Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was one of the most famous African Americans ever to live and, debatably, the most famous American athlete. He was born Cassius Clay Jr. in 1942 to Cassius Clay Sr. and Odessa Clay.

Clay got his start in boxing at the age of twelve when his bike was stolen. Boxing trainer and police officer Joe Martin taught him how to box and six weeks later, Clay had won his first match. From there, Cassius Clay went on to become a champion boxer.

But, in 1964, Clay's world started to crumble down around him. On March 6, 1964, Cassius Clay publicly announced that he had converted to the Muslim faith and was renamed Muhammad Ali. This became extremely controversial, but Ali was able to defend his heavyweight champion title eight more times before the Vietnam War escalated. On April 29, 1967, the U.S. Armed Forces attempted to draft Ali into the war.

Ali stood by his religious beliefs and refused to fight and kill for a country that wouldn't even treat him right as an African American citizen. This decision divided the entire country and enraged the World Boxing Association who immediately suspended his boxing license and took away his heavyweight title.

Ali was then convicted of draft evasion and sentenced to five years in prison. However, Ali took his case to the supreme court who overturned his conviction and restored his license. Ali spent the rest of his career earning back his title and defending it until December 11, 1981 when he officially retired.

Muhammad Ali shows that if you refuse to back down from your beliefs and as long as you fight for what you think is right, you can become your own champion.

Muhammad Ali article

Negrotown: An Oasis of Love

When a back man (played by Key) is harassed by a police officer and arrested for no reason, a homeless man (played by Peele) steps in to take the young man to an alternate dimension called Negrotown.

 

In a musical number, Peele explains that the town is a sort of utopia for African Americans. In this world, all of the racism, prejudice, fear, and general offense that comes with being black in America no longer exists.

 

Negrotown is the embodiment of everything African Americans could want in a society they could call their own. Most notably, there are no white people in this town. In fact, they seem to be banned from upsetting this perfect oasis. "No white folks to cross the street in fear/ No trigger-happy cops or scared cashiers." This town really does seem like a dream-come-true for black people!

 

One line in particular really resonated with me: "No stupid *ss white folks touchin' your hair." Being an African American teen I have an idea of what some black women face on a regular basis. Thankfully, the number of incidents when a white person has tried to touch my hair are few, but I remember feeling very awkward and uncomfortable when it happened. The first person who did it didn't even ask me if it was O.K. to touch my hair. And the second person absentmindedly asked after they had already started to comb their fingers through my braids. I've never understood what the fascination was with my hair just because it was different. I have never felt the urge to touch a white persons hair: especially no without their permission.

 

It's just always been a pet-peeve of mine and I sometimes feel the urge to inform white people-- or any person who isn't black-- that there are some men and women who will feel justified in lashing out at you physically or verbally. I'M TRYIN'A SAVE SOME LIVES, HERE!

 

All joking aside, Key and Peele do a great job of addressing the severity of what the black community faces all across America. I mean, really think about it: we feel so violated in our own country that the fantasy world created by Key and Peele seems like an oasis of love in a desert of racism and misdirected hate.

 

 

The video that Key and Peele made has a lot of foul language including the N-word. I have included a link to the video at the end of the blog, but for those of you who are uncomfortable with their choice of language, I have included the lyrics here and have bleeped out the curse words.

Negrotown by Key and Peele

"Follow me to a place I know
Where there ain't no pain and there's no sorrow
It's a place to be if your skin is brown
I'm talkin' 'bout Negrotown

In Negrotown you can walk the street
Without getting stopped, harassed or beat
There is always a cab when you need to get around
And they always stop in Negrotown

You won't get followed when you try to shop
You can wear your hoody and not get shot

No white folks to cross the street in fear
No trigger-happy cops or scared cashiers
That loan application can't get turned down
You're always approved in Negrotown

We're goin' down to Negrotown
Where the strong black men are raining down
There's light skinned, dark skinned: every shade
And there's no white b*tches to take them away

In Negrotown you live long and well
There's no disease; no sickle cell
No stupid *ss white folks touchin' your hair
Or steeling your culture and claiming it's there's

Hanging out in a group doesn't make you a gang
Every word you say ain't considered slang
No one tryin'a get in on the latest trend
By making you their token black friend

There's a place where harmony is found
(It's a mother f*ckin' black play ground)
I'm talkin' 'bout Negrotown!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg58d8opQKA

#Gooooals!!

            The women's soccer team of America has won three World Cups, four Olympic Gold Medals, are ranked first out of every soccer team in the world, and have "broken the record for the most watched soccer game in the history of America, by men or women," says soccer player Hope Solo. And yet, they earn four times less than the players on the men's soccer team.

            The Daily Show's Hasan Minhaj conducted an interview with a few of the women on the team to better understand the issues they faced.

            He quickly found out that the women were doing way better than the men in their sport. The men have only ever made it to round 16 in the World Series, were ranked 30th out of every soccer team in the world, and lost $2,000 in profit in 2016. The women raised $17,000,000.

            And yet, of the men's team wins a game, they earn $17,000. The women would only earn $1,300. If the men lose a game, the earn $5,000, where as the women would earn nothing. Another disadvantage the women are subjected to is the turf they play on. The women's team is forced to play on AstroTurf, which is something the guys have never had to deal with. The fake grass damages their legs when the slide and dive for the ball, leaving huge bruises and cuts.

            All of this information makes the situation feel as if no one is on the women's side. Fortunately, this is not true. Famous tennis player Billie Jean King has been an active voice for equality since the 70s. She battled Bobby Riggs in 1973 in a Battle of the Sexes tennis match. Her win helped pave the way for equal pay in tennis.

            When talking to Mr. Minhaj in an interview, King brought up the issue of the gender expectations of women in sports. Women are supposed to be grateful to men if they get one crumb, on fraction, of what the men get. But King argues that women, "deserve the cake, the icing, and the cherry on top, too. Just like the boys."

            When asked what the solution was to the gender wage gap problem, King responded by saying "we have to really get behind women any way we can." We need to get the message out that these women are being discriminated against. We need to show our support and take action if we ever hope to make any progress.


There is a brief interview where Gavin McInnis shows up, but that was so stupid, I didn't feel the need to subject you precious darlings to it. Still, for the whole picture, check out the video. (You've been warned!)

The True Happiness of Inequality

            Gavin McInnes believes that women earn less money that men in the workplace because "they choose to earn less." He insists that women pretend to be happy at work when, in reality, they long to be at home taking care of their children. In McInnes's view, women should be housewives exclusively.

            Now, I do not agree with his views at all. I think both women and men would rather be spending time with their families than at work, but it isn't cause for either gender to slack off at work. My mother works very hard everyday to earn money and help people, just like my dad. In fact, I can remember a time when my mom would come home later than my dad. But, this doesn't mean I can't understand why a man like McInnes might favor the idea that women belong at home and men at work.

            For thousands of years and in almost every known civilization and culture in the world, men have held dominance over women. Feminism and gender equality are relatively new concepts in the history of mankind: not even a full century old. To extreme conservatives, gender equality might appear odd or even unnatural.

            That being said, McInnes doesn't have the right to speak for over 50% of the world's population when he claims that women would be much happier as housewives.

            It doesn't help that all of his sources are off the internet. (And we all know that not every source is accurate there!) I suggest that McInnes interviews real women in society to see how many of them truly agree with his point of view.


This is the discussion that took place regarding the wage gape in which Gavin McInnes gave his opinions on why women get paid less.