upworthy

discrimination

Identity

This artist brilliantly tackles the concept of 'being offended' in a colorful comic.

Maybe we need a new word for 'offended.'

All images by Rebecca Cohen, used with permission.

Here’s a thought.

Self proclaimed feminist killjoy Rebecca Cohen is a cartoonist based in Berkeley, California.

Here’s what she has to say about her role as an artist taken from her Patreon page.

She says:

"In these trying times, the world needs a hero to resist the forces of tyranny.

That hero is definitely not me.


I just draw funny pictures and like to share my opinions. I'm Rebecca, also known as @gynostar."

Enjoy one of her comics below.

friends, discrimination, hurtful words

An all to common exchange.

All images by Rebecca Cohen, used with permission.

comics, jokes Rebecca Cohen

It’s only words.

All images by Rebecca Cohen, used with permission.

power of words, conversation, hostile environments

Simple jokes contain implicit ideas.

All images by Rebecca Cohen, used with permission.

equality, community, inclusive

Discussing the impact of words.

All images by Rebecca Cohen, used with permission.

This article originally appeared on 10.19.16



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Equality

Black teens experience racial discrimination five times a day on average, study finds

Photo by IFEOLUWADAYO OGUNDERU on Unsplash

If you think racism in America is dead, or perhaps not as prevalent as some people claim, you may want to rethink that stance.

A new study from Rutgers University has found that black teenagers in the United States experience racial discrimination more than five times a day on average. Five times. Every day.

The study authors asked 101 black adolescents between 13 and 17 years old, who live in predominantly black neighborhoods in and attend predominantly black schools in the Washington D.C. area, to log their race-based experiences each day for two weeks. The teens reported a total of 5,600 incidents of racial discrimination in that time period, or 5.2 incidents per day, per person.

RELATED: Racism still exists no matter what people think

Discrimination was defined in various ways, from overt racism to microaggressions to teasing to harassment, and included both online and offline experiences. Vicarious discrimination was also included in the study, meaning teens reported witnessing racial discrimination of other people who share their racial background.

"This research reflects what researchers and activists have asserted for years: Black adolescents are forced to face antiblack microaggressions on a daily basis. Importantly, this study expands the research on the many ways that discrimination happens, whether it is being teased by peers, asked to speak for their racial group in class or seeing a racist post on social media," said lead author Devin English, assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Health.

The authors point out that two forms of discrimination, teasing and vicarious discrimination, are particularly important to study in young people.

"Racial teasing is important because it is one of the most common ways adolescents communicate about race," English said. "Critically, young people and adults, such as teachers, often see this teasing as harmless and choose not to address it. Our results, however, show several types of racial teasing are harmful for black adolescents."

The study also found that racial discrimination occurs more often online than off, and that the daily exposure to racial discrimination may be contributing to depressive symptoms in black youth. With the exception of online vicarious discrimination, every form of discrimination reported was associated with higher depressive symptoms.

The overall negative health effects of racial discrimination have been studied, and we know that the findings aren't good. As Harvard professor David Williams told NPR:

"The research indicates it is not just the big experiences of discrimination, like being passed over for a job or not getting a promotion that someone felt they might have been entitled to. But the day-to-day little indignities affect health: being treated with less courtesy than others, being treated with less respect than others, receiving poorer service at restaurants or stores. Research finds that persons who score high on those kinds of experiences, if you follow them over time, you see more rapid development of coronary heart disease. Research finds that pregnant women who report high levels of discrimination give birth to babies who are lower in birth weight."

Experiencing racism is stressful, especially when it happens all the time, and chronic stress is a health risk.

The Rutgers study authors wrote, "The present study highlights the urgent, continual, and multidimensional nature of racial discrimination for contemporary Black adolescents and highlights its ostensible role in persistent racial health inequities. We believe the high frequency and impact of racial discrimination shown in our results necessitates concomitant policy and practice that fights to institutionally prevent and treat the negative effects of racial discrimination for Black youth."

RELATED: Black medical students from Tulane take powerful photo in front of former slave quarters

For black Americans in particular, it's clear that racial discrimination is alive and well. As this study shows, anti-black discrimination rears its head in myriad ways, and it's not uncommon or even occasional. It's also worth noting that this was a study of black teens in predominantly black neighborhoods, which leads one to wonder how many incidents teens in more predominantly white areas may experience.

If we want to end racism for good, we all need to be more aware of how it plays out in front of us on a daily basis, and do what we can to mitigate it when we see it.

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More

The Trump administration is bullying trans kids, and it's up to us to stop it.

There's this idea that transgender students pose a danger to other students in restrooms.

It comes up a lot — a lot — in politics. Supposedly, bathroom laws and debates and conversations are happening in the name of privacy and student safety.

Yet the outcomes often don't feel very safe for trans people like me.

In 2016, after then-President Barack Obama's administration issued a letter to school districts urging them to allow trans students to use restrooms that match their gender, conservative lawmakers went into meltdown. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) accused Obama of not taking action "to protect kids against dangerous situations that could arise from mixed-gender restrooms and locker rooms in schools."

Photo by Alex Edelman/Getty Images.

There's a bit of irony in that last example as Rep. Jordan is currently the subject of a class action lawsuit alleging that, during his time as a wrestling coach at Ohio State University, he helped cover up for a team doctor accused of sexually assaulting more than 100 students.

One might even say that he failed "to protect kids against dangerous situations ... in locker rooms in schools."

Are these fears of trans students legitimate? In a word: No.

In 2015, Media Matters, a left-leaning media watchdog organization, reached out to 17 school districts in areas with explicit local- or state-level protections for trans students. These districts accounted for more than 600,000 students, yet not a single district had had any trans-related issues.

No, cisgender (non-trans) students aren't pretending to be trans just to access locker rooms. No, trans students haven't been using their access to assault or ogle other students.

This fearmongering over the supposed threat trans students pose to their classmates has become so pervasive that theNational Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women, a coalition of more than 300 anti-violence organizations, issued a statement in support of trans students and criticizing people who use a faux concern for women's safety to push their anti-trans political agenda.

Its statement reads, in part:

"As rape crisis centers, shelters, and other service providers who work each and every day to meet the needs of all survivors and reduce sexual assault and domestic violence throughout society, we speak from experience and expertise when we state that these claims are false."

It's become clear that this isn't about concern for anybody's safety, but simply a hatred of trans students — and trans people in general.

And in certain conservative political circles, running on anti-trans policies remains a winning tactic. Anti-LGBTQ groups that had previously devoted resources to fighting against marriage equality have pivoted to what they see as an easier target: transgender people.

Then-candidate Donald Trump claimed he would support LGBTQ people. As president, it's been a nonstop attack on our rights. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

For better or for worse, they've embraced this new foray into the culture wars. During the waning days of the 2016 Republican primary, candidate Ted Cruz (R-Texas) made a final appeal to voters with one last message: Donald Trump would be too accommodating to trans people.

While Cruz lost and Trump feigned support for LGBTQ people, the latter took office and began feeding his base the red meat they so desperately craved. His administration rolled back Department of Education policies, removed non-discrimination language from Housing and Urban Development rules, did a 180 on the federal government's position on whether or not trans people are protected under existing civil rights laws, deleted language stipulating that medical providers and health insurers couldn't discriminate against someone on the basis of their gender identity from the Department of Health and Human Services' website, and worked to implement a ban on trans service members in the military.

Furthermore, in the decade leading up to Trump's presidency, courts had begun to make clear that existing civil rights laws do protect trans employees — and trans students — from discrimination. But Trump's judges are hard-right ideologues and social conservatives.

No, trans students are not a danger to others. Others are a danger to trans students.

The arguments against trans students aren't based in fact. They're little more than a fever dream made up of every tactic and stereotype that's been employed in the past to stop civil rights progress.

Gavin Grimm is a trans boy who sued his school district after they refused to let him use the boys bathrooms. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Time.

Efforts to attack trans students should be seen for what they are: politically opportunistic bullying. All these students want is to live their lives in peace, not to be political pawns, especially of the right.

Trans people need support. I have faith that people will see through the lies of those who attack us, of those who try to use our children for political gain. If you're ready to take action, there are real things you can do to help trans students and trans people.

We need your help to fight back against the bullies.

Most Shared

These 6 orgs are making sure freedom and justice are for all Americans.

Independence Day is an important day in the United States.

In 1776, the Continental Congress declared the 13 American colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire and would be recognized as a new nation — thus asserting independence from British rule. This action led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution over a decade later.

But for years, the rights our independent nation promised only applied to certain people.

Black Americans, women, immigrants, people with disabilities, and many other communities didn't get to experience the same freedoms. Instead, to varying degrees, they experienced persecution.

With the passage of several Constitutional amendments — such as those that granted black Americans citizenship, women the right to vote, etc. — the U.S. made steps toward equality for all. But, progress is an ongoing journey. While our nation has improved in many ways, black and Latino citizens still experience disproportionate rates of poverty; gun violence has decimated communities of color, schoolrooms, and churches; and LGBTQ citizens still face high rates of discrimination.

Thankfully, Americans are a fighting bunch.Citizens across the country continue to raise their voices for the rights of all Americans. Here are six organizations fighting tirelessly to ensure that rights to freedom and justice truly do apply to all citizens:

1. RAICES

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images. Illustration by Tatiana Cardenas.

RAICES is a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrants. The Texas-based organization has been doing great work to support immigrants since 1986, and they're now the largest immigration legal services provider in Texas. After a Facebook fundraiser for the organization went viral and amassed more than $13 million, RAICES has been able to increase its ability to help separated families locate one another. Their dedication to reuniting families and ensuring that immigrants are afforded the human rights they deserve serves as a true example of fighting for liberty and justice for all. You can support RAICES here.

2. Color of Change

Photo courtesy of Color of Change. Illustration by Tatiana Cardenas.

Color of Change is one of the largest racial justice organizations in the U.S. Operating online, it strives to make the government and large corporations more knowledgeable about how to create safe and equitable environments for black Americans. Striving to ensure black Americans enjoy the same freedoms afforded to them by the Constitution, the organization continues to successfully fight for economic, criminal, and media justice as well as be an amplified power and voice for people of color. You can support Color of Change here.

3. Easterseals

Photo courtesy of Easterseals. Illustration by Tatiana Cardenas.

Americans living with disabilities have made huge strides thanks to organizations like Easterseals leading the way. Easterseals works to provide support to citizens with various disabilities. Their work contributes to a growing mission to ensure that all Americans enjoy accessible spaces and the same freedoms and respect. You can support Easterseals here.

4. Planned Parenthood

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images. Illustration by Tatiana Cardenas.

Planned Parenthood provides comprehensive health services, such as mammograms, birth control, and reproductive and sexual health care, to millions of women around the world. Recently, the organization has been under increased attack from the far right and Christian extremists. In spite of threats from the current administration to decrease funding and growing discrimination, citizens and celebrities have banded together to keep the vital organization flourishing and able to provide health care and services. You can support Planned Parenthood here.

5. Lambda Legal

Photo courtesy of Lambda Legal. Illustration by Tatiana Cardenas.

LGBTQ Americans certainly weren't mentioned in text when the Founding Fathers were imagining what a free nation for all would look like. Lambda Legal has spent years fighting for equal rights and safer environments for LGBTQ people and queer expression. But, in light of recent rollbacks to policy in place to protect queer citizens, that work is really just beginning.

Lambda Legal communications director Jonathan Adams writes, "We have seen in their continued attacks on heath care an issue of grave concern to millions of Americans today. We the people — all of us — must stand together at this time to protect our shared rights and freedoms." Adams highlights how the current administration is "actively working to divide us by attacking children, immigrants, people of color, trans and queer individuals, Muslims, and other groups they seek to marginalize. Their continued focus on polarizing us is taking a toll on the fundamentals of this great nation, those being life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Lambda Legal's efforts to fight for queer citizens is more important than ever, and it is near the truth of our county's declared ideology. You can support Lambda Legal here.

6. Everytown for Gun Safety

Photo courtesy of Everytown for Gun Safety. Illustration by Tatiana Cardenas.

Founded in 2014, Everytown for Gun Safety combined two orgs — Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America — with a shared goal for comprehensive gun safety laws. "In order for all Americans to feel and be free, it's imperative that we feel safe to be who we are in our communities — whether that's in a place of worship, at a concert or at school or a college campus," wrote Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action.

Watts continued, "We must do everything in our power  to make our communities safer and that means doing more to protect marginalized communities from gun violence. ... The fight for gun violence prevention is also a fight for equality." You can support Everytown for Gun Safety here.

The promise of America — that freedom and justice exists for all — is a beautiful example of how democracy should work. But that promise can become meaningless if we fail to ensure that those freedoms extend to everyone for a safe and equitable society. These six organizations — and many more — are doing the work to make sure that the sentiments our country was founded on extend to all citizens.

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