And if you ARE a citizen of the United States:

As an American citizen you have a moral obligation to contact the white house via email or phone call and voice your displeasure with the actions being taken by Israel against Palestine

The United States provides Israel with a large amount of monetary/military aid and that makes us, its citizens complicit in the war machine ravaging the Gaza Strip and ruining the lives of innocent people.

Please take the time to make your voice and opinion heard.

White House: 202-456-1111 
State Department: 202-647-6575

whitehouse.gov/contact

Oppressed groups are frequently placed in the situation of being listened to only if we frame our ideas in the language that is familiar to and comfortable for a dominant group. This requirement often changes the meaning of our ideas and works to elevate the ideas of the dominant groups.

OPPRESSED GROUPS ARE FREQUENTLY PLACED IN THE SITUATION OF BEING LISTENED TO ONLY IF WE FRAME OUR IDEAS IN THE LANGUAGE THAT IS FAMILIAR TO AND COMFORTABLE FOR A DOMINANT GROUP. THIS REQUIREMENT OFTEN CHANGES THE MEANING OF OUR IDEAS AND WORKS TO ELEVATE THE IDEAS OF THE DOMINANT GROUPS.

— Patricia Hill Collins

CC: Sometimes I have a really hard time accepting that you can only teach those who want to learn

Like when a post here gets extremely popular

And someone reblogs it with an (idiotic) contradictory opinion

And then a chain of people following that person start reblogging their post with comments like “way to tell em!” and “BOOM. logic for the sj-ers!”

I can respond to the person who made the idiotic and incendiary comment

But not everyone who agrees with that moron is going to see it, read it and understand where they’re wrong

And sometimes that gets a little difficult to cope with

It’s 3:04am EST, NYC, USA

Good night everybody

God be with Gaza

spider8itten asked: Do you think it’s racist to be more attracted to people with certain skin tones? I’ve heard that girls are often attracted to boys who look like their fathers, and mine, while light enough to pass as caucasian, is still rather dark. I tend to feel more attraction towards guys with darker skin like my father’s, but I always feel a pang of guilt because I think it might be racist of me.

damnlayoffthebleach:

CC: I had an answer typed out to this and then I clicked the back button so ugh, here is the abridged version, sort of —

It throws me off that you said your father is light enough to pass as white (please don’t use the word caucasian to refer to all people of the white race) yet he’s rather dark…? Do you mean he has anglo-features and dark skin? Idk, lemme not focus on that.

Do I think it’s racist to be more attracted to people with certain skin tones?

I think the term you’re looking for is prejudice. Or bias. Racist doesn’t exactly fit the description from what you’re telling me. Being attracted to darker skin is not socially upheld as the morally correct standing and thus with no societal power backing your belief, it isn’t oppressive.

But I want to explore this a bit, because I too have an attraction to people with darker skin and I often get nervous that this may be a form of fetishism…? I’m a lightskinned person. Idk how “girls being attracted to boys who look like their fathers”, sounds like some garbage pieced together by science with sexist foundations. Besides, my dad is as light as I am.

Back to what I was saying about attraction. Are we prejudiced in who we prefer? Yes. All of us are. Attraction, desire… these aspects are not formed in a vacuum away from the multitude of messages the world ingrains in each and every one of us. No one can say “it’s just my preference” as if they’ve somehow managed to develop their attractions without being influenced by the outside world they’ve been involved in. It’s bullshit.

That’s not say that it’s okay to be douche about your preference; I find that often, people are not so offended by preferences as they are for the reasons behind them. Attractions and preferences for lighter skin often come from a place of colorism and (sometimes, in the case of pocs) deep self-hatred. From the darkskinned women I’ve seen speak of their experiences in a colorist world, they don’t really give a shit if you ain’t checking for they sexy ass, rather if you actively take time to sit around and shit on their appearance and existences.

And this ALSO doesn’t mean that one can go on with their problematic ideals so long as they don’t express them publicly either.

We need accountability in this world. And we need to evaluate EVERY SYSTEM we believe in on a deep, thought provoking scale: gender, sexuality, race, size, class, geographical location and country status, etc… we can’t be complacent with bigotry.

CC: Made rebloggable by request. 

CC: :)
Happy Friday, everyone~! 90s X-Fashion Realness by kevinwada @ deviantart My favorite part about this piece is in the artist’s description:  I really wanted to capture the features of African American women. I hate when artists/comics draw western features for a character, give them a dark tan, and call it a day. MY HERO. <3 CC: Oh my God this is so beautiful I have run out of can.
» 4th of July/ The Whitewashing of Mount Rushmore

CC: The following is an excerpt from the original article.

“Let me give you an example* of how a big part of the story of Mount Rushmore has been left out of our national dialog.

Mount Rushmore is in the Black Hills region of South Dakota - or, to give it the Lakota Sioux name, Six Grandfathers is in the Paha Sapa. As the Native American activist, scholar, and writer Russell Means explains,

“The sacred Black Hills have two descriptions in the Lakotah language. Paha Sapa and Kȟe Sapa. The white man says that Paha Sapa means ‘Black Hills’. I will attempt to correct their interpretation of my language. The word ‘Pa-ha’ is broken up into two meanings: Pa describes the mountains emerging from the earth. Paha Sapa all together gives you a picture and a description of our sacred mountains as seen from a distance. The Ponderosa Pine gives the illusion of black from a distance and the mountains emerging from the earth. Paha Sapa. Therefore, what you see is holy. The words ‘Kȟe Sapa’ also gives you a description of what the sacred mountains look like close up, with the white stone cliffs, the meadows and the trees and the valleys. Therefore, you know it is holy.”

Originally, this region was purchased by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, a massive land acquisition from the French government of 828,800 square miles in the center of the American continent. The Black Hills were (and are) in rugged, formidable country, and for a long time the original inhabitants of the land were left largely in peace. Soldiers and explorers came through the area, as did a handful of settlers, but for the most part white people had little interest in such a desolate (to them) part of the country.

The Cheyenne, Kiowa, Arapaho, and Lakota nations lived in this part of the world, and by the late 1800s tensions between the native groups and the US government, particularly over the construction of the Bozeman Trail as a route to the goldfields of Montana, had erupted into Red Cloud’s War. And believe it or not, the native groups won. The Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed in 1868 and guaranteed that the Lakota would hold the Black Hills, as well as land rights across areas of South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, in perpetuity.

Let me reiterate. The government promised the Lakota that they would be the owners of the Black Hills for the rest of time.

Guess how long that lasted? Six years. In 1874 the Custer Expedition found gold in the Black Hills. And suddenly, the US Government was vastly more interested in this sacred land than they were before.

The story of how the Lakota had their land stolen is long, complex, and infuriating, but to simplify matters let me just say that current tribal lands represent not even a quarter of their original promised allotment, as you can clearly see on this map. Furthermore, within current tribal holdings many actual plots of land are owned by non-natives, and this region of the country contains the many of the poorest counties in America, including the poorest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

If you want the entire story, as well as the stories of many other tribes, check out Blood Struggle: The Rise of Modern Indian Nations, by Charles F. Wilkinson.


Six Grandfathers was a sacred mountain to the Lakota within the Paha Sapa. The mountain got the name “Rushmore” when the young lawyer Charles Rushmore, out west checking land titles for a mining company, asked a guide what the mountain’s name was. “Mount Rushmore” joked the guide.

Naturally, this is the name that we now know the mountain as. Sacred Indian name? Out the window. Stupid joke name? It’s a white man’s name, isn’t it? Let’s call it that on all the maps.

*My examples are often related to Native Americans because I have a particular interest - professionally and personally - in this area. If you have other examples (and there are probably thousands), feel free to mention them in the comments. I’m always excited to learn and to gather new examples for teaching.”

Click to Read More

CC: New blog recommendation!!!

damnlayoffthebleach:

http://black-n-animated.tumblr.com

“Dedicated to all the black characters in the world.”

They accept submissions as well!!!

Give it a look/follow!

(Source: damnlayoffthebleach)

And here we have fanart of the Legend of Korra’s title character (by smitth on deviantart), who is quickly becoming one of the most whitewashed characters ever. Seriously? Was the artist even trying to get it right with this one?  CC: :/ Korra! I feel like I’m chasing after a speeding car, reiterating things time and time again Lay -gasp- Off -wheeze- The -choke- Bleach *faints*
CC: New blog recommendation!!!

http://black-n-animated.tumblr.com

“Dedicated to all the black characters in the world.”

They accept submissions as well!!!

Give it a look/follow!

Look, look, I’m not a POC myself (being asian-latina) but this is disgusting. Since you cant submit links, I’ll put it here. Just, no. Natural & Healthy Dark Skin Removal Treatment So if your skin gets a tad darker, its a sickness. Yep, totally, its in the article. CC: [Asians are people of color as well, jsyk.] Can we just look at some of the sentences that are in this article? Like I’m actually tearing up. I can’t imagine what this must feel like, to be taught from birth that your dark skin is disgusting and undesirable and A SICKNESS.I thought the above comment of presenting dark skin as a sickness was a hyperbole, but it’s actually true. This article really speaks as though dark skin is an unfortunate curse. “Dark Skin can be a bane for people who crave a fair Complexion.” “Symptoms of Dark Skin: The most common symptoms of dark skin are that the skin color turns to brownish to blackish.” “Dark skins can be cured naturally using some easy measures. Know more how to treat dark skin naturally.” “Home Remedies for dark skin:Some of the useful home remedies for dark skin are present in below.” And then the awful article proceeds to speak of how to treat and remedy dark skin. Feel free to leave comments at the bottom of their blog letting them know exactly why this shit is racist.
I know your blog is about People portraying darker skinned characters as a lighter shade of skin. But can you guys be so kinda as to leave Cosplayers alone? Do you know how hard it is to get up the confidence to cosplay in the first place? And its not like a contest or anything, Its a hobby. And really now. Can anybody ever win with you guys. For example if somebody light skinned cosplays Korra you say “SINCE WHEN WAS KORRA WHITE DUDE ” if somebody did their best to look tan “oh thats offensive”.  :I Guys really. I know you use the “BUT I DONT SEE DARK SKINNED PEOPLE TRYING TO LOOK LIGHTER” :I Thats because Cosplay is for fun, if they dont want to , they wont. :I So seriously. Chill out on your rage mobile. I dont care about what you complain about with the art but. Leave cosplayers out of it. You’re only being rude and making people feel bad about their cosplays/making people not wanna cosplay their favorite characters and settling for ones with the same skin tone. (I needed a picture so that explains the crappy paint drawing connected to this.) CC: Y’all are trying my damned patience. Y’all really are. Now. I’m going to attempt to calmly explain to you my feelings on this matter. After this, I couldn’t give a fuck. I know your blog is about People portraying darker skinned characters as a lighter shade of skin You sound like a child dancing around a curse word. Is it that difficult for you to say? This blog is about WHITEWASHING. Say it with me: W H I T E W A S H I N G. It isn’t something that should be so taboo. We should never have gotten to a point in the art community where a blog like this needed to be made. We’re not gleeful about addressing bullshit. :: I’m one of the mods that isn’t bothered at all by white people cosplaying characters of color. While I understand the stance the other mods have taken, it’s just not something that I feel particularly resentful about. See our FAQ for our differing opinions on the matter of white people cosplaying characters of color. Do you know how hard it is to get up the confidence to cosplay in the first place? :: No. Enlighten me /sarcasm. :: No one ever said it was a contest, no one here ever made it into a contest, if you’re going to come making requests (which I’m not gonna grant anyway), don’t come fucking misinformed. We don’t pit cosplayers against one another, neither do we do that artwork because that’s cruel and that’s what we’re about. And really now. Can anybody ever win with you guys. For example if somebody light skinned cosplays Korra you say “SINCE WHEN WAS KORRA WHITE DUDE ” if somebody did their best to look tan “oh thats offensive”.  :: Now this is particularly upsetting. Can you LINK me to where we have bashed white people for cosplaying Korra? I’ve been looking through the blog and, my my, I can’t seem to find it. Where have we reblogged a white cosplayer and told them they were whitewashing? Seriously, I just want to see some proof of that because I don’t believe you. As for the *tanning* (you mean BROWNFACE), that IS offensive. Why? Because for DECADES Blackface/Brownface/Yellowface has been used to degrade, dehumanizing and oppress people of color. It’s ALSO been used to prevent entertainers of color from getting jobs (why hire a person of color when you can just PAINT a white person that skin color and throw a wig on em!). The history behind it is so PAINFUL and DANGEROUS and the worst part is it CONTINUES TODAY. People of color have called out Sasha Baron Cohen, Dita Von Teese, Ashton Kutcher, Billy Crystal and Robert Downey Jr. and have been told “you’re too sensitive”. Excuse us for being sensitive about something that contributes to the disregard of our very human lives. It trivializes the plights we face that are caused by our skin color/ethnicity. It’s PAINFUL. I personally find it more hurtful than anything else. So yeah, IT IS OFFENSIVE. I won’t deny that we’ve said that because, though it may be difficult to understand, we’re right. I know that Sheila girl didn’t mean anything behind her brownface stunt. But as we’ve said before. INTENT DOESN’T MATTER.  Our skin color is not a costume to be worn and taken off. That’s exercising a privilege brown-skinned people of color DO NOT have.  You can’t separate the racist history behind Blackface/Brownface/Yellowface just because you want to cosplay. That’s incredibly selfish and insensitive. People of color still find that HURTFUL.  People have also been sending us messages saying she’s a person of color herself. Still unacceptable. No matter who does it, it’s usually deemed unacceptable. Beyonce donned Blackface to honor Fela Kuti and it sparked much controversy in the Black community. I know you use the “BUT I DONT SEE DARK SKINNED PEOPLE TRYING TO LOOK LIGHTER” :I Thats because Cosplay is for fun, if they dont want to , they wont. Dark skinned people may not paint themselves white to cosplay, but they’re certainly whitening their skin through the use of harmful products/skin bleaches. Whiteness has instilled self-esteem issues within dark skinned communities of all creeds and the response to POC cosplays certainly hasn’t helped. Simple cosplays like Lara Croft and Humanized Ponies have been the target of racist comments and hatred. What’s funny is I see SOOOOOO many of you jumping in front of bullets to save BROWNFACING cosplayers, and yet it’s realllllyyyyy quiet around these fandoms when these people of color are being verbally assaulted.  So seriously. Chill out on your rage mobile. I dont care about what you complain about with the art but. Leave cosplayers out of it  Don’t fucking tone police. You don’t get to tell me or anyone how to react to something that hurts and oppresses them. Whitewashing erases and further marginalizes people of color. Blackface/Brownface/Yellowface further DEHUMANIZES us and contributes to hate crimes and race related murders.  You’re only being rude and making people feel bad about their cosplays/making people not wanna cosplay their favorite characters and settling for ones with the same skin tone.  *Sigh* Cosplay your characters. BY ALL MEANS. But people should feel bad for Blackface/Brownface/Yellowface. Y’all should be fucking ashamed. Now fuck off.
Have you seen Artemis in Young Justice cartoon tie-in comics series? The sad thing - it’s official and considered as canon… CC: NO FUCKING WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is by the wonderful, tumblr-famous Felice Fawn and is an example of her “retouching skills” that she does for magazines…. The original photo is on here http://www.felicefawn.com/retoucher/ I became enraged when I saw how she “improved” the models’ looks…. The link has even more examples. CC: This actually hurt. Like I just felt a pain in my chest because you can honestly retouch subtle flaws without LIGHTENING someone’s skin. And the whole idea behind retouching is to polish the look, improve the quality and perfect the picture. So to support the idea that this woman’s skin needed to be LIGHTENED in order to be BETTER is to disrespect the model as well as uphold white supremacist standards of beauty. If you cannot see the difference, I suggest going to the link provided, where you can see it by scrolling your mouse over the retouched photo.
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