Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
Banning Critical Race Theory is Problematic and here is Why
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Kay Ivey’s “ban” on critical race theory is complete bullshit. On October 21, 2021, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced a ban on critical race theory being taught in K-12 schools. Many Alabama natives are upset by this as they feel that the ban is less about the education the children of Alabama are receiving and more of an attempt to erase the less shiny parts of history. And they would be right. Kay Ivey has a history of using her platform to demean people of color and this is just another one of her sad attempts at doing just that. As a native Alabamian, I will not stand for it. Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic concept that’s core idea is that race is a social construct and racism… Read more »
Celebrity Culture isn’t Dead, But it Should Be
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These unprecedented times have caused people to have second thoughts about what is considered “normal” in our society. I have noticed a particular trend of people starting to pick apart our relationship with celebrities and the culture that holds on the majority of the American public. Earlier in the pandemic, there was talk about the “beginning of the end of celebrity culture,” as tensions rose between the elite and the masses. I was excited about the idea. Seeing celebrities roll around in their excessive wealth was beginning to bother me, more than it usually would. It has become difficult to put all the grand gestures of fame and fortune on social media and at award shows and galas in context with the reality most “normal” people are living right now. … Read more »
Media and The Unrealistic Expectations of Sex
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Being a part of gen z is kind of crazy. We still got to experience the remnants of the great era that was the 90s while simultaneously witnessing all of the advancements of technology. We experienced some of the first touch screen phones, the rise of social media, and the continuation of trashy teen sitcoms. The world went from landlines and physical dictionaries to having infinite knowledge at our fingertips. It would be easy to sit here and talk about how all of these technological advancements have improved the lives of young people everywhere. However, the topic of how detrimental this rise in technology has been is often shied away from–until now. As most of us know, the internet has been an amazing tool for young people. We can now… Read more »
Pharmacists Are An Untapped Contraceptive Provision Source
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As a young adult, I began taking contraceptive pills to help control my polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS). I was given the pills in the hopes that they would help me lose weight and slow my facial hair growth. After a quick consultation with a pharmacist, I was on my way home with a birth control prescription. Like many people who live on the U.S./Mexico border, I was receiving and purchasing this prescription in Mexico at a pharmacy. I had struggled to get birth control at a local hospital clinic before because I was uninsured, and I could not see a doctor unless I had insurance or I was covered under the Texas Healthy Women Medicaid program. Unlike the U.S., purchasing medicine in Mexico doesn’t always require a prescription, and most pharmacists… Read more »
Lack of Leadership in COVID Response Costs American Lives
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In just 18 months, two million lives have been lost to the novel strain of coronavirus. Throughout this entire nightmare, people have become comfortable with placing all blame on those who have remained wary and suspicious of the information relayed by the CDC and other agencies. But the responsibility is not theirs to carry alone. We continue to hurt ourselves by not acknowledging the lack of leadership from our government that has landed us here in the first place. Many of the responses to coronavirus precautions have been absurd. However, a glance at this country’s healthcare policies and some of the officials who push them will show that the US has leaned into absurdity long ago. Our healthcare system has been the lowest performing amongst other western countries like the… Read more »
Alabama Councilman, Tommy Bryant, Must Be Held Accountable For Using A Racist Slur Against His Colleague
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Tommy Bryant does not care about black people. On Monday, July 19, 2021, Alabama councilman Tommy Bryant was caught on video using the n-word towards fellow councilmember Veronica Freeman in a derogatory manner during a council meeting. Bryant has rejected requests to resign and has faced no consequences since the incident occurred. The city of Tarrant, which Bryant represents, has a 53.06% population of Black Americans who deserve to be represented by a councilman that doesn’t use slurs in government buildings and gets away with it. Tommy Bryant needs to be held accountable for his blatant disrespect towards his fellow councilmember and his constituents. Growing up as a young black woman in the South, I am no stranger to microaggressions hidden under the guise of southern hospitality. I have also attended a predominantly white institution (PWI) for most of my life which means… Read more »
Abolish Greek Life To Abolish College Rape Culture
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CW: sexual assault, rape, rape culture Author’s Note: Greek Life in this article refers to organizations who are a part of the National Interfraternity Conference (NIC) or the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC). Photos depicted in this article are chosen for illustrative purposes. This article is not targeted towards any specific organization or any organization that happens to be depicted. Sexual assault is pervasive on college campuses across the country. Our educational institutions are frequent perpetrators of rape culture, “an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused….” According to data from RAINN, 26.4% of undergraduate women and 6.8% of undergraduate men reported experiencing rape or sexual assault. 13% of all students, both graduate and undergraduate, have experienced rape or sexual assault. … Read more »
Georgia(‘s Organizers) on my Mind
In what felt like a miracle after the tumultuous past 4 years, Georgia went entirely blue for the first time since the election of Jimmy Carter in 1976. Even with razor-thin margins and the government’s hallmark voter suppression, the voters of the peach state not only rejected the now ex-President but senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler as well. The significance of the first Black and Jewish senators elected from the South, as well as the flipping of the Senate, was not lost on the public with tweets coming from every corner of the nation. Much like after the calling of the state for Biden in November, liberals spent much time thanking the Black and brown organizers embedded in the state for their work. Kind folks reminded the base to… Read more »
URGE Alabama Policy Priorities 2021
Right now, our priorities are to: OPPOSE HB 1/SB 10 which makes the provision of gender-affirming health care a felony for doctors, as well as requires principals, teachers, school counselors, nurses, etc. to make disclosures to parents regarding their child’s gender or face criminal charges. HB 1 & SB 10 are scheduled to receive public hearings in their perspective committees on Wednesday, February 10. What can you do? Call, email, tweet, and/or write letters to your legislators expressing to them how dangerous this bill is for trans and non-binary youngins all over the state. You can do that with just 1 click here! URGE talking points opposing HB 1/SB 10 can be found on our URGE action tool. TO OPPOSE HB 317 which propagates the scientifically false narrative that medication… Read more »
The Problem with the Karen Archetype
Dear White Girl (all white people really) who made the Tik Tok compilation video of her admittedly fashionable, quirky, yet still, very white mother with a caption that reads “Y’all were raised by Karens, but I was raised by a Veronica”, I’m assuming the “y’all” you are referring to is other white people who have high-strung and difficult mother figures. For the sake of being thorough, I’ll define what a Karen is to me. “Karen” is a term for entitled, demanding, racist white women who weaponize their perceived fragility and victimhood to enact harm on any person(s) they deem fit, which is usually Black people just existing. (See a karen compilation here) With a definition such as that, and a whole wikipedia page dedicated to this type of character, I… Read more »