I was asked to do this meme before it became a mosaic meme but I loved the way the mosaic looked at elle’s so I did it in mosaic. This of course proves Joseph Cambell is right about 7s and 3s but only if you count the memes for the week and ignore that this one is not in 7. (the rules are after the image)
The rules:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.
1. What is your first name? 2. What is your favorite food? 3. What high school did you go to? 4. What is your favorite color? 5. Who is your celebrity crush? (I did 2 people) 6. Favorite drink? 7. Dream vacation? 8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up? 10. What do you love most in life? 11. One Word to describe you. 12. Your flickr name. (I don’t have a flickr name so I used a different one)
The great thing about this meme is that it has already become a self-tag meme, which it was not back when I was asked to do it. So have fun with flikr and keep in mind this version of the meme was probably started to advertise the mosaic software. But not to worry, it is actually fun and easy to use and so I don’t mind throwing them a little advert.
5 survivors of Canadian [Indigenous People’s] Boarding Schools received a public apology from the Canadian Prime Minister earlier this month for a system that exposed First Nation people to sexual assault, starvation, disease, child labor, physical and emotional abuse, and attempted destruction of their cultures. The PM’s apology went out to all survivors as well. read more about the apology here (htp ap racism) and read more about the boarding school history in my previous post on these issues here.
Remember all those posts I did last year about academic freedom being on life support? I mentioned several incidents of faculty from across the margins being sanctioned for teaching material many had been hired to teach or for using pedagogical strategies that challenge accepted norms. I noted that many of the initial hits were taken by those on the furthest edges of the margins or at its most dense intersections but that the dis-ease was spreading to the center. I also mentioned that one of the main ways of inoculating academia to this dis-ease was tenure; many on the margins were not only being denied it but also being channeled into the ever -increasing number of “no tenure for you” positions that seem to grow in step with the number of marginalized PhDs. And as more and more older, white, male, straight, radical professors (yep, they exist) started to be forced into retirement for teaching about genocide or the current wars in ways that the administration felt was “too risky,” I mused: when the cleansing comes for the people in the center we can no longer pretend we don’t see what is happening in our ranks. But far too often, pretending is what we tenured faculty do.
One thing that makes all of our jobs easier, and thus our ability to exercise academic freedom all the more free, is the strength of high school teachers who prepare their students for college level work and thinking. They do so by creating an environment that questions established norms, evaluates material from multiple vantage points, and sends them ready to deal with the diversity of thought and identities they will likely encounter in college even if they did not in high school. One needs only ask those of us who teach in places dominated by conservatively educated students to know how hard the task can be without these teachers. When they lose their academic freedom, ultimately it makes it easier to take away ours.
Karen Salazar, a Los Angeles English teacher, has been fired for teaching a multi-cultural curriculum to her students and decorating her classroom with images related to curriculum the school has decided is “too political.” It is customary in HS to pre-approve reading material and Salazar was actually using something from the list when sanctioned. The final straw for the school was a lesson on Malcom X, taught using a standard handout the school had on file, in a school located in historic Watts. These are her own words about the incident taken from Vivir Latino:
I am being fired because I am trying to ensure that my curriculum is relevant to my students’ daily lived experiences, and in the process, create a space for them to be critical of Eurocentric society and curricula that only serve to reinforce their dehumanization, subjugation, and oppression. Many of you have been forwarding messages about the Arizona bill that seeks to end Raza Studies and MEChA, and while my situation is not as large scale, it is still an attack on the quality, culturally-relevant education Students of Color deserve.
I have been harassed by administration since last school year for my alleged encouragement of “militancy” among students. Last year there was a group of students, called the Watts Student Union, who began organizing themselves and created a list of demands they presented to the school and district. The administration did not think students were capable (smart enough?) of organizing themselves and articulating their demands on their own, so another colleague and I were accused of being the real “masterminds” behind their work.
This year, administration has continued their vendetta against me. I have been observed in the classroom and evaluated by administration over a dozen times (almost twice a month) this school year, whereas in comparison, most teachers are observed and evaluated 1-3 times per school year. The evaluations claim that I am creating “militancy” within students, promoting my personal political beliefs, and presenting a biased view of the curriculum. It has also been implied that I have been teaching students “how to protest.”
Three weeks ago, things began escalating when I was again observed, and in his evaluation, the administrator accused me of “brainwashing” my students and “forcing extremist views” on them. The class had been reading a 3-page excerpt of the Autobiography of Malcolm X (an LAUSD-approved text, of which we have several class sets in our school bookroom), in which Malcolm describes the first time he conked his hair…My contract is being terminated because according to the principal, I am “indoctrinating students with anti-Semitism and Afrocentrism.” The anti-Semitism accusation comes solely from the fact that I have an Intifada poster hanging in my classroom (a symbol of support for a free Palestine), and the Afrocentrism accusation comes from the fact my culturally-relevant curriculum reflects the demographics of my students, though I am surprised I am not being accused of Raza-centrism as well.
Her firing comes only 3 months after the 40th Anniversary of the Walkouts/Blowouts and almost 30 years after the battle over multiculturalism in curriculum in high schools and colleges began. She teaches in a historic neighborhood where black civil rights and the historic mistreatment of African Americans in the area exploded in riots; she teaches in Watts. Her school is 70% Latino and 20 or more% African American.
Her firing also comes at a time when those who can still remember not having a single faculty of color in their academic careers is slowly becoming those who remember having 1 or 2, and maybe even one with tenure. I have said before that I learned my radical history of the world from radical white teachers and professors, counting the number of faculty of color I was blessed to meet and then learn from first on one finger (high school) and then on one hand (undergrad), to get to both hands, I would have to count undergrad and grad together. When I went to school my academic adviser did not even tell me about colleges and then handed me a series of third tier choices when queried and I went to a college prep school where most went on to the ivies. We fought hard to get women and people of color into higher education, to get them in the front of classrooms from the first grade all the way until the PhD so that we would not only continue the pool of allies but be able to imagine a world in which we too were professors, professionals, and even presidents and better yet, be imagined as part of that world by those who consistently erase us. Yet here we are . . . losing ground in almost every direction. Here we are with articles published about how a conference of women historians is both scary and obsolete, with the last women’s studies degree program in England shutting down this summer, with women’s studies programs without a single tenured faculty of color or only one, and ethnic studies programs who have one female faculty who is usually joint with WS or someone else, and with traditional disciplines phasing all of us out. (And can I just say how scary the homophobia backlash has been even in some of the most liberal disciplines lately? It is like we gained Queer Studies and then lost the right to be queer anywhere else. and for women, esp woc, that was a double whammy as queer often means male, and white
.)
Many of my readers are too young to remember what it was like to go to school when there was no WS, no Ethnic Studies, no MECHA, no Malcom X House; when queer studies meant you met with a few friends and read the latest book of poems your friend at the library found unshelved or at the bookstore ordered on the sly. If we say nothing while the high school teachers lose their jobs, as we said next to nothing while our colleague’s lost theirs, there will be no one left to shed a tear as the chord is violently wrenched from the wall at academic freedom’s sick/deathbed.
Karen Salazar’s students are not silent. Here is their powerful example:
It seems Salazar’s major crime was putting her students cultures and histories back into the curriculum where they belong and in asking them to journal about their lives and think about their worlds. When other teachers do that, they make movies about them. (Dangerous Minds, Freedom Writers, etc.)
Please let Jordan High School know that you support an education that represents all people in the schools and prepares them to do the kind of thinking that they will need to succeed in university and in changing our world.
Contact information For Jordan High School:
Address:
2265 East 103rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90002
Phone:
(323) 568-4100
Fax:
(323) 249-4709
Or you can use the email form on their website by clicking here.
As I have told you before, California schools operate under a court mandated agreement ensuring equal and fair access to education, books, clean and safe classrooms, etc. This means that they must take into account any complaints made about these issues in their annual reports and can be reviewed by the state for compliance.
(special thanks to Vivir Latino for bringing this issue to my attention; my apologies for not posting sooner so that those in the area could participate in the march to save her job.)
(ok. I moved this ahead of the other meme tag today b/c it’s shorter and I like the idea of logging on and seeing the bionic woman.)
I got tagged by a historian to do the 7 random things meme a while back before I got all persnickety . . . Here’s the thing, I can’t remember which historian and so I barely remember the rules. Found it: Jeremy Young @ Progressive Historians tagged me. And it is martial discord not an epic battle . . . since the bionic woman is a warrior and an army of fembots were sent to stop her my picture stands.
I believe I am supposed to first put an image of an epic historical battle:
(what?! That was Epic & for my students the 70s is ancient history)
(happy now. this is why i didn’t pick a historic image b/c one man’s epic is this black woman’s tragedy)
Then I am suppose to tell you 7 random things about myself and I am not sure if they have to be historical or even particularly relevant. (you may remember my equally illuminating first run at this when tagged in December.):
I wasn’t at NWSA but apparently my presence was felt none the less!
I once survived a knife wielding member of the British National Party just by glaring
Many of my best stories start with “it was snowing and I was wearing 3 inch heels”
One of my worst stories begins with “it was snowing and I was wearing 3 inch heels”
I regularly get yelled at by both gay and straight friends for flirting with my gay waiters . . . I do NOT flirt, except when I do, besides they started it.
I am currently reading a book about the 1981 el Mozote massacre covered up by the US government (surprise)
I’ve been asked to review a documentary by a groundbreaking feminist theorist and after my last review of a famous anthropologist’s book several years ago, I don’t want any part of it. anybody looking for a pub?
(freebie/or prof bw doesn’t like rules whatev) No matter how logical I am, I will never reconcile the disconnect; rational or irrational, I am stunned into silence again.
Now I must tag people. But here’s the thing, regular readers know I hate tagging people b/c they either forget to do it, like I did, or they feel obligated. Since I am a commitment phobe, I will not foist commitment on any of you. Wanna tell us 7 random things . . . the meme is in your hands.
McCain’s perpetual war in the Middle East will not only continue policies that disempower female veterans, female contractors, and Iraqi and Afghan women and girls but will also be putting newborns at risk. McCain, a Vietnam veteran, should know better than anyone what chemical weapons did to the health of children born during and immediately following the Vietnam war. Veterans of the first Iraq war have given repeated testimony to “phantom ailments” that have left them debilitated and destitute, unable to work, often in constant pain. Yet here we are facing a choice between a president who voted against war and one who promises to be there for 100 years. Here we are looking at another report about the impact of chemical weapons on children in the war zone.
According to a new report, babies born in Fallujah after the deployment of chemical weapons in the area “are showing illnesses and deformities on a scale never seen before.” Infant mortality in the region is at an all time high. While the Pentagon claimed to have done nothing out of the ordinary, they finally admitted to using banned weapons (white phosphorous) and regularly used toxic weapons (depleted uranium) in the area. It is likely that if they used it there, they likely used it elsewhere. The impact to women and children in Fallujah is now being documented, the impact to female soldiers exposed probably won’t be for years.
When you claim to care about women’s rights and yet refuse to vote Democrat this election, you are saying that none of this matters.
In a decision delivered yesterday, June 19, 2008, the appellant court of New York determined that the convictions against Renata Hill and Terrain Dandridge were unfounded and dismissed them. The decision cited the fact that both women were charged with “gang assault” solely on the basis of having defended themselves in a group against a homophobic attacker who threatened to rape them. Gang charges require intentionality, group membership, and other behaviors that were completely absent in this case according to both the facts of the situation and the court decision.
Dandridge has been completely exonerated and will be set free after 1 year in prison. Her full sentence had been 3.5 years. Hill is being held pending a new trial without the gang charges due to the Court’s decision that she had committed some form of assault but not done so as part of a gang. Hill’s current sentence with the gang charge is 8 years. If found guilty of a lesser charge she could still face jail time.
There is no information about the other 2 women available at this time.
Ultimately, all 4 were stigmatized and legally punished for the crime of self-defense. Two of them have small children. Buckle, their attacker, was not convicted of a hate crime despite his hate speech, threats, and violence against the women.
If you are unfamiliar with the case. Read more here and here.
As regular readers know, I am a big Dr. Who and Torchwood fan. I have not written much about this season of the Doctor because I have not been that impressed by rehashed sci fi plots and giant wasp love affairs, and I love the genre enough not to openly mock them. So trust me when I tell you that if you watch no other episodes this season you must watch 4.08 and 4.09 airing over the next two weeks in the states. These episodes are intelligently written, well acted, full of suspense, and better still great clues to the future of the show (tho not as clever as they think – I know who she is). There is also a constant reference to “spoilers” throughout both episodes, and I will take heed to the clever way they have asked us not to spoil what is ahead and simply say: watch.
While you can feel free to skip the following episode (4.10), it’s been done to death and is quite boring, do not miss the finale and the Christmas episode. These are reportedly Tennant’s last moments with the series and all though I have not been impressed with the butched-up Tennant this season, I am going to miss him. He was really all the best quirky bits of Doctors past and it is a shame to lose any part of him. And no, I am still not happy about his rumored replacement who I love as an actor and who I think stinks as the choice for the Dr.
(Rose Tyler fans, she officially returns 4.11 – in the states that is 2-3 weeks away. And as reported before Martha will be in the finale. If you are a Tennant fan, you must not miss 4.12)
Speaking of losing . . . I have no such loyalty to Torchwood anymore so here come the “spoilers.” After the large outcry from fans about proposed changes to the show and a rather untenable idea of mounting a full season without much Capt. Jack the decision has been made to turn Torchwood into a mini-series. Next season will be one 5 episode storyline imagined as a one week event (likely to be a 5 week event in the states). As I’ve said before, Martha and Gwen will both be on board with Jack and Ianto. I haven’t been able to find out what the changes mean for Marsters who said he was onboard for series 3 before the final configuration was put together. There has been no word as to whether any future “mini-series” are in the works or if this is the last hurrah for the groundbreaking science fiction show. All I can say is, Shame on Barrowman’s ego. Shame. Shame.
The stint the entire team puts in at the Doctor Who finale is priceless by the way. Ianto gets to snark. Gwen gets to worry. Jack gets to make smarmy references about 3-ways, or is that 4-ways . . . ? I do so love his chemistry with Martha as well, you get the respect and the care their every time. Please oh please rethink the mini-series madness BBC.
(Oh and Here! Network, please set your writers, directors, and budget folks to getting us a good queer scifi show. Spend the money that is needed to get a solid cast and proper effects; hire the people from Torchwood if you have to. I trust you to fix Torchwood’s absence for all of us should that ultimately be what happens at the end of the miniseries.)
I won’t be locking the blog down this weekend after all (tho not posting either) so that this new petition can reach a wide audience.
Ann Russo, one of my favorite white feminists working on intersectionality (in fairness I actually know her), is circulating an astute petition to counter voices speaking out in favor of racist, racialized, or race over gender instead of race and gender politics and calling it feminism. Please consider signing the petition: here.
And read the full text in the pdf provided here (the online petition does not have the full text). I’d cut and paste but it is incredibly long for a blog; tho short for a petition.
Those who do not watch The View, myself included, may have missed Michelle Obama speaking about the infamous quote, her depiction in the media, racism, sexism, Clinton, and several more issues.
Michelle Obama on The View
I thought I would also give you a chance to see an interview from the beginning of the year with Soledad O’Brien. I have a lot of respect for O’Brien because I used to wake up to her newscasts several years ago and she was the first Latina (Afro-Cuban Australian Celt) I remember seeing on a regular national news program that was not on a Spanish language channel and like the other tv journalists I admired, she knew her stuff. However, it does seem like this interview was set up to bait Michelle Obama into saying negative things about Clinton and race, etc. and she also handles these questions very diplomatically as well.
This is the woman the media is now labeling “negative” and musing about whether she will “hurt the campaign.” Would that we could all, myself included, be this diplomatic for this long under such scrutiny and disparagement. Today, of all days, when I have publicly lost my ability to remain calm in the storm on the blog, I am grateful for her example. And as a big ol’ femme, I have to say on the fluffy side of her interviews, I agree that “it is nice to look pretty.” 😀
Like a Whisper 