Just in case you needed a refresher course: Racism isn't defined by exceptions. It is defined by history, institutions, common practices, and perceptions, among other things. That is why it is ENTIRELY possible for a nation as racist as America to elect a biracial president who identifies as African American. -Son of Baldwin 


https://www.facebook.com/sonofbaldwinfb

"If the deaf child is truly finding the spoken language accessible, there is utterly no reason to expect that child to abandon acquiring the oral language simply because they are also acquiring a sign language. On the other hand, if the oral language is not accessible, then it is crucial that the deaf child acquire a sign language, since without it, the child will experience linguistic deprivation."

CHAMP article!!! Debunks many myths about cochlear implants and pinpoints the importance of having full access to a natural language from birth.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/pdf/1477-7517-9-16.pdf&pli=1

"Violence against women is as American as apple pie."-Gwen Moore, Wisconsin Congresswoman

We all Are Racists

I don't think being called a racist means you hate black people. To me, it means you are unaware of OR benefit from your privileges as a white person, which results in your inability to see things from the oppressed's perspective. I know I'm a racist in this sense, and most white people (if not all!) are too. Most people think being called a "racist" is a personal attack, and some people use this term to attack others. I can understand why white people like myself can get defensive when this happens and say, "No! I'm not a racist! I just don't see it the way you do!" BUT the reason why we don't see it the way people of color do is because we are ALSO victims of the racist system. We DO say, think, and do racist things without realizing it. So when someone points this out to us, I do hope that we, white people, are able to examine ourselves and our privileges. Always believe and support the oppressed group, even if we can't see "it". I know this may be hard to do, but I strongly believe that racism will diminish if we all are able to do this.

We must challenge everything. Challenge the status quo.

"Dear fellow white people,

If you are playing ‘devil’s advocate’ for a racist system in a racist country which results in the murders of men and women of color by law enforcement and private citizens alike, I would like you to know that you are not in fact a) an advocate, b) needed in any discussion on this topic ever, or c) challenging any established thought. You are a racist.

This system, these institutions, do not need advocating. If you think they do, in any form, you are the problem and no amount of whining that you’re not really like that will absolve you." - intricate-veins

"Racists and bigots can't handle being called what they are - because it looks bad in the eyes of society. They are perfectly fine with their behavior continuing - they just like to do it with no negative consequences to them. So you get bullshit like this, because so many Americans cannot handle being called out."-Kevenn Smith

Racism is Real

"You want to know how INSANELY racism skews and law enforcement tactics and responses to crime? In 2009, the NYPD stopped and frisked approximately 575,000 New Yorkers. Of those stopped, approximately 490,000 were black or Latino, and approximately 53,000 were white. Even though NINE TIMES AS MANY people of color were stopped, the NYPD found that, of all people stopped, WHITE PEOPLE were MOST likely to be carrying contraband--illegal drugs, illegally concealed weapons, drug paraphernalia, etc.

What was the NYPD's response to this data? In 2010, they stopped even MORE blacks and Latinos. So even though their own data indicated that they should be stopping more white people, they, instead, stopped more people of color. And do you know why? Because they, just like everyone else in the world, ignore the FACTS when it comes to race and crime, and act on PERCEPTION. Because the FACTS can't be dealt with without an admission of a crime on the part of the person with the misconception. And no one, NO ONE, wants to admit that they're racist.

FIRST, we have to talk about the racist system that has demonized black folk and made it seem as though black folk are WORSE, more criminal than any other American--which is a blatant lie. When you're ONLY policing the black neighborhoods; when you're policing the illegal drugs on the street in Brooklyn, but not the illegal drugs on the Columbia University campus; when you're arresting the black person involved in the domestic dispute, but letting the white person involved in the domestic dispute off with a warning; when you're sending the black person involved in a violent crime to prison, but putting the white person involved in a violent crime on probation (or shipping him out of the country or moving his case to where he's least likely to get a conviction); when we're ready to hold the racist criminal justice system to the same unrelenting, exacting standards that we're eager to hold black people to, THEN, and only then, can we talk about the black community and what we need to do about crimes that take place there."-Son of Baldwin