Before we delve into the posts we’re reading and loving elsewhere on the internet, don’t miss Louise Hung’s exploration of the ghostly women who haunt folklore in places like Japan and China. It was a big hit last week!
And subscribe to the Global Comment podcast on iTunes or Soundcloud — don’t miss the next episode!
‘For Decades, Our Coverage Was Racist. To Rise Above Our Past, We Must Acknowledge It‘ (Susan Goldberg for National Geographic)
National Geographic is an extremely venerable publication that’s been talking about communities all over the world for over a century. Along the way, it’s racked up a long history of incredibly harmful racism, and the editorial team got curious about exactly how bad it was, and how the magazine could move forward to rectify that past. The result is a fascinating and very honest self-examination about National Geographic as we know it, and as it could be.
Some of what you find in our archives leaves you speechless, like a 1916 story about Australia. Underneath photos of two Aboriginal people, the caption reads: “South Australian Blackfellows: These savages rank lowest in intelligence of all human beings.”
‘Why Reading Sherman Alexie Was Never Enough‘ (Jacqueline Keeler for Yes!)
Alexie is widely regarded as a prominent young adult author exploring Native issues, but he’s not the only one — and in the wake of revelations that he’s engaged in sexual harassment and abuse, many are starting to view his legacy differently. Keeler highlights, however, that Alexie’s work wasn’t the beginning or the end of talented Native writers talking about their lives and communities, and his outsized reputation overshadows that of women writing blazingly good work.
According to a National Congress of American Indians report: 34 percent of Native women will be raped in their lifetime, compared to 19 percent of Black women and 18 percent of White women. And 61 percent of Native women (3 out of 5) have been assaulted. These rates are nearly 10 percent higher than any other ethnic group.
‘The Koch Brothers vs. God‘ (Kenya Downs for Grist and Longreads)
What does God have to do with the oil and gas industry? A whole lot, it turns out, in this complex exploration of the activities of the Koch Brothers in communities of colour, the church, and how people develop trusted sources of information.
Revs. Harris and Wilson now regularly tell their congregations how the fossil fuel industry harms low-income communities and people of color. Sea-level rise on Virginia’s coast has put low-lying cities in the Hampton Roads area, including Norfolk and Newport News — both of which are more than 40 percent black — at risk of extreme flooding. A hurricane during high tide could see entire neighborhoods populated primarily by African Americans and the poor swallowed up by the Chesapeake Bay.
‘Why Podcasters Love Lipstick and Pajamas‘ (Jocelyn Vammer for Racked)
Unless they go on tour, podcasters are rarely seen. What does that mean for fashion and perception of self-image? It’s a fascinating question and one well-worth delving into, especially when it comes to gendered expectations for performance. Is a woman podcaster just another person behind a microphone, or is she to be saddled with all the challenges of femininity?
But the other side of “practicing the art of gender femininity” can be bewildering. It’s not something women are just born knowing, nor do all of us figure it out along the way. Lindsey Weber, who brings Who? Weekly to life with her friend Bobby Finger, discussing “everything you need to know about the celebrities you don’t,” instantly admits, “We went on tour for the first time this year, and it was very anxiety provoking, because no one had ever seen me.”
‘Black & Midwestern: On the Mississippi and Sites of Memory‘ (Vanessa Taylor for Catapult)
There are communities of colour in the Midwest, despite the popular perception that it’s uniformly white, and these include Black communities. So what’s it like to be Black and from a region that people conceptualize as white?
Sometimes, people can place your state and city with an almost chilling ease. If you’re perceptive enough, it’s easy to find the flags that mark a specific region. But with Minneapolis and Minnesota, people don’t know what to look for. There’s still an idea that we talk like they do in the movie Fargo, even though that accent hasn’t existed among Metro-area youth for ages now.
And hey: Much like public radio, we’re listener supported. If you enjoy our work, please consider supporting us with a one time or recurring donation.
Photo: Tejvan Pettinger/Creative Commons