Media and Melanin --- Representation Matters

by Jaylin Paschal

As a kid, Disney Channel's Raven Baxter (played by Raven-Symone) on That's So Raven meant the world to me. A black girl who wasn't only popular, well-dressed, and academically successful--but magic. The idea that someone who looked liked me, with a family that looked liked mine, could excel in both the tangible and the supernatural made me fall in love with the television show. I could see myself in Raven, in a way I couldn't see myself in any other show on the channel. She was real. She was relatable. She was representative.

I've always--subconsciously and purposely--sought out the people of color in films and on television. I've watched an entire series from pilot to finale only to count the amount of token characters of color on the fingers of one hand. These characters are usually static and flat. Their role is not to add to or take from the plot. Their role is to "diversify" the cast. I encourage you to visit the blog linked here, EVERY SINGLE WORD, which puts together clips from movies featuring every single word spoken by a character of color in a movie or series. Many compilations last no longer than 20 seconds.

When black characters are not insignificant tokens, they often embody detrimental stereotypes of the "thug" or the "angry black woman." Often the character of color is either filling space or fulfilling harmful, negative images.

So let's get to the point. Why is representation important?

First, we should highlight the problem. A straightforward explanation was offered by Wake Magazine:

"The lack of racial diversity in media is rampant. According to the New York Film Academy, only 12.4 percent of speaking characters from the 2007-2012 top 500 grossing films were portrayed by black actors, while 75.8 percent of these roles were portrayed by white characters. In fact, 40 percent of the top 100 grossing films from 2012 showed black characters as less than 5 percent of the speaking cast."

Having characters we can relate to is important, as it often helps us grasp an understanding of ourselves. Media offers viewers a reflection of themselves, and a peek into the world of others. Having dynamic, round characters of color not only gives a diverse audience a chance to see themselves, but also gives the white audience a chance to see beyond stereotypes they've learned. The same is true vice versa.

Of course the lack of representation extends beyond race. An unsubstantial amount of representation of races, religions, sexes, genders, sexualities, body types, etc. leaves out the stories of millions.

"Without equal representation, there are people who are not feeling heard or seen. In a nation and world as diverse and complex as ours, the last thing we want is to lose the stories of a large portion of our people (Wake Magazine)."

This is why people were annoyed with the 2015 Oscars being the whitest since 1998. This is why Viola Davis's Emmy win meant so much. This is why magazines like Ebony and stations like BET have to exist. This is why having a black girl play the role of Annie mattered. This is why the black community made it a point to see a Star Wars with a black man as the leading actor. This is why women like Shonda Rhimes and Ava DuVernay rule our world.

This representation is meaningful even outside of the realm of media. Barbie dolls of color are important as a beauty standard and message of validation. Black people like President Obama, in positions of power, are important as a symbols of success and possibility.

Under-representation is dangerous, as it leads to misunderstanding and isolation. It is time for media and melanin to finally merge.

Thank You, Hip Hop

by Jaylin Paschal

I'm going to try my best not to be cliché. I don't want this to be another stereotypical ode to Hip Hop. I don't want this to be the classic "Hip Hop saved my life" testimony. I don't want to tell you about our love story. I don't want to come off as some sort of music elitist or genre snob. However, Hip Hop--as an art, a culture, a lifestyle, an industry, and a statement--has managed to keep me me while simultaneously forcing me to change. It is undoubtedly the most beautiful, extensive, vibrant, and cultured art form I've ever encountered. A thank you is in order.

I spent hours of my childhood lying beside my dad on our living room floor listening to music. I've answered countless random rap trivia questions and have guessed a number of instruments at play during long family road trips. I've had to prove myself on the aux cord and I've watched more Hip Hop oriented documentaries than you'd believe. I've dug through crates of vinyls looking for hidden gems. It's safe to say that I'm not an enthusiast by choice but by default. Music, particularly Hip Hop, is a huge part of my family and my daily life.

Its manifestation in my life is reflected ten-fold in those of millions of others. Hip Hop has permeated social and societal barriers in a way that's connected people across the nation, and around the globe, since its birth. This connection has surpassed the trend phase. 

"People called rock & roll 'African music.' They called it 'voodoo music.' They said that it would drive the kids insane. They said that it was just a flash in the pan - the same thing that they always used to say about hip-hop."

- Little Richard

It reaches beyond the area deemed as "common interest." Hip Hop is not only by the people, for the people, but representative of the people.

Listen, people be askin me all the time
"Yo Mos, what's gettin ready to happen with Hip-Hop?"
(Where do you think Hip-Hop is goin?)
I tell em, "You know what's gonna happen with Hip-Hop?
Whatever's happening with us"
If we smoked out, Hip-Hop is gonna be smoked out
If we doin alright, Hip-Hop is gonna be doin alright
People talk about Hip-Hop like it's some giant livin in the hillside
Comin down to visit the townspeople
We are Hip-Hop
Me, you, everybody, we are Hip-Hop
So Hip-Hop is going where we going
So the next time you ask yourself where Hip-Hop is going
Ask yourself: 'where am I going? How am I doing?'
'til you get a clear idea
- Fear Not of Man by Mos Def

And because it's a representation of the people, Hip Hop is often personified and given human characteristics or abilities. This is why describing something as "Hip Hop" means so much more than category or style. Hip Hop has implications, connotations, and history that it carries on its shoulders. It extends beyond beats and rhymes; rhythm and poetry. Hip Hop is not just a genre--it'd be naive to think so.

Hip Hop is a culture. Hip Hop is graffiti. Hip Hop is street style--oversized clothes, customized denim, gold grills, tilted snapbacks. Hip Hop is beat-boxing, break-dancing. Hip Hop is a boombox over the shoulder. Hip Hop is "greatest emcee" debates. Hip Hop is in fact, more than a culture. It's a lifestyle choice. The shoes you wear, the way you speak, the style of your hair. Kids live by it, kids die by it. It impacts individuals, just as it impacts the masses.

"Is Hip Hop just a euphemism for a new religion?"
- Gorgeous by Kanye West

Hip Hop is an industry in many of the same ways. It impacts sales beyond the musical world, affecting profit margins in the arenas of theater, fashion (clothes and shoes), cosmetology, etc. Looking at the executive success of men like Jay Z and Dr. Dre strengthens this belief.

Most importantly, Hip Hop is a statement. From songs like N.W.A.'s "Fuck the Police" to Kanye West's "Facts," Hip Hop has been away to challenge systems. Questioning the status quo and voicing truths, Hip Hop has managed to give a distinct sound to the struggles and stories its members have experienced. Hip Hop is censored beyond belief and often thought of as less than because of its tendency to unapologetically discuss whatever it is that needs to be handled--pleasant or otherwise. You don't have to like what's being said, but you definitely have to listen. Hip Hop as a statement is abrasive, uncensored, and candid in the most beautiful way imaginable. It's not meek or mild, but gracious still. It's all of the power, with none of the prestige.

"I think hip-hop could help rebuild America, once hip-hoppers own hip-hop... We are our own politicians, our own government, we have something to say. We're warriors. Soldiers."

- Nas

It manages to manifest in one race, and still transcend racial boundaries. It manages to appeal to people of all socioeconomic statuses. It manages to travel the globe by way of radio waves. It manages to appeal from underground to mainstream. It manages to gain recognition from barbershop panels, to XXL covers, to the Grammy's.

And even more significantly, it manages to maintain a healthy resting heartbeat when so many claim its death.

"I know Hip Hop is alive and well,
If it died, you other crews wouldn't survive the smell."

- Shady 2.0 BET Cypher, Joe Budden

If Hip  Hop dies, so many and so much die with it. It has infiltrated not only black, but American culture as a whole, too deeply to go down without taking the rest of us with it. Which is why, even when enduring what seems to be its deterioration, it could quite literally never die. I hate to be this corny, but it lives as long as we do. And we're fairly resilient. And just like we have, "Hip Hop's passed all your tall social hurtles (Mathematics by Mos Def)." But then again, in the words of Common, "maybe I'm a hopeless, Hip Hop romantic."

As I said in the beginning, a thank you is in order. Thank you for giving a voice to the voiceless. Thank you for the community. Thank you for changing the definition of "art." Thank you for all of the beats that make us nod our heads and lines that make us rewind the track. Thank you for all of the dances. Thank you for all of the moments spent obnoxiously rapping along to songs with loved ones. Thank you for making white people so uncomfortable.Thank you for both the platform and the forum.Thank you, Hip Hop.

2015 Reflection

2015 has come and gone more quickly than I'd like to think about. As ready as I am to move on from it, I have to admit, it was a good year.

I'm loving someone way more than I would usually allow myself to.
I developed my voice as a writer.
I had my first spoken word performance.
I went to New York City.
I was in a wedding.
I attended Black Lives Matter protests.
I cut my hair off.
I photographed an art show.
I went to Orange Beach.
I had the perfect, corny Valentine's date to an aquarium.
I saw someone I hadn't seen for five years and explored Chicago with them.
I went to DC.
I saw J. Cole perform live.
I had a surprise party thrown for my birthday.

I edited and published the first print magazine for my school's journalism program.
I met Nikki Giovanni.
I won first place in a poetry contest I forgot I entered.
I saw Basquiat pieces in person.
I saw Kendrick Lamar perform live.
I became a published poet.
I got my dream internship.
I got my dream internship turned into my dream job.
I went to Atlanta for a cancelled Afropunk festival.
I attended an art gallery opening.

I owe so much love, light, and life to 2015. This reflection was important, as it reminded me of blessings and prompted a positive close to the year. I have appreciation for the past and anticipate the future. Life is good.

See ya next year.

Disagree =/= Disrespect

As the world, and America in particular, diversifies by the second, it becomes more and more likely that we will cross paths with people who have opinions, customs, behaviors, and belief systems which we disagree with. With well over 7 billion humans and only one Earth, it's bound to happen. There is a certain beauty to coexisting with people who have conflicting or even contrasting ideals. It shows that humanity has a certain capacity for understanding and tolerance. However, unfortunately, a wave (or perhaps just an unveiling) of bigotry and xenophobia has shown people in the world, and Americans in particular, forgetting the principles of acceptance and tolerance. Instead of appreciating all of the differences that make mankind significant, understanding is abandoned in a pointless but frantic effort to defend and spread one's own ideals. Although this is often beneficial in terms of assimilation or cultural exchange, today more than ever this defense and projection of beliefs is done in way that is disrespectful, or in a manner that makes it apparent that these beliefs were bred in either hate or fear.

It is natural, and admiral even, to want to defend your own ideals. It is naive, and foolish even,  to expect others not to defend their own just as passionately. These conversations are valuable in the way that they allow us to articulate our beliefs and share ideas. Sometimes, we are even able to share our perspective in a way which causes one to change their mind. However, often this does not happen, and at a certain point we must agree to disagree. When this happens we sometimes leave the conversation with discomfort, denial, disbelief, or even disgust.  But what's important is that we never leave them with disrespectful comments or behaviors.

The truth is, you're not going to get through to everyone. It's impossible, and that's okay. But no one is any better or worse than you are for having a differing opinion. We must be careful to watch our words and mannerisms in an effort to not condemn or judge anyone for simply thinking differently than we do. What's important is that we do not hold anyone else to our own standards; that we understand that no one is obligated to abide by our own moral code.

And so instead of throwing around insults or labels or slurs or offense when we come across those who live differently than we do, we should begin to embrace differences. There is always something to be learned in these conversations, either about the other side or about ourselves. At the end of the day--or conversation, rather--it is important that we appreciate the social, socioeconomic, religious, political, cultural, etc. variety that composes humanity.

I am definitely guilty of disrespecting people who disagreed with something I was passionate about or believed deeply. It is an automatic, defensive mechanism that I have had to unlearn and constantly keep in check. I still have a lot of work to do, and I encourage all others to work as well. No one is ever obligated to agree, and no one is ever entitled to disrespect.

Rambling About Originality

They say no idea is original. All thoughts stem from other thoughts; all movements from other movements. They say that everything is only borrowed. All that was destined to be revolutionary has dawned, and is now only to be accepted. All that was destined to be discovered has been stumbled upon, and is now only to be understood. Trends are recycled and repeated. What is “in” now was “in” before and will be “in” again.

They tend to insult those willing morph what has been set in stone. They shower them with labels like “fraud,” and “copycat,” and “wannabe.” And if what they say is true--if our new ideas only imitate old ideas--then how does the human race move forward? Do we ever invent, or only improve upon? Do we think too highly of ourselves as creators; as artists? Are we not only thieves of artistry; of prior genius; of old news?

Is our improvement, enhancement, and innovation enough to pride ourselves on?

Short answer: Yes.

Innovation is what elevates us. Innovation is what keeps us moving, changing, growing, thinking--what makes us brilliant. Our genius lies in our ability to look at what exists and improve upon it, so that it better reflects the times and represents humanity in its modern state. Our changes, major or minute, are essential if we are to improve the quality of life. Our changes, major or minute, are what defines what it means to be alive and thinking in the 21st century.

It is not the duty of the artist to produce what is new and shiny, but to make useful, beautiful and seemingly new what has been in front of us the whole time. Value the remix, the edit, the afterthought, and the by-product. Originality, or creativity, is not the ability to see something that’s never been seen. It is rather the ability to see it differently.

An Extensive List of Pros and Cons to Being "That Writer Girl"

I have been frequently--way more often than I'm comfortable with--referred to as "that writer girl" by my peers.

"Aren't you that writer girl?"
"And then that writer girl said..."
"Ask that writer girl."

And considering the fact that I spend an overwhelming, and considerably unhealthy, time writing, this tag makes sense. A lot of people I'm around may not know me personally, but may know that I edit the school paper or ramble on this blog. I'm always talking about writing and writers. My hands are always stained black from ink. My passion is clear. So I'm not at all upset about the name, I actually think it's super cute when people refer to me as that, and my friends have a good time making fun of it. It's the connotations, implications, and tones associated with the name that's interesting to me. Sometimes they're positive, and sometimes they're negative. But they're always interesting. Needless to say, there are some pros and cons to living my daily life as "that writer girl."

PRO: People value your opinion.
CON: People value your opinion.

PRO: People consider you to be knowledgeable, unmistakably.
CON: People consider you to be knowledgeable, mistakenly.

PRO: People read your blog when you're talking about something important.
CON: People read your blog when you're just whining about Statistics.

PRO: People ask you questions which spark intellectual debate.
CON: People ask you questions which piss you off.

PRO: People think you're smarter than you are.
CON: People think you're dumber than you are.

PRO: Teachers expect you to do well on papers and essays.
CON: Teachers expect you to do well on papers and essays.

PRO: People think you're "insightful."
CON: People think you're "pretentious."

PRO: People want to hear what you have to say.
CON: People wish you'd just shut up.

PRO: People want your creative input or editorial hand.
CON: People ask you to edit they're college essay. (Error intended.)

PRO: People want to collaborate.
CON: People say they want to collaborate, but really just want you to do the work.

PRO: You meet new people on a regular basis.
CON: Some of those people you wish you hadn't met.

And so on, and so on. So yes, being "that writer girl" is both good and bad. But I can't say I don't love it.

The Internet and Journalism

I have always wanted to be a writer. Always. When I was little I'd imagine myself living in New York City and working for some big newspaper or magazine. I thought about a life with deadlines and seeing my name in print beside a weekly column and in the issues that would circulate daily. Now I'm older and am realizing that the life of a journalist is not what it used to be. Journalism in its entirety is not what it used to be. Chances are I won't be able to see my name in print as often as I'd like or clip out and save my articles in my own, personal archive. And this is all because of technology - more specifically, the Internet.

Since the internet was created, the ability to instantly access information has been granted to millions. News is available with the literal click of a button, and can be constantly updated and edited to be more timely and precise. And this is wonderful. It has revolutionized journalism and provides people with the news they need exactly when they need it. No one has to wait for tomorrow's paper, with news that will seem old by the time it's reached the masses.

No one has to look specifically towards journalists for information and updates. Social media is the new age platform for instantaneous reports, and anyone with an account can release information that can potentially reach millions of people. People can upload information, photos, and videos, and often quicker than reporters can. With constant information coming from hundreds of sources, no one has to solely rely on journalists anymore. Journalists no longer control how informed or knowledgeable the general population is. With the internet available, ignorance is a choice. I think Aleks Krotoski from The Guardian explained it extremely well when stating, "If knowledge is power, the web is the greatest tool in the history of the world."

People can connect like never before and ideas can be shared across the globe. Entire revolutions have been started and carried out online. There are countless events that never could have taken place without the use of the internet to communicate plans and organize ideas.

I am very excited about how the internet has changed journalism and happy that I will be apart of the digital age of releasing news and information. I think it's exciting to have the world at my fingertips, and consider myself lucky to be alive in the age of the internet.

However, although the internet has changed journalism in a way that is quicker and connects more people, it has taken a serious toll on the quality and integrity of journalistic writing.

Less and less journalists take the time they need to perfect a story as they are in a great, big rush to upload their articles and update their blogs before everyone else. I can't tell you how many typos I've found in online articles because there's just no time for proofreading if a writer is to remain timely and relevant in the age of the internet. There's no time to really think about a story; to evaluate it from every angle; to make sure what you're publishing is quality work. Journalists are rushed by their editors - who hardly edit - and their audience, who want more and more as quickly as they can press the refresh button.

With the internet came the ability to cheat and more easily abandon the ethics and rules real journalists believe in. Plagiarism is so much easier to do, as one only has to press "Ctrl + V" to claim the words and work of another as their own. It is simple to edit images online to falsely portray a scene. It is easy to tell a blatant lie without having others fact-check. It is easy to hide behind a screen and do all of these things. And it is not just journalists who do this, but random people all across the world with Internet access and blogs or Twitter accounts to use.

Reporters no longer have to keep their ears to the ground and go out searching for stories and scouring for witnesses and quotes. There's hardly anymore "pounding the pavement". Journalists just simply log into Twitter and see what's trending; see what everyone's talking about on Facebook. Reporters can wait for the facts to be tweeted and can pull photos from online. They simply obtain their information how everyone else does: online. The stories come to them, and practically write themselves and the need for a journalist's analysis has dwindled. Some may consider this to be a benefit of the web, but I think that a basic and important (and fun) part of journalism has been loss to the internet.

Although it's great that everyone can do some "reporting" of their own and join the conversation online, a lot of the facts are lost when civilians are reporting. Those who are not trained to write as journalists often give information that is biased or misleading because they do not look at the story objectively. It's information - but is it trustworthy? Like Yves Eudes stated in the same Guardian article as cited previously, "Anyone can make bread, but it's lousy bread."

There are obvious benefits of the internet that have changed and will continue to change journalism for the better. However, the negative aspects of the internet have altered the practice of journalism in such a way that I often question whether or not it is the profession I want to go into. Hopefully I will end up writing, and I learn how to use and share my work on the internet without ever having to sacrifice the quality or integrity of my writing.

                   

  

           

 

           

Separating the Art from the Artist

Separating art from artist has always been difficult for me. I almost consider them to be the same thing. After all, there is not one without the other. And even if the two could exist separately in my mind, I would still see the creation as a sort of extension of the creator.

If I do not like the artist as a person, it is likely that I will not like or support the art. And vice versa. There are so many extremely talented artists that I don't support because of their character/behavior/morals or lack thereof. I could fall in love with a painting but would not buy it if the painter was homophobic. I mean, if Solange (my spirit animal), were to make racist comments, I couldn't listen to her music anymore. And she's my spirit animal. However, I feel like work that comes from the mind, heart, and soul of someone hateful is tainted by that hate and weighed down with negative energy. And regardless of who that artist is, or what they create, I'm not capable of overlooking that.

But a lot of people I know are not like this.

For example -- Many of my friends are absolutely sickened by the fact that Chris Brown ever even considered putting his hands on Rihanna. They're disgusted by his rampages and tired of hearing about him being in and out of court. But they still buy his music simply because they see it as unrelated to his character. They do not like Chris Brown but do like Chris Brown's work. For another example, there are a lot of young girls that I've (unfortunately) stumbled upon on Twitter who overlook Justin Bieber's destructive and even racist behavior because he's cute. Because he's cute. (I wonder -- would Jim Crow laws still be in place if he had only been blessed with better genes?)

I can't do that.

Of course I don't expect artists to be perfect. I don't expect anyone to be perfect. And I understand that art is flawed and thrives in darkness and sorrow and even hatred; that it often comes from bad places. But I do not believe that art can come from "bad" people, or bad intentions.

On Blogging

The best thing about having a blog is also the worst thing about having a blog -- people always expect you to have something to say. And so, when something big happens, people flock to you for your opinion on it. I love this and I hate this.

Running my own blog has put my voice out there in a way far more effective than I expected. (The fact that people actually read this is insane to me.) Because I blog mainly about my opinions and thoughts on social issues, societal norms, etc., people look to me for reactions to a lot of what's going on in the world.

I love this, because it's led to so many great conversations with so many great people. I love that people feel like I may have something even remotely relevant to say, or that they feel like I could contribute to an intellectual or stimulating conversation. These talks have both strengthened my belief in something and led to me completely changing my mind. I have learned so much from these discussions, and I am extremely grateful to have been part of them.

But I hate it, because sometimes, I have nothing to say. Of course, I'm always willing to simply listen in on the discussion. And when I do this I learn and gain lots of knowledge and understanding. The problem is that a lot of the time, people want me to chime in. But when you ask me how I feel about yet another innocent black teenager being gunned down by the police, there is nothing I can say. I can't talk to you about the slaughter of children. I cannot talk to you about vicious hate crimes against the LGBT community.

I know I'm opinionated and rarely hesitant to participate in a good conversation, but I just have no words for certain situations. I'll have thoughts, opinions, ideas... just no way to form them in a way that anyone else will understand. Some things just hit too hard for me to articulate my feelings about them.

Writer's Block

Writer's block (aka: Satan)

I want to write. I want to write something profound, and thought-provoking. I'd love to just get lost in my writing, like I have so many times before but I just can't.

And I have so many things I want to write about. There are so many things I have to say. Ideas are always coming to me (even when I wish they'd stop so I can sleep).

But lately, every time I pick up a pen, it's like I don't even know how  to write. It's like I haven't even learned how to form letters yet, let alone sentences.

It's excruciating. It's like having something trapped deep inside you. It's in your mind, your soul, it is a part of you that you cannot express. And you try. You try so hard to put it on paper and get it outside of you. But you fail. And the idea haunts you. It becomes all you think about. You play with it. You twist it, and turn it, like a loose tooth. And just like a loose tooth, you can mess around with it all you want, but if it's not coming out, it's not coming out.

(Writer's block has actually gotten so bad for me, that the only thing I actually can write about is writer's block.)

I'm going to go torture myself some more now, and maybe I'll have a paragraph by the end of the night.

Wish me luck.

Why I'm Blogging

Since this is the first post on my blog, I thought I'd share why I wanted to do this.

I often find myself needing a creative outlet, a space where I can be completely myself and put my thoughts out there. Writing has always been how I've done this. I have a ridiculous amount of notebooks completely filled with poems, journal entries, short stories, etc. I also have a love for journalism and news and I write for my school's newspaper.

Although I love being a part of the newspaper staff, I often find myself uninterested in the stories we publish. And if the writer is uninterested, chances are the student body will be too. Our staff puts way too much work into the paper for it to just be thrown away without anyone reading. A lot of our reporters can't seem to understand why no one wants to read. I, however, know why: It's boring.

We write stories about the same things for every. single. issue. We tiptoe around controversial topics, we don't report any hard news stories, and we worry far too much about the readers' reactions.

What matters to me is that there actually is a reaction. (And there are definitely no reactions to stories that go unread.) I want to write stories that move people, inspire people, make people feel something, start conversations.

Since I can't write about whatever I want for our newspaper, I thought I'd publish my unheard thoughts here (which explains: Creative Liberation). I plan on using this platform to express myself, share my thoughts, and talk about what inspires me. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading.

Jaylin x