My ETHS 30 padlet by

I against I

gcaponera001 — 2025-04-09 03:23:03 UTC

The Bad Brains are one of the bands that defined the 1980's hardcore punk movement. They merged punk, metal, and raggae music into an energetic amalgamation of all three. There shows were so rowdy that they were banned from playing any venues in D.C. They were dominating in a field comprised of mostly White suburbanites.

Get Out

gcaponera001 — 2025-04-09 03:30:17 UTC

Get Out was written and directed by Jordan Peele. It used the horror genre to explore modern social issues, including themes of racial oppression and the myth of a post-racial society in America. It established Peele as a prominent new director who merged entertainment with social commentary.

Justice for Stephon Clark

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 21:19:41 UTC

I took this photo in 2019, at a "Justice for Stephon Clark" rally in the parking lot of the Sacramento Police Department. This picture was taken on the day that the Sacramento DA announced that no charges would be filed against the officers who gunned him down in his grandmothers back backyard.

Justice for Desmond

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 21:27:20 UTC

This is a photo that I took at a "Justice for Desmond Phillips" march. Desmond was a young man suffering a mental health crisis. His father, David, called 911 to seek medical attention. Instead, police kicked in his door and killed him in his living room. This picture was taken on the anniversary of his death.

Candyman

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 21:33:37 UTC

The true story of the murder of Ruthie May McCoy inspires Candyman. McCoy made many calls to the police, saying that she heard people on her walls. Police never responded because Ruthie was a resident of Cabrini Green. Ruthie was then killed by a man breaking in through her bathroom window. It shows how police neglect and violence create monsters that can haunt a community for generations.

Sinners

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 21:39:37 UTC

Sinners was written and directed by Ryan Coogler, the creative power behind Fruitvale Station, the Creed and Plack Panther series. It uses the setting of a vampire story to explore issues of Black ownership in the Jim Crow South. The theme is paralleled in real life with Coogler negotiating the unheard-of deal of complete creative control and ownership rights of his film.

BlacKKKlansman

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 21:45:47 UTC

I really could have chosen any Spike Lee film to provide commentary on Black Life in America, but I chose BlacKKKlansman. It tells the true story of two police officers, one Black, the other Jewish, who teamed up to bring down a Ku Klux Klan chapter in their community. He also uncovered racism in his police department that led to arrests for police brutality.

Sorry to Bother You

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 21:50:49 UTC

Sorry to Bother You is a quirky, colorful and bizarre commentary on racism in Corporate America. Nothing goes right for the protagonist. He's living in a garage and in a dead end telemarketing job. That is, until he learns to use his "White voice" and his success begins to skyrocket. He also alienates himself from his friends and community in the process. There's a big twist at the end that makes you question if success at business was worth it.

Fight the Power

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 21:57:00 UTC

You could not go to a Punk party in the 80s without someone playing Public Enemy at some point. PE was banned from many radio stations in their day for the militant themes of Black liberation in their music. While other groups had female back-up dancers in skimpy costumes, PE was backed up by dancers in paramilitary uniforms and berets. They began as part of the New York underground music scene and shared the bill with many punk bands at their shows.

21st Century Jim Crow

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 21:58:17 UTC

Unicorn Riot is one of my favorite independent news services. This 12 part series highlights the role of the Target Corporation in policing communities of color. An example is "The Target 100" an initiative to surveil neighborhoods and provide local police with lists of folks that they would like to see "removed." It's hard to ever consider shopping at Target once you learn their role in the criminal justice system.

Unicorn Riot- 21st Century Jim Crow

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 22:04:12 UTC

Many people are boycotting Target recently due to their DEI policies. Most people are unaware of the other ways that Target has harmed communities of color. From Surveillance of communities for miles around their stores to providing police with "arrest lists" of people that they would like removed from the surrounding communities, Target's involvement in racial profiling and policing goes much deeper than people realize. Journalist Marjaan Sirdar researched and wrote a 12-part series for the independent news outlet, Unicorn Riot.

Unicorn riot- Police Brutality Mural

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 22:15:18 UTC

Unicorn Riot was also present when the government of Salt Lake City decided they destroy a community mural honoring community members who had lost their lives to police violence. They joined activist Rae Duckworth, who organized a vigil for the mural last night. She helped to gain attention for these victims that the city was going to bulldoze and erase.

Panther Breakfast

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 22:22:05 UTC

Today, many children rely upon the nutrition that they receive from school meal programs. Many are unaware that they have the Black Panther Party to thank for it. The Black Panthers began a program to feed breakfast to Oakland's school children. This was to improve their health and their ability to concentrate in school. The program soon spread across the country and was the inspiration for the school lunch program.

Nicole: Travel & Culture

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 23:21:20 UTC

Nicole is a content creator that makes travel videos. She has a particular focus on "traveling while Black". She'll discuss which countries to visit, which to avoid, and give tips on staying safe. Her videos have given me a new perspective on the considerations that people must take while traveling.

Jacob Lawrence

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 23:25:37 UTC

This painting by artist Jacob Lawrence is one of the most iconic paintings from the Great Migration Era. It's part of the Migration Series. It depicts people escaping the Jim Crow South for Northern cities. It is a symbol of new Black expression and freedom.

Kahinde Wiley

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 23:27:37 UTC

Kahinde Wiley is an artist known for his paintings of people of color in the style of paintings of European aristocracy. He gained national attention as the official portrait artist of the Obamas. I had the privilege of viewing an exhibit of Wiley's paintings at the Pheonix Art Museum. The paintings are much more impressive in person due to their size and vibrancy.

BLM Hugs

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-04 23:36:37 UTC

A demonstrator and Judith Hartzell, right, hug and pose for a photo during a Black Lives Matter Solidarity event at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon, on Saturday, July 4, 2020.

BRIAN HAYES / STATESMAN JOURNAL

BLM

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:03:32 UTC

The Grio

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:05:41 UTC

I remember articles and links from "The Grio" being everywhere in the 2000's I think it's important to seek varied sources and voices while following a news story. I often sought the Grio's take on news and current events.

The Root

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:06:46 UTC

The Root is another Black News and culture site. I was not familiar with it until researching for this project. I'm usually a fan of alternative media. I think it's good to seek out news from varying communities to see what they cover, and how they cover it. The site appears to be a great alternative to mainstream news sites.

Buy Black

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:08:18 UTC

I've always seen lots of local efforts to support businesses owned by People of Color. It's good to see an "Amazon-like" alternative is also available. It seems like a good way to still shop from home without spending your dollars to pay for a billionaires rocket trip.

Black Girls Code

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:10:18 UTC

Black Girls Code is exactly what it sounds like, a resource to provide coding education to young Black girls. The coding field has traditionally been a field dominated by white men. It's inspiring to see a program to allow Blck Women the option for lucrative and in demand carreers.

Center for Black Entrepreneurship

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:12:14 UTC

This webpage is a resource to support Black entrepreneurs. People wanting to start a business can find support, mentorship, and information. I had my own business for several years, I know it can be hard to find answers to questions while you're learning. Groups like this can be an invaluable resource.

UNCF

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:15:12 UTC

The UNCF is one of the oldest organizations advocating for higher education for Black Americans. They are a great resource for information on HBCUs. It's also a source for scholarship. Enrolling in college can be daunting. Any help can make a huge difference.

Black Past

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:18:14 UTC

I discovered Black Past because of this project. I'm a history buff and went down a rabbithole reading these articles. It's a resource that I'm likely to keep on visiting.

National Association of Black Journalists

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:21:10 UTC

I have a big interest in independent journalism, I have a journalism degree myself. This is a great resource for for working journalist. They house conferences, trainings, job postings, and resources for fee-lancers. It's a great site to make sure that Black voices can be heard.

Bunni

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:23:02 UTC

Melissa "Bunni" Elis is a photojournalist from Brooklyn, New York. She was inspired to document the lives of People of Color in the city after a short stay in the Brooklyn Detention Center. Thenumbert of People of Color incarcerated with her caused her to question how much progress towards equality America had made. This inspired her to begin documenting Black life.

Clay Benskin

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:40:59 UTC

Clay Beskin is a modern New York street photographer. He captures images of urban life, largely featuring People of Color. The thing I like best about street photography, besides the beauty of the images, is the chance to see through someone else's eyes. You get to see what they perceive as beautiful, important, and interesting.

Ieshia Evans

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:51:58 UTC

This photo of activist Ieshia Evans, calmly facing down riot cops, became one of the most iconic images of the BLM movement. The photo was taken in Baton Rouge. I believe it's so powerful due to her calm and composed demeanor while being arrested.

Chism

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 00:59:36 UTC

This image is of Shirley Chisholm. In 1969, she became the first Black woman elected to the US Congress. She served 7 terms and was a founding member of both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Black Women's Caucus.

Bridges

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:08:35 UTC

This is a photo of Ruby Bridges. The first Black student to attend a White school in the newly desegragated South. There was a huge public outcry and she had to be escorted to and from school by federal agents. This is one of the most iconic images of the Civil Rights era.

Household wealth

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:16:37 UTC

This first chart is from the Equitable Growth Foundation. It shows growth in household wealth, divided between racial categories, over the course of several decades. It shows a fairly steady rate of growth for White Families, and stagnation for Non-White families. The growth of the White Middle class was spurred on by government programs like the GI Bill that provided education and homeloans. Black Americans were often excluded from participating in these programs.

home ownership

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:19:44 UTC

Also from the Equitable Growth Foundation, this chart shows home ownership rates broken down by racial groups. Though the lines remain relatively stable over decades, the percentage of Black and Hispanic homeownership is much lower than the rate for Whites. I also believe that this is a result of government assistance programs following WWII that moved White Americans into the middle class.

Under/Over Representation in Poverty Rates

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:23:00 UTC

This chart is from the U.S. Census Bureau. It divides Americans by age and racial groups and shows whether those groups are over- or underrepresented in poverty rates. Black Americans are the most overrepresented group in all age categories. This may be due to unequal pay, job opportunities, and access to generational wealth.

Optimism

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:25:44 UTC

This next chart was constructed from data obtained by the Pew Research Center. It measures rates of optimism regarding achieving racial equality in our lifetime. Black Americans had the lowest incidents of believing that this would be extremely likely through somewhat likely, and the highest rates for unlikely results. Interestingly, all racial groups' lowest numbers were in the extremely likely category. It appears that most Americans don't believe racial equality will be achieved in our lifetimes.

Jails

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:35:46 UTC

This chart by the Prison Policy Initiative shows rates per 100,000 incarcerated in local jails. It shows Black Americans are incarcerated at over three times the rate of Whites. Also, at higher rates than Whites, Hispanics, Asians, and other races combined. Since many in jail are awaiting trial, this not only reflects bias in sentencing, but also bias in policing.

Family Members indirect Contact with the Criminal Justice System

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:45:27 UTC

This chart shows the likelihood of children having an incarcerated household member. There has been an increase for both Black and White Americans since the 1930s (except a slight drop for Whites in the 1990s). The gap remains high in every decade, though. Since Black and White Americans commit crimes at roughly the same rates, this discrepancy is likely to be due to institutional racism in the criminal justice system

Over time

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:48:04 UTC

This chart shows rates of chronic disease, stroke, and death categorized by age and race. Rates are higher for African Americans in all age groups. What I noticed was that over time, the gap between White and Black health only continues to grow. I believe that it shows the effect of a lifetime of disparity in the quality of health care.

Infant Mortality

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:49:27 UTC

This chart shows rates of infant mortality compared to the National Average. The Rate for Black Americans is twice that of the national average. I believe that this can be caused by unequal access to health care, including both prenatal and postnatal care.

Education

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:54:18 UTC

Though rates of education appear to have dropped for nearly all racial groups since 2019, Black Americans have consistently shown the lowest rate in education. I believe this disparity is likely to grow as Public Schools are effectively defunded by school choice vouchers, and policies make it more difficult to pay for higher education.

Use of Force

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 01:55:46 UTC

Another chart from the Prison Policy Initiative, this one highlights the unequal application of police use of force. Black Americans experience police violence at 3x the rate of Whites. I believe that one of the causes is racism in policing, fueled by the implicit bias built into American culture.

Women Panther Mural

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 02:04:28 UTC

To me, murals have always seemed to be a traditional expression of Black culture. And Black Women have always been a force in social justice movements. I knew that women were active in the abolition movement, civil rights, and the founding of Black Lives Matter. Until viewing this video, I had no idea that women made up 70% of the Black Panther Party.

Black Politicians of the Reconstruction Era

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 02:08:24 UTC

I was surprised when I first learned about how many Black politicians held elected office during the Recunstruction Period. I was used to hearing about African Americans fighting for voting rights and representation in government, but I did not know that this was a huge step backwards. Before Jim Crow, Southen Black politicians were running in, and winning elections for positions as high as the US Senate.

New Haven Nine

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 02:25:42 UTC

New Haven is my hometown. I was born in 1970, the year that the trial of the "New Haven Nine" began. Though I was obviously too young to remember anything, this was a signigant event in the lives of my parent's, uncle's and aunt's generation. My uncle, who was on the New Haven Police Force was hit in the head with a brick, and I was classmates with Eldrige and Kathleen Cleaver's daughter, Joju.

21st Century Slave Labor in America

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 02:34:05 UTC

Prisoners in America are often forced into slave labor. A lot of people think that slavery was abolished in America, but it is still Constitutional as a punishment for a crime. Black Americans are disproportionately affected by mass incarceration, so also more affected by modern slave labor. People are used in agriculture, manufacturing, and even in fast food. California voters recently cast their ballots to ensure that this forced labor policy remains legal in the State.

Mass Incarceration

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 02:41:38 UTC

Black people in America are 5x more likely to go to prison than Whites, despite committing crimes at similar rates. This video explores the origins and outcomes of racism in our justice system. I had always wondered how folks could not recognize the disparity and hypocrisy in the system. Then I saw a video that explained it in a way that made sense. In America, some people are "bound by the law, while others are "served by the law". The folks that are served don't view this as hypocrisy, they view it as the system working the way it's supposed to.

Black Joy

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 02:58:59 UTC

I chose "joy as resistance" for my selfie topic, so I wanted to find a video that discussed Black Joy. I've been on safety teams or documented a lot of different social justice movements, from marches for Palestine, the Women's March, and rallies at ICE detention centers. It's easy for me to get hyper-focused on the unfairness of the system. But then I thought more about my personal experiences. I attended a majority Black High School in New Haven, and the kids I went to school with were happy. They would joke and smile and mostly enjoyed life. My brother was a slam poet. I've been to see him perform at all Black venues, and everyone was having a great time. I had the same experience in the Army, Black soldiers would always invite you to dinner, or a party, or just hang out playing video games. This class has made me reflect more on the positive experiences.

Spacewalker

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-05 03:05:38 UTC

Speaking of joy, Spacewalker is a Sacramento based performance artist that just radiates joy in her performances. She is quirky, energetic, a little dorky, but always has a big contagious smile. She puts on one of the most high-energy and positive shows that I've seen.

COINTELPRO

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-07 02:03:04 UTC

Cointelpro was the name of a decades-long illegal and unethical program of the US Intelligence Agencies that targeted social justice groups. One particular group that they mentioned was “Black Nationalist–Hate Groups". They infiltrated groups to cause discord among members, they conducted illegal wiretaps and searches, they falsely imprisoned people, and even carried out assassinations. They targeted Civil Rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and fought to bring down the Black Panther Party.

Selfie Video

gcaponera001 — 2025-05-07 04:28:15 UTC

This is my selfie video. I chose the topic of "joy as resistance". I do believe that focusing on injustice and inequality is important work, but also believe that if you allow relate with someone through pain and negativity, that you are not seeing the whole person or whole culture. I've often seen people cope with difficult problems by using laughter and community.