race and racism

Book Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

by Cara January 5, 2011

Trigger Warning for sometimes graphic descriptions of human experimentation and medical research on non-consenting individuals There’s a photo on my wall of a woman I’ve never met, its left corner torn and patched together with tape. She looks straight into the camera and smiles, hands on hips, dress suit neatly pressed, lips painted deep red. [...]

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International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

by Cara December 17, 2010

Trigger Warning for violence against sex workers, including but not limited to sexual violence and police violence Today, December 17, is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is a day to remember sex workers who have been murdered, and to acknowledge and spread [...]

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California Fights Order to Reduce Prison Overcrowding at Supreme Court

by Cara November 30, 2010

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the issue of prison overcrowding in California — or, specifically, the judicial order that California must release 46,000 inmates from its overcrowded prisons within two years. For those not familiar with this order issued last year, a little bit of background: At issue is whether the special three-judge [...]

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Study: Too Many Fat Women Don’t Even Know They’re Fat

by Cara November 23, 2010

So there’s a fascinating new study out about how women perceive their weight, with the results being that a significant proportion of women who were deemed “overweight” by the BMI did not view themselves as such. Cue the body-shaming, junk reporting, and photographs of fat1 people with their heads cut off. In the most neutral [...]

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Woman Faces Likely Deportation Because She Filed a Domestic Violence Report

by Cara November 2, 2010

Last year, a woman named Maria Bolanos called the police during a domestic dispute with her partner, hoping that they would protect her. Now, as a result of that phone call and the subsequent interaction with police, because she is an immigrant who is undocumented, it is probable that she will be deported soon. Last [...]

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Media Employ Tabloid Tactics to Report on Rape Allegations Against Candidate

by Cara October 30, 2010

Trigger Warning for descriptions of sexual violence, rape apologism, and homophobia David King, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin Secretary of State, has been accused of raping an unconscious woman and impregnating her, days before Tuesday’s election. It’s no big surprise that the media has run with such a story in a salacious and gossipy manner, [...]

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Women’s Re-entry Court Program Provides Alternatives to Prison for Non-Violent Offenders

by Cara October 19, 2010

Today, the LA Times has a really interesting profile on the Second Chance Women’s Re-entry Court program, a rehabilitation program and alternative to incarceration for women who commit non-violent crimes. The program is one of the first in the nation to focus on women in the criminal justice system: Thirty miles east of Tynan’s courtroom, [...]

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Canadian Court Overturns Ruling that Rape Victim Must Remove Niqab to Testify

by Cara October 15, 2010

In Canada in 2007, a woman who has been identified in the press as N.S. accused her uncle and cousin of molesting her as a child. The case was taken to a preliminary hearing, where N.S., a Muslim woman, was ordered to remove her niqab — a face veil that leaves the eyes visible — [...]

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Activists Leaving Life-Saving Water for Immigrants Face Opposition

by Cara September 27, 2010

Trigger Warning for anti-immigrant hatred and discussion of border crossing deaths. Found via Jill’s brief post on the issue, this story in the NY Times about people who leave water for undocumented immigrants crossing the U.S. border in the desert isn’t exactly news, but it is needed reporting on an ongoing issue. The water is [...]

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U.S. Border Patrol Agents Charged with Rape, Assault, and Torture

by Cara September 13, 2010

Trigger Warning for discussions/descriptions of border violence, sexual violence, and state violence, specifically with relation to U.S. immigration enforcement. Last week, the LA Times reported on a case of alleged assault and torture by a U.S. Border Patrol official against a drug suspect, tying it to other alleged and successfully prosecuted instances of violence, including [...]

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