Clothes Don’t Fit

by with One Comment CultureDiversity & InclusionFeatured

I previously wrote an article about the blackface incidents circulating the news. Gucci, the luxury fashion brand; however, deserves additional dialogue for their attempt to sell a blackface sweater.

Let’s be clear, all acts of blackface are egregious and the usual cockamamie excuses for them are equaling as insulting, but the Gucci incident is more costly than the overpriced sweater they tried to sell. 

Simply put, Gucci and most luxury brands, whether it be alcohol, cars, watches, or apparel, have largely become household names due to one group of people… hip hop artists. 

You and I both will never check the time on our Rolex watch flooded with diamonds while jumping into a Maybach in Prada flip flops… spoiler alert… neither will most rappers. Those braggadocious lyrics may not mean much; however, their effect has left an imprint on an entire culture. 

That culture being people fixated on luxurious brands… brands that have put forth little to no effort or appreciation for some of the people buying their products. By people, I mean Black people. 

From Prada to Gucci you rarely find Black models in their ads. They host virtually no community engagements or services at all. Their company is composed primarily of well to do White people and their stores rarely have Black employees. 

I get why the lopsided relationship exists between luxury brands and Black people.

Spoiler alert, they don’t want us buying and promoting their brands!

Remember when Tommy Hilfiger said, “I wish the rappers didn’t wear my stuff?” He received major backlash and immediately Black people stopped wearing Tommy Hilfiger. Tommy Hilfiger was actually saying what most designers were thinking. 

So why do Black folks in particular still buy brands that make every effort to show they have no interest in them or even their dollars???

Well… 

The American economy is a consumer based economy, and the supporting culture is materialism. Black people in this nation have been ostracized from housing loans to draconian drug laws. And if there’s one aspect of American culture where Black people feel like they can briefly escape these oppressions, it’s through fashion, buying the most expensive items… flossing as they say, or at least it seems. 

Whether it’s a new Benz, a very expensive handbag, or the latest designer shoes, such products immediately grant American consumers the attention and praise they crave, for whatever reason… regardless of their race.

Lastly, many luxury fashion brands have no interest in the inclusion of Black people, which is evident by their repeated blunders and cultural mishaps. Yet, many Black people continue to spend their hard earned money on these brands. It’s like the clothes don’t fit, but we continue to try them on in hopes of breaking them in one day.  

Similar Read: Stop Giving Out Black Hall Passes

Stop Giving Out Black Hall Passes

by with One Comment CultureDiversity & InclusionFeatured

Remember hall passes? I’m probably dating myself, but a hall pass was something needed in grade school to roam the halls during class time. I’m sure today there’s a hall pass tablet or something, but in the ancient days of the 1990s, we had handwritten hall passes which gave proof to any authoritative figure walking around to see we had a legitimate reason to be in the hallway.

A hall pass or a “pass” seems to always be given by Black people to those who have done blatant wrong against them or their people. On the latest episode of Oh That’s Racist, a few incidents have transpired, and as quickly as they became news people were defending the actions of the accused racists.

Stop! Please for the sake of decency and respect, stop defending wrong.

Liam Neeson

The English actor recently confessed that he wanted to seek revenge against ANY Black man after learning that a female friend of his was sexually assaulted. For the simpleton Hollywood crowd and fans of the “Taken” movie series stop defending him! 

His mentality lines up with the same psyche that escapes every other group of people in the world… except White men. And that psyche is to classify an entire group of people based on the acts of one. White men have done everything from running Ponzi schemes to the creation of domestic organizations that have burned homes, churches, and killed thousands of people including children… yet no one attributes that behavior as a cause to kill any White man. White men are judged as individuals, if at all. Never as an entire group of people. So no pass on this. 

Blackface

For the elected officials caught with pictures of themselves in blackface, there’s no such thing as “youthful” mistakes regarding your actions. A youthful mistake is signing up for an 8 AM class during your first semester at college. There’s nothing youthful about blackface. Nothing. There was never a time when blackface was an “innocuous” thing to have fun with. When these elected officials were younger they knew better and didn’t care. Why? See the previous paragraph. No pass again. 

Gucci Blackface

The blackface sweater Gucci attempted to promote and sell is a learning lesson for Black people who overvalue so-called “designer fashion.” First, the fact that an idea of a blackface sweater went from idea to drawing board to presentation to approval to production to promotion to the public, shows at no point in time did anyone with power within Gucci understand the historical context of blackface as highly problematic. That’s VERY telling. Secondly, yet another “designer fashion” brand has little to no respect for Black consumers, nor use for their cultural perspective, only their dollars. I hope this example encourages some Black people to stop placing such high values on material items and brands produced by companies and corporations that literally place no value on them as consumers. 

Class dismissed! 

They Love to Hate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

by with 2 Comments Diversity & InclusionFeaturedPolitics

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a 29-year-old Hispanic woman from the Bronx. Despite being outspent 18-1, she defeated 10-term Democrat Joe Crowley in a New York Congressional primary before going on to win 78% of the vote in the general election. By doing so, she became the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress. She’s everything the average Congressman is not… young, a minority, and an outspoken woman not afraid to speak her mind and ruffle a few feathers.

So yeah, Republicans love to hate her. And (top) Democrats, well… let’s just say they haven’t necessarily had her back and embraced her with love since she was thrust into the political spotlight. Nancy Pelosi downplayed her monumental upset over Crowley. FORMER Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill called her, “a bright shiny new object.” In the same interview, McCaskill went on to say, “I’m not sure what she’s done yet to generate that kind of enthusiasm.”

Politico recently reported that nearly 20 Democratic lawmakers, off the record, are fearful of her influence and her ability to overpower more established Democrats. And such fear probably makes sense considering she represents change, energy, and a new way of doing things and addressing issues. Off the record (again), a Democratic lawmaker said, “She needs to decide: Does she want to be an effective legislator or just continue being a Twitter star… There’s a difference between being an activist and a lawmaker in Congress.” This is probably worth an entirely different article, but why can’t she be an activist and a lawmaker? Why can’t she be both?

Shortly after that Politico news broke, Ocasio-Cortez responded by tweeting to her 2.2 million followers…

“To quote Alan Moore: “None of you understand. I’m not locked up in here with YOU. You’re locked up in here with ME.” ?

Basically, zero F’s given. Don’t forget the emoji.

Any criticism she’s doled out to the party is likely deserved. While many might not agree with her politics, her passion to create change should be admired by all who believe Washington is broken. Democrats shouldn’t shun her. By doing so they’re sending a few signals to millions of fairly new and inspired voters, many of whom are millennials, which could doom them and their party…

1 They think she is an anomaly and hundreds if not thousands of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s can’t pop up and take their seat like she took Joe Crowley’s… and 2 While they talk a good game about the importance of change, the moment it starts to threaten their position of power and the system which preserves said power, all bets are off.

Ocasio-Cortez is getting enough hate from the right side of the aisle, the left better embrace her. Because she’s genuine, her following is growing, and whether they like her or not… she’s going to be here a very long, long time. 

Dirty Computer, The Black LGBT+ Representation I’ve Been Waiting For

by with 4 Comments Diversity & InclusionGen Z

On April 27th, 2018, Janelle Monáe released her third studio album, Dirty Computer. In addition, she released a 47-minute dystopian, sci-fi short film of the same name that celebrates women, blackness, and queerness. Needless to say, I loved it.

Seeing the Black LGBTQ+ community accurately represented in the media is an ongoing struggle. While films like Moonlight and television shows like Pose have made strides for Black LGBTQ+ representation, there is still more progress to be made. However, Dirty Computer has definitely contributed to that progress. Even from the very first single, “Make Me Feel”, I felt represented while watching the music video where Janelle runs back and forth in between male and female love interests, and I was delighted by the heavy usage of what is referred to as “Bisexual Lighting”, lighting that features pink, purple, and blue—the colors of the Bisexual flag.

In the Dirty Computer Emotion Picture, the protagonist Jane 57821 is in the process of having her memories erased in a facility after being labeled as a “dirty computer” that must be cleaned. Each memory comes in the form of a music video, and these videos give the audience a glimpse into Jane’s life before she was taken. One aspect of her life was her involvement in a polyamorous relationship with characters Zen and Che (played by Tessa Thompson and Jayson Aaron). Each music video is a celebration of femininity, sexuality, and individuality despite society’s attempts to suppress them. 

One of the songs that resonated with me was “I Like That”, the albums’ fourth single which went to #1 on the Adult R&B Songs Chart. Janelle described the song as being about boys “who make the lives of little brown girls so damn hard”, something I instantly related to. Listening to the song always gives me encouragement to embrace nonconformity and all of the things that I like, despite criticism. One line in the song “Sometimes a mystery, sometimes I’m free / Depending on my mood or my attitude / Sometimes I wanna roll or stay at home / Walking contradiction, guess I’m factual and fiction” were incredibly understandable, reminding me that a multidimensional personality should be held on to despite any attempts to be put in a box. This song is very uplifting, as well as “Django Jane”, Dirty Computer’s second single. 

“Django Jane”, is an anthem that celebrates and recognizes Black womanhood. It is a visual and lyrical love letter to our identities, our magic and our strength. Janelle is surrounded by Black women throughout the video, rapping powerful lyrics such as “Black girl magic, y’all can’t stand it”, “We gave you life, we gave you birth, we gave you God, we gave you earth”, and “Move back, take a seat, you were not involved / And hit the mute button / Let the vagina have a monologue”. I feel confident and untouchable very time I hear it.

“PYNK”, the album’s third single left me in awe when I saw the songs’ visual. There were so many details that I enjoyed, such as Janelle Monáe wearing pants resembling a vagina that Tessa Thompson emerges from. The video included women of various body types and skin tones, some wearing underwear featuring the slogans “Sex Cells” and “I Grab Back”. In one frame, the words “Pussy Power” are seen in neon lights, and towards the end, Janelle and Tessa embrace while watching the sunset. “PYNK” is the ultimate celebration of women’s bodies, sexuality, self-love, and of course, the color pink. 

Watching/listening to Dirty Computer was like breathing fresh air, and I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing a positive light being shined on the communities that society rejects and tosses aside. In her Rolling Stone interview, Janelle Monáe stated: “Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women – I consider myself to be a free-ass motherfucker.” Dealing with the intersection of oppression that comes along with being a Black, LGBTQ woman means constantly being reminded that personal freedom is a right that the world will routinely attempt to strip away. Janelle Monae’s art, honesty, ingenuity, and confidence in the face of adversity serves as a reminder of just how free I am to be myself, too. Hopefully, throughout 2019, more art like Dirty Computer will be released, giving the Black LGBTQ+ community more representation that we deserve. 

The Race for the South

by with No Comment Diversity & InclusionFeaturedPolitics

2018 saw a new wave of Democratic candidates coming out of southern states. Alabama ushered in a surprise wave of excitement at the end of 2017 with the special election of U.S. Senator Doug Jones. However, that Alabama excitement did not spread into southern states for the 2018 midterms. States like Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Florida all had big races at the U.S. Senate or gubernatorial levels. The top tickets Democrats in those states lost.

Some lost by small margins while others were a gap large enough to consider it a landslide.  

Candidates like Stacy Abrams of Georgia and Beto O’Rouke of Texas tapped into new voters through the excitement surrounding their campaigns, but ultimately failed to secure the victory.  In Abrams case, voter suppression played a major role. As the first African American female to secure the Democratic nomination for governor – ever – she fought against the state’s Republican Secretary of State, Brian Kemp, who refused to resign even as he administered over the electoral process while running competing against Abrams in the race.

O’Rouke narrowly lost – 48.3% to 50.9% – to Republican incumbent Ted Cruz who saw his lead tightening closer to election day. Having served as the congressman for Texas’ 16th district, O’Rouke ran a campaign that didn’t rely on the traditional polling to advise him.  He pledged not to accept PAC contributions and raised nearly $2 million in the first three months through small donations.

Florida also held a gubernatorial election where Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum fought hard against the Republican nominee Ron DeSantis, falling by less than a percentage point.  Gillum was the first Black nominee for governor in the state of Florida in a racially tinged campaign. And down in Tennessee and Mississippi, U.S. Senate races were top ticket competitive races, but both Democratic nominees lost to their respective Republican candidates.

So, what happened? Voters were energized by the Democratic slate, but failed short to secure the top ticket seats. Conversely, these competitive races did usher in a new wave of Democratic talent for down ticket races. In Texas, Republican judges lost control of the Third Court of Appeals and the Fifth Court of Appeals.  In Tennessee, a wave of twenty African-American women were elected to local and state seats in Shelby County. Alabama had 55 women run for state-level offices. Gun violence advocate, Lucy McBath, won her congressional seat in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District.

While the larger races did not turn out how Democratic voters in the respective states might have hoped, they did help bring change in other down-ballot races and energize new voters. 2019 is here and now campaign teams are gearing up for 2020. Looking to the past, candidates can only hope for a better future. 

“I Haven’t Found (The Humor In) It, Nor Do I Seek It”

by with 5 Comments CultureDiversity & InclusionFeatured

“You’ve found the humor of it, I haven’t found it, nor do I seek it.” – Jerry Seinfeld

A video from 2011 recently resurfaced of comedians Chris Rock, Louis CK, Jerry Seinfeld, and Ricky Gervais, discussing the controversial use of the N-word. Chris Rock surprisingly gave Louis CK a pass to say the word and Jerry Seinfeld appeared to be the only one not willing to jump in and say the word…

Chris Rock: “He’s the Blackest White guy I fucking know.”

Louis CK: “You’re saying I’m a nigger?”

Chris Rock: “Yes… you are the nigger-est fucking White man I have ever (met).”

Moments later, Seinfeld added some much-needed clarity by admitting he doesn’t get it, nor has he ever tried to get it regarding his comedy. They all kept laughing, but if there was ever a time to push back regarding the use of a racial slur that is inevitably tied to horror and dark times in American History, it was then. While many people would’ve expected Chris, the only African-American in the room, to bring that clarity, it was Jerry instead.

Is this clip nearly 8 years old, sure. Why is it resurfacing now, who knows? But what we do know is that this word is beyond controversial, and it immediately caused people to react, and it wasn’t in support of Chris, Louis, or Rick… all of whom had a great time using the term and hysterically laughing about it.

Some of those reactions were caught on Twitter…

 

 

 

 

How do you feel about the word? And does Chris, as the only African-American on the set, deserve more blame than the other 3 comedians? 

THROUGH IT ALL… I AM BECOMING

by with 2 Comments CultureDiversity & InclusionFeatured

Mrs. Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama has done it again.  For a woman who has been breaking barriers her entire life (first African-American First Lady, most educated First Lady, etc.), I should have known her personal memoir, Becoming, and subsequent book tour would be something to remember. With over 1 million books sold in the first week alone, Mrs. Obama’s ‘Becoming’ is one of, if not THE best-selling political memoir of all time. For a non-fiction book to sell this fast is almost unheard of. I remember all the negativity surrounding Mrs. Obama’s name for the eight years she served as First Lady and was starting to feel like there were more people who were against her than supported her. However, with her record-breaking book sales and unprecedented excitement for her book tour, I am seeing more people are enamored with her just as I am.  (Due to the growing excitement, Mrs. Obama announced additional tour dates, including international stops in both Canada and Europe.)

If you get your hands on a coveted book tour ticket, I highly encourage you to go and listen with an open heart and mind no matter your political party affiliation, sexual orientation, or social status.  The message Mrs. Obama provides throughout her honest conversation with the moderator and audience, is for every woman, with even a few gems for the men who love them.

I was so emotionally moved by the stories Mrs. Obama shared so freely because I was able to relate to many of them. She spoke about topics one would typically only open up about with one or two people within your intimate circle. She expressed pain, anxiety, and fear that she was never allowed to show while being the wife of a Senator and the First Lady.  Listening to her I couldn’t imagine the level of scrutiny she was under in her suffocating world, yet managing to make it all look so effortless.

While sitting in the audience listening to Mrs. Obama speak, I took a second to look around.  I saw women from all walks of life in the audience. From the nosebleed seats to the VIP sections, women of all ages, races, disabilities, and lifestyles looked up at Mrs. Obama in awe that they had the privilege to hear her story firsthand.  I must also give credit to the men in the audience, mainly significant others, equally engrossed in Mrs. Obama’s story.

Her memoir ‘Becoming’ is a page-turner as well.  As I read each page, I feel as if Mrs. Obama is sitting on my couch talking only to me as if we have been best friends for 20+ years.  For so many years I have referred to Mrs. Obama as strong, fearless, and damn near perfect. However, within her memoir, Mrs. Obama became more human.  The fact that she went through many of the same struggles a lot of us face while being such a highly visible public figure is the epitome of grace and poise.  In addition, Mrs. Obama revealed she struggled to find her true path and not be overshadowed, or rather fully engulfed, in the grandiosity of her husband’s growing legacy.  In short, this autobiography is a reminder for all of us to walk in our truth and no matter how tough circumstances become, we are all on a journey where we are ‘becoming’ the best versions of ourselves.

The Turkey Is Almost Done

by with No Comment Diversity & InclusionFeaturedPolitics

Democrats were hoping for a “blue wave” in this weeks Midterms elections. Though the “blue wave” failed to make shore for nationally followed races such as Beto in Texas, he lost by the thinnest of margin which is encouraging by any standard. The other nationally followed races for Governor in both Georgia and Florida are still too close to call and on the verge of a runoff election. Some Democrats were looking for more than a wave, rather a Tsunami. Polls regarding the approval of the Trump administration have been historically low, and the midterm elections were seen as the chance for said Democratic wave to begin the drowning of Trump’s influence through Congress, which would build momentum for a hopeful defeat of Trump in 2020. Though the wave wasn’t a big enough splash in certain places, the blue wave did swallow up enough seats to take over the House of Representatives.

So a Tsunami didn’t happen, but historic waves did make landfall, and the waves were dominated by women. Surfing to shore were the following:

Two Muslim women to Congress, both equally being the first to do so.

The first Native American woman to Congress…

The first lesbian mother to Congress… 

The youngest woman ever elected to Congress… 

The first Black woman ever elected as the Attorney General of New York… 

Also, the first every openly gay man was elected Governor of Colorado.

In my opinion, that’s a splash to be proud of. 

In addition to people, major progress was made nationwide regarding policies. Marijuana is now legal in Michigan, and medically legal in Utah and Missouri. The unsung victory from the midterm elections was without question Amendment 4 passing in Florida, which now grants voting rights to nearly 1.5 million Floridians who were former felons. (I’ll stress that importance in a little bit.) 

Twenty years ago (1998), there was no such thing as legalized Marijuana, and gay marriage was still illegal! We now have an openly gay Governor and legal Marijuana of any usage in ten states. That’s important.

Here in Texas, Hillary Clinton lost by 9% to Trump in the 2016 Presidential election. Two years later, Beto O’ Rourke lost by less than 3% to the well-funded incumbent in Republican Senator Ted Cruz (in the largest red state in the country). The fact that Beto realistically only had a punchers chance against Cruz and almost come away with a victory, is a victory. Here’s why the “moral victories” in Texas are a sign of possible change. For Republicans, big states in which they depend on like Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, can have blue tendencies. Not Texas. Texas is counted on to hold down the GOP fort, due to its 38 electoral votes, second to only California’s 55. The next pure red states with as many electoral votes are Georgia with 16, North Carolina with 15, and Arizona, Indiana, Tennessee each with 11. I think it’s important to note that the unaspiring candidate in Hillary Clinton only lost by nine points in Texas with very little effort in campaigning, and Beto who actually campaigned barely lost. Such improvement in only two years should awaken the Democrat brass to start putting more money and effort into Texas for maybe not a blue wave, but a good ole Texas blue twister to stir things up. 

The way Andrew Gillum destroyed his Republican opponent Ron DeSantis, sparred with Trump via twitter, performed extremely well in the gubernatorial debates, and considering the changes in demographics… Gillium should have won by double digits. Gillum is down by less than .5 percent, which means they’re likely headed towards a recount. Is it not a fair assumption that the 1.5 million formerly convicted felons who just had their voting rights restored could’ve helped him out? 

I know Democrats and Progressives didn’t win every seat they wanted to; however, the numbers are increasing in the right direction in this nation. It’s like hearing “still not done” being yelled by grandma in the kitchen on Thanksgiving regarding the Turkey and her famous side dishes you’ve been patiently waiting for all day. The food isn’t done but you can smell how close it is. You can even see the plates coming out the cabinet. And that’s okay, long as you stay in your chair and don’t get up. No one can take your spot and you’ll be sure to get first dibs on whatever you. 

MUSLIM “RE-EDUCATION” CAMPS?

by with One Comment Diversity & InclusionFeaturedGlobalRace Relations

Think about a group of people who were persecuted, tortured, and put into internment camps for no other reason besides their religion. The first thing that probably comes to mind is the Jews during the Holocaust – something that happened in history and will never occur again. However, there are people in 2018 who are being subjected to some of the same horrors that those people faced during World War II.

The Uyghur Muslims are a group of Muslims who live in a territory occupied by China. They have their own flag, culture, and language that separates them from the rest of China. Over the past several years, they have been persecuted by China’s government for their religion (China’s Muslim population is approximately 1.7%). Most recently, the Chinese government has detained hundreds of thousands of Uyghur Muslims and held them in internment camps, or as they call to them, “re-education” camps. They justify their actions by claiming that it is an effort to prevent terrorism fueled by religious extremism. Muslims in these camps are being brainwashed and forced to watch propaganda. They’re also being forced to participate in activities and renounce their faith and culture and pledge allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party. They’re children are often separated from their parents and put into state-run orphanages. These camps have also been referred to as “hospitals” since China views religious beliefs as a form of mental illness that must be cured. 

We have seen this happen before. When the colonizers came to North America, they forced the native people into camps in an attempt to “re-educated” them by stripping away their language, culture, and customs in an effort to control them. The Nazis forced Jews into concentration camps where they tortured an entire group for no reason other than their religion. Today, we see it happening again, and it is clear that the world’s promise of “never again” has once again been broken. 

One can only imagine the outcry if this was happening again similar to the atrocities during World War II. It seems that the same heinous behavior taking place towards Muslims in an age of readily accessible information cannot even get basic media coverage. This isn’t the first time a massacre towards Muslims has been largely ignored. The 1995 genocide in Srebrenica is still unbeknownst to most people, where more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered for their religion and the rest of the world stood by in silence (the UN declared the city a safe haven for Muslims before the massacre occurred). 

“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” 

HIDDEN GENOCIDE… INTERNMENT CAMPS IN 2018?

by with No Comment Diversity & InclusionFeaturedGlobalRace Relations

History

The Uighur people are old. They have been in China for thousands of years and have a rich history filled with khans, empires, slavery, courage, and now genocide. Xinjiang is one the largest and most significant administrative regions of China. It borders eight countries. India, Pakistan, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan – and only recently, was the population of Xinjiang mostly inhabited by the Uighur.

The majority of Uighurs are Muslim, and Islam is an essential part of their daily life and identity. The language of the Uighur is part of the Turkic group of Altaic languages, making the Uighurs the oldest Turkic people of Central Asia. Because Xinjiang sits at the crossroads of the famous silk road, Its region has been booming economically and thus has brought the region into the spotlight, and also has had a push of new residents from central areas of China where the Han Chinese reside.

Throughout its long history with China, Xinjiang has had short spells of autonomy and occasional independence, but this all changed in the 18th century when the region came under the Chinese rule. In 1949, an East Turkestan state was declared, but it was short-lived, as later on that year Xinjiang officially became part of Communist China.

Because of this tug and pull of power and influence, in the 90’s, support for separatist groups increased, and its influence only grew after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This fall led to the emergence of independent Muslim states in Central Asia. However, the rise of Islamic sentiment was suppressed by Beijing, and with its suppression, demonstrators and activists were forced underground. 

What’s Happening Now

As of now, China is being accused of detaining more than a million Uighur Muslims. The U.N. has openly stated that this type of detainment resembles “a massive internment camp, shrouded in secrecy, a sort of no-rights zone.”

From the reports that are coming in through various news outlets, it is stated that the camps are currently stationed in the western region of Xinjiang. The government of China denies that such camps even exist, but inadvertently state that there are established locations named “vocational education and employment training centers” which are built to help criminals who have committed petty crimes and are need to be “rehabilitated,” so they can be reintegrated into society.

China claims that this crackdown is to maintain the peace and to prevent terrorism from finding a solid footing to grow and flourish. A government can spin the story in any form it wishes too. It is one of the great perks of being part of such a powerful establishment, the story is what they make it out to be, not what it indeed IS.

Conclusion

The documentaries and articles of the Uighur people and this ongoing struggle are plenty and heartbreaking. It needs to be cracked open like the tale of the Rohingya people was so that way the whole world can pay attention and make the “great sleeping dragon” as China is aptly known to be rudely shaken from its nap.