# data[].attributes.headline
"The Danger of a Single Story" By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

# data[].attributes.subject
"The Danger of a Single Story" By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

# data[].attributes.body
Adichie delivers an incredible TED talk in which she touches on very important topics, in particular; stereotypes. Stereotypes have unfortunately become more and more present in society. Americans have slowly taken individuality and culture and placed them into a box, and we can see this through videos, books, etc. By doing this, the knowledge of other cultures is lost, and instead is only what people want to see. From a young age, kids are fed these stereotypes and therefore grow up believing them. Adichie puts it in an interesting way, "So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become." This has some of the same concepts as the slam poem by Alex Dang, "What Kind of Asian are You?", where he talks about people only seeing what they chose to see. This is true, and we can see it everyday, even when it's a subconscious thing, stereotyping is still present.

# data[].attributes.headline
"What is White Privilege, Really?" By Cory Collins

# data[].attributes.subject
"What is White Privilege, Really?" By Cory Collins

# data[].attributes.body
White privilege is something that has continuously popped up throughout history. It was relevant one hundred years ago and it's relevant today. These privileges started with more established things, such as laws and rights, but as time goes on, they started becoming more present in everyday life, even subconsciously. "These often-used examples include:
The first-aid kit having “flesh-colored” Band-Aids that only match the skin tone of white
people. The products white people need for their hair being in the aisle labeled “hair care” rather than
in a smaller, separate section of “ethnic hair products.” The grocery store stocking a variety of food options that reflect the cultural traditions of most white people." These examples show some of the smaller things that appear in everyday life, but still just as impactful. Representation is so important, and although yes, our nation has made many large steps forward, things like this still have to be taken care of. Larger examples include things like, "White people’s skin tone will not be a reason people hesitate to trust their credit or financial responsibility.
If white people are accused of a crime, they are less likely to be presumed guilty, less likely to
be sentenced to death and more likely to be portrayed in a fair, nuanced manner by media
outlets (see the #IfTheyGunnedMeDown campaign)." We can connect these type of examples to Their Eyes Were Watching God where we can see Janie's court case results are correlated to her skin color. However, the setting was in the 20th century, and things should have changed now.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Women Rise to the Top in Fintech" by Ryan W. Neal

# data[].attributes.subject
"Women Rise to the Top in Fintech" by Ryan W. Neal

# data[].attributes.body
Gender inequalities in the work place is unfortunately pretty common, however it's making a decrease recently. The way people are treated at work, and the money they make differs for men and women. There are plenty of jobs that are standardly male, and the wage gap shows this. However, at Fintech (Financial Technology - using technology to advance in finance) women are now rising to the top. "One explanation for the increased visibility of women in fintech could be that it doesn't hold some of the institutional biases that create obstacles for women to excel. Barriers such as poor work-life balance, a lack of opportunities and too few female role models aren't as prevalent in fintech." Stereotypes have been relevant for all groups of people for quite a long time now, we can see this in The Danger of a Single Story, but it looks like things are changing, especially for women. Our society is progressing, and now it today's age it's much more common to see women in places of power. As technology changes and progresses, it becomes easier to put bias' to sleep, in a way, using technology to share your voice creates some form of equality.

# data[].attributes.headline
"What Kind of Asian are You?" By Alex Dang 

# data[].attributes.subject
"What Kind of Asian are You?" By Alex Dang 

# data[].attributes.body
This poem brings light to the many many stereotypes that minorities have been placed under. Dang talks about how people have been making assumptions and opinions about him since before he could even form his own, which suppresses any room for individuality. Dang states in his poem, "What kind of Asian do you EXPECT me to be? Because any way you slice that egg roll, I'm still pretty much whatever you see. I've played many a Far East stereotype: Awkward math genius, cold and calculated Kung-Fu expert, assistant to "Dr. Jones, you crazy!"" This quote exemplifies the boxes that these minorities are placed into, and how they are stripped of their individuality by Americans. Instead of seeing a person for who they truly are, many people chose to see them as how they want.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Alex Dang - "What Kind of Asian Are You?" (NPS 2013)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Subscribe to Button! New video daily: http://bit.ly/buttonpoetry If you loved this poem, check out Sam Cook: http://bit.ly/1qP8vvM Alex Dang, performing for Portland, OR at the 2013 National Poetry Slam. Follow Button on Facebook: http://bit.ly/SG5Xm0 About Button: Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.

# data[].attributes.headline
"How Does Racism Affect How You Vote..." By Nate Silver

# data[].attributes.subject
"How Does Racism Affect How You Vote..." By Nate Silver

# data[].attributes.body
Using your words, statistics, and body language, one has a very powerful advantage to getting their point across. In Silver's TED talk, he brings up a lot of issues that can really make you think about the state America is in today. He brings up how although as a large, our nation is changing and has elected an African-American president, there are still many issues that need to be worked out in the morality and decision making of our citizens. At one point, Silver says, "So you see big differences in different parts of the country on this question. In Louisiana, about one in five white voters (20.5%) said 'Yes, one of the big reasons why I voted against Barack Obama is because he was an African-American." This really puts things in perspective, and if we compare this to the 1900s', in the setting of There Eyes Were Watching God we can really see what has changed and what hasn't. For example, for a person of color to be elected president, and not only that but have the largest amount of popular votes in history, is such an incredible refreshing change. That would have never been dreamt of in that time period. If we look back to the post-hurricane time in the novel, we can see that the deceased  African-Americans were thrown into a whole in place of a grave, while whites were given coffins. Times have changed immensely, but not everywhere. Looking at the statistic about Louisiana, it shows that a large number of people still have this mindset towards people of color. This is extremely disappointing to see such a big amount of people use their voice in that way, and to sacrifice it just because of the color of one's skin. America is ever changing, and there's so much to improve on, but also so much to look back and be proud of.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nate Silver: Does racism affect how you vote?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nate Silver has data that answers big questions about race in politics. For instance, in the 2008 presidential race, did Obama's skin color actually keep him from getting votes in some parts of the country? Stats and myths collide in this fascinating talk that ends with a remarkable insight.

# data[].attributes.body
Lily Meyers delivers this passionate poem about the differences that men and women are conditioned to follow. She starts with talking about her mother, and about how her mother grows smaller and smaller, he father only grows larger. This is meant physically and mentally. As a man's ego grows, it's not uncommon for a woman's to shrink. She also talks about her brother, and the ways that they were raised, "My brother never thinks before he speaks. I have been taught to filter." Too often girls are told to soak up their feelings, to not be a burden on someone else, while boys are told to express themselves and loudly at that.
"I asked five questions in genetics class today and all of them started with the word 'sorry'". Why do women feel the need to apologize for their opinions and thoughts? There's not an answer to that question really, women were taught that way from long before today. Looking at Their Eyes Were Watching God, we can see that this was normal back then, but to a further extent. Janie feels the need to say sorry for everything, to accommodate to others instead of herself. I think in a way that's still true. This needs to change, women should be unapologetic about their feelings, they are not any less valid than someone else's.

# data[].attributes.headline
"What is Whiteness?" By Nell Irvin Painter

# data[].attributes.subject
"What is Whiteness?" By Nell Irvin Painter

# data[].attributes.body
This article written by Nell Painter shows a different view on the white race and the many different sub-races. Many people glaze over the different cultures inside "white" and are not rightfully educated on them. The article talks about how whites are either categorized as the uninteresting boring person, or the awful Anglo-Saxon white supremacist. "Our search for understanding in matters of race automatically inclines us toward blackness, although that is not where these answers lie. It has become a common observation that blackness, and race more generally, is a social construct." Painter is saying that we should be inclined to study the history of all races, rather than focus on just one. In the 19th Century, the whites were put into two catagories, Saxons and Celts, the Saxons being 'superior'. The sub-cultures in Italian, Irish, European, Jew etc. were seen as inferior to the Saxon race. However, things progressed, "In the 1970s, long after they had been accepted as “white,” Italians, Irish, Greeks, Jews and others proclaimed themselves “ethnic” Americans in order to forge a positive identity, at a time of “black is beautiful.” But this ethnic self-discovery did not alter the fact that whiteness continued to be defined, as before, primarily by what it isn’t: blackness." Culture and race is much more intricate than what meets the eye, but as all races struggled at one time or another and to many different degrees, we should all support one another.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Why Gender Equality is Good for Everyone - Men Included" By Michael Kimmel

# data[].attributes.subject
"Why Gender Equality is Good for Everyone - Men Included" By Michael Kimmel

# data[].attributes.body
In this TED talk, Kimmel brings up some extremely compelling points about why gender equality benefits not only women, but also men. He talks about how a lot of the time there are two kinds of responses from men when gender equality is brought up; either those who are actively against it or those who feel the need to immediately put in their point of view and shut down a females prospective. In my opinion, this is sometimes true, but of course not everyone falls into those categories. He also brings up how the first step to solving gender inequality is to educate men about the subject, which I think everyone could use a little bit of, not just men. However, once there's a mutual relationship between men and women, it's beneficial to everyone. "When men share housework and childcare, the men are healthier. They smoke less, drink less, take recreational drugs less often. They are less likely to go to the ER but more like to go to a doctor for routine screenings. They are less likely to see a therapist, less likely to be diagnosed with depression, less likely to be taking prescription medication." This is extremely important, and it's not necessarily talked about that much. Having a shared relationship is crucial, helping with the men in the relationship, the children, and the men as-well.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transcript of "Why gender equality is good for everyone - men included"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript: Yes, we all know it's the right thing to do. But Michael Kimmel makes the surprising, funny, practical case for treating men and women equally in the workplace and at home. It's not a zero-sum game, but a win-win that will result in more opportunity and more happiness for everybody.

# data[].attributes.body
In this speech by Emma Watson, she talks about the connotation that comes with the word feminism. Many people hear that word and associate it with "man hating", however this is a huge misconception. The word feminism does not mean one things females are above males at all, but rather equals. That they receive the same pay, and the same treatment as everyone else. Emma also brings up the other side of the gender equality issue; the men's side. "I've seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help for fear it would make them less of a man. In fact, in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between twenty and forty-nine, eclipsing road accidents, cancer, and coronary heart disease." People sometimes gloss over the over masculinity that men are expected to fit into from when they were younger. It doesn't make you any less of a woman to ask for help, and it doesn't make you less of a man to either.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Emma Watson at the HeForShe Campaign 2014 - Official UN Video

# data[].attributes.body
In this article, we follow Mary Stallworth through her journey of becoming a chef, and the problems she faces. Stallworth is a sushi chef, and is trying to make her way into the world of more professional cooking, however we can see that gender roles are unfortunately still prominent in today's world. As she began to apply to different restaurants, she realized that some are much more biased than others. She first experienced this in Michigan when a chef refused to hire her because she was a woman. This continued to happen and she was instead offered the job of hostess, not chef. Tomky also discusses that in Japan, bias against female cooks is extremely common, " At the most famous sushi-ya in the world today, Tokyo's Sukiyabashi Jiro, the proprietor's son, Yoshikazu Ono, was once quoted as saying that women don't work behind the bar because "women menstruate," and it causes "an imbalance in their taste."" This is very upsetting that things like this are still said and believed in today's world. However, it's not America, and the bias against female sushi chefs isn't as strong as Japan. But, we have our own issues; "Andy Matsuda, who opened the Sushi Chef Institute in Torrance, California, in 2002, points out that sushi discrimination is a problem not only for women: "Mexican- and black Americans have a harder time too," he says." Not all businesses are like this industry, but clearly America still has lots to improve on with the discrimination against women and multiple races.