# data[].attributes.headline
"This Amazing, Troubling Book" by Toni Morrison

# data[].attributes.subject
"This Amazing, Troubling Book" by Toni Morrison

# data[].attributes.body
"This Amazing, Troubling book" by Toni Morrison is an excellent analysis of Huck's behavior and feelings toward Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It discusses the aspect of Huck needing to be in control, and I feel that this is a very important key in understanding Huck as a character. In the beginning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck has no control over his life. His father is an abusive drunk, he has no mother, and he is forced to live with the widow and Miss Watson. He follows Tom Sawyer around like a lost puppy, being that he is the only constant presence in his life. But as Huck breaks away from this life, he finally gains independence. His relationship with Jim works so well because Huck is able to be in control. If Jim were to try and make the decisions for their group, their relationship would have grown tumultuous fast. Once Huck reaches independence, and frees himself from the controlling clutches of his father and society he will never be able to go back.

# data[].attributes.headline
"When the Irish Weren't White" by Michael Harriot

# data[].attributes.subject
"When the Irish Weren't White" by Michael Harriot

# data[].attributes.body
"When the Irish Weren't White" by Michael Harriot describes the way Irish immigrants in the 19th century experienced extreme discrimination because of pre-formed stereotypes. This concept, judging an entire group based on stereotypes, is still alive in modern America and can be seen through the struggles of immigrants from the Middle East. Middle Easterners are being barred from entering our country based on the actions of extremists. Like the 19th century governments, congress is passing laws that attempt to limit the number of people allowed to immigrate here from Middle Eastern Countries. These people are seen by a vast majority of our citizens as dangerous terrorists, even though the majority of them wouldn't hurt a fly. Americans allowed the Irish to assimilate into society, and they have become a valued part of who we are: how are we supposed to integrate Middle Easterners into our society if our government wont even give them a chance?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
“[T]hey steal, they are cruel and bloody, full of revenge, and delighting in deadly execution, licentious, swearers and blasphemers, common ravishers of women, and murderers of children.” —Edmund Spencer

# 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 slam poem by Alex Dang connects to Andrew Levy's analysis of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through it's explicit descriptions of what it is like to grow up Asian in America. Asians, just like African Americans, have been discriminated against and treated unfairly by Americans over the course of history. While the plights of African Americans began to come to the forefront of societies civil rights agenda, Asians were often forgotten. Asians were beaten and killed, driven from their homes, made to work long hours for little to nothing. Even modern society is ignorant of their plights. They are still seen as secondary characters, not quite up to par with the rest of us. America as a whole needs to stop using Asians as the butt of the joke, and make strides towards mending the mistakes in our past.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Alex Dang (Ft. Alex Dang) - What Kind of Asian are You?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
So he said to me: "What kind of Asian are you?" / And I said back: / That's a loaded question. / What kind of Asian do you EXPECT me to be? / Because any way you slice that egg

# data[].attributes.body
A common element that can be seen across personal testimonies about racial mistreatment is shame. This personal shame is perpetuated through generations, even after legal equality is reached. In "Indian Education", Sherman Alexie describes his shame after his high school basketball team, ironically named the Indians, loses the state title. He feels shame for himself, but most of all shame for his people. Shame is also seen in "What Kind of Asian are You?" by Alex Dang, in his reflections about being his parents translator. Minorities are put down so often and with such force that their own failures eat them away to nothing. When a white person fails at something, it is simply seen as a mistake. But when a minority fails at something it is attributed to the color of their skin.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
FIRST GRADE / My hair was too short and my U.S. Government glasses were horn-rimmed, ugly, and all that first winter in school, the other Indian boys chased me from one corner of

# data[].attributes.body
"Left Behind," an article written by journalist Rebecca Clarren, describes the disporpotunate effort of the federal government when providing education to Native American students. Like "Indian Education" by Sherman Alexie, "Left Behind" describes the poor effort given by teaching staff and school administrations in giving Native Americans an equal chance at education. We, as a society, have gone leaps and bounds forward in the way we treat African Americans, yet Native Americans continue to be left behind, even in 2017. We have taken 10 steps forward and 5 steps back. The Civil Rights movement of the 60's, although it was meant to be embraced by all races, has not allowed Native Americans to thrive in the same way as African American or Asian Americans. Despite our progress, the government continues to bind Natives down and treat them as nuisances, rather than American Citizens.

# data[].attributes.headline
"For Native American Women, Scourge of Rape, Rare Justice" by Timothy Williams

# data[].attributes.subject
"For Native American Women, Scourge of Rape, Rare Justice" by Timothy Williams

# data[].attributes.body
In this article by Timothy Williams of the New York Times, the startling rates of Native American women who have been raped is revealed. According to the article, one in every three native women has been raped, and in rural villages the sexual assault rate can be over twelve times the national average. This is yet another example of how the U.S. Government fails to protect Native Americans. As seen in "Indian Education" and "Left behind", the government provides very little assistance to native american schools, and the dropout rate for natives is significantly higher than for white students. On top of that there is now the issue of the continued assaults of native women, and their limited resources for help. The government has not stepped in to try and prevent these acts of violence further, even though the rates of assault are so much higher. Our society scoffs at the idea that racism still exists inside our government, arguing that everyone is equal by law. This, however true, does not mean discrimination has ceased, and provides yet another example of how we've taken steps backwards in the fight for equal treatment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here in Emmonak, the overmatched police have failed to keep statistics related to rape. A national study mandated by Congress in 2004 to examine the extent of sexual violence on tribal lands remains unfinished because, the Justice Department says, the $2 million allocation is insufficient.

But according a survey by the Alaska Federation of Natives, the rate of sexual violence in rural villages like Emmonak is as much as 12 times the national rate. And interviews with Native American women here and across the nation's tribal reservations suggest an even grimmer reality: They say few, if any, female relatives or close friends have escaped sexual violence.

"We should never have a woman come into the office saying, 'I need to learn more about Plan B for when my daughter gets raped,' " said Charon Asetoyer, a women's health advocate on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, referring to the morning-after pill. "That's what's so frightening - that it's more expected than unexpected. It has become a norm for young women."

The difficulties facing American Indian women who have been raped are myriad, and include a shortage of sexual assault kits at Indian Health Service hospitals, where there is also a lack of access to birth control and sexually transmitted disease testing. There are also too few nurses trained to perform rape examinations, which are generally necessary to bring cases to trial.

Women say the tribal police often discourage them from reporting sexual assaults, and Indian Health Service hospitals complain they lack cameras to document injuries.

Police and prosecutors, overwhelmed by the crime that buffets most reservations, acknowledge that they are often able to offer only tepid responses to what tribal leaders say has become a crisis.

Reasons for the high rate of sexual assaults among American Indians are poorly understood, but explanations include a breakdown in the family structure, a lack of discussion about sexual violence and alcohol abuse.

Rape, according to Indian women, has been distressingly common for generations, and they say tribal officials and the federal and state authorities have done little to help halt it, leading to its being significantly underreported.

In the Navajo Nation, which encompasses parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, 329 rape cases were reported in 2007 among a population of about 180,000. Five years later, there have been only 17 arrests. Women's advocates on the reservation say only about 10 percent of sexual assaults are reported.

The young woman who was raped in Emmonak, now 22, asked that her name not be used because she fears retaliation from her attacker, whom she still sees in the village. She said she knew of five other women he had raped, though she is the only one who reported the crime.

Nationwide, an arrest is made in just 13 percent of the sexual assaults reported by American Indian women, according to the Justice Department, compared with 35 percent for black women and 32 percent for whites.

In South Dakota, Indians make up 10 percent of the population, but account for 40 percent of the victims of sexual assault. Alaska Natives are 15 percent of that state's population, but constitute 61 percent of its victims of sexual assault.

The Justice Department did not prosecute 65 percent of the rape cases on Indian reservations in 2011. And though the department said it had mandated extra training for prosecutors and directed each field office to develop its own plan to help reduce violence against women, some advocates for Native American women said they no longer pressed victims to report rapes.

"I feel bad saying that," said Sarah Deer, a law professor at William Mitchell College of Law in Minnesota and an authority on violent crime on reservations. "But it compounds the trauma if you are willing to stand up and testify and they can't help you."

Despite the low rates of arrests and prosecutions, convicted sexual offenders are abundant on tribal lands. The Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, with about 25,000 people, is home to 99 Class 3 sex offenders, those deemed most likely to commit sex crimes after their release from prison. The Tohono O'odham tribe's reservation in Arizona, where about 15,000 people live, has 184, according to the Justice Department.

By comparison, Boston, with a population of 618,000, has 252 Class 3 offenders. Minneapolis, with a population of 383,000, has 101, according to the local police.

The agencies responsible for aiding the victims of sexual assault among American Indians are often ill prepared.

The Indian Health Service, for instance, provides exams for rape victims at only 27 of the 45 hospitals it finances and, according to a federal report in 2011, did not keep adequate track of the number of sexual assault victims its facilities treat and lacked an overall policy for treating rape victims. Additionally, the health service has just 73 trained sexual assault examiners.

The Justice Department, which has increased the number of F.B.I. agents and United States attorneys on Indian reservations and is seeking to help the Indian Health Service train more nurses, said combating sexual violence was a priority.

"There's no quick fix. There's no one thing that will fix the system," said Virginia Davis, deputy director for policy development in the department's Office on Violence Against Women. "We're taking a systematic approach to this - thinking about different ways to solve the problem."

In the meantime, the problem persists. Lisa Marie Iyotte, 43, who was raped on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation, said prosecutors had never told her why they did not charge the man arrested in that crime. He was later convicted of another rape, and when he was released from prison in 2008 and moved back to the reservation, no one told her, she said. She has not seen him yet.

"When I think about it, I say, 'What am I going to do?' " she said. "I don't know."

Nine hundred miles away, in the Navajo Nation, Caroline Antone, 50, an advocate for the reservation's victims of sexual violence who has herself been raped, said sexual assault was virtually routine in her community.

"I know only a couple of people who have not been raped," she said. "Out of hundreds."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Native Americans Struggle With High Rate of Rape

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here in Emmonak, the overmatched police have failed to keep statistics related to rape. A national study mandated by Congress in 2004 to examine the extent of sexual violence on tribal lands remains unfinished because, the Justice Department says, the $2 million allocation is insufficient.

# data[].attributes.headline
The N-Word: An Interactive Project to Explore a Singular Word

# data[].attributes.subject
The N-Word: An Interactive Project to Explore a Singular Word

# data[].attributes.body
The N-Word Project by the Washington Post connects to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through its discussion of the use of the n-word and its impact on people. In Huckleberry Finn the word is used very often, and is said by most characters- including white people. It is the term used to refer to all black people; it is a slur, a word you would not want to be called. In modern society, the n-word is still widely unacceptable; but many African Americans have chosen to reclaim the word for themselves. Reclaiming the word allows African Americans to take away its power over them. Since the publication of Huck Finn, society has gone forward in regards to the use of this word. Although we have gone backwards on other fronts, we have begun to realize the power carried in that word, and are choosing not to use it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Explore perspectives.
Select three to see a custom video.

Start your own conversation

Add a question or use one of the submitted questions to start a conversation with your social network. (Note: The n-word has not been filtered from submissions.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
n-word; donte stallworth; neal brennan; dave chappelle show; nfl; national football leagues bans nword; nfl bans the nword; nigger; nigga; nigger vs nigga; kkk; ku klux klan; jay z; oprah;

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The n-word: An interactive project exploring a singular word

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After the National Football League made the controversial decision to ban the n-word on the field this year, a team of Washington Post journalists explored the history of the word, its evolution and its place in American vernacular today.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Refugee Resettlment: Overview: Points of View" by Tracey M. DiLascio-Martinuk

# data[].attributes.subject
"Refugee Resettlment: Overview: Points of View" by Tracey M. DiLascio-Martinuk

# data[].attributes.body
Since the publication of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, society has grown significantly with the way in which people of other races are treated. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960's gave civil liberties to millions of American citizens who didn't come from European decent. However, it is still obvious today that bigotry and racism are still ever present. It can be seen in the treatment of Native Americans by the U.S. Government, the recent resurgence of KKK activity, and the reluctance of many Americans to allow people immigrate here from Middle Eastern countries. Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, there has been ever growing distrust of Middle Eastern immigrants in the United States. This mistrust is based off of the actions of a few radicalized, violent individuals. Racism is fathered by fear, and over time this fear has spread from race to race: it is only a matter of time before society realizes alienating Middle Easterners was just as much of a mistake as it was with any other race, and they find another minority to bully.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Hate Crimes Increase Across Maine, Nation" by Taylor Cairns

# data[].attributes.subject
"Hate Crimes Increase Across Maine, Nation" by Taylor Cairns

# data[].attributes.body
Even though it has been over a century since The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published, society is still facing some of the same violence and hatred as described in the book. In this article, "Hate Crimes Increase Across Maine, Nation," by Taylor Cairns, it is reported that over the last two years Maine police have reported 78 hate crimes. This number, although it may seem small, is very significant. Those were 78 incidences of people of color being openly discriminated against, being made to feel fear, shame, and helpless. 78 is too many, period. The state of Maine is over 94 percent Caucasian: it is the whitest state in the United States. White people have the super majority, and are using their power to deter people of color from our state, from being comfortable, and from being safe. Society, a shown in the other articles we've analyzed as a class, still has a lot of work to do.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
PORTLAND (WGME) -- The FBI released the 2016 data this month on hate crimes in the United States.

The data shows that hate crimes are increasing across the nation and here in Maine.

In the past two years, FBI data shows that Maine has recorded 78 hate crimes, and the Director of the New England division of the Anti-Defamation League says it's not going way.

"In Maine, since January, we've seen 5 KKK newspaper and leafleting drops in different communities," said Director Robert Trestan.

He says that Mainers need to speak out about racism happening in their communities, before the problem becomes too severe.

"It doesn't mean there are 100's of Klansmen in Maine, but what it does do is it sends a particular message: If you're a person of color, or you're jewish and you live in a neighborhood where the klan decides to distribute, what type of message does it send to you," he said.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Maine has three known hate groups. An LGBTQ hate group in Lewiston known as the "Maine Resistance", a chapter of the Klu Klux Klan in an unknown location, and the Hammerskins, or Crew 38, who keep their presence online.

According to the FBI data, America hasn't seen any less than 6,418 hate crime offenses in the past seven years. The highest amount came in 2010, with 7,699 hate crime offenses being reported by police agencies across the nation. Last year saw the second highest amount during that time period, and Trestan says that should be a cause for concern.

"We should be concerned about the overall increase in hate incidents, and really the dissemination of hatred," he says.

The latest data from the United States Census Bureau shows that Maine has the highest Caucasian population in the United States at 94.7 percent. The director of the ACLU of Maine says that makes it more vital for Mainers to stand up against racism.

"All communities, not just communities who are victimized by hate speech, but all communities, especially white communities, to speak out against racial violence and racial hate speech," says Director Zachary Heiden.

CBS 13 asked Heiden what Mainers can do to stand up to racism, and what legally can be done to stop groups from spreading hateful language. He says nothing can be done legally unless the words are considering threatening.

"People are allowed to engage in speech and they are allowed to believe things, but when that belief turns into action like threatening to harm people or actually harming people, the first amendment is no protection," he said.

Heiden says that groups like Crew 38, which have forums for making fun of other races on their website, can't be taken down, because they're just expressing their opinion. However, Heiden says that shouldn't stop people from speaking out against racism.

"The Government is restricted in terms of who it can censor, in term of the first amendment, but communities have an obligation," he said.

Trestan says that's because often the next step is violence.

"The next step is often harassment, confrontation, and violence. So it's important for us now to speak out and take steps when things are taking up at a lower level," he said.

To take a look at the FBI data on hate crimes, click here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hate crimes increase across Maine, nation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PORTLAND (WGME) -- The FBI released the 2016 data this month on hate crimes in the United States. The data shows that hate crimes are increasing across the nation and here in Maine.In the past two years, FBI data shows that Maine has recorded 78 hate crime

# data[].attributes.headline
"The Most Disrespected Person in America is Still the Black Woman" by Stereo Williams

# data[].attributes.subject
"The Most Disrespected Person in America is Still the Black Woman" by Stereo Williams

# data[].attributes.body
In this article by Stereo Williams of The Daily Beast describes the racial stereotypes that face black women every day. Black women, like women of other minorities, have experienced bigotry and senseless hatred based on they way they look for hundreds of years. Black women were influenced to change the way they look in order to achieve "whiteness" by straightening their hair and using products like skin lighteners. Black women were also made to feel that their natural features were ugly, such as big lips or wide hips, in comparison to white women. However, in recent years, black women have begun to celebrate their natural assets and a new standard of beauty has begun to emerge. All over the nation black women have begun to accept themselves, and choose to let the opinions of bigots and racists roll off their backs. Although Black women are still mistreated by many Americans, our cultural values are beginning to shift, and this is a positive step forward for our nation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman."

That famous Malcolm X quote found new life via Beyoncé's memorable sampling of the speech on her acclaimed 2016 album Lemonade. That album was largely an expression of the pain and triumph found in black womanhood, a beautifully creative signpost for what we should see evidence of every day. I witness the brilliance of black women constantly: from scholarly critique to unbridled creativity. I've also witnessed the brutal way we use words to subjugate and spiritually crush black women. I thought about that repeatedly after a Twitter controversy from earlier this week.

Rapper French Montana attacked a black woman on Twitter after she'd tweeted dismissively about him. "The fact that French Montana thinks anyone cares about him," she tweeted. Her words weren't directed at the rapper, he wasn't @-ed in her tweet. She was just one of several people who'd tweeted something anti-French Montana. But for whatever reason, the rapper decided to lash out viciously at this particular tweet.

"U musty crusty dusty rusty ass hoe," Montana tweeted in response. "With them nappy ass poetic justice braids take your cum drinking Dick banging ass somewhere n be humble."

Montana's offensively over-the-top response to a lukewarm tweet was just the latest in a string of incidents over the past couple of months involving celebrities publicly disparaging black women. The incidents reflect a specific sort of racism. One of the most notable came when controversial Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly appeared on the talk show Fox and Friends in March and was asked about Rep. Maxine Waters' recent speech lambasting Donald Trump.

"We fight against this president and we point out how dangerous he is," Waters said on the floor of Congress. "We're fighting for democracy. We're fighting for America. We're saying to those who say they're patriotic, but they turn a blind eye to the destruction he is about to cause to this country. You are not nearly as patriotic as we are."

When asked for his thoughts, O'Reilly decided to mock Rep. Waters' hair.

"I didn't hear a word she said," O'Reilly said as the show's co-hosts sat laughing. "I was looking at the James Brown wig." Fox and Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt interjected, "You can't go after a woman's looks. I think she's very attractive." Rep. Waters scoffed at O'Reilly's disrespectful "joke." "I am a strong black woman," she tweeted after the moment began making media rounds. "I cannot be intimidated, and I'm not going anywhere #BlackWomenAtWork." After being roundly criticized, O'Reilly apologized.

"As I have said many times, I respect Congresswoman Maxine Waters for being sincere in her beliefs," O'Reilly said in a statement. "I said that again today on 'Fox & Friends' calling her 'old school.' Unfortunately, I also made a jest about her hair which was dumb. I apologize."

And there were other recent controversies in a similar vein. Comedian George Lopez lashed out at a biracial woman in the audience at his show in Arizona back in February.

"There are only two rules in the Latino family," Lopez joked. "Don't marry somebody black and don't park in front of our house."

A woman appeared to give Lopez the middle finger in response to his joke, which enraged the comedian.

"I'm talking, bitch!" Lopez shouted. "You paid to see a show, sit your ass down. You can't take a joke, you're in the wrong motherfucking place. Sit your ass down or get the fuck out of here." Lopez kept railing at the woman as the crowd applauded. "I'll give you two choices: Shut the fuck up or get the fuck out. I tell you what, I'll make the choice for you. Get the fuck out of here. I'll make the choice for you, bye. You can't take a joke you're in the wrong motherfucking place. Bye. Four seats just opened up front." I observed all of these incidents and thought about how they all featured non-black men attacking black women in the same ways that black women have been berated for years: for being "ugly," for their hair, for being "loud." I thought about how often I see black women being attacked on social media with these exact same kinds of insults. It's sadly common for a woman to be hit with insults about her appearance; but black women have been historically mocked and marginalized for physical traits specific to black womanhood, and they've been routinely vilified for perceived negative behaviors that are fairly universal. That's simply misogyny and racism. And no one can pretend that these sorts of attacks only come from non-black men. From the radio to my social media timeline, I see variations of contempt for black women all-too-regularly. And sometimes it hits closer to home than I like to face. There have been times when I know I've talked over or talked down to black women who were more accomplished, more astute and obviously more patient than I. It's something that I didn't want to believe applied to me, but reflecting on some of the worst social media exchanges I've had over the years, more than a few happened because I was felt obligated to "correct" a black woman on her own perspective-or because I refused to take what she was saying seriously. As I sat down to write this, prepared to wag a sanctimonious finger at French Montana, I had to look at myself. And I also had to think about how many conversations I've had with male friends who felt they'd been "emasculated" just because they were publicly criticized or reprimanded by a black woman. How often are we the enablers, or worse, endorsers of what others have done-and continue to do-to black women?

After a social media backlash and justified criticism, French Montana tried to explain the situation and offered that, despite calling a black woman "nappy" headed, he has no issue with black women.

"My son is black, and I was born in africa I lived there for 13 years," he tweeted. "I ain't no punching bag, and I don't discriminate! don't come for me."

"My mother is african queen and I was married to a beautiful black queen. All I did was defend myself if I affended anybody I apologize," he continued, before adding, "But this is a perfect example of even when u defending yourself and minding your Business social media would drag your name thru the mud."

Calling a black woman a "queen" when you apologize doesn't mean much-would you call her a "bitch" if she doesn't accept your apology? Asking for a friend.

It's interesting what we perceive as an attack and even more interesting how we respond to one. In this case, Montana lashed out at someone who didn't even antagonize him directly. And he ignored countless men who undoubtedly would have shown up in a Twitter search for his name-which it appears French was doing. But French didn't utter a word in response to those men, while this black woman got verbally blasted with both barrels for what was a fairly lightweight dismissal. The fact that I saw so many men come to French's defense confirms that so many build their masculinity on asserting dominance over women. And any perceived "insult" is a threat to that dominance and should be snuffed out with a ruthless intensity.

Of course, none of these observations are new or news. Black women have been scholarly examining toxic masculinity for decades. And rapper misogyny has been thinkpieced ad nauseum at this point-that misogyny is a reflection of some of the more dysfunctional aspects of American culture, and those aspects are a lot more prevalent in our society than we often want to believe. Bill O'Reilly and George Lopez aren't rappers, but they showed just as much contempt for black women as French Montana has. Offering empty apologies for offending someone only suggests that you feel guilty for having made people feel bad; it doesn't mean you've learned or grown in any way.

You can't really see her as a queen if you refuse to accept her as your peer.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Most Disrespected Person in America Is Still the Black Woman

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman." That famous Malcolm X quote found new life via Beyoncé's memorable sampling of the speech on her acclaimed 2016 album Lemonade .