representation – Contemporary Racism

Two Burdens, One Body

Sofia S — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 17:18:20 +0000

As a Hispanic White woman, I can recall multiple times where I have not been “Hispanic” enough for White people and Hispanic people. One time in particular, in the sixth grade I was shown a picture of a darker Hispanic person and was told that if I was actually Hispanic I would look like them. I thought of my experience when I read the study Applying intersectionality to explore the relations between gendered racism and ...

The Eye Exam We Fail: Colorblindness

Sofia S — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 16:10:32 +0000

What is it about colorblindness that makes it feel so natural in our perception of others? I believe it is the normalization of online sources that shapes it to be the standard for how we view race to perpetuate colorblindness. In this way, choosing to be colorblind acts as an ‘eye prescription’; that frame of mind is normalized and idolized by society, which leads us to forget why race is important to discuss and recognize. ...

Colorblind-A-Rooney

saltnpepper — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:57:59 +0000

Growing up, I constantly watched the Disney show Liv and Maddie. I wanted to be a part of the Rooney family so badly. I had the biggest crush on Parker Rooney. He was the youngest yet smartest member of the Rooney family. Parker was an inventor and accepted just about any challenge thrown at him. However, Parker stood out from the rest of his family for traits other than his intelligence. His appearance left the ...

I’m a Barbie girl living in a White world

Danielle Kraes — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 16:28:15 +0000

Take a moment and think back to what dolls you played with as a child. Most of you probably mentioned companies such as Barbie or American Girl. What did these dolls look like? Unfortunately, the majority of you probably said they were White, blonde, and had blue eyes. Most people think why does this matter? It is just a toy. However, it does matter. Although children are young, they are very observant. As they grow ...

The Disturbing Phenomenon of Missing White Woman Syndrome

Emily Garber — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 16:11:18 +0000

On the news, think about the last time you saw media coverage about a missing young, attractive white woman. Now, what about a woman of color? Do you often see extensive media coverage about a missing person of color? I didn’t think so. This phenomenon has been called “missing white woman syndrome” – the term used to describe when missing upper-class white women make up a majority of the media coverage surrounding disappearances as opposed ...

“The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity” – Viola Davis

Julia Beatley — Tue, 01 May 2018 11:06:57 +0000

Stereotypes of gender and race permeate our everyday discourses from classrooms to politics and throughout the media. When we aren’t viewing individuals through the impressions granted by stereotypes, we are commonly white-washing our outlooks across matters; from mental illness, physical health, poverty, education and so much more, we downplay the intersections of race and gender. There is typically little room in society for minority groups to speak up for themselves, to challenge the stereotypes allocated ...

Which one is better?

Julisa Fabian — Mon, 09 May 2016 00:44:22 +0000

For my final blog post I decided to revisit the question that kind of stuck with me during our last class. I don’t remember the question exactly but it essentially said: isn’t bad media representation better than none because it is a start? I sort of answered it in class, but I was still struggling after. And I still, sort of, am struggling with it now. So I’m determined to find an answer by the ...