The Sociology of Reducing Prejudice

0-12

So much of Racism has been whitewashed for the sake of Gallaudet University to make room for white consumption. As a White Deaf person, I feel embarrassed. The dehumanization of Black Deaf people, it was a cruel punishment which is part of White silence. Why continue legalized punishment? Gallaudet University’s contribution to systemic racism has always to ignore the sanctity of human life. 

One of my favorite Black authors, Charles M. Blow wrote a powerful message:

“Also, I’m sick of explaining racism. You invented it. You should know it better than me.” 

The cap logo: To stand up against bigotry and hate. The face on T-shirt: W.E.B. Du Bois, America’s Intellectual Black Sociologist. Powerful activist. Co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [ NAACP ].

History in the making! Walking on Black Lives Matter (BLM) Blvd, America’s first street named in the solidarity of BLM in Washington, D.C. has been a profoundly moving experience and learning from the truths that cannot be taught, only learned through reading stories from the books, it has opened my eyes and heart to continue and to unpack my White privileges in a soul-searching experience.

I have been studying hate crimes for 13 years. I put myself to learn Methodology of the Oppressed course has helped to shape and strengthen from further examining the White Privileges in time-sensitive efforts to support the Black Deaf community and Black Lives Matter.

The dynamics of this methodology taught me how to develop skills necessary for understanding diversity-related issues and content; identifying and consciously constructing ideology; Those kinds of dynamics have been explored as the methodology necessary for handling conflicts.

Before continuing to proceed, the long road to cultural healing, then we must begin by understanding the White Privileges. But here we are faced with consequences, thinking it would be gone, all gone–that is the sociological problem.

Knowledge is power. How does Racism understand and grapple with issues of power? What is the relationship between systemic racism, institutional racism, and internalized racism on the campus of Gallaudet University? In this learning experience, what is the biggest role of standing up against Racism? Gallaudet University has been always a racist system since day one.

We must continue our solidarity to see the stories seen–and continue to fight back with everything we offer. After walking on BLM Blvd in Washington, D.C.; where it was the same location that is the most politically marginalized place anywhere in the United States. It is amazing to see something like this. The thrill of participation is something I will never forget in my life.

I would like to show you the books that I would like to suggest reading. Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin, discussing lynching, white segregation, the second book, Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson, tears means cleaning out toxic, white tears need to examine much deeper, the third book, Trust in Black America: Race, Discrimination, and Politics by Shayla C. Nunnally, impacts political life, listen to their struggles, the fourth book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander, this book is one of my favorites, examine the system, for example, criminal justice targeting Black community, it is a must-read, it would make you unpack White privileges so deep enough to understand deep-rooted Racism;

The fifth book, Living With Racism: The Black Middle-Class Experience by Joe R. Feagin & Melvin P. Sikes, listening to their painful stories through Black experience, sufferings, struggles, and the laundry list and that is where that leads to examine the White privileges. The sixth book, Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice by Paul Kivel, teaching White people how to resist Racism.

Finally, the seventh book, The Many Costs of Racism by Joe R. Feagin & Karyn D. McKinney, that book is about Black families, Black workers, Black experience, many to list, and how the cost could impact the lives of the Black community in the age of Racism, and that is where it would require White privileges must continue to examine, most importantly, critically. 

0-13

-JT

Copyright © 2020 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siZ6FH4UAqo

The Discussion of Second Chances: Deaf Returnees

“Find ways of sharing the land, of achieving dignity without eradicating the other”- Naomi Chazon

598162CC-941F-4993-BADA-B48FDD103046.jpeg

At the improving myself end of my life, I return home from a trauma stage: telling a story who dealt with an oppressed environment in the hearing world. The majority of the world: hearing. It makes Deaf community built into a minority gambling for human struggle and painful journey.

To the survivors of oppression, those Deaf valiant souls who fought for freedom their whole lives long and never lived to taste its pursuit of happiness; To learn awareness about Deaf returnees, who lived in this strange and cruel land, yet, dreamed more safe without ignorance.

Will Gallaudet University no longer safe because of bullying policies and social values? Where was I shut out of my trauma wiped from my memories of pain for 32 years and of my accomplishments to turn my life around and dealt with hate-mongers?

Labeling heavily regulated because they are federal employees. Regulated for collecting evidence, regulated for search and seizure and regulating on the ideas of profiling. These guidelines need to be followed but sometimes the federal employee does not want to follow the rules, sometimes they want to act like a human. Yes, human have biases and have histories.

In the personal tragedy of what it has happened to me, had been damaged to be enfolded and left to be a scapegoat at will in the eyes of ASL/Deaf Studies, whether our traumas can ever truly be overcome. The answers it offers are denial, deeply rooted in culture of fear, and empty my heart out. Truly broken. It is what it is called siege mentality. Us versus them rhetoric about Deaf returnees.

It is very radicalized—for example, oppressors “police” Deaf returnees, there are expectations that a person is an oppressor. They are considered flash points. If oppressing Deaf returnees on the campus of Gallaudet, what do you call it?

It is a Superman Syndrome. Oppressors are expected to SAVE THE DAY and do everything to everyone. Anti-hate mentality but when oppressors are in trouble and they need the idea of the dual relationships. It is senselessness of bullying. The problems with this type of policing—it is a masculine model, and old school stigma follow and lack of awareness is a big problem.

Let’s exacerbating this idea. Amount of awareness: 100% of educating themselves about Deaf returnees “paid dues to the society”, during the day, the “invisible oppression” and is not regulated, do not have to go by the books, but at night they are regular people by the books.

More about 10,000 Deaf inmates in the United States are invisible. When one let out of prison, only to find that landing a higher education at Gallaudet University is near impossible. In fact, they remain unemployed—often because of the stigma that they carry and concerns over what kind of higher education they would prove to be. It means the awareness of Deaf returnees is three times more invisible and marginalized.

Then lack of awareness goes back to their day job. The Allegory of Deaf returnees—stories that create a meaning that create a meaning beyond the literal level of interpretation.

The rhetoric of supremacism. What is supremacism? It “is an ideology of domination and superiority: it states that a particular class of people is superior to others, and that it should dominate, control, and subjugate others, or is entitled to do it.”

blackroad-redroad-bn.jpg

When I took American Indian Literature for one of my undergraduate requirements, I was asked to read a book called The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living:

“We Lakota believe that the roads in life, but that there are two that are most important. The Red Road and the Black Road. They represent the two perspectives to every situation, the two sides of every person, the two choices we frequently face in life.

The Red Road is the good way, the good side, and the right choice. It is a narrow road fraught with dangers and obstacles is extremely difficult to travel.

The Black Road is the bad way, the bad side, the wrong choice. It is wide and very easy to travel. The Red Road and the Black Road appear in many of our stories, not as roads but as the personifications of right and wrong, good and bad, light and dark.”

That is something we need to think about. Can Deaf returnees be forgiven and give a second chance? The activity of entering or “invading” the awareness on the part of Deaf returnees is clearly one of struggling subversion. Intended by their visible presence in this clearly showed Gallaudet mecca is limiting between the allowable spaces for Deaf returnee’s search for healing and the rest of Gallaudet campus.

du4b7jcfj1.jpg

Left unchallenged in such an action, however, are the hardest ways, besides the awareness about Deaf returnees, in which Deaf returnees feel alienated and excluded from Deaf space.

In the higher learning, it was the contention of oppressors to continue combat this stigma must be regarded as the same source of power that denied Deaf returnees access to higher education. Bullying—long tolerated as just part of growing up—finally has been recognized as a sociological problem.

In 1999, District of Columbia enacted anti-bullying legislation. In addition, research on the causes, consequences, and prevention of bullying has not enough discussed at Gallaudet University. However, major ignorance still exists in the understanding of bullying that could prevent the effects of bullying Deaf returnees. The form of social isolation is another sociological problem. With the right training, Deaf returnees who’ve been returned to the society thrive to hold hunger for higher education even more than your regular American citizen.

Higher education plays an important role in their lives. To empower the strategy of unity through democracy—and to teach them is the most peaceful thing. The spirit of peace and democracy that lacks the Gallaudet community-Deaf returnee agreement is gone, and there is no second chance for how to reverse it and how to cope with it.

Professors regarded as, Person who professes being usually an expert in arts or sciences, a teacher of the highest rank.” Harper, Douglas, “Professor.” Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2007-07-28.

Text defines “social movements” as collective attempts to bring about change….” Nothing. They originate OUTSIDE the established political system. Let’s emphasize on interlocking systems of oppression—however that is being conceptualized to it. Perhaps it seems surprising because the society have class, power and other issues to contend with. Deaf returnees are less likely to say that the society needs a movement because they continue to be oppressed.

421231.JPG

All for all, Deaf returnees have constitutional right to seek higher education at Gallaudet and change their lives around to make them better. 8th Amendment and 9th to the United States Constitution respectively: Bails, fines, and punishments“nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”

Rights retained by the people. “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be constructed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

What is something really important about the relationship between Deaf returnees and Deaf community that we have not discussed in higher learning, and why is it important? Can we find ways of sharing awareness, of achieving dignity without oppressing Deaf returnees at Gallaudet University?

-JT

Copyright © 2018 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

 

.

 

Removing IDEA From Department of Education: Are We Being Setting Up For Failure?

6499680777_39fba9d4af_b.jpg

Human Right to Education “Key 3”. Christian Avendaño Cendales.

Hours after the Department of Education has nominated the person who is in charge as secretary, Betsy DeVos has created a huge mess at this hour. Ignorance, human rights violation, even segregation–propelled by economic expansion and justified by dirty money has informed us the Deaf community what the Department of Education is today.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] has been removed from Department of Education’s website that was supposed to ignite networking through healthy channels and promote human rights; yet, it is not the same anymore.

Betsy DeVos, and those ignorant people who voted for DeVos need access to a history that is honest what Deaf people and people with disabilities has been going through hardships.  What do we mean by history? Let’s shall find out and go from there. Maybe then it would be easier for them, and the rest of us, to make history that is progressive and inclusive.

In this way, DeVos creates room to remove Deaf people to doubt their current mentality. This doubt serves as the foundation on which she builds the rest of her arguments, citing that IDEA is not important–“up to the states” and shows prejudice is forcefully pointed out. Her debate urges the Department of Education to stay with the status quo. Given this logic, the oppressors against human rights movements are equal to those in removing IDEA off the face of the country’s fundamental human rights.

From there, DeVos outlines the logic behind equality and ignorance. Her debate holds that, while Deaf people and people with disabilities are not actually equal, they should be considered to be wiped out.

As a supporter of IDEA myself because I was one of them, we need to recognize the essence of DeVos’s work stands as a call to remove IDEA from the website to adjust hypocrisy at finest hour. Do we even realize what DeVos has downplayed xenophobic as well? The Department of Education needs to boycott DeVos for the sake of humanity.

-JT

Copyright @ 2017 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

References: https://www.flickr.com/photos/myhappydesign/