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racism

Education

A teen student delivered a masterclass on the true history of the Confederate flag

Christopher Justice broke it down into incredible details most of us probably weren't even aware of.

SM East/YouTube

Six years ago, a high school student named Christopher Justice eloquently explained the multiple problems with flying the Confederate flag. A video clip of Justice's truth bomb has made the viral rounds a few times since then, and here it is once again getting the attention it deserves.

Justice doesn't just explain why the flag is seen as a symbol of racism. He also explains the history of when the flag originated and why flying a Confederate flag makes no sense for people who claim to be loyal Americans.

This high school student, Christopher Justice, does a great job at explaining the Confederate flag and its problems.pic.twitter.com/CcOXHCB8GQ
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But that clip, as great as it is, is a small part of the whole story. Knowing how the discussion came about and seeing the full debate in context is even more impressive.

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culture

Joy

German soccer fans turned on a racist heckler, punctuating his exit with an anti-Nazi chant

This is how it's done, folks.

Muhammad Lila/Twitter

The Preussen Munster square off against the Würzburger Kickers

As a soccer match between German teams Preussen Munster and Würzburger Kickers went into its final minutes, a defender from the Kickers, 23-year-old Leroy Kwadwo, stopped to point out a problem in the stands.

A Munster fan was making monkey noises at Kwadwo, a black player of Ghanaian descent. It was a clearly racist heckling—an issue that has publicly plagued the international sport in various venues, even as recently as last week. But this time, the response from the crowd far outshined the racist in the stands.

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racism

"This weekend I went on a girls trip. 10 Black women flying first class. People literally could not process how it was possible."

Christopher Justice broke it down into incredible details most of us probably weren't even aware of.

This is how it's done, folks.

All language has a history.

1. Thug

If you're talking about an actual criminal, there are so many descriptive words to invoke besides "thug." Given its current use as a negative, racially-coded word, avoiding its use seems like an easy and obvious move.

2. Grandfather Clause

3. Gypsy or "Gyp"

The word "Gypsy" is a slang word perpetuating stereotypes of Roma people as "thieves, rowdies, dirty, immoral, con-men, asocials, and work-shy" according to the Council of Europe.

4. No Can Do

5. Sold Down The River

According to a report from NPR, being "sold down the river" was a literal reference to slavery, and the families that were torn apart in the south.

6. Welfare Queen

The term "welfare queen" was first popularized by Ronald Reagan's 1976 presidential campaign in which he repeatedly painted a picture of a Cadillac-driving welfare queen.

7. Shuck And Jive

8. Long Time No See

9. The Peanut Gallery

Most modern uses of the term "the peanut gallery" is in reference to a group of people who needlessly criticize or mocking another person. However, the historical roots of this term are much more racist and painful.

10. Uppity

The word Uppity was first used by Southerners to refer to slaves who did not fall into line, or acted as if they "didn't know their place."

'Dude where the hell did you get a black kid??'

Gerod Roth posted a photo of himself with a coworker's child last month.

Of course, this being on the Internet and all, Cayden's mom quickly learned about the awful things being said about her child.

Instead of firing back at Roth with a few choice words, Shelton responded by letting the world see the real Cayden.

The Internet caught wind of #HisNameIsCayden. And unlike Roth's friends on Facebook, there were some really fabulous responses.

In the aftermath of the comments on the initial photo revealing Roth's penchant for racist humor, Roth has since lost his job.

Sometimes the Internet can be a truly awful place...

"Words matter, particularly in our work to ensure our nation's public lands and waters are accessible and welcoming to people of all backgrounds," said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

Not all questions are harmless.

If we're being honest, we all make assumptions about other people, right?

The fact is, though, that people of color deal with other people's assumptions constantly.

Let's agree to fix this.