Colorism still prevalent, damaging to minority groups

Colorism is an issue that is rarely paid significant attention. The term signifies prejudice and discrimination in respect to the lightness or darkness of the skin of members within the same ethic community. Harmful stereotypes further marginalize ethnic groups into factions that simply cannot combat the malicious deeds of racism.

One misconception that numerous individuals encounter is that colorism is restricted by geographical boundaries and generational differences. Methodology used to carry out discriminatory actions changes over location and history. One could look at the micro-aggressions within mainstream media, advertisements and news outlets to visualize the basis of racial inequities.

The black community continuously suffers from colorism. Bill Duke’s documentary Dark Girls illustrates the intensity and history that led to this colorism in the black community in the United States.

After slavery, the “Brown Paper Bag Test” arose in the 20th century. This test subdivided the African-American community when it came to social acceptance in institutions like fraternities, sororities and even churches. The test decided that if a person’s skin was lighter than a paper bag, they were accepted; if their skin was darker than a paper bag, they were rejected.

Most individuals assume that just because we live in a more accepting society, colorism has somewhat faded. But colorism didn’t fade—it morphed into something unrecognizable by previous generations.

More recently, colorism is illustrated in the Thai beauty company Seoul Secret’s January advertisement which was heavily criticized by CNN and other media outlets. The commercial’s actress Cris Horwang says, “Just being white, you will win.” She continues to bluntly admit, “The whiteness I have invested in will just vanish.” At the end of the commercial, the actress’ skin shifted from a fair tone to a ridiculous charcoal color.

Seoul Secret reacted swiftly to the negative attention garnered by the commercial and decided to remove the video. The Thai community, however, does not ostracize commercials with similar messages due to colorism becoming the norm.

Clearly, the company is trying to convince its consumers the idea that the whiter someone is, the better. At first glance, it is easily identifiable that these Western ideals are detrimental to Thai society—especially in an era when families have easy access to television and exploitative marketing tactics. When children view these kinds of commercials, they are going to associate white with success and dark with failure, initiating a division between children and their own social groups. 

Children are also exposed to this whitewashed standard through children’s shows on Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. Protagonists of these shows almost always have fairer skin than the actors in the show’s supporting cast. The same can be said about children’s books and toys—whitewashed characters and imagery contribute to the ideals that the media portrays.

Colorism is a detrimental side effect of Westernized influence on ethnic groups. In order to combat the malevolent means of colorism, societies need to begin to change their standards of beauty in relations to success and power.

There is no real plausible way to eradicate this problem rather than just bringing awareness to the situation and embracing self-acceptance. Rejoice in your skin, because superficial features shouldn’t determine beauty and success.

Supreme Court vacancy needs to be addressed by Obama

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead on Saturday Feb. 13 at the age of 79. Justice Scalia served an astonishing 29 years in the highest court after his appointment by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. His death has caused chaos in the media, as the next Supreme Court Justice appointment will either lie in President Barack Obama’s hands or those of his successor.

Scalia was the longest sitting Supreme Court Justice among those currently serving. He was known for his strong conservative and originalist views. The principle of originalism is a form of judicial interpretation that allows an individual to make decisions based on the exact intent of those who drafted and ratified the Constitution. This theory resonates with conservatives due to its tendency to preserve long-lasting ideologies—unlike their Democratic counterparts, which have more progressive views relevant to modern society.

The Obama administration and presidential candidates recently began to argue over who would appoint the new Supreme Court Justice. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for example, insisted that the next—still unknown—administration make the appointment, thus avoiding an Obama-appointed candidate and assuming the next president would be Republican.

The news of Scalia’s death occurred right before the Republican debate in South Carolina. To no one’s surprise, the candidates were asked their opinion on whether or not Obama should follow through with the appointment.

On ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on Sunday Feb. 14, Sen. Ted Cruz said, “I don’t think the American people want a court that will strip our religious liberties.” The implication of “religious liberty” most likely refers to the Court’s ruling on same sex-marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). Cruz is only worried about the next appointee because it could create a liberal majority in the Court with only four conservative justices.

Regardless of politicians’ biased views on the topic, leaving a vacant spot in the Court for nine months is unreasonable. Obama should unquestionably submit a nominee to the Senate. The Republican-majority Senate, however, is surely going to reject any nominees as liberal as Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The only way Sotomayor got the nomination in 2009 was due to the Democratic majority in the Senate. Therefore, in the upcoming months Obama would have to play a tricky game of Senatorial courtesy in order to squeeze in another nominee.

The appointment of a Supreme Court justice is more influential than most Americans realize. Through the appointment of a justice, a president can maintain his or her ideological beliefs in the political system for as long as the justice remains on the bench. In the case of Scalia, Reagan’s influence on the country lasted over 29 years.

Perhaps Obama’s optimal option for a nominee would be Sri Srinivasan, who sits in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Judge Srinivasan was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals by a vote of 97-0 in 2013, making him a likeable candidate for the nomination. If nominated, Srinivasan would become the first Indian-American to hold the title of Supreme Court Justice. In numerous ways it would seem appropriate to appoint him, as it would continue the legacy of “firsts” in Scalia’s memory.

Taiwan earthquake exemplifies effect of hasty construction

A magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck Tainan, Taiwan on Saturday Feb. 6. CNN reported at least 40 deaths and hundreds of injuries and missing persons. Now, prosecutors are questioning if the casualties can be attributed to the faulty construction of the buildings that collapsed.

Because of the destruction, rescue teams had difficulty finding survivors in the rubble. According to The New York Times, Secretary General Chen Mei-Ling said, “We don’t want to use big drills to get down there because we might kill people.”

The drills, however, are crucial to get to underwater pipes that would make it easier to save the victims. The rescuers were put in a peculiar position when navigating these destroyed buildings because the city structure is constructed to withstand earthquakes. Therefore, the equipment necessary to carry out this operation is non-existent because—in theory—it would not be needed.

The majority of the deaths and injuries were attributed to the Weiguan Jinlong Tower—which collapsed—and seven surrounding buildings that were also damaged. When news reporters tried to locate the construction and engineering companies to blame, not surprisingly, they found that company had gone out of business. These corporations thrive upon quick construction work that easily generates a large amount of income with little to no governmental intervention.

This is the misfortune that developing nations go through with the goal of rapid expansion both economically and structurally. It is rare, however, that an advanced nation with a high human development rating like Taiwan would encounter such an issue.

While taking a look at Taiwan’s per capita gross domestic product—one of the primary indicators of the well-being of a country’s economy—it comes in at a strong $39,600 as of 2013. Economically, Taiwan’s civil engineering would not have been affected by a lack of economical support. Rather, it may be because of miscalculations and construction violations.

Taiwan has the resources and population necessary to build a stable society. Unfortunately, it is a misconception that advanced governments do not have the obligation to expand instead of remaining stagnant. This is just one of the numerous issues that nations encounter with their political and economic sphere.

Similar cases transpire all over developing countries. To one extreme, we could look back on the destruction of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti—where a magnitude-7.0 earthquake almost destroyed the entire capital of Port-au-Prince. The infrastructure of houses, government buildings and even hospitals was not able to handle earthquakes of such intensity. People were crushed, food became scarce and some were trapped for weeks in the ruins of their own homes.

That is the reality of rushed construction work. It may come at an affordable price at the beginning, but in the long run it could cost more than anticipated if it fails against natural disasters.

The Chinese Lunar New Year—one of the biggest holidays in Taiwan—started on Monday Feb. 8 with about 900,000 homes without power and 400,000 without water. In light of the earthquake disaster wrecking a cherished time for the country’s people, maybe the Taiwanese government will be motivated to hold construction companies responsible in the future.

Islamic State thrives on terror, hopes for legitimacy

The Islamic State continues to cause chaos across the world, using severe measures in an attempt to demonstrate its legitimacy to govern in the Middle East. Their current tactics involve centralized attacks, such as the recent bombing of a Damascus suburb in Syria on Sunday Jan. 31.

Legitimacy in a government can be obtained through numerous mediums, but they all seek the recognition of power by other nations. IS’s actions demonstrate that tyranny is its chosen avenue to gain the power to rule. This can be seen in the aforementioned Damascus attack where according to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, an estimated 50 individuals were killed and more than 100 were injured. This approach can seem to be illogical, since IS attacks the people that they claim to represent.

According to CNN, IS has executed 3,895 people in the past 19 months, with a little more than half of those individuals being civilians. It is horrific that so many lives have been lost to a process of obtaining governance and legitimacy.

The authority that IS possesses over its devoted followers is impressive. Terrorist groups are only as strong as their members and, clearly, IS has the members necessary to establish their existence as a dominant group. The November 2015 attacks in Paris wouldn’t have occurred the way they did by mere coincidence—the followers of the extremist group successfully carried out the gruesome tasks that the radical group dictates.

IS is not the only group in the region seeking legitimacy, either. Palestine—located on the western bank of Israel—is not completely recognized as having a legitimate government. The situation in the region has caused tension to the extent of immense death and devastation. The United States does not recognize Palestine as an official state due to its foreign aid relation to Israel.

Where the two groups differ is their methodology toward legitimacy. IS has put a stop in its diplomatic system and has perked up its economy and militia in order to use terrorism as a tactic while Palestine has established a diplomatic approach to addressing its problems.

Syrian efforts to contain and exterminate IS have proven to be somewhat effective. In the course of the last year, the frequency of IS attacks has slowed down. Foreign states have intervened to address IS activities with airstrikes and infiltration.

After the attacks on Damascus, Syrian Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halqui said, “The aim of this cowardly and desperate terrorist attack is to raise the morale of the defeated terrorist groups following the great victories that our brave army has accomplished in several areas.” The remarks shine a light on the advancement against IS, but fail to acknowledge the death of civilians.

This is exactly what IS thrives on: the negligence of the government toward its civilians. The legitimacy within the radical Islamic group originates in the protection and resources the group provides to its members—all things the government lacks.

IS is a force to be reckoned with. There is no denying that the motives of the radical extremist group will continue to bring bloodshed. Until a proper solution is proposed, the world’s best hope to minimize these terrorist activities in the name of legitimacy is the coalition.

Black History Month integral to preservation, respect of culture

February is Black History Month, a time when we learn about and celebrate the accomplishments of black people whose efforts are virtually ignored by general history throughout the rest of the year.

Every February in recent memory, however, has brought about the same controversy regarding the existence of the celebratory month itself. Many people—often white people—argue that Black History Month unfairly puts black people on a pedestal or it somehow ignores the historical accomplishments of white people. The usual counterargument is that most of history is whitewashed and people of color and their accomplishments are written out of history unless it fits a “white man’s burden” or slavery narrative.

This year, Clueless actress Stacey Dash refueled the controversy with her stance against the month. The actress made an appearance on Fox News and argued that Black History Month—as well as the Black Entertainment Network and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Image Awards—further fuels segregation in the United States. Because of Dash’s black identity and her affiliation with Fox News, there is a lot of backlash against her comments for being ignorant and offensive.

One response to Dash, however, was inspirational and productive. Because Of Them We Can—a motivational campaign to excite young people about Black History Month—released a video of black children’s reactions to Dash’s call to cancel the month-long holiday.

The children said, “What? Excuse me?” in response to Dash and began to describe why Black History Month is important—for celebrating black people’s excellence and beauty without negativity or stereotyping. They also emphasized how black history is more than just slavery.

Although these are the usual arguments to support the month, seeing black children express enthusiasm about their history illustrates how important Black History Month is for combating the erasure of black historical figures and role models.

In retaliation to Black History Month, some people have suggested that we should create a White History Month—for all of the white people forgotten or overshadowed in February. I think White History Month is a great idea—there are many historical actions of white people that are unknown or not thoroughly taught in schools.

One thing that should be taught during White History Month is the brutal truth about white settlers’ treatment of indigenous peoples in America—such as the genocide of millions of people and their cultures just on our mainland alone. We should teach about the mass extinction of indigenous tribes and cultures in Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia by American and European imperialists, which continues to occur today.

While we learn about civil rights activists during Black History Month, we should learn about the local and federal politicians who enforced segregation and discrimination laws around the country during White History Month. Additionally, we should learn about the racist, murderous groups of white supremacists in the U.S. that murdered innocent black people and their families during this era—and to the extent these groups and ideologies survived the time and permeate our current politics and culture.

It is easy to argue that Black History Month divides us when we exercise a colorblind ideology. Not all people in our country are treated equally; we wouldn’t need Black History Month if black history, art and literature were regularly taught as an important cultural aspect of America. Unfortunately that is not the case in most public or even private school systems—and to deny Americans knowledge of black achievements and contributions further divides us all and erases people of color from our nation’s history.

Flint water crisis exemplifies discriminatory government neglect

When discussing environmentalism, mainstream discourse addresses the human race’s part in destroying ecosystems and endangering both wildlife and our planet. Rarely do we bring attention to the humans that are victims of environmental disasters at the hands of our own corrupt governments. The current environmental disaster state of Flint, Michigan isn’t just troubling, it is devastating: the city’s population has been consuming toxic, lead-contaminated water for years under the knowledge of its negligent government.

Flint previously obtained water from Detroit’s clean water system until 2014 when former emergency manager Darnell Earley transferred Flint’s water system to the corrosive and unsafe Flint River water. Multiple government officials refused to return back to Detroit’s safe water system—citing its high cost—despite multiple claims that Flint River water was dangerous. One such claim from a nearby General Motors plant said the water was so corrosive that it rusted the plant’s car parts.

Current Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder appointed relevant officials on the matter—such as the emergency managers—in 2012. Thus, many of the harmful decisions resulting in the toxic water disaster lead back to Snyder’s apathetic and corrupt administration that has yet to face consequences for its abuse of power.

Recently, residents of Flint were able to garner national attention for their situation through social media. Residents tweeted pictures of the brown and yellow water that came from their faucets and pictures of rashes and skin lesions caused by toxic water consumption. A state of emergency was not announced in Flint until Jan. 5 of this year—making us question whether the Snyder administration would have continued to sweep the issue under the rug if not for the national attention.

Beyond the issue of an apathetic government is the mistreatment of poor, minority communities in major cities. According to the United States Census Bureau, Flint’s population is 56.6 percent black and 41.5 percent of the community lives below the poverty line. It is not uncommon for poor communities to be mistreated and exploited by local governments; they often lack the capital and resources to defend themselves against this corruption. Additionally, undocumented immigrants in Flint have been continually denied access to free cases of bottled water as proof of identification is required to receive the water.

This suspiciously sounds like a case of environmental racism. The local government did not seem to care about the health and safety of a poor minority community until it was called out publicly and pressured by more powerful officials from around the country. It also did not efficiently disclose information to residents who do not understand English, thus letting some residents continue to consume the dangerous water without knowing.

For Snyder’s administration, this issue is more about remorse for getting caught rather than a desire to help victims. Celebrities and nonprofits around the country are donating money and thousands of cases of water to help Flint residents, as it is currently unknown how or when the problem will be solved.

The federal emergency aid to Flint is currently capped at $5 million and mostly covers the cost of water filters and filter cartridges for residents. Not only should Snyder be impeached, but President Barack Obama should convince Congress to allocate more funds to help Flint. Money should be put toward adding Flint back to Detroit’s water system and making concrete plans for future, safe water systems.

It is not enough to just work with the Snyder administration to alleviate their disastrous actions. Changes need to be made not only within the local Flint government, but in greater federal laws to protect the residents of poor cities from becoming victims of failing infrastructure.