#fr197

I really liked this last plenary because it dealt with current events in a humorous yet informative way. Each candidate holds a unique position on issues including transgender bathrooms, the gender pay gap, and other problems recognizing LGBTQ+ rights and gender discrimination. I also learned a lot from my peers about the racism and assumptions people make about them based on their appearance. No one should be judged for something they cannot control. It is up to us to educate these people about who we are and not who they want us to be. One of the best things about being yourself is that you are completely unique. There is no one else in this world that is exactly like you, so be your own advocate! It is important for us to get involved in political issues that affect us. However, we should also care about those that affect other people who are having their rights limited or restricted by laws like the biological bathroom law in North Carolina. It hurts the transgender people who are trying to find their place in society and shocks others who see those of the opposite gender come into their bathroom. Our voice must be heard through voting and petitions for equal treatment without any form of discrimination.

“Blurred Lines” is one of those songs that seems really catchy at first, until you realize what it’s saying. The lyrics as well as the music video were both disturbing, portraying women as “animals” and objects instead of equal human beings. When starting with the lyrics, one of the most concerning sets of lines is “Ok, now he was close/ Tried to domesticate you/ But you’re an animal/ Baby it’s in your nature.” It blatantly compares a woman to a wild animal that needs to be “domesticated.” This is a step backwards in achieving feminism, or the equality of the sexes. An animal is not the same as a human. The music video is not much better, as the women are topless and use their bodies as a ramp for toy cars and other forms of objectification. The male singers are just watching the women walk by and make unnecessary sexual comments. As long as society allows songs like these to become popular hits that spread these degrading messages, equality will not attained.

Jolin Tsai’s video was different but also put women in power. She was the doctor tending to a pregnant man. The men also wore heels. Her video was more about gender expression and sexuality.

I liked the second plenary because it showcased three of the world’s largest and most impactful religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. I usually think of them as fighting and divided, but seeing these women come together on stage to share their struggles really painted a positive image in my mind. All of them had faced some sort of sexism and belittlng by members of their community. The instance that most stuck out to me was the Jewish rabbi’s experience of being called a “cute” rabbi. Why was she called “cute” when her husband, another rabbi, was not? It is not difficult to conclude that the people who judged the female rabbi did not take her as seriously as a more traditional male rabbi. After all, they said nothing to her husband even though he was there as well. I loved that her husband rabbi came to her support and asked the couple, “What about me? Would I also make a ‘cute’ rabbi?” Typically, I would think that the husband would just laugh it off and play it cool, but this man saw that his wife was being belittled for doing the same job that he did and did not stand for it. I respect men like him because they are not afraid of recognizing the gender gap and actively do what they can to close it. Unfortunately, many religious leadership positions are occupied by men, and those of especially older generations tend to remain close-minded to the idea of female leaders. I really did not like the older man’s comment of, “I don’t know whether I should kiss the Torah or kiss the rabbi!” This is very disrespectful and unacceptable to say to any religious leader. Belief and community should overpower sexism, we all need to stand up for words and actions that act against progress.

The Douglass Global Summit was a very interesting event, and I am glad that I went! The most interesting part to me was the breakout session for learning about Islamophobia. Islamophobia is the “close-minded prejudice against or hatred of Islam and Muslims,” according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations. It was sad to hear about students being harassed and discriminated against because of their religion, one that is actually very peaceful and misrepresented in the media to the public. For instance, one Muslim girl was verbally assaulted by a white man who called her a terrorist for wearing a hijab. This type of racist behavior is unacceptable, especially when the antagonists are acting on prejudiced, false information that is meant to cause fear and misdirected anger at the Muslim community. At the breakout session, the three girls who were answering questions were strong and confident in their defense of their religion’s peaceful and unifying beliefs; they advocated for better education and representation of their community in the media and other public platforms. It is unfortunate that in this world, there are still people who refuse to be open-minded and check their facts with so many immediate resources available. With the upcoming election, I am really afraid of Donald Trump becoming president. He has made racism and discrimination so much worse in this country by promoting false stereotypes and demonizing entire populations. I hope that people, especially those of the Rutgers community, choose to educate themselves through conferences and summits like the Douglass Global Summit instead of listening to fear mongers like Donald Trump.

Beyonce’s “Formation” video has gone viral on social media and supports the Black Lives Matter movement. It pays homage to the Black Panther Party through the dancer’s costumes, includes scenes of white police and a small black boy, a police car drowning in Hurricane Katrina flood waters while Beyonce wears a (blood) red dress, Civil War era dresses, black funeral attire, and Martin Luther King Jr. and a black church congregation. Even the title “Formation” is a call to black people to stand together against the injustices of police brutality. Another effect Beyonce’s “Formation” performance and video had was bringing awareness to the struggles black people are facing in today’s society and creating a debate about whether this is “appropriate” or “acceptable.” Some people, especially white people, feel like they cannot relate and do not support Beyonce’s solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. In other cases, black people support Beyonce and her video’s messages, advocating for racial equality and the freed black culture expression. People need to talk about these issues and not need a video to be prompted to do so. We need clear communication and understanding to drive future discussions on race, equality, and acceptance in this country.

People simply do not take the time to learn about various cultures and what they stand for. By separating into these racial caucus groups, we did exactly that and educated ourselves about what each of us has experienced due to our race. I really liked this activity and hope to further develop my understanding of different races through this class and my experiences outside of it.

This quote really struck me because I was in the NHS and I remember reading this when signing my acceptance. This rule is so outdated and completely ignorant. Are pregnant girls unworthy of being in the NHS, but were somehow worthy when they did not have a baby inside of them? A disadvantage women faced in education was being unable to join certain elite colleges like the Ivy League. Women during the ‘70s, with thorough schooling, could undoubtedly have been smart enough to get into these colleges. However, being the “wrong” gender prevented them from getting the recognition and respect they deserved in the academic world. There were many observations from the 1970s that made me feel like this time period was from centuries ago. Women were treated as sexual objects that tempted men instead of telling men not to target women. This essay could have included men that fought for women’s rights at the time, if there were any. It is important to recognize those who do not fit a generality. We are still working to resolve the NHS issue, abortion, and the jobs that women are expected to do versus what they want to do. Many women want to be able to have abortions, yet state laws prevent them from doing so. Furthermore, women are in professional fields but in not as many numbers as men, especially in the sciences. Race issue education is also a prevalent issue in today’s society, and not enough schools are focusing on teaching students about various cultures and their gender issues.