About the shootings, here's Chauncey DeVega:
"As I often ask, what shall we do with the white
people? When an entire social structure has been erected to reinforce the lie
that white folks are "normal", and those "Others" are
"deviant" or "defective," it can be very difficult to break
out of that haze of denial. Such an act requires a commitment to truth-telling
and personal, critical, self-reflection that Whiteness, by definition, denies
to most of its owners
"White
privilege and Whiteness hurts white people. Aggrieved white male entitlement
syndrome is killing white folks' children, wives, daughters, sons, fathers, and
mothers. Yet, White America stands mute. Again,
what shall we do with the white people...especially if they are so unwilling to
help themselves?"
Chauncey
might also have asked, when will the white people start taking care of
themselves? If you have an answer for her, let her know.
Diversity breaking into more lit cons
Author Matt
de la Peña put out a call for people attending BookCon to join a discussion today,
Saturday. Your voice and input are needed.
Saturday, May 31, 10:00
am - 11:00 am, Room 1E02
Speakers: Aisha Saeed, Ellen Oh, Grace Lin, I.W. Gregorio, Jacqueline Woodson, Lamar Giles, Marieke Nijkamp, Matt de la Peña, Mike Jung
Speakers: Aisha Saeed, Ellen Oh, Grace Lin, I.W. Gregorio, Jacqueline Woodson, Lamar Giles, Marieke Nijkamp, Matt de la Peña, Mike Jung
Description: After taking the Internet by storm, the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign is moving forward with brand new initiatives to continue the call for diversity in children’s literature. Join the WNDB team as they share highlights of their campaign, discuss the success of grassroots activism, highlight diverse books and how everyone can diversify their shelves and talk next steps for the campaign.
Speaking of #WeNeedDiverseBooks, the postings of Cultivating
Invisibility: Chipotle's Missing Mexicans are still cooking plenty of menudo
picoso. Read and join them.
Damien Walter puts it to the SciFi/Fantasy moguls
 |
| How some feel about diversity entering the SF/F world |
Latino and
other voices in SciFi and fantasy lit raising questions of white privilege,
exclusion of minorities and an end to non-diversity seem to be gaining ground.
So much so, that a backlash arose around the Hugo awards for best fantasy and
sci-fi this year. Here's some of Damien Walter's explanation about this in his
piece, Science fiction's real-life war of the worlds.
"For many years, a very particular and very narrow set
of authors has dominated SF. But battle for a broader fictional universe is
under way. It is no coincidence that, just as it outgrows its limiting cultural
biases, science fiction should also face protests from some members of the
predominantly white male audience who believed it to be their rightful domain.
What the conservative authors protesting the Hugo awards perceive as a liberal
clique is simply science fiction outgrowing them, and their narrow conception
of the genre's worth.
"The
real prize for science fiction is not diversity for diversity's sake (although
I happen to believe that would be prize enough). We live in a world of seven
billion human beings, whose culture has not been reflected or rewarded in 'the
mainstream'. Science fiction – from cult novels that reach a few thousand
readers, to blockbuster movies and video games that dominate contemporary
culture – has the potential to talk across every remaining boundary in our
modern world. That makes it, in my opinion, potentially the most important
cultural form of the 21st century. To claim that potential, it cannot afford to
give way to the petulant protests of boys who do not like to share their toys."
Read the rest of his piece about this "conspiracy theory" and its losing
backers. If you're progressive, you'll love it.
Only 1 of a new species
And you gotta love this kid. An
inspiration from the Denver Post this
week: "Xiuhtezcatl
Roske-Martinez from Boulder, Colo., is only 14 years old, but
already he's a seasoned superstar in the world of political and environmental
activists. He has given TED talks
about his work as a leader of Earth Guardians, a worldwide organization of
conservation-minded children and young adults. Last fall, he was invited to speak about
the global water crisis at the United Nations. His What the Frack hip-hop video, a catchy anti-fracking song, has more than 2,000 views.
By age 12,
Roske-Martinez had organized more than 35 rallies and protests. He helped stop
the use of pesticides in city parks, and was among the fiercest advocates for a
fee on plastic bags. His was a key voice in a project to contain coal ash, and
to end a 20-year contract with Xcel Energy, allowing the city to pursue
renewable energy as its primary resource.
His
passions include hip-hop, participating in the annual sacred running relay from
the Hopi reservation to Mexico, the current Earth Guardian campaign (a
tree-planting project in 20 countries) and the summer Earth Guardian campaign
to clean and protect potable water.
"This
year, we're focusing on protecting one of the four elements every three months.
The first quarter, it was Earth, and we did tree-planting. This summer, it will
be water, and a group of 500-plus kids in Togo, Africa, will focus on that.
This is about us saving the world for ourselves. I share facts about our
environmental and climate- change crises. We are fighting for the survival of
our generation and the health of the waters, the air, our community. We are
fighting for kids everywhere."
Read all about him and forward the Earth Guardians' address to any kids you know. They'll
decide what to do with it. And their planet.
HINT: To
read the Denver Post article, as soon as the title appears, click the Stop
Loading button. They want you to pay a buck, and will block you from it.
Es todo, hoy,
RudyG
a.k.a. Rudy Ch. Garcia
http://www.discarded-dreams.com/
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