marie Contreras, “Chicana, Chicano, Chican@, Chicanx”

The Pew Research Center shows that as of 2017, 70% of Latinos ages 5 and older spoke English proficiently.

Due to the need for assimilation and the loss of Spanish throughout generations, English has pushed away Spanish fluency. Thus, “Latinx” is arguably a better term than “Latine” in terms of pronunciation. Spanish fluency has become a privilege and relies on education in Spanish and the ability to be able to travel back to Latin America. As someone who had the opportunity to live and study in Colombia for a year which led to polishing my Spanish, I had to check my own privilege.

Martínez. “All romance languages are just an evolution from Latin. Languages that don’t change, die out.”

The backlash to change is fundamentally rooted in power.

In the times of colonialism, language was used to set a hierarchy in society. The more “proper” you spoke, the higher you were in societal standards, symbolizing access to education and thus, wealth and privilege, certain slang and dialects also marked you as “lesser than.” This has remained a part of Latin American societies to this day, and has been enforced by the Royal Spanish Academy whose mission, according to its website, is to “ensure the changes experienced by the Spanish language in its constant adaptation to the needs of its speakers do not break the essential unity that it maintains throughout the Hispanic field.” In other words, the goal is to protect the status quo that benefits the patriarchy at all costs, and proves why the academy has only had seven women be a part of the institution since its founding in 1713.

Professor Martínez said, “the academy fought hard against making “la presidenta” (the woman president) be a part of the Spanish language.”

It does not benefit a male-dominated society to allow for gender neutrality. The grammatical rule of the letter O, the ‘male’ vowel, be the all encompassing term, gives more power to the men.

Professor Martínez goes on to say,“Be it Latinx or Latine, it is up to the person at hand. What we must fight for is the inclusion for all, and to make us all equal, which starts with our language.

Professor Martínez expressed that the difference between Latinx and Latin American comes down to upbringing.Latinx refers to people of Latin American heritage who grew up in the United States, whereas Latin Americans grew up in Latin America.

Despite the connection in roots, an upbringing in the U.S. and an upbringing in Latin America are fundamentally not the same. Professor Martínez used her article as an example, written by a Latin American (referring to herself, having grown up in Colombia) and a Latino (referring to Professor Vidal-Ortiz, of Latin American heritage while having grown up in the United States).

She stressed the importance of allowing the Spanish language to evolve, and why these changes face so much backlash.“Languages evolve constantly, and there is nothing wrong with change,” said Professor

Professor Martínez focuses on the intersection of violence and body politics in the Latin-American and US Latino context. Her two main areas of research are: representation of historical violence recent cultural production; and gender and sexuality—particularly transgender studies. She is currently working on a book manuscript tentatively titled "Spectral Realism, Representations of Violence in Colombia’s Recent Cultural Production" Professor Martínez regularly teaches courses on Latin American literature, film and history; gender and sexuality; Latin American feminisms; narratives of violence (particularly in Colombia and Mexico); and women writers in Latin America. Within the AU community, Professor Martínez is also part of the advisory board of the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies program, and a member of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS).

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DRIK KESPOHL

Despite agreeing with me, Professor Martínez points out that “Latine” is easier to pronounce for those that speak Spanish, but most with Latin American heritage in the United States do not speak Spanish fluently, as English has become the dominant language.

34

ORIENTALISM: FROM SEXUAL OBJECT TO FOREIGN THREAT

KIRAN KAUR AHLUWALIA

BY AQSA RASHID

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M

ysterious, exotic, uneducated, and also oppressed. The duality of these adjectives has been used to portray black and brown women in popular forms of media and art everywhere around us in our supposedly culturally evolved society. In particular, Muslim women have been politicized through twisted narratives portrayed in media. Modern-day depictions and stereotypes surrounding the culture of the Middle East can easily be attributed to past historical movements that have shaped western narratives. Stereotypes of women from third world countries make their way into politics, pop culture and foreign policy. On a micro-level they also make their way into our conversations, our education, and our class lectures. Western constructions of women in the Middle East portray them in a strict binary: exotic and enticing, yet uneducated. These women are constructed either as sites of excess in sexuality, or conversely, as lacking some fundamental values needed to succeed in society.

It is true that Muslim women have been fetishized in the past, but recently they’ve been depicted as veiled, oppressed, and submissive under the thumb of men. This has been used as rhetoric for the invasion of Muslim countries, as in the case of the war on terror, where media coverage was filtered through a lens that pitied Muslim women. American troops rallied and white saviors invaded Iraq and Afghanistan on the basis of liberating their women. Now, this perception of Muslim women was not created in the era of George W. Bush. Western countries have been representing Muslim women this way since the 19th Century. Women in Egypt, Turkey and Algeria were depicted in 19th-century paintings and novels by French and British artists and authors in a way that exploited the women and displayed the exotic and sexual imagination of the painters and authors.

In 1978, Edward Said, an English literature professor at Columbia University published a book that became known for his concept of the “Orient.” In academia, this term refers to women in the Middle East, who have been “othered” by the West. Edward Said called out the infatuation Orientalist men, who traveled to these lands, had with women. They were representing them in Orientalist writings and paintings as sexual objects who would take off their clothes, dance and/or have sex under the command of men. The power men had over women fed into the stereotype of these women being submissive and unable to act for themselves.

Perhaps, most prominent was the concept of the harem and concubines in these works of art. The harem, a private

space for women off-limits to men outside of the family, became a target of exotic imagination for Orientalist writers and painters. The women were often painted in an overtly demeaning sexualized manner. The objectification of these women invites an attraction and infatuation with the exotic lands of the Orient.

Said’s point about how the women of the Middle East are portrayed still holds truth today. What’s most aggravating, however, is that I often see these forms of ignorance get brushed off as compliments. Black and brown women are monetized and objectified within politics, academia, art, and social interactions—and it is a crime which holds culpability to both white people and people of color. While I hold no authority to speak on behalf of other women or their experiences, I can speak to my own: being sexualized in the disguise of respect or awe is degrading. It is demeaning when your value is reduced to your physical appearance, something that should hold no substantial meaning.

On a macro-level, the bifurcation of these identities hold ramifications for brown women today in foreign diplomacy. They hurt us when this sort of discourse is used to justify Western intervention and liberal policies abroad.

On a micro-level, it becomes more evident in our everyday lives—in the media that we consume, in songs we hear objectifying black and brown women, in the education we receive on our own college campuses. The education we receive has been designed with a Western framework, and therefore it is imperative that we question the assumptions made in our own curriculum. The white savior feminist mentality presents itself in different ways whether it be in class lectures or discussions on our campus. Students who intend on working in international relations in the Middle East should not be sent forth with the perspective that they have an upper hand in helping Muslim women simply because they were educated in the West. Yet, what makes this even more problematic is that these stereotypes can result in classmates and professors “othering” women of color in the classroom.

By viewing the “Orient” only for their physical or sexual value, we are reducing the value of women to mere superficiality and objectification. On the contrary, by viewing Muslim women as ignorant and uneducated our society is only replacing one lens of superiority with another. This is a tribal mentality that must be defeated today, and it starts with decolonizing ideologies set on behalf of our women now.

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HARRIET MOVIE REVIEW: “I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU”

TREVOR EDWARDS

BY ISAIAH WASHINGTON

Director and co-writer Kasi Lemmons helms a glorious, inspiriting Harriet, a film rising above torrents of controversy to center stage the story of abolitionist Minty — Moses — Harriet Tubman.

Similarly, a light-skinned, white-passing woman apart of the Tubman-led group of “freedom-seeking slaves” uses her privilege to disguise herself as the grandson of her former slave owner, enabling their safe passage into freedom.

The movie has been met with much criticism with people lambasting the casting of British actress Cythnia Erivo in the titular role, the portrayal of black male characters, and the integration of fiction into the biopic.

One of the most poignant moments of the film is with Tubman’s father (Clarke Peters) blindfolding himself to protect his children. Peters brilliantly captures the sacrifice the father makes so when the slave masters interrogate him, he has truly not seen his escaped lineage. When Tubman returns to enfranchise her father, he finally gets to see his daughter and the dynamic, influential woman she has become.

The film opens to Christianity being used as a behavior modification device. Tubman remodels what could be a tool of oppression into the foundation of her strength. Erivo lends her Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award-winning voice to Negro spirituals and the movie’s breathtaking anthem.

Tubman’s visions are colored with mysticism and her prayers channel the wrath of God to where she can strike down her master with the ferocity of her internal storm.

The movie reveals the power of small acts of kindness. A white man doesn’t protest when Tubman obscures herself in the back of his wagon, bringing her closer to the MasonDixon Line. A freedman gives her an apple when she first arrives in Philadelphia and instructs her to walk like she is a free woman. Lemmons acknowledges that Tubman’s feats do not exist in a vacuum; The heroine is grounded in the magnanimity and support of others. Lemmons suggests everyone in the audience can play a role in the centralizing of the marginalized no matter how minuscule that role may be.

The depiction of reciprocity surely does not undercut the queenly might that Erivo’s evocation exudes as she drafts plans to liberate her family immediately after trekking the one hundred miles to freedom by herself.

William Still, played by a constant, encomiastic Leslie Odom Jr., acquaints Tubman with Marie Buchanon, depicted movingly and vibrantly by Janelle Monae.

The relationship between Tubman and Buchanon showcases the importance of sisterhood as Buchanon helps Tubman to raise and aim a gun. Buchanon was born free and was made to reconcile with her privilege as she was confronted with the ladder of lesions on Tubman’s back, Tubman’s mission to return to the plantation, and her insensitive initial judgments of Tubman.

Family prevails in this movie in the face of the institution of slavery. The familial bonds weakened by the separation of siblings is fortified through the illustration of such a loving family, serving as a complete antithesis to slavery’s role in curbing solidarity.

Tubman’s final confrontation with Gideon (Joe Alwyn), the son of the now deceased owner who has grown alongside Tubman, is rousing and intentional. Instead of killing him, she shoots his hand and dismounts him from his horse. She operates her superior moral authority, deserting him on the battlefield of the Civil War for him to be haunted by the voices of the oppressed. Tubman gives him a reckoning more agonizing than death itself.

Lemmons actualizes a script that is comprehensive in illustrating perspectives of the freed and the enslaved, tension between the North and South, and what happens to the slaves left behind with Tubman’s sister proclaiming that not everyone can run. She projects a wide coverage of historical events and staved off the fetishization of black pain with being minimalistic in depicting the well-known horrors of slavery.

She is not afraid to portray a black runaway slave catcher, Abraham (Willie Raysor), and a young black man, Walter (Henry Hunter Hall), who informs Gideon of Tubman’s location for money. Walter, unlike Abraham, experiences a reformation, being moved to tears by Tubman’s interaction with God. He redeems himself as he aids her and her crew, eventually joining the Union army.

Give her liberty or give her death. Harriet has its place among the best Civil War and slavery bio-dramas, asserting an unparalleled leader in Hollywood’s depicted history.

The movie comes on the heels of the delay of Tubman appearing on the $20 bill. Lemmons, as she tackles the themes of complacency, redemption, faith, solidarity, and freedom, fossilizes Tubman’s legacy on her own.

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ALEXIS LLEWELLYN

SPECIAL THANKS TO

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

STUDENT MEDIA BOARD

KIRAN AHLUWALIA

CENTER FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

KENDALL CLAYTON

CARIBBEAN CIRCLE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY DANCE DEPARTMENT JOHN WATSON & FELICIA PARKS

MONIQUE RICKENBACKER SAYUKTA AGARWA CAMERON DUNCAN COURTLAND SUTTON LYONNA YOHANNES TREVOR EDWARDS NYVIA TAYLOR CAITLIN MENSAH

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

TAINAYA NASH CAMILA CISNEROS FESTICIA BOVELL CHASE VINCENT ZINE STAFF

DEZIMEY KUM

MIRIAM POST

JENNY JECROIS

ISAIAH WASHINGTON

JAQUELINE MARTINEZ

JAYDA HINDS

ARIANA DUFORD

AQSA RASHID

PETRUCE JEAN-CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHERS & MULTIMEDIA

CAMERON RILEY ALEXIS LLEWELLYN BLAINE MEGUSTU-GUNN SOPHIA HOLLOWAY MACKENZIE MEADOWS

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