Fearless Friday: Tiarra Riggins

As we conclude Yik Yak Awareness Week, we’d like to recognize Tiarra Riggins ’17, the fearless organizer behind this week’s events. ”People don’t realize how words can damage a soul,” says Tiarra. Her efforts this week have been aimed at stopping cyberbullying and changing the culture of Yik Yak to a more positive and uplifting space. The events during this past week ranged from a discussion on the effects of cyberbullying to daily CUB tables, encouraging students to sign a banner against cyberbullying and the negative aspects of Yik Yak. [excerpt

Cannons to Cannon

I’ll never forget the first moment, I truly realized who Batman was. No, I’m not talking about (SARCASTIC SPOILER ALERT) his alternate identity as Bruce Wayne, but instead his depth as a character, his uncompromising morals and never-ending cycle of battles with the Joker. Batman, his mythology, and his backstory encompass so much more than the movies; he is alive for me in a way he will never be on screen. From an early age, comics provided my escape; Batman was there to drop kick depression and side-swipe thoughts of suicide. [excerpt

Black Feminism: Dismantling Tropes and Embracing Sisterhood

This paper examines the usage of films like Set it off (1996) and Girl’s Trip (2017) and their sisterhood as friends as a way to dismantle tropes typically used towards Black Women. It is through the story lines of each movie that the main characters contradict certain female tropes and go against the societal norms that women are suppose to follow. Meanwhile, dismantling these tropes leads to the empowerment of sisterhood in these communities

The social meaning of men's and women's voices in Charles W. Chesnutt's The House Behind the Cedars and Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, 2016

Language and voice are studied in fiction to understand how characters masculinity and femininity are depicted. This study examines the meaning of mens and womens voices in Their Eyes Were Watching God and Charles Chesnutts The House Behind the Cedars. Both authors portray their characters with realistic emotions that reflect American and African-American culture. Janie struggles to discover her own voice and womanhood after two unsuccessful marriages; however, in her third marriage, Janie begins to use her voice and establish herself as a woman. Similarly, Rena neglects her black identity and finds difficulty in adjusting to white society. However, she uses her voice to illustrate her strength and accepts her blackness. This study analyzes the significance of idiolects and physiological meanings that help depict mens and womens voices in the novels. The research demonstrates the importance of mens and womens voices and how they contribute to characters maturation. KEY TERMS: occupations, African American, foklore, language, sociological, society, Anthropological Linguistics and Sociolinguistics, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication, Linguistics, Psychology, Speech and Rhetorical Studie

A Developmental Approach to Civility and Bystander Intervention

The students of color in your classroom experience discrimination every day, in small and large ways. They don’t often see themselves represented in their textbooks, and encounter hostility in school, and outside. For them race is a constant reality, and an issue they need, and want, to discuss. Failure to do so can inhibit their academic performance.Failure to discuss race prevents White students from getting a real, critical and deep understanding of our society and their place in it. It is essential for the well-being of all students that they learn to have constructive conversations about the history of race in this country, the impact of racism on different ethnic communities, and how those communities and cultures contribute to society

Don\u27t Shoot

It always amazes me how some people Seem to be experts in fields they’ve never seen, Know the right directions on paths they’ve never walked, And know people they seldom acknowledge as such [excerpt

We Need to Talk

Posting about gender issues and Yik Yak from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world. http://inallthings.org/we-need-to-talk

Is this black enough for you? a comparative analysis of African-American families portrayed in Black family television comedies between 1980 and 2000, 2018

Research shows that black people watch more television than any other race of people, and, given that television is the most influential media tool, the content of what may affect an audiences behavior and beliefs deserves analysis. This study examines the black family, alleged pathology, strengths that are specifically associated with them, its portrayal on television, and how television is used as a tool for socialization and influence. A content analysis of the top thirty black family shows that appeared on major network television between 1980 and 2000 was conducted to determine if the family framed was portrayed realistically. Each show analyzed was found to portray some characteristic of strong black families, attributes some media and social critics had not previously recognized or acknowledged. This study suggests that further research is warranted from black family, cultural, and media scholars, as well as social policy and program makers, and on how television influences entire cultures to shift socially and economically. KEY TERMS: Black Culture, Black Family, Humor, Media Role, Television, African American Studies, Broadcast and Video Studies, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication, Social Influence and Political Communication, Televisio