#LIVING WHILE BLACK

[angelinkstain]

#livingwhileblack

Knowing about something doesn’t mean something will happen. In the United States, viral moments on social media are usually the main source of information many people get regarding the situation itself, and the historic and immediate context to explain why the situation occurred. Ferguson, Philando Castile, and even the Tulsa Massacre of the twentieth century are reduced to a handful of iconic images meant to encapsulate the main ideas of events, at the expense of other, possibly stronger images that are not as user-friendly. #LivingWhileBlack, one of the many hashtags created in raising awareness for social issues, commodifies black lives. Common issues, like micro-agressions to outright discrimination based on hair styles/textures, are reduced to punchlines paired with funny reaction images, humor as a way to cope with trauma. While these actions are seen by many in the black community as situational equity (we all go through the same things and it’s okay to laugh as long as you’re not crying), white people’s confirmation bias flies off the radar with ideas of what black communities must have always been like, based off of online satirical content. #LWB promotes white confirmation bias, bleeding out into public situations as all white people continue to think all black people are the same. The simplicity of these concepts allows much information to go missing on those who don’t have the background. Simply, white people do not understand #LWB tweets. Instead, they take the information presented and apply it to their own previous knowledge of black communities, which is dangerous. Social actions follow mental actions, and the persistence of hashtags containing satirical takes on serious race issues, while important fodder for conversations on social media, reduces the complexity of black struggle down to something that white people can easily use as a weapon against social progress.

Allison Ettel, a white woman in California, is a prime example of the persistence of white confirmation bias in social issues. After seeing a young girl selling water on a California sidewalk, Ettel began calling the cops on her for “not having a permit” (PBS, 2018). Whether the girl needs a permit or not is not in the question (it’s sealed water), the situation deals with a grown white woman calling the cops on an eight year old black girl. Black girls are constantly viewed as women from a young age, a situation that proves itself in the implicit bias exhibited through Ettel’s calls to the police; Ettel views the child as older than she really is- a way to justify unjust treatment if it’s towards an adult. While this is perfect content for #LWB, situations like these are commonly dismissed by white people as precautionary measures. Dismissed under the guise of concern for public safety, white people historically call the police on innocent black citizens under the pretense of discomfort, and this situation was viewed as no different. The insistence of police interference depends on more than selling water without a permit, police interference re-establishes white power. By inflicting the law so easily, Ettel feels she has done her part in protecting her neighborhood, at the expense of the black girls safety, possibly her life. While black girls are often viewed as women from a young age, they are also viewed as helpless. Therefore, seeing a young child selling water on the street, if they’re not white, must be a form of trafficking. Ettel’s mind was running with a myriad of possibilities on why the girl could have been selling that water, the victim of trafficking possibly being one reason why. Exhibiting political power by calling the police reaffirms white belief in the safety of their community while also re-enforcing the idea of all black people being dangerous. In the name of feeling safe, white women employ a primary source of power, historically the most vulnerable in the law’s eyes, protected at all costs. Perpetuating the notion of white women being able to call the cops whenever necessary reflects the idea that white women are under constant possibility of attack when surrounded by white people. 

Most notably recently, Amy Cooper has become synonymous with white womanism, the belief that you are doing the right thing by using law enforcement to your advantage. A white woman calling the cops on a black man is something for the history books, seen earlier than Emmett till, dating back to the creation of the country. 2020 is no different; While birdwatching, Christian Cooper, a black man, had the cops called on him by Amy Cooper, a white woman (Getachew, 2020). This incident, yet again, sparked national outrage. Christian Cooper was assumed to be causing some kind of harm with a pair of binoculars in central park, intimating the invasion of people’s privacy, a point of public concern. Amy Cooper calling the cops on Christian Cooper reinforces the idea that hobbies as simple as birdwatching were not allowed for black people, black men in particular, without there being some imminent danger. 

Racial tactics like these are weaponized by white women for reasons rooted in racism, a deep fear inherent in women that black men will harm them, or are looking to harm someone else. While this innate bias is built into our society in several public matters, it is commonly shrugged off as wanting to feel secure. The idea that the cops can be easily contacted and brought into community conflict leads to an abuse of the services being provided. White women calling the cops on black citizens perpetuates itself so much that the perfect response is to claim concern for your safety, using the systems available to you to establish their social dominance, namely how they can easily sic the law on others. The idea of calling the cops as a white person transcends gender, as white men feel just as confident calling the cops on women, in this case an hispanic woman. In The Common Place of Law Chapter 6, Ewick & Silbey describe Jamie Leeson’s experience with the law, an almost familial reliance on law enforcement to solve all of his problems. Leeson describes his encounter with a woman he believed was in a fugue state, incorrectly interpreting her Spanish and taking her to the hospital for a medical checkup. “When I checked back on her I found out they’d committed her. I found out the doctor who had committed her … didn’t speak very good English, and didn’t speak any Spanish … So I called the public advocates and said I wanted an investigation. So they did.” Jamie’s quickness to call the cops is a white trait shared when they feel some sort of public danger. Using public law enforcement as a quick resolve to societal problems leads to situations where #livingwhileblack is seen as an exaggeration; people just want to make sure they’re safe, unable to see the serious racial implications behind their use of public services. In another portion, Leeson describes calling the cops because he saw someone walking with a stereo, although he was “ninety-nine percent sure” the stereo belonged to the citizen, he just wanted to make sure. 

While #LivingWhileBlack is seen within the community as a fitting source of relief for all aggressions placed on us, the hashtag is greatly reduced in complexity when it’s brushed off as over-exaggeration. Black people view these tweets as accurate depictions and a way to relieve stress, while white people are brushing the content off as exaggerations, reminding people of color the purpose of law enforcement is to serve their own personal needs. While twitter serves as a great platform for these discussions, the character limit also limits character backstory and expression, forcing people to reduce their thoughts to the punch line. 

REFERENCES

Ewick, P., & Silbey, S. S. (2008). Chapter 6/Jamie Leeson. In The common place of law: Stories from Everyday Life (pp. 312–322). essay, The University of Chicago Press.

Getachew, S. (2020, May 28). Perspective | you shouldn't need a Harvard degree to survive birdwatching while black. The Washington Post. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/05/28/christian-cooper-harvard-birdwatching/. 

Public Broadcasting Service. (2018, July 2). #LivingWhileBlack: How does racial bias lead to unnecessary calls to police? PBS. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/livingwhileblack-how-does-racial-bias-lead-to-unnecessary-calls-to-police. 

[hmura-hmara]

No thoughts, head full of dinluke

[sunshinepixels]

Move in day 🚚🏠📦

ft. another florida house from yours truly

[graphicpolicy]

Living While Black: Portraits of Everyday Resistance delivers a stark reality with beautiful art

Living While Black: Portraits of Everyday Resistance delivers a stark reality with beautiful art #books #blm

Laughing. Grieving. Being a kid. Even the purest expression of pleasure, the most human display of sorrow, or the simplest delight of childhood is an act of resistance if you happen to be Black. Living While Black: Portraits of Everyday Resistance features 40 realities of being a black person in today’s world. By: Arjuan ManceForward: Alicia Garza Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near…

[bet-on-me-13]

Ghostly Host AU

So! Ghosts need a physical Anchor in the living world, or they are liable to fall apart and fade away if they stay for too long.

In Amity Park, this usually isn't too much of a problem. Sure most Ghosts can't stay for a week without a Host, but the ambient Ecto-Levels in Amity Park are enough that they can stay for a few days or so at a time with little worry.

This changes however, during Reign Storm.

When Pariah Dark awakens, Tens of Thousands of Ghosts use the Fenton Portal to escape the Rule of Pariah Dark, running away into the Human Realm.

If Amity Park had stayed where it was, this would have been fine. They could have stayed in the Living Realm for a few days, and maybe the Weaker ones would need to find a temporary Host, but that was fine since Amity was filled with thousands of Liminals.

Unfortunately, Pariah Darks first move was to suck Amity Park into the Ghost Zone, alongside all of the Ecto-Energy that had accumulated there.

Now left trapped in the Living Realm with no way back to the Zone, thousands of Ghosts suddenly needed Hosts or they would start dying off by the Hundreds. In a Panic, they spread out across the Planet in search of viable Hosts.

Any normal Person wouldn't do, they needed a Living Being that could actually handle their Power, or someone who matched their Soul. Preferably both. Liminals were the best since they had a durable Body and a Malleable Soul, so any Ghost could use any of them as a Host.

But outside of Amity Liminals were very rare, and finding someone who matched their Soul was time-consuming and hard. Thankfully, in recent years the population of Aliens, Metahumans, Enhanced Soldiers, and even extra durable baseline Humans had spiked across the world.

All across the planet, People suddenly found themselves stuck with a new Passenger in their Bodies.

Those new passengers thankfully weren't malicious, for the most part, but it was still annoying. The only good thing was that they now had new Powers, which neat.

They could summon the Ghosts in their Body outwardly, and then command the Ghost to use their Powers in whatever way they wanted. Only other Hosts could see another person's Ghost, which meant they looked very awkward to normal people when they fought. Generally, Hosts seemed to act more strangely after getting a Ghost, as if they lost a few of their Inhibitions.

Why did they feel the sudden need to strike a flamboyant Pose? Or over dramatically scream?

[rottengurlz]

leona and her soon to be dead husband

before!!!!

[fadelsburger]

NOT ME เขา...ไม่ใช่ผม (2021-2022) dir. Nuchy Anucha Boonyawatana

[gabihime-jegulusseeker]

Another jegulus incorrect quote

Euphemia Potter: Regulus kissed you?

James: *staring woefully out of his window*

Effie: and you said thank you…?

James: yeah...

Effie: well that was very polite of you

meanwhile

Regulus: thank you?!?! WHO SAID THANK YOU IN THIS SITUATION, WHAT DID HE MEAN

Fleamont : I'm sorry reg, my son is stupid, but you already knew this.

[cubbihue]

POV: It's first godchild is a bit. Hrmn.

Wolf oc by @bunnieswithknives

[j-rye]

bun ny bunny bu nny bunny ? @wolfertinger666

[dykedvonte]

I think a big misunderstanding is the power people give Curly to actually change things about the way the pony express operates or could’ve done things on the Tulpar.

We are talking about a company that docks pay for bad synergy despite mandated psych evals that should tell which staff members would work well together, only allots for 5 hours of sleep despite having literally no other tasks to truly do and locks all resources behind the access of one person. The last one is likely to manage resources and make it easier to justify collective punishment and blaming one person for it; someone needs something in “excess” or the captain gives in? It’s all on them your pay is docked. Instant resentment.

It’s insidious how the company works, it’s by design to distract you from coming after them, to force tensions to line their own pockets. With all the restrictions and forced interactions, altercations are bound to happen. 5 hours of sleep a day, limited sources of entertainment, no real tasks… the monotony alone would cause bad cabin fever, mix that with just only one absolute mediator and you get the exact environment that allows shit like in the game to happen.

The idea he could just complain and try to throw his weight around to get them to dig into their pocket for the crews comfort is laughable and misses the predatory and dehumanizing aspect of capitalism the Pony Express represents. Curly was and is still just another asset to them. Being a top show pony doesn’t mean he’s anywhere close to the actual top. He is the top of the working ladder, not whoever’s in corporate, he wouldn’t even be on the bottom step unlike what Jimmy perceives. The resounding recommendations he would get are almost mocking as they throw him out like nothing just like the rest. Being a shitty fucking company, how much do you bet they’d mean anything anyways, especially since he wanted to leave the field all together.

He made a fuss and they didn’t listen, he says he should’ve done more but you can tell he knows it wouldn’t have changed anything. Jobs like this are willing to make a sacrifice if it means even a penny more. Curly makes a bigger fuss they likely would’ve just found an “unrelated” reason to fire him, hired a more pliable guy or, terrifyingly, promoted Jimmy. The company was failing, going to shut down whether anything happened on the ship or not. But knowing that they were shutting down and that everyone, including him, would be out of a job with this being their last paycheck, he had to factor in not destroying the last bit of their financial stabilities combined with every other issue on the vessel and his own. He gets another cryopod or locks and then he has to break to them that they are not only fired but there will be substantial cuts to their paychecks due to the “upgrades” (things that already should’ve been in place on their part) on top of anything else that could be docked along the way.

You can blame him for saying it so early into the trip but then again, if he mentioned it later who’s to say it wouldn’t have been worse? On the capitalism side alone how would people in a galaxy away from home, out of a job and already stir crazy react? Don’t get me started on how Jimmy would have reacted if he realized he only had two days left to fix what would be a very hard to miss “problem” in his head…

I can’t even consider explaining this as devils advocate because it’s just facts of the world we and they live in and factors that heavily affected the situation. People are just so quick to make claims on the ease of the choices when P.E literally makes it hard to choose to do anything but suck it up.

[julesart04]

[casquecest]

7th year finds Sirius and Lily sitting together during a Quidditch match for the first time, and they can tell that they are going to be friends.

[blacklegsanjienthusiast]

truly obsessed with the big chunky ring that sanji wears in his first scene like it screams taz but it’s also so sanji because in so many of the official colour spreads and art pieces that oda has drawn he’s wearing a million rings exactly like it but i also can’t help but think about how he’s breaking kitchen hygiene rule number one by wearing it while cooking