Kyle Richardson - ETHS 030 by Kyle Richardson

Additional Video #1 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-04-30 22:03:26 UTC

In this video, Tim Wise discusses how one of the ways in which white people are privileged is that they do not need to understand black struggle in America. I felt this was a good manifestation of a point I brought up in class, which is that many white people have never had to live or experience what it is like to be black in America, and that makes it very easy for them to be dismissive. For example, when the BLM movement erupted in the U.S, it was cognitively simple for a swath of white Americans to ignore the claims because they have never witnessed it or felt it for themselves, and that is functionally the same as the issues not existing at all. At the same time, there are a number of media outlets that are happy to tell them that they are correct and wise in their dismissal, and that the claims were fabricated by an unnamed, sinister enemy.

Additional Video #2 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-04-30 22:27:32 UTC

In this video, Vox explores the history of our socially-constructed racial categories and how they have changed over time. Understanding that race is a social construct is important as it allows us to extend empathy to one another and dissolve prejudices. It is also important, however, to understand that this social construct has had real impacts on society and history, and it has directly resulted in outcomes we see today, and the only way to explain these outcomes is to take race into account. Though "race" is a collective fabrication, it's consequences and victims are very real, and any correction of ills perpetrated along racial lines will likely need to be corrected along racial lines. With sufficient equity, exposure, and time, it is possible that the concept of race may become entirely useless to us in the future, but it is here to stay so long as its impacts are still felt.

Additional Video #3 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-04-30 23:00:11 UTC

This segment discusses audio recordings and accounts of enslaved people in the United States. It serves to highlight just how recent these events were, and hopefully drives home how significant the fallout from it still is. This video in particular touches on slavery, but my grandfather was born before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and was a child when schools were desegregated. The grandparents of our mothers and fathers may have been actively working against desegregation! I believe thinking about these things can allow it to really sink in just how fresh these wounds are. The effects of oppression are still part and parcel of the world we live in today, and we need to work to right the injustice.

Website #1 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-04-30 23:11:56 UTC

The 10 Million Names project seeks to recover the identities of enslaved people in the United States from 1500 to 1865. As it stands, this country seems eager to forget the crimes that have occurred, allowing millions to be exploited, victimized, and disposed of for the benefit of the white American. This project humanizes those that were enslaved and helps to illuminate the real, human cost of our country's history. It invokes the same sentiment we discussed in class about the use of "slave" vs. "enslaved people"; without identifying the victims our of system, it becomes easy to forget them and dismiss them as words in a history book rather than human beings who suffered.

Additional Video #4 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-04-30 23:56:59 UTC

This video details the G.I Bill's exclusion of black veterans after World War II. The G.I Bill provided white veterans in America with considerable financial boons, such as homes, business loans, etc. This financial support then compounds and becomes generational wealth, lifting not just veterans but also their entire families and their descendants out of the lower class. Meanwhile, black veterans returning from the war, having served and suffered just as anyone else, were excluded and denied. There is a wealth gap in this country along racial lines, and it can be explained by racist policies that actively work to advantage white people and disadvantage black people, and the consequences of these policies manifest vividly in our current reality.

Movie Trailer #1 of 5

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-01 00:34:36 UTC

The 'Uncle Tom' movie trailer presents a documentary-style film about the supposed struggles that some Black Americans who refuse to acknowledge that black people in the United States are at any systematic disadvantage. It is proposing a narrative that claims black people do not experience any systematic discrimination in this country, and the idea that Black Americans have been treated unfairly is an "ideology", "brainwashing", and is a "cancerous plague in the minds of Black Americans". It makes these claims while showing photos of enslaved people, as well as Martin Luther King Jr., who is specifically famous for fighting racial injustice in America. This narrative stands in direct contrast to the realities of our country's policies over the last 100 years, and I believe the film to be made in bad faith. It does not aim to show any amount of truth, but rather push an agenda that allows the country to sweep centuries of injustice under the rug and tell white people that nothing is wrong because it is a comforting thing to hear despite any evidence to the contrary. There is a demand for that story, and this film panders to that demand regardless of how damaging it might be, and narratives such as they permeate both film and news media alike.

Statistical Graph #1 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 18:57:57 UTC

This graph shows a comparison of different racial groups' proportion of the U.S population against their proportion of fatal police shootings. As you can see, black people in the U.S are killed by police at far greater rates than others, and they are victimized at a rate almost two times higher than their makeup of the U.S population. Statistics like this one serve to illustrate the systematic oppression that exists in our country today, and highlights the inequity of life-outcomes along racial lines. The stark differences in this area have obviously been caused by external factors, and nearly all Americans are already aware of this statistic, but actively working to correct this disparity still faces significant opposition by those that do not directly suffer at the hands the unjust system.

Statistical Graph #2 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 19:12:19 UTC

This graph depicts home ownership by race in the United States. Home ownership is one of the most prominent sources of generational wealth in this country, and it is heavily skewed. Hundreds of years of oppression have left Black Americans without ownership, and it is as hard as ever today to buy a home and leave the lower class. This graph also stood out to me as it really highlights how well white people are doing in this society, and helps to explain their support of the status-quo and resistance to uplifting changes in economic policy.

Statistical Graph #3 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 19:38:36 UTC

This graph shows black and white race distribution in four cities, with green dots representing black and orange dots representing white. As you can see, there is still significant separation in these areas despite the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The distribution shows how discrimination today has now been obfuscated along economic lines. Hundreds of years of overt discrimination along racial lines coerced groups into their economic positions, allowing the discrimination to continue by simple transposition. In America, it is still socially acceptable to discriminate along financial lines, as many Americans believe wealth proves virtue and poverty proves iniquity.

Statistical Graph #4 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 19:59:21 UTC

This graph shows life expectancy between the different groups in the legend. In both males and females, being black resulted in worse outcomes. Though the implications of this statistic are horrific, there is zero reaction from society to address or change anything. Even if every statistic available points to worse outcomes for Black Americans than White Americans, I believe there is an unspoken assumption among many that the system is fair and any inequity is the fault of the individual. If facts are not enough and black voices are dismissed, I wonder what it will take for the majority of society to reconcile with these statistics.

Statistical Graph #5 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 20:01:54 UTC

This graph shows the rate of traffic stops by race against each race's proportion of the U.S population. What's so interesting about this statistic is that it's traffic stops, which are essentially performed at a police officers' discretion. I believe this signifies the profiling of black people by police in America, but also the way in which black communities are disproportionately policed. The result is that white and black people may drive similarly, but the outcomes are wildly skewed.

Statistical Graph #6 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 20:06:48 UTC

This map shows black population by region in the U.S. Even after the end of slavery, many black people remained in their homes and communities. This distribution helps to remind us how significant the effects of the past were and how they still linger today, providing a simple and easy graphic to understand we are still living in the after-effects of horrible, racist policies. I think statistics such as this would do well to enlighten white people to just how relevant the policies of the past are today, and hopefully help them understand the extent to which they still benefit from them.

Additional Video #5 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 20:47:12 UTC

This video of Tim Wise discusses the ways in which African Americans are portrayed in the media, and the importance of this representation as a result of persisting segregation. As we covered in class, black representation in media is usually restrained to that which white audiences find normal, acceptable, and expected. You are far more likely to see black people portrayed as enslaved, impoverished, athletic, gang-affiliated, or struggling, and while some of these portrayals may touch on real experiences, the lack of "regular" or even mundane representation deprives the zeitgeist of black humanity and normality. While enslavement was a real atrocity worthy of being explored in our stories, black people also experience love and careers like any other person, and blackness is very under-represented in these areas, and those who do not come into regular contact with black people will not be able to relate to their experiences if they are not portrayed.

Additional Video #6 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 20:53:33 UTC

This video shows a speech delivered by James Baldwin on the topic of white apathy towards or ignorance of the black experience. In this country, a lack of understanding or empathy is still exhibited on the part of the white population toward the issues experienced by Black Americans. This can be seen in the "all lives matter" response to the BLM movement, for example. Though it is very simple to understand the Black Americans merely wish to live in peace and prosperity as White Americans do, and though it is well known that this is not the case, it seems that White Americans are often willfully apathetic to these realities and would sooner disengage with the issue than confront it. I believe White Americans do not attempt to know or understand because society does not require them to, and they assume that their normal is everyone's normal, making it easy to dismiss anyone that claims there are serious systematic issues that need to be addressed or that society is set up in their favor.

Website #2 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 22:23:00 UTC

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is organization dedicated to empowerment and prosperity of Black Americans. Some of the issues the organization targets are environmental justice, legal policy, education, black business. The NAACP is interesting in that it is one of the oldest organizations doing this kind of work, and the scope of the work is so broad. Donating to the NAACP is a way to support dedicated activists working to change some of the biggest obstacles facing Black Americans today.

Website #3 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 22:23:39 UTC

Black Lives Matter is an organization separate from the generalized Black Lives Matter Movement, but the organization works to enact policy change while supporting black arts and culture. Some of their work includes providing grants to black people that wish to perform work that aligns with these values. Actively working to support people who are fighting change is necessary to restructure an unjust society.

Website #4 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 22:26:11 UTC

The National Black Chamber of Commerce provides resources to black businesses and entrepreneurs. Hundreds of years worth of putting black people down in this country has resulted in a stark wealth gap. This organization aims to provide additional resources to those who have been historically deprived of them, and sufficient investment will hopefully reduce the prosperity disparity.

Website #5 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 22:27:46 UTC

The Color of Change is a racial justice organization. Their work involves identifying and fighting against legislation and culture that is hostile towards black people. Work like this is what turns sentiment to reality, as they are involved in the active confrontations necessary, creating tangible change.

Website #6 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 22:29:04 UTC

The Equal Justice Initiative fights for equal treatment within the U.S justice system. It's primary objective is ending mass incarceration in the United States. Black communities are policed more aggressively, black people are arrested far more frequently, and black people are sentenced more harshly than White Americans. Our prison system is one of the more aggressive institutions that harms Black Americans.

Additional Video #7 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 22:48:52 UTC

Is this interview, Toni Morrison responds to a question from an interviewer on whether or not she intends to significantly include white characters in her stories. The exclusion of black characters from media establishes the idea in white peoples' head that this is the norm. It perpetuates a sub-conscious understanding that this country is white, its stories and characters are white, and that people of color are like a novelty that exists outside of the norm. White people in America are affirmed at every turn that they are the main characters and that this country and culture are theirs, and the lack of black representation says to white people that black people are more like oddities or visitors despite building this country and calling it home.

Additional Video #8 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 22:51:00 UTC

This video covers white fragility, which is the tendency of White Americans to become defensive and shut down conversations regarding race. I know people personally in my life that get very fired up at the mention that things are not equal in this country, and they follow media figureheads that make money on perpetrating the myth that racial inequity falls solely on the behaviors of the victims. For example, if you bring up police shooting statistics, it may be explained away as black fathers not sticking around and raising their children correctly, or rap music glorifying lives of crime leading to more black criminals that end up doing something to deserve being shot over. No matter the issue, there is a proportion of white people that will always dismiss or explain away the disparity of outcomes, and I believe this is because they personally enjoy the system they are living in, and it's easier to deny the existence of a problem than give anything up to correct an issue that exists. People may say it's terrible that black people are less wealthy than white people, but doing anything to uplift would carry a cost, and the suggestion of incurring that cost in the pursuit of justice elicits outrage.

Website #7 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 23:07:01 UTC

Blackpast.org is a website dedicated to the comprehensive telling of Black American history. It touches on domestic history as well as per-American history, such as the trans-Atlantic slave trade. This work is important, as it restores and promotes black people's stories and experiences, ensuring that any identity is not washed away and forgotten, becoming another causality of our country's oppressive history.

Website # 8 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 23:07:34 UTC

The Root is a black-owned and operated news organization. It tells black stories and gives a platform to black voices and opinions. Mainstream media often marginalizes black voices and perpetuates black stereotypes, so a black-focused news organization allows black people to present their perspectives honestly and openly without being filtered through the white-supremacist media establishment.

Additional video #9 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 23:23:44 UTC

This video covers U.S incarceration policies and their effects. Hundreds of years of enslavement and racist policy did everything possible to manipulate this countries economic demographics and push black people to the very bottom. Now that the lines have been drawn, the oppression can continue under a different name. So long as racial targeting is replaced with economic targeting, the same effect can be achieved. Mass incarceration in the United States is one of the institutions in operation that works to keep people at the bottom as it imprisons and enslaves people for profit. Americans need to begin to understand that crime and poverty are largely outcomes of a system's inputs rather than innate defects deserving of alienation, punishment, and cruelty, and that these trends are universal to humans in any context.

Additional Video #10 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 23:31:30 UTC

This video covers the infamous trial of Rodney King's attackers that resulted in a total acquittal on all state charges, and only two convictions on federal charges relating to their violation of Mr. King's rights and not outright assault. Though the horror of the beating is captured on film, many of the White American's interviewed took that position that the officers' acquittal must mean Mr. King deserved it in some way or that there was more to the story. It shocks and saddens me that people are capable of dismissing what is right in front of their faces if the system tells them to do so. It's a subconscious understanding in these American's that black men are dangerous, so even if a video shows him being beaten to death in the street by over ten officers, they are capable of considering that the black man is the threat. This happened so recently, and these prejudices and submission to a self-serving status-quo are still present today.

Additional video #11 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 23:39:24 UTC

This video explains the history of Jazz. I find this video particularly interesting because it is an example of Black American culture that proved incredibly popular and is considered classy today, but was initially rejected by whites before then being co-opted. Throughout our history, Black Americans have been oppressed and insulted while simultaneously being praised for their cultural exports, but this praise always comes in the form of theft, repurposing, or objectification for white gain rather than the benefit of the black creators.

Additional Video #12 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 23:41:57 UTC

This video summarizes the history of the Harlem renaissance. After black people were freed from their enslavement and the great migration took place, black art and culture thrived in Harlem. Art created at this time was made in a way that consciously challenged white people's stereotypes, acting as a form of social challenge and resistance to white supremacy.

Additional Video #13 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-05 23:49:19 UTC

This video highlights black voices on the topic of "All Lives Matter". This video stands out to me because I think it touches on this unconscious racism exhibited by a large portion of White Americans. When they say "All Lives Matter", I don't think they really understand the position they are taking a lot of the time. I believe they are often acting on sub-conscious prejudices or allegiances, where any criticism must be fought vehemently. The thought that anyone could say "All Lives Matter" while fully understanding the position they are taking horrifies me, and I like to think that is only a small section of the population.

Additional Video #14 of 14

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-06 00:11:20 UTC

In this clip, Donald Trump claims he has taken action to destroy all D.E.I "nonsense". D.E.I is often wrongfully attacked and criticized under the assumption that it enables the hiring of people that are under qualified, which is false. After overtly crushing and hating black people in this country, even the smallest attempt to make lives better for people of color is harshly and hatefully rejected. Growing up, we were fed this idea that "racism was terrible and then M.L.K came and fixed it all". This idea of being "color blind" is held up as virtuous, but when people are still suffering at the bottom due to historical wrongs, turning a blind eye and demanding that nothing be done to correct for it is just oppression disguised as anti-racism. The sentiment is that white people can commit the crimes, benefit from the fallout, and black people should be quiet and grateful that the thumb was lifted at all; they should not ask for anything that the white majority isn't willing to give them.

Image #1 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-06 05:09:15 UTC

This image shows black women associated with the black power movement of the 1960's wearing their hair "naturally". This trend was in response to the imposed beauty standards of the white majority on the black minority. Natural black features were considered unattractive by white people in America, and this standard was internalized by Black Americans, as they were made to feel ashamed of their bodies and features.

Image #2 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-06 21:44:16 UTC

A painting of a black dance hall titled "Sugar Shack" by Ernie Barnes. This painting shows black joy and life in spite of societies overt hate and disdain for their existence. Culture and life thriving in a secluded place, as was the case for most of American history.

Image #3 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-06 22:09:11 UTC

This image shows police roughing up a peaceful protestor during the civil rights movement. Though this took place more than sixty years ago, the scene looks very familiar to what is still happening in our country today. We may think that our society is far more enlightened now than it was then, but some of the worst problems still persist, and we are struggling with many of the same problems with a slightly different appearance and context.

Image #4 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-06 22:19:08 UTC

This image shows a fifteen-year-old boy standing up to a white teenager who is trying to force him and his sister from the sidewalk; a fist fight follows shortly after this image was taken. What grabs me about this image is the age of the kids involved. Fifteen-years-old in 1958 would mean a little over 83 today, which is my grandfather's age. Our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers would have been the ones directly involved in the support of or opposition to the civil rights movement, an idea that makes it easier to understand just how recent this was. Could hate this intense really subside completely in just a few generations? It may not be openly spoken anymore, but I believe these sentiments still exist quietly, maybe even subconsciously, in a significant portion of White Americans today.

Image #5 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-06 22:37:20 UTC

This meme from "Black Twitter" shows two articles from two news organizations covering a shoplifting incident and a murder. Officially, everyone claims to be anti-racist, but in practice, our society still behaves harmfully. The media panders to quietly held racist ideas, and the country's collective consciousness still holds black people to be scary and criminal while holding white people to be "regular". Again, black people are held in media and the broader, white-supremacist culture to be a kind of oddity as opposed to human beings and citizens.

Image #6 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 01:12:12 UTC

This image shows N.W.A after performing "Fuck Tha Police" in Detroit. The group was warned by police, demanding they omit the song from their set prior to their performance. The song was an anthem for Black Americans angry at the systematic oppression and stereotyping by the police, an issue just as prevalent and angering today as it was then.

Image #7 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 01:22:55 UTC

This is an image of a South African hair advertisement. The image faced backlash for being racist and perpetuating the stereotype that natural black hair is somehow undesirable or unattractive. This modern advertisement is an example of the ways the white standard of beauty is so casually reinforced, especially when it comes to black woman and, more specifically, their hair.

Image #8 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 01:48:55 UTC

This photo shows two outfits by a black fashion designer. The designs utilize colors and patterns inspired by Africa. Black fashion is a way of creating beauty and style in a way that embraces and champions black heritage while straying from typical euro-centric tastes.

Image #9 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 01:53:39 UTC

This is an image from Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's music video 'WAP'. The bold display of sexuality challenges respectability politics and empowers woman by breaking the socially imposed limitations on their behavior. Though criticized for its creation, 'WAP' does well to "embrace the greys", meaning black women are humans as well who like to have fun and engage with their sexuality on their own terms.

Image #10 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 02:05:41 UTC

This is a reconstruction-era political cartoon. Though black people were freed on paper, everything was done to keep them in fear. Voting was dissuaded, people were murdered, and families were driven away and harassed. Black oppression in this country has continuously changed its face and form in response to increasing restrictions, but white supremacy always finds away to continue its hate and violence even as the social landscape changes.

Movie Trailer #2 of 5

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 02:24:12 UTC

The film 'Sorry to Bother You' explores concepts such as respectability politics and solidarity under an oppressive system. In the trailer, you can see Cash using his "white voice" to help further his career, as it makes him more palatable to the racist white majority. Later in the film, Cash uses this voice to advance his career and sell out to those that hate him for who he naturally is, emphasizing the importance of supporting and uplifting your community in solidarity against an unfair and unjust system.

Movie Trailer #3 of 5

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 02:39:35 UTC

Waves is a drama revolving around a family's hardship and grief after the son is sent to prison after an accident occurs at a party. This film shows a black family as dynamic, feeling, and human as it explores their journey of mourning and healing. In the past and still today, black people and families are often depicted in the same ways, and their blackness is the center of their identities. In Waves, the family's race is a part of who they are, but the themes explored in the film are universal and do well in humanizing the family, something media has traditionally failed to do in this country.

Movie Trailer #4 of 5

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 02:47:17 UTC

Moonlight is a film that explores Chiron's upbringing in a poor Miami community as he deals with family struggles resulting from addiction as well as the social difficulties arising from being gay. This film touches on the concept of intersectionality as we discussed in class. Mercilessly bullied, Chiron has an intimate moment with his friend Kevin, and the complex emotions and trauma surrounding the encounter and Chiron's intersecting identites is told in the award-winning film.

Movie Trailer #5 of 5

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 02:59:01 UTC

The Photograph is a love story showing a black couple navigating social obstacles and grief while finding joy in one another. Black romance is not often depicted in Hollywood, and this film is refreshing in the way the human experience takes center stage over the roles and themes White Americans typically expect from black movies. Normal, human depictions of black life are essential in creating repeatability and telling honest stories to those who may not be exposed to black life regularly outside of the usually harmful media portrayals.

Statistical Graph #7 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 03:16:28 UTC

This graph shows the lead exposure in children by race. Black communities suffer greater exposure due to environmental racism. Toxic facilities are set up near communities of color at far greater rates, and negative health outcomes result across the board.

Statistical Graph #8 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 03:20:07 UTC

This map shows the locations of toxic release facilities relative to the concentration of people of color in the area. As you can see, the facilities heavily correlate to where people of color live, and white people are spared the cancers and death associated with these facilities. In our society, people of color do not have as much power to fight these facilities as the richer white neighborhoods do, and as a result their well-being is not of concern to those performing the construction. Historic treatment created an economic disparity along racial lines, and now economic discrimination is used as justification for achieving the same, racist outcomes.

Statistical Graph #9 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 03:25:57 UTC

This graph shows the wealth disparity between White Americans and Black Americans. Hundreds of years of racist policy have allowed white people to generate huge amounts of wealth by exploiting and excluding others. Now that the wealth has been accumulated and a clear wealth distinction between the races has been established, discrimination based on income and assets has become the new form in which oppression is justified. Another interesting point is that even long after the civil rights act, white wealth continued to climb while black wealth remained the same, a clear indication that the system is not working the same way for both groups.

Statistical Graph #10 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 03:30:25 UTC

This graph shows marijuana possession vs. marijuana arrest rates for white and black people in America. Though white and black people behave the same way in this category, black people are the only ones significantly punished. This highlights the way that policing policies unfairly target Black Americans, as well as the privilege white people enjoy in this country.

Website #9 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 04:12:32 UTC

This website creates a one-stop-shop that allows you to view and donate to over 150 vetted charities supporting black causes. It allows you to filter by category, such as environmental causes, legal causes, and more. The website brings exposure to a diverse selection of organizations fighting to uplift black people and communities.

Website #10 of 10

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-07 04:17:23 UTC

The Black Child Development Institute aims to improve the education and educational outcomes of black children. The website outlines after school and summer programs for black students that focus on learning and study. This work is important because black children have been deprived of equal and adequate educational opportunities historically, and schools are still not completely equal today. For example, a significant amount of school funding comes from property taxes, which are lower in communities of color.

ksrichardson99 — 2025-05-08 00:01:40 UTC