1
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS “A word after a word after a word is power,” wrote Margaret Atwood in A Handmaid’s Tale. Language influences our perceptions of culture, identity, and community and is intertwined in our narratives. For better or worse, it is our way of making ourselves known; its various limitations and destructive potential are the topics of heated debate worldwide. When it comes to race and related social issues, words wield power. They are what connect us and simultaneously divide us in their influence. The tumultuous cultural history of our v vocabulary continues to dictate the moral codes of m
modern society. In its complicated relationship with
power
power structures, language inevitably interacts
asdfghfdwith race.
In
In particular, inherent biases towards
i
minorities are especially evident in the
lanuage u racially
language used to describe them. Recently,
racially demeaning words have come to
domina dominate political discourse in the United States. States. US President Trump has repeatedly used words words such as “Pocahontas” and “Indian” to refer to to Indigenous people and identities during official political discussions. This casual use of derogatory language is symbolic of the larger issue of the dismissal of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of colour) in majority-white politics.
Similarly, the N-word has historically been used to demean Black people. Originating as a term used to degrade enslaved Black people by their white captors, the slur has taken on new meaning in rap music and hiphop culture. Today, Black folx have reclaimed the N-word along with their identities. When used in its reclaimed sense, the N-word can refer to a friend or peer, rather than its original derogatory meaning.
2 Though this word has been reclaimed, it must only be used by the Black community. Many argue that since the term has been reclaimed, it may be used by everyone. However, when used by non-Black people, the word continues to carry its historical weight, whether or not it is intended as an insult.
Various marginalized communities have reclaimed words that have been used against them in the past. Reclaiming a term used against one’s community is a small way subjugated groups empower themselves against the injustices they have experienced. When these words are used by people who are not part of the marginalized community, they continue to hold their derogatory tones and reinforce the power structure. In fact, racially charged language still exerts tangible influence and harm onto attitudes of race and privilege. Crimes in which racial slurs were used by perpetrators have been shown to be more likely than other crimes to include victim-blaming by the jury. It is imperative that we respect a community’s right to decide how terms used to insult are used by society.
It is abundantly clear that perceptions of racial groups, and thus the treatment of minorities, are profoundly connected to the language used to describe them. Language informs not only social injustice, but also politics, justice and hierarchies. This is why, now more than ever, it is important to weaponize its power as a tool of awareness and empathy. We welcome you to the inaugural issue of ADVOCATE Magazine, with writing spanning activism, history and science, united by a common theme of race.
NEHA LENIN
&
ARMAAN BAMZAI
editors-in-chief
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS racially hazardous
05
love over blood
08
#stophateforprofit
10
colourism in india
14
the pseudo-science behind racism
16
american elitism and racism
18
"this is a movement not a moment"
21
uighurs
23
a "fair" controversy
25
a guide to activism
28
casteism in india
30
4
TEAM Neha Lenin, grade 12
Editor-in-chief
Armaan Bamzai, grade 12
Editor-in-chief
Ira Hrishikesan, grade 9
Content Head
Snigdha Dhameja, grade 10
Content Head
Hemajashri Malireddy, grade 12
Content Head
Isha Singh, grade 11
Junior Editor
Rohini Sarkar, grade 12
Artistic Director
Astha Deep, grade 12
Artistic Director
Avni Palsamudram, grade 9
Illustrator
5
CORONAVIRUS
IS
-
RACIALLY
HAZARDOUS TO EAST ASIANS Hemajashri Malireddy The Coronavirus pandemic is like nothing our
none
other
than
the
generation has ever been through. Everyone
inspired
is susceptible to the infection and potentially,
restaurant in Connecticut receiving racist
death. We all want to be safe and alive, but
phone calls and death threats on April 3rd of
unfortunately the privilege of safety is not
this year .Another incident motivated by racial
something people of East-Asian descent have
hatred was the stabbing of two Asian adults
in countries where they are considered
and their two children by a 19-year-old in
minorities. It is more than unfair that these
Texas on March 14th. Many Asian medical
people have to deal with the racism and
practitioners were also reportedly targeted
xenophobia that comes along with the stress
with physical threats and verbal assaults .
incidents
President
such
as
a
himself Chinese
of the pandemic. Similar things have been happening in India. We might have come across insensitive
Northeastern Indians make up a tiny portion
internet memes poking fun at ‘bat soup’.
of our vast population, which makes them
American news channels regularly reported
quite the easy target. The Northeastern states
that Trump was advocating for it to be called
are mainly home to culturally diverse Indians
the "Chinese virus" or the more derogatory
of East-Asian descent, who have mostly
‘Kung
the
stayed isolated from the rest of India, which is
population took that as a green-light to
a part of the reason that they are subject to
engaging in racist behaviour against all
racism
Asians. This open broadcast of racism from
Northeastern region. They are, frankly,
Flu’.
Unfortunately,
some
of
everywhere
outside
of
the
6
underrepresented in Indian movies, TV shows,
Relationships between race and nationality.
advertisements
Nevertheless,
and
popular
culture.
As
even
nationality
is
not
education opportunities and minimum-wage
justification to launch xenophobic attacks.
occupations . Hence, their very existence
Nothing is reason enough to engage in racist
seems to become more insignificant to the
behaviour, because ultimately, human beings
rest of the Indian population.
deserve to be treated as human beings.
Does the Northeastern minority not deserve
Coming back to the present situation with
to be treated as Indian? Sure, one could argue
Coronavirus and its origin story, many have
that India is a relatively young nation, but we
deemed it appropriate to blame and abuse
have never had a Northeastern Prime Minister
Northeast Indians for the spread of the virus.
nor President to represent our country.
In contrast, government records show that the
Imagine
being
Indian,
while
you
first
of
cases
were
not
linked
to
are
Northeastern Indians at all, but to people
repeatedly told to ‘Go back to China’. They are
who had recently travelled to Iran, China or
not even immigrants; they are Indian. (Not to
Italy, from other regions of India.
say that it is okay to speak to an immigrant that way either.) It is high time we stop
On
deluding ourselves into thinking that their
against with racial slurs and demeaning
appearance makes them more deserving of
language, Northeastern Indians are now
mistreatment,
subject to physical abuse, death threats, and
or
less
worthy
of
Indian
top
of
already
isolation.
being
Many
discriminated
citizenship. In the wake of globalisation,
more
people
from
the
people need to stop establishing direct
Northeast come to more urbanised areas and
7 cities with humble backgrounds in search of
It is heartbreaking to not feel welcome in your
an education and a job, making them more
own home that otherwise celebrates your
vulnerable targets of hate crimes. Perhaps
existence as proof of diversity. We want
people are just scared of the uncertainty
everything that the region has to offer, but
created by the pandemic and are taking it out
not the people themselves. That is the
in the unhealthiest way possible. Regardless
definition of exploitation, and it is not fair.
of that, we need unity now more than ever. We are in the middle of a pandemic, and
Their presence in this country matters, and
people must be made to feel safe in every
they can make more positive contributions to
regard.
Northeastern
Indian society by being more present if we
Indians, deserve to be taunted and punished
empower them to do so. We cannot lay claim
based on their outward appearance.
to all that their culture has to offer if we don't
Nobody,
not
just
embrace them as people of our own. We As a minority community, they'll need more
don't deserve to be called ‘The Indian
attention and support from our end. But it is
Subcontinent'
hypocritical
citizenship of Northeastern Indians.
how
we
Indians
are
more
if
we
cannot
accept
the
educated about the Black Lives Matter movement than the racial politics of our own
If we don't take a stand for them now, they
country. Perhaps, because it is easier to study,
will continue to be victims of abuse and
tweet about and hashtag a movement than
cultural exploitation, even after the pandemic
taking part in one yourself. We need to focus
comes to an end. We need more people to
on matters that are closer to home because
recognise
we may have a better radius of impact in
structure of racism that is being built in our
fighting racism.
community before it is too late.
Don't get me wrong. The Black Lives Matter
We don't need them to tell us that it is hurtful
movement is beautiful, revolutionary and as
to be isolated, given death threats and beaten
inspiring as it is heartbreaking. It is going to
up for the sake of their outward appearances.
give
America,
None of us would want to be subject to such
by
the
inhumane treatment. We need to make all
pandemic. But that is being taken care of by
Indians feel welcome in a home that was
Black people and their allies, while we sit
always theirs.
phenomenal
despite
the
progress
setbacks
to
caused
here, marvelling over the advancements they've made in fighting systemic racism and police brutality. We need to make NorthEastern people feel like they belong in this country, regardless of where they are. We need to be their allies.
the
need
to
deconstruct
the
8 LOVE OVER BLOOD Ananya Mathur Amidst the ubiquitous headlines of how the
Take, for example, the Jallianwala Bagh
entire world has been grappling with the
incident that occurred in 1919. Recollecting
Coronavirus, came out the distinguished
this event sends chills down one's spine;
news of George Floyd's murder on the 25th of
however
May 2020. The crude killing of this 46-year-old
heartbreaking to note that incidents such as
black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota not only
this persist. hough the phrase "with great
wrought uprising in the USA, but also in
power comes great responsibility" is
Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and elsewhere.
fundamental, it seems that some
An allegedly counterfeit twenty-dollar bill and
people holding high ranks do not put
the colour of Floyd's skin were more than
this into practice. A police officer
enough to provoke four police officers, one of
loaded
whom crushed his knee against Floyd’s neck,
dispensation to shoot must
making
be prudent, instead of
Floyd
suffer
until
he
finally
long-gone
with
viewing others
succumbed to brutality.
through the To say that this ordeal caused anger amongst
judgmental
the people of this world would be an
eyeglasses
understatement. Rallies shook the world with
of xenoph-
clamour,
obia.
turmoil,
and
unrest.
Protesters
gathered on the streets of not only America but also elsewhere, to demonstrate against the grave problem of racism and police brutality. This torture made us realize that the war against racism is not over. People will no longer tolerate injustice inflicted upon them. The merciless killing of George Floyd also brought to light the death of Breonna Taylor, another merciless murder of a 26-year-old African American medical worker, by the police. They intruded her home using a noknock warrant, while she was asleep, having believed that a couple of men used her apartment to receive drug packages. An open fire followed between three police officers and Breonna's partner, leaving her and her ambitions of working as an EMT collapsed with eight bullet wounds. Police brutality is a global issue that has prevailed for decades.
it
may
weaponry
and
seem,
the
it
is
9 They simply cannot afford to take undue advantage of the authority at their disposal. They simply cannot misuse their position to act
upon
their
personal
beliefs.
Police
brutality can lead to several adverse effects on
a
targeted
race:
anxiety,
depressive
symptoms, insecurity, unsociability, and the formation
of
stereotypes.
The
crimes
committed by certain officers, instead of upholding public safety, end up decreasing the sense of security.
Though
not
all
police
employees
are
intolerant, and most of them perform their duties, it is crucial to come up with innovative solutions to reform the police force. The most important step to take is to provide ordinary people with fair justice. Police brutality should also be classified as a crime; many escape punishment with the protective shield of their positions. This cannot continue at the cost of people of colour. Furthermore, there ought to be
a
set
of
laws
to
circumscribe
the
boundaries of a police officer, authorized by governments of countries. A more practical solution could be to maintain a police malpractice
database
to
keep
track
of
misconduct.
Perhaps the most crucial reform we can bring about is spreading compassion and empathy for fellow human beings. Nelson Mandela rightly said, "love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite," and thus people must learn to make efficient usage of their hearts and minds to care and defend their brethren, instead of letting their blood trickle. People must learn to let go of minor wrongdoings. People must learn to stand for love over blood.
10 #
STOPHATEFORPROFIT:
CALLING FOR CHANGES IN THE AD
SPACE
TO
SPREAD OF HATE Ira Navneet Hrishikesan The rise of social media platforms is probably the most remarkable advancement of the 4th industrial revolution during the last 15 years. These platforms are now one of the most widely used methods of communication; for example, according to a 2018 survey from the Pew Research Center, adults aged 18 to 29 in the US are more likely to get news via social media than print newspapers or news sites. They also report a higher online presence than any other age demographic. We are in the era mass communication, and there is rising concern that, in many cases, the content which users are exposed to is often going unregulated.
For example, George Floyd's murder has led to
re-energized
discussions
on
racial
discrimination and the role of social media platforms in propagating the problem or spreading
awareness
against
them.
The
tension is a long-standing one, incorporating questions relating to how we can allow the freedom of speech to trump the rights of others; or where the freedom of speech ends when somebody's freedoms begin. As Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "It is in this context that the
#StopHateforProfit
movement
has
arisen." It is a movement which started in the USA, trying to hold social media companies like Facebook accountable for not taking enough action to stop the spread of hate speech ends when somebody's freedoms
IMPACT
THE
11 begin. As Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "It is in
A few highlights are:
this
#StopHateforProfit
Appointing senior executives with a civil
movement has arisen." It is a movement
rights background to review and evaluate
which started in the USA, trying to hold social
policies relating to discrimination, bias, hate
media companies like Facebook accountable
and radicalization.
for not taking enough action to stop the
Establishing a civil rights infrastructure within
spread of hate speech on its platform. It all
the organization and conducting regular
started with President Trump's comment
independent, third-party audits to review the
'when the looting starts, the shooting starts',
material and disclose the results and steps
which attempted to justify violence against
being taken.
some
Ensuring politicians are not exempted from
context
that
protestors.
the
This
racist
comment
enraged many people, especially since it was
the spread of hate speech.
coming from someone so influential. The statement
was,
infamously
In summary, the movement wants to hold
remembered as one of the many racist
Facebook responsible for all content on its
phrases
the
platform and, while their intentions are
American Civil Rights movement with Martin
honourable, they have been criticized for
Luther King Jr. at the forefront.
being very vague and unrealistic.
Facebook's non-interference in removing this
Despite criticisms, however, by July 2020,
comment from its platform only did more to
more
anger the people further.
committed to joining the boycott to support
used
in
in
the
the
past,
1960s
during
than
a
thousand
companies
had
the #StopHateforProfit movement. Some of The #StopHateforProfit movement aims to
the (many) recognizable companies included
convince advertisers to stop advertising on
Adidas,
Facebook and hence hurt the company
Campbell Soup, Coca-Cola, Dunkin' Donuts,
financially.
Ford,
The
bodies
which
initiated
the
Ben
&
Fossil,
Jerry's,
the
Hershey,
Intercontinental
Hotels,
Honda, Lego,
HP, Levi's,
Lululemon,
Color
(National
Microsoft, Mozilla, North Face, Patagonia,
Association for the Advancement of Colored
Pepsi, Pfizer, Puma, Reebok, SAP, Siemens,
People),
Starbucks, Sony Interactive Entertainment,
Change,
ADL
NAACP
(Anti-Defamation
League),
Target,
Sense Media. On June 17th, they urged
amongst an incredible number of others, as
companies to stop associating themselves
well as NGOs encouraging inclusivity and civil
with Facebook, unless Facebook addressed
rights.
As a first step, the movement leaders put together some approaches that Facebook should take to deal with hate speech.
Vans
and
Mars,
Sleeping Giants, Free Press, and Common
the prevalence of racism on its platform.
Unilever,
Pictures,
Shop,
#StopHateforProfit movement include the Of
Magnolia
Body
Volkswagen,
12 The bigger question arises, however, as to
Minister of Denmark, a former editor of The
whether this approach is fair. Some of the
Guardian
problems
luminaries
with
the
#StopHateforProfit
approach are as below:
newspaper
and
including
many
those
other
with
a
background in the law and civil rights advocacy.
Should Facebook be held responsible for the content which appears on its platform? This
One of the members of the Oversight Board,
content is provided by its users, and not the
from India, is the Vice-Chancellor of the
company itself. Facebook doesn't publish the
National Law School of India, Dr Sudhir
content - they are a platform. So, the
Krishnaswamy. I interviewed him via email on
comments and hateful posts usually reflect
the premise behind setting up this body.
the views of its users, not the company.
According
to
Oversight
Board
Dr
Krishnaswamy,
will
and
make
"The
independent
Secondly, the sheer volume of comments
transparent
posted on Facebook makes it an extremely
moderation decisions for Instagram and
challenging task to review hate-inciting ones,
Facebook. We will receive appeals from users
let alone change them.
and
references
well-reasoned
from
content
and
Instagram. Our role is to apply Facebook and Thirdly, even if Facebook agrees to regulate
Instagram Standards and Values as well as
hate-speech,
International Human Rights standards to
would
everybody
be
comfortable with a company deciding what is
arrive at the right decisions in these cases."
acceptable to post? We are asking a tech-
Dr Krishnaswamy agrees that this is a difficult
giant (previously involved in data privacy
area to deal with: "Hate speech issues pose a
scandals) to define hate-speech and the limits
particular
of censorship. This line is hazy, which even
governments
governments and public bodies themselves
committed to protecting the freedom of
often struggle with, to find the politically
speech of all persons irrespective of their
correct language.
viewpoint and style of expression. So often,
problem alike.
to We
companies are
and
generally
we have to defend free speech rights, even There is genuine concern around what
where we disagree with the views expressed."
Facebook is willing and able to do on content that is hate speech. However, despite these
There is no doubt that the #StopHateforProfit
barriers, the company has started taking
movement is essential. In a society with deep
steps to try and regain the trust it may have
divisions
lost.
dissemination of social media, we must build
in
addition
to
the
widespread
a proper framework that allows us to not only Facebook has set up an Oversight Board
stop illegal acts but, also protect the dignity
staffed by individuals, not connected to the
and moral worth of an individual.
company, which includes a former Prime
13 The
current
equilibrium freedom
challenge between
of
is
the
speech
and
to
find
protection
an of
hate-speech
censorship. As Dr Krishnaswamy himself puts it, "These cases require careful balancing of conflicting interests and deep enquiry into the motivations of speakers and the social and political history and context of the society in which such speech occurs. These biases can make regulating hate speech hard, but an important thing to do."
For now, it is unclear whether the movement will continue engaging with Facebook or whether they will start targeting other social media platforms in their attempt to bring about change.
What is clear, however, is that this is an issue whose time has come, although it will still require all of us to pull in the same direction to ensure we can undo years of social discrimination and bias. Social media is, no doubt, the most powerful way to bring change in these socially distant times.
14 COLOURISM
IN
INDIA:
A
HISTORICAL EVALUATION Snigdha Dhameja Of all the prejudices and biases in India,
Sultanate,
who
colourism remains as one of the most
Invasion
prevalent forms of discrimination. From
introduced new European ideals to our society.
fairness creams to an innate sense of shame
Today’s India is a melange of different cultures,
over one’s skin tone, its eradication seems
beliefs and ideas, all influenced by its intrinsic
elusive. But where did this social hierarchy
past. However, a rigid, colour-based power
begin, where being fair-skinned was an
dynamic was enforced as India became a place
advantage?
that was constantly ruled by lighter-skinned
by
the
came
from
Portuguese
Central and
Asia. British
people, and a silent understanding of this India’s rich and diverse history brims with
hierarchy ingrained itself in the Indian mind.
tales of foreign rulers and invaders, who brought parts of their own culture to our
Ancient Indian settlements consisted of the
colourful one. However, our country has
noble immigrant population called the Aryans,
been called home by many from far-off
and tribal settlements. The former migrated
lands; it was a vast empire ruled by the
from Central Asia at around 1500 BCE, and are
Mughals and the rulers of the Delhi
believed to have put an end of the Indus Valley
15 Civilisation. The Vedas provide a mythical
years rooted and exacerbated colourism in
record of the conflict between the Aryans and
Indian society, which still rears its ugly head
the tribal settlements, over territory, capital
many years after independence.
and cattle. Both parties were distinguished based on their colour and appearance in the
With the rise of the Black Lives Matter
Rig Veda. Moreover, the statements in the Rig
movement, India’s deep history of colourism
Veda show that the darker-skinned tribes
is
were oppressed while the fair-skinned Aryans
magnification with caste, gender, financial
enjoyed positions of power.
status and other forms of division. The
brought
to
notice,
as
well
as
its
systemic bias that plagues our country, Around 712 AD, Muslim rulers came to India
stemmed from thousands of years of foreign
and ruled under the Delhi Sultanate, until it
rule was, until recently, fuelled by the sale of
was annexed by the Mughals in the First
fairness
Battle of Panipat. The Muslim and Mughal
European beauty ideals by the film industry.
rulers had much lighter skin as compared to
While the bias, power dynamic and obsession
the population of India then, helping water
with skin colour have been a part of Indian
the seeds sown by the Aryans millennia ago.
society for thousands of years, today’s India
creams
and
advertisement
of
strives to unlearn the past prejudices that Colourism in India bloomed fervently under
stemmed from foreign rule. We may not be
its colonization by the British. When they
able to change the past or get rid of the
arrived in the late 1600s to set up the East
mistakes that were made centuries ago by
India Company, discrimination and division
our predecessors. We cannot erase what has
began based on skin colour. The British
happened, but rather learn from it. By
considered themselves to be a superior race
renewing
who possessed higher intellect. Winston
sustainable and inclusive environment for
Churchill’s infamous remark, “I hate Indians,
people of all cultures and colours, India will
they are a beastly people with a beastly
take a step forward. It will empower, not hold
religion”
they
people accountable. It will appreciate and
racist
validate the diversity of the masses. The skin
behaviour portrayed, lighter-skinned Indians
tone hierarchy will fade, and colourism will
were
become a remnant of our past that is best left
possessed.
exemplifies While
treated
as
the
there
allies
mindset was
and
also
were
not
discriminated against as much as darkskinned Indians. The latter was left to do menial jobs and were given fewer advantages than light-skinned Indians.
As the British began to slowly take over India, the ideology and misconception that being fair
was
better
spread
throughout
the
country. British rule for more than a hundred
behind.
our
ideals
and
creating
a
16 THE
PSEUDO-SCIENCE
AND
IDEOLOGIES BEHIND RACISM Vyom Kumar Throughout the course of history there have
encouraged slave owners to send enslaved
been various attempts to justify racism, to
people to attend separate sermons, where pro-
justify the heinous acts of exploitation
slavery citations from the Bible were used to
against people of colour. As some ideas were
promote docility and obedience amongst
made obsolete, new arguments evolved in
them. They quoted texts from Ephesians and
an effort to continue taking advantage of
Colossians, like ‘slave obey thy earthly master’
people of colour.
which
were
self-serving
interpretations.
However, as many enslaved people converted One of the earliest means to justify and
to Christianity, this justification became bipolar,
promote slavery and racism was religion. The
in
Church declared slavery to be an act
indoctrinate enslaved people. On the other
ordained by God, thus accounting for any
hand, it rendered any religious justification
and all acts of injustice against people of
moot as one Christian could not have bias
colour. Not only did they justify it, but they
against another as they are the same beliefs.
some
cases
it
provided
a
means
to
17
This in turn led to the development of biological
studies
to
continue
this
enslavement. Even though religious argumentation for racism never went entirely out of use, scientific justification was au courant from the 1800s. In the 19th century, with the publication of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, his mention of "survival of the fittest" and other terms, were misinterpreted and used to give grounds for the oppression of people of
colour.
The
hypocrisy
of
this
misconception is that humankind originated in present day South Africa. If science was to be used to justify racism, one would find that we are one species. But as the Sumatran tiger differs from the Bengal tiger, the same way
people
who
evolved
in
different
surroundings, differ, albeit phenotypically.
From the 16th to 19th century, even before science was being used as a tool for justification, humans were being classified into races— Savage (Africans and Asians with the exception of the Chinese), Semi-Civilized (Chinese)
and
Civilized
(Europeans).
Furthermore, in the 1800s, Robert Knox in The Races of Man tried to link popular opinions and prejudices to science, linking intelligence with race. This is evidence of incorrect application of science in a ’maniere polemique’ to advocate racism. Various ideologies were propagated and popularised to legitimize slavery, oppression, and perpetual exploitation. “Means are as important as the ends” said Gandhiji, this is a classic case of convoluting the means to justify the ends.
"If origin defines race, then the entire human race is African.” - Abhijit Naskar
18 AMERICAN ELITISM AND RACISM: HOW
THE
IVY
CREATING
A
LEAGUES
ARE
BUBBLE
OF
PRIVILEGE Isha Singh The world of elite Ivy League campuses is
world are questioning the actions of the Ivy
one filled with historical glory as well as
League universities to address their
prestigious educational opportunities, yet
historical
behind the Ivory gates, many still wrestle
achieving true diversity and inclusion in their
with their deep-rooted ties to structural
admission process and student policies.
connection
with
racism
and
in
racism. Highly selective colleges, epitomized by the Ivy The recent Black Lives Matter protests have
League,
prompted the much needed
enrollment stagnating increasingly. As an
re-examination policies
of
everywhere,
racial from
attitudes family
and
dinner
are
seeing
African-American
example, consider the student
bodies
of
Princeton
and
Cornell
tables to the halls of Congress. This fight for
University, of which only 8% are African
racial justice has also spread to the hallowed
Americans. This is partially the product of
all of America's most esteemed institutions
historic discrimination as these statistics
of higher education. Students around the
were true even in 1984, where Harvard’s
19 freshman class welcomed only 8% African-
selected group of 5 private schools, limiting
American and Multi-racial students. Even
the possibility of African-Americans and low-
worse, this minority of African-Americans are,
income students entering the Ivy
admitted primarily from elite private and
League gates even more. Out of the 70% of
boarding schools like Phillips Exeter.
African-American and Hispanic students
These private schools provide their students
in the New York City school system, only 3%
with access to ACT/ SAT prep tutors,
get the chance to enter elite
college counsellors and small class sizes
universities.
while lower income students lack any kind of facilities. It is no surprise that 1 out of every
Despite Brown v. Board of Education making
20 undergraduate students at
racial segregation in public schools
Princeton University are only accepted for a
unconstitutional in 1954, there still lies a huge gap in the college admission process.
If we were to consider the students who
achieving students in the United States alone
come from the bottom 20% of the financial
as stated by Caroline Hoxby and Christopher
ladder and enter colleges like Harvard and
Avery in their study -The Missing
Yale, they end up doing very well. Over
“One-Offs�. So the question arises - why did
half of them go from families in the poorest
Harvard’s class of 2013 comprise only
fifth of the American economy, to being
4.5% of low income and African American
part of the top income earners. The problem,
students? At elite colleges, such as Princeton
however, lies in the numbers. There
and Harvard, more than half of the student
are at least 35,000 low-income high
body comes from the wealthiest 5% of families.
20 Meanwhile, low-income, African-American or Hispanic students are relegated to the outside track. The difference in resources leads to wildly divergent results.
Yet, for some, not all hope is lost as the fight for racial equality seems stronger than ever before. Recently, following a wave of protests growing in the streets and on campus, Princeton University announced the removal of President Woodrow Wilson’s name from the institution’s School of Public and International Affairs to break ties with Wilson’s history of racism.
This is just the beginning. Equality cannot be achieved solely through reforming elite universities. Many of these structural barriers begin in the student’s social environment.
It
is
the
environment
of
children’s houses and schools where these budding elites develop their patterns of interactions and racial ideology. That is, a child brought up in a household where ideas of elitism and racism are promoted frames his or her interactions and views of race in disjointed ways due to their upbringing. While we must continuously push schools like the Ivy Leagues to make changes to admissions practices, we must also reflect on how we act and engage within our own communities.
21 “THIS
IS
A
MOVEMENT
NOT
A
MOMENT” Isha Singh TThese words come from Alicia Garza, an
To the millions of African-Americans, she has
American civil rights activist fighting at the
become the movement’s leading voice for
forefront
dignity and fairness. Her many achievements
of
the
Black
Lives
Matter
movement.
include being named on The Root’s 2016 list of “100
African
American
Achievers
and
In the wake of the brutal and unjust deaths
Influencers” and the 2016 Glamour “Women of
of George Floyd and many other African-
the Year Award” primarily for her tremendous
Americans at the hands of the police,
work in BLM. Additionally, Garza has lent her
America’s civil rights movement organized
voice to the discrimination and violence faced
under the rallying cry of “Black Lives Matter”
by
is more powerful than ever. Alicia Graza
importantly,
explains “Seven years ago, we were treated
woman, Garza’s intersectional leadership and
like we were too radical, too out of the
ork challenges the misconception that only
bounds of what is possible, and now,
African American men encounter violence.
countless lives later, it’s finally seen as
When
relevant.” Alicia Garza, along with Opal
became catalysts for the emergence of the
Tometi and Patrisse Cullors, co-founded this
BLM movement, Garza is clear: In order to truly
powerful movement to open a long overdue
understand how devastating and widespread
discussion
state-
this type of violence is in Black America, we
sanctioned violence and the oppression of all
must view this epidemic through a lens of race,
Black people.
gender and gender identity.
about
the
anti-Black
African-American as
a
discussing
LGBTQ
queer
the
people.
Most
African-American
tragic
deaths
that
22 Since the rise of the BLM movement, Garza has become a powerful voice in the media featuring on news outlets such as The Guardian, Elle.com, and The New York Times. In Alicia Garza’s view “Black lives matter” is so simple and yet so complex. To her, it is a very direct assertion of both a problem and a solution at the same time. As she says in her words “Here we are seven years later, and I think what's become clear is that some of the discomfort with this statement is that it forces you to choose sides. You can't say some Black lives matter or they kind of matter or they matter sometimes. The statement asks you, do you believe Black lives matter? And if so, is that the world that we live in right now? And if not, what are we going to do to close the gap there?”
Changing the views of an entire society is not an easy task, especially those so rooted in their beliefs and traditions. Yet, we have been given a voice. Alicia Garza is one of the brave women who raised her voice against the blatant racial hate flooding our daily lives. We are in a position where we could help our Black brothers and sisters, we can amplify their words and shed light on the struggles they face in their own communities. We can learn to be better; we have to be better. Society cannot allow itself to discriminate and hate without any reasoning, without seeking to change mindsets that have remained unchanged for decades.
23 UIGHURS Annika Verma
“He kicked me in the back, while beating me
being forced to take pills which would make
with a stick”. This was all Zambrat Duwat, a
her numb, depriving her of her senses. She is
survivor of the brutal and repressive regime
only one in many innocent civilians belonging
of Xinjiang, could say before breaking down
to the Uighur culture to be subjected to such
in tears. She was brutally beaten and
brutality. “Who are the Uighurs?” is a question
tortured in a detention camp, just because
that emerges in our minds after reading this.
she was a “Uighur.” n a revealing interview
The Uighurs are mostly a Muslim Turkic
with BBC, she said she was called to a police
ethnicity who regard themselves as ethnically
station after which she was taken to prison,
and culturally close to central Asian countries.
to be tortured. Amidst tears she spoke about
The majority live in the Chinese province of
24 Xinjiang, with their population in the province
attack left 31 people dead in Uruqumi. In
being 11 million.
response to this the Chinese authorities tightened their grip on the Uighurs. A former
Over
the
past
government
has
few
years,
gradually
the
Chinese
stripped
detainee who was sentenced to 2 years of
the
prison for travelling abroad said the detainees
community of their rights and freedoms.
who received longer sentences broke down
University students in Xinjiang informed the
sobbing. Despite her short sentence she says
BBC in 2014 that fasting during the holy
she has lost all hope, “I’ll be dead in two
month of Ramadan was strictly prohibited. In
years.”
2017 the Chinese president said, “religions in China must be Chinese in orientation and
Even their children haven’t escaped the
adapt themselves to the socialist society”.
brutal Chinese treatment. The government is
While the Uighur culture fails to abide by this
trying to eradicate the Uighur identity by
directive Chinese authorities created a vast
targeting children. While their parents are
network of ‘re-education camps’ to rid China
detained they are taken to government run
of
they
orphanages and forced to swear their loyalty
seemingly treat as a disease. These camps are
to CCP and idolise Xi Jinping as god. Over
gradually aiming to wipe out the language,
500,000 Children are held in these “boarding
culture and religion of the Uighurs. The
facilities”.
horrors
reported missing by their families.
the
Uighur
of
population
internment
are
which
infused
with
Several
of
which
have
been
monotony and boredom. It is believed that so far, a million Uighurs have been detained in
The
international
education camps. The Chinese authorities
notice of China’s abusive regime towards
claim that these camps were built to fight
Uighurs. In July 2020 UK warned China of
‘extremist ideas’ which they believe breed
imposing sanctions upon it due to it’s human
primarily within the Uighur population, and
rights violations. Amnesty and human rights
provide them with Uighurs with ‘valuable
watch
skills.’
imprisonment and torture. US secretary of
have
community
accused
China
has
of
taken
mass
state Mike Pompeo has urged “all nations to The Chinese authorities have given legitimate
join the United States in demanding an end
reasons for persecution of the Uighurs. The
to these dehumanizing abuses.” Despite the
most prominent reason being, that they are
efforts of the international community the
worried
extremism.
Uighurs are subjected to brutality. It is high
Following decades of political and cultural
time the world takes strict action against this
discrimination and state-sponsored migration
issue, giving it the attention it needs.
about
the
Uighur
of the Han Chinese to Xinjiang , widespread unhappiness has often turned into violent acts. In 2009 ethnic riots in Uruqumi. This uprising left 140 dead. In 2014 a terrorist
25 A "FAIR" CONTROVERSY Ira Navneet Hrishikesan India is a land of cultural and ethnic diversity.
the part of foreigners. They point to the
An enormous landscape, densely populated,
existence
with a flow of different languages and
discriminations
religions within a rich historical legacy. You
various castes or 'Varnas' are an important part
would not be wrong if you described India as
of the caste structure. 'Varna' means not just
a land of many lands, amalgamated into one
caste but also complexion. Also, in many cases,
nation.
the lowest castes and various mythological
of
the
caste
system
embedded
within
and
the
it.
The
demons were often portrayed as being very This mixture was perhaps why our founders
dark-skinned; a possible sign of the presence of
inserted certain rights into our Constitution,
the
guaranteeing that Indians would not be
homegrown or imported, the problem of
discriminated against based on their caste,
colorism is very much an Indian one.
color
bias.
In
any
case,
whether
religion, or color. Nevertheless, as with much of
human
nature,
this
remains
an
So, why is this a problem? The main problem
aspirational goal in many ways. India is guilty
with colorism is the prejudice against people
of certain discriminations that are especially
for something that they cannot change. These
prominent in the nation, although they do occur in other countries as well.
One such basis for discrimination is colorism. You might ask, what exactly does colorism mean? Colorism is similar to racism, except that colorism is discrimination that occurs based on skin color, as opposed to race.
Historians have different views on why this is the case in India. Some believe that foreign occupiers from colder climes and hence with fairer skin were the cause for the emergence of colorism in India. They point to the fact that some of India's indigenous Hindu gods like Shiva and Krishna had dark skin and also that many famous characters from the old mythologies, skinned
and
like
Draupadi,
beautiful.
were
However,
darkothers
argue that India's colorist heritage may have simply been a part of India's people's cultural heritage, rather than it has arrived in India on
26 prejudices mostly exist against those with
The harmful effects of these products don't
darker skin-tones, with set ideas as to their
stop at health, though. Even more toxic and
competency, beauty, or intelligence. In other
disturbing are the effects these products have
words, the common conception is that, in
on the psyche of countless generations of
India, you are better off fair-skinned. An
Indians. One of the most controversial brands is
example of this mindset is when brides are
Fair and Lovely, a product of Unilever. Since its
always projected as to be fair or pale-
launch in 1978, it has become one of the most
skinned. According to Professor Hirudayaraj
popular brands on the market and one of the
at the Rochester Institute of Technology, it is
biggest sources of revenue for the company.
easier to find jobs if you have fairer skin. Besides
the
evident
inequality,
There
is
some
hope,
though.
Awareness
discrimination of this sort can often also lead
against colorism in society came to the
to depression, loneliness, insecurity, and
limelight in 2009, when two slogans, "Dark and
ultimately a lowered self-esteem.
Lovely", and the hashtag, "#UnfairandLovely", went viral on social media. It did not have too
Equally
troubling
are
the
that
much of an impact on the sales of these
businesses use this societal pressure to
fairness products but helped raise the issue in
increase
their
our color-conscious country.
industry
has
revenues. often
ways
The
been
cosmetics
criticized
for
exploiting colorism and turning the sales of
In 2020, the death of George Floyd has brought
skin-lightening products, which prey upon
systemic racism into focus. With tensions
colorism, into a multi-billion-dollar industry.
rising, and calls for introspection on issues
Some companies in the industry including
related to discrimination based on color and
Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and L'OrĂŠal are
race, the issue of colorism has also come to the
accused
forefront of discussions in the media. The
of
advertisements
intentionally
person
global Black Lives Matter movement has made
becoming more successful as soon as they
it difficult for companies to continue as before,
use their products to lighten their skin tone.
and
The message is simple: "Fairness means
marketing strategies they have used for their
beauty, success, and happiness". Besides
products. Unilever and L'OrĂŠal have both
being
the
announced that they will change the name of
bleach-based
their products. Fair and Lovely will now be
ingredients that are unhealthy. The World
called "Glow and Lovely". Johnson & Johnson,
Health Organization (WHO) has warned that
on the other hand, has announced that they
some of the ingredients used to make these
will stop manufacturing their fairness line of
'skin
products.
ethically
products
that
producing
show
troubling,
also
include
whitening'
a
some
products
of
including
chemicals and metals, such as mercury, can be extremely damaging to the long-term health of an individual.
some
are
now
reconsidering
the
27
Some consider this change in approach by these multinationals to be a positive thing. However,
others
question
whether
the
change in mindset is genuine if it is just another way to continue with the same methods, considering that the ingredients, and hence the purpose of selling these creams, will continue to remain the same. Is this progress?
The fear is that people will still buy the creams for their "whitening" properties. The only difference is that the perpetuation of the color bias will become more subtle, in advertising or otherwise. Will the barriers that exist for those with darker skin-tones melt away or rather become slightly more hidden?
Will
the
message
of
advertisements
genuinely change, if the ads still use fair women to project the image of a 'beautiful' and successful person? Or are we simply repainting
the
same
principles
need
to
with
a
different color?
Ultimately,
we
discuss
these
perceptions as a society and look at how we can spread awareness of the hidden side of this discrimination. Beauty does not exist because of a fair skin tone. Beauty or talent should not be limited only to the color of the top layer of your skin. We should move the conversation to the inner beauty and abilities that each one of us has within ourselves. That is the challenge that all of us must take on.
Every skin tone is beautiful and it is time more of us to start appreciating these differences.
28 A GUIDE TO ACTIVISM Hemajashri Malireddy In
popular
culture,
activism
is
often
associated with extremism, but this does not
Here is a list of simple things you can do to up your activism.
reflect reality. What activism truly means is that you are advocating for change by
1. Acknowledge your privilege. Perhaps the good
stepping up or pushing back against for a
thing about privilege is that people do have a platform to start the fight for equality and
cause that you believe in. We are usually exposed
to
Grassroots
activism,
against
where
structural
privilege.
Moreover,
by
accepting your relatively privileged status, you
people with little to no institutional power
will be able to put yourself in other's shoes and
fight for social change by drawing their
realize how severe the need for change is, find
strength from numbers. A simple example
compassion, and be an ally.
could be a protest, parade, or even an
2.
Study
your
immediate
societal
structure.
Activism cannot be the same around the world.
internet hashtag. One way that life could lead you to activism is when you've found social injustice, not only for yourself but also for those around you.
Every country, every city, and every culture has a different hierarchal structure, a different degree of
power
inequity,
or
discrimination,
and
therefore, the urgency for reform varies. It would
If you're looking to be an
be more efficient for activists to create change
activist, this magazine is the
and
perfect
surroundings,
place
to
start,
movements
in
their
pressuring
immediate
their
immediate
because we'll be discussing
prejudices mostly exist against those with darker
a lot of social issues, offering
skin-tones,
different
perspectives,
hopefully enabling you to recognize
social
inequity,
and become a social warrior yourself.
with
set
ideas
as
to
their
compinstitutions of power. Not to say that one shouldn't be aware and educated about pressing social issues around the world.
29 3.
4.
Ask yourself about your core values. Why do
Be persuasive and rally as many people as you
you want to fight for this cause? Usually
can. There is strength in numbers (grassroots
finding a personal connection to it can help
activism); a team of activists is better than a lone
you stay motivated. A central argument of all
ranger.
societal bodies seeking reform is that no one
8. Activism, at its best, is paired with education
should be discriminated against based on
and awareness. This is a broad statement.
their central identities. We see it in the
Knowledge can be ubiquitously used when it
feminist movement, the BLM movement, the
comes to activism. It can be used to empower a
fight for secularism, trans-activism, castism in
marginalized group, debunk a social stigma,
India, and so on. If not from a marginalized
deflate
social body yourself, ponder whether you see
discrimination (e.g. eugenics), study the legal
it right for one to discriminate based on
implications
colorism, sex, or social hierarchy.
personal rights, push for law reform and devise
Share your story. Connect with people and let
logical plans to obtain your intended goals.
yourself be vulnerable because no one feels strong and up to call for change if they are the
5.
7.
9.
arguments of
your
used protest,
to
defend
learn
about
Stand with the marginalized. Even if it's a culture, religion, caste, or just a classmate.
only ones being discriminated against. Let
10. Build your confidence. As an activist, you are
them know that you are here, and you will
bound to face a lot of setbacks. An activist is not
fight together. Destigmatise sharing stories of
an all-powerful superhuman/social vigilante, but
abuse, discrimination, and injustice, because
a human being who is just as vulnerable as the
it is not something you should be ashamed of.
rest. Know that confidence is not expected of
Know that you can be subject to implicit bias.
you from the get-go, but never give up your
It is human nature, and no matter how
fight on social justice. Confidence is acquired by
unbiased we try to be, we fail because we
putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and
survive on intuitive thinking. Nevertheless,
overcoming them.
this is about reflecting upon your thoughts and behavior, because we may not know our
An activist is someone who questions
implicit biases unless we consciously try to
power,
look for them. Implicitly, we all subscribe to gender, racial and cultural stereotypes; but dissect your thoughts and actions before getting defensive. 6.
Hypocrisy.
The
only
time
hypocrisy
is
acceptable is when you eat junk food after you tell your friend it is unhealthy. (It's easier to look out for others in that regard, right?) We all probably have been that person who was moping about "why nobody is doing anything about this". As budding activists, it is common to feel powerless. But one day you have to be a "somebody that does something about this".
privilege,
and
existing
social
structures. There is no better time to begin breaking
questionable
down than now.
societal
barriers
30 CASTEISM
IN
INDIA
PREVALENCE
AND
IN
ITS
MODERN
SOCIETY Pranav Govil When you live in 2020, amid a society which
given point of time. Depending on the empires
prides itself on being “progressive” and
that ruled the majority of India at any time, the
“woke,” you’d think that a system that holds
policies and rules changed. Some of them, like
its roots in 1500 BCE probably wouldn’t be
the Later Mughals, enforced very strict caste-
prevalent today. However, that isn’t exactly
based
the case.
Sultanate, allowed the system to be fairly fluid.
The Origin of the Indian Caste System The caste system among Hindus originated somewhere around 1500 BCE. Initially, it was simply a division based on tribal distinctions, but eventually, became a lot more rigid, stemming out into four class-based distinctions. The Brahmanas (priests) and Kshatriyas (warriors) were regarded as the “elite” class. The Vaishyas were regarded as the “common man”, while Shudras were regarded as the lower class. This system went through several changes over thousands of years. Skin colour and social status played a large role in shaping the ideologies of the caste system. Those who
were
associated
dark with
skinned the
lower
were
usually
castes,
and
subsequently given little to no social value or respect. People’s social status was primarily defined by their occupation. Blacksmiths, labourers, and farmers were few of the occupations that were deemed “lowly” and associated with the lower castes.
The rigidity of the system fluctuated over the years, with people conveniently deciding just how colourist or classist they chose to be at a
rules,
while
some,
like
the
Delhi
31 After years of inequality and injustice, the
to a certain extent, it also creates an incentive
British came along and restructured the
to further societal stratification. To this date, in
caste system in a manner that furthered the
several regions across the country, including
incentive
discrimination.
parts of urban India too, ridiculous caste-based
They equated the castes of India with the
norms which were established hundreds of
social classes in England.
years
for
caste-based
ago,
are
indoctrinated. People from upper classes were constantly
backward
favoured
“uneducated”,
for
job
opportunities
and
still
followed,
People
classes
still
with
“immoral”
or
rather,
associate
qualities and
the
such
as
“unclean”.
administrative positions. Social exclusion of
Practices such as inter-caste marriages are
those
openly
looked down upon and often lead to honour
practiced by the British, while they also
killings (murder of a family member, due to the
baselessly deemed certain classes as “prone
perpetrators' belief that the victim has brought
to criminal tendencies.” Lower classes were
shame or dishonour upon the family).
from
lower
classes
was
also denied land rights and land inheritance, thus creating economic barriers between the
Caste-Based Abuse in India
different classes.
Taking caste-based abuse into perspective, let’s focus on one caste in particular: the Dalits,
The Caste System as We See It Today
who fall under the Scheduled Caste category,
Today,
supposed
which as mentioned earlier, is one of the “lower
“independence” and “freedom,” caste-based
classes”. Dalits are constantly subjected to
discrimination
violence and other human rights abuses.
73
years
later,
the
continues
to
exist,
masquerading as social alienation, police brutality and societal norms.
In large parts of rural India, Dalits are often
In 1955, the Indian government classified
denied
lower castes into three categories: Scheduled
rights by officials and landlords who may be
Castes,
Other
upper-caste Hindus. These officials are usually
Backward Classes, on the basis of their socio-
prejudiced against Dalits due to their own
economic status. Several legal reforms have
caste and religion, or often influenced by a
been made in favour of the “lower castes”,
higher authority with similar prejudices.
Scheduled
Tribes
and
wages,
accommodation,
and
land
but have resulted in unintended paradoxical consequences.
Dalit
groups
often
protest
against
these
discriminatory practices. The officials, along The
government
and
with police officers, respond to these protests
reservations up to 27% for people from
with retaliatory violence, mass killings, and
Backward Classes in public sectors and
looting in many instances. One such incident
higher education institutions, in a bid to
was the “2012 Dharmapuri Violence” in Tamil
reduce
Nadu, wherein a Dalit movement which aimed
the
offers
inequality
quotas
faced
by
these
communities.While this does effect change
to increase solidarity between higher and
32 lower castes, was met with violent retaliation, with roughly 268 dwellings of the Dalits torched by the Vanniyars, a high caste community.
Dalit women and girls are frequently raped and assaulted by village landlords. Forced prostitution is a common practice too. In late 2019, a 19 year old Dalit girl was gang-raped by four men and hung from a tree. This is just one instance; what’s alarming is a report by the Human Rights Watch which stated that four Dalit women are raped everyday in India, alongside being sold to urban brothels. In addition to this, excessive use of police force, refusal to file complaints, and extortion are
commonly
seen
within
the
Dalit
community.
It’s 2020. Society is progressing forward everyday. People are raising their voices on new issues everyday. Yet, there are sections of our society where people continue to discriminate against those who are from “lower classes”. Are we, as a society, so narrow-minded that we segregate people on the basis of their social status?
It’s not only about laws or social movements. It’s also about people’s mindset. Laws, protests and movements may mitigate this issue to an extent, but on a large scale, only people can make amends. We won’t see reform until people re-evaluate their morals. We won’t see reform until people genuinely introspect. We won’t see reform until people reform their mentality.
33
SOURCES RACIALLY HAZARDOUS lDriscoll, Eugene. "Update: Racist Death Threats Lodged Against Seymour Restaurant." Valley Independent Sentinel Apr. 2020. Morris, Dana, and Violeta Trevizo. "Teen Charged in 'racially Motivated' Sam's Club Stabbing." Newswest9.com KWES, 15
Mar. 2020. LOVE OVER BLOOD Oppel, R., Taylor, D., & Bogel-burroughs, N. “What We Know About Breonna Taylor's Case and Death.” 30 May 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html Smith, M., & Rodriguez, R. “Police brutality is not just a criminal justice issue, but a public health issue too”. 27 July 2020. NCRC. https://ncrc.org/police-brutality-is-not-just-a-criminal-justice-issue-but-a-public-health-issue-too/ Sellers, O. “How we can start systemically reforming the police.” 05 June 2020. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/05/opinions/start-systemically-reforming-the-police-sellers/index.html
#STOPHATEFORPROFIT
Burns, K. “The racist history of Trump's "When the looting starts, the shooting starts" tweet.” 29 May 2020. https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/5/29/21274754/racist-history-trump-when-the-looting-starts-the-shootingstarts PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES. 2020. https://www.stophateforprofit.org/participating-businesses Shearer, E. “Social media outpaces print newspapers in the U.S. as a news source.” 27 Aug. 2020. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/12/10/social-media-outpaces-print-newspapers-in-the-u-s-as-a-newssource/
COLOURISM IN INDIA "Battles of Panipat." Encyclopaedia Britannica . Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Bhangle, Devanshi. "Facing India's Legacy of Colourism." MIR . 20 Mar. 2020. Mark, Joshua J. "Aryan." Ancient History Encyclopedia . Ancient History Encyclopedia, 28 Nov. 2020. Mark, Joshua J. "The Vedas." Ancient History Encyclopedia . Ancient History Encyclopedia, 29 Nov. 2020. Mishra, Neha. "India and Colorism: The Finer Nuances." 2015. Yasir, Sameer, and Jeffrey Gettleman. "India Debates Skin-Tone Bias as Beauty Companies Alter Ads." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 June 2020. Naresh Nil's Photograph of model Suruthi Periyasamy, depicting a dark-skinned godess Lakshmi, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-42637998
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THE PSEUDO SCIENCE BEHIND RACISM Fredrickson, G., 2003. RACE - The Power Of An Illusion . Background Readings | PBS. [online] Pbs.org. Available at: <http://www.pbs.org/race/000_About/002_04-background-02-01.htm> [Accessed 26 July 2020]. LEWIS, B. (1998). The Historical Roots of Racism. The American Scholar, 67(1), 17-25. Retrieved November 29, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41212711
AMERICAN ELITISM AND RACISM Ashkenas, Jeremy, et al. “Even With Affirmative Action, Blacks and Hispanics Are More Underrepresented at Top Colleges Than 35 Years Ago.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Aug. 2017, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/24/us/affirmative-action.html?searc hResultPosition=1. Bolotnikova, Marina N. “Harvard's Economic Diversity Problem.” Harvard Magazine, 24 Jan. 2017, www.harvardmagazine.com/2017/01/low-income-students-harvard. Thorne, Gabriela. “For Students of Color, Ivy League Schools Have a Long Way to Go.” The Nation, 14 Jan. 2019, www.thenation.com/article/archive/for-students-of-color-ivy-league-school s-have-a-long-way-to-go/. Thorne, Gabriela. “For Students of Color, Ivy League Schools Have a Long Way to Go.” The Nation, 14 Jan. 2019, www.thenation.com/article/archive/for-students-of-color-ivy-league-school s-have-a-long-way-to-go/. Torres, Kimberly, and Douglas S Massey. “Fitting In: Segregation, Social Class, and the Experiences of Black Students at Selective Colleges and Universities.” Race and Social Problems, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Dec. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614416/.
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A FAIR CONTROVERSY Roohi Narula, et al. “Un-Fair And Not So Lovely: Capitalism And Colourism In India.” Feminism In India, 28 Aug. 2018, feminisminindia.com/2018/08/28/capitalism-colourism-india/. Balakrishnan, Rekha. “Not Fair, but Still Lovely – Is India Actually Changing Its 'Fairness' Narrative?” YourStory.com, 2 July 2020, yourstory.com/herstory/2020/07/fair-lovely-hul-colourism-body-positivity. Barnes, Zahra. “The Unfair And Lovely Campaign Is Embracing Darker Skin Tones.” SELF, SELF, 3 Dec. 2018, www.self.com/story/the-unfair-and-lovely-campaign-is-embracing-darker-skin-tones. Green, Jeff, et al. “Silence on Race No Longer an Option, US Brands Struggle to Market Themselves.” ThePrint, 5 June 2020, theprint.in/world/silence-on-race-no-longer-an-option-us-brands-struggle-to-market-themselves/436121/. “J&J Will Stop Selling Its 'Clean &amp; Clear ' Fairness Products in India.” Mint, 19 June 2020, www.livemint.com/companies/news/johnson-johnson-will-stop-selling-its-clean-clear-fairness-line-of-products-inindia-11592596768317.html. Krishnankutty, Pia, et al. “Before Fair &amp; Lovely, There Was Afghan Snow - All about the Fairness Creams Market in India.” ThePrint, 26 June 2020, theprint.in/theprint-essential/before-fair-lovely-there-was-afghan-snow--all-aboutthe-fairness-creams-market-in-india/449045/. Markets, Research and. “Fairness Cream &amp; Bleach Market in India 2018 Forecast to 2023 - Pressure of Society &amp; Marriage Issues Are Major Driving Factors.” PR Newswire: News Distribution, Targeting and Monitoring, 27 June 2018, www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fairness-cream--bleach-market-in-india-2018-forecast-to-2023--pressure-of-society--marriage-issues-are-major-driving-factors-300629567.html. McLean, John. “World Civilization.” The Caste System | World Civilization, courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hcccworldcivilization/chapter/the-caste-system/. Pandey, Geeta. “#Unfairandlovely: A New Social Campaign Celebrates Dark Skin.” BBC News, BBC, 12 Mar. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35783348. Pandey, Geeta. “Fair and Lovely: Can Renaming a Fairness Cream Stop Colourism?” BBC News, BBC, 25 June 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-53182169. Paul, Sumit. “The Fallacy of the Fairness Concept.” The Hindu, The Hindu, 6 Sept. 2016, www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/the-fallacy-of-the-fairness-concept/article7074825.ece. Ramirez, Rachel. “Beauty Companies Are Changing Skin-Whitening Products. But the Damage of Colorism Runs Deeper.” Vox, Vox, 30 June 2020, www.vox.com/first-person/2020/6/30/21308257/skin-lightening-colorismwhitening-bleaching. Schild, Darcy. “L'Oréal Is the Latest Beauty Company to Remove Words like 'Fair,' 'Light,' and 'Whitening' from Marketing Skin-Tone Products.” Insider, Insider, 28 June 2020, www.insider.com/loreal-removing-skin-carewhitening-fair-products-2020-6. doi:10.1177/1523422315616339. Srivastav, Taruka. “Skin Whitening Cream Sales Still Boom in India despite Rules against Ads Deriding Darker Skin.” The Drum, The Drum, 15 Sept. 2017, www.thedrum.com/news/2017/09/15/skin-whitening-cream-sales-still-boomindia-despite-rules-against-ads-deriding. Staff, Homegrown. “'Dark &amp; Lovely' Is A Powerful Take On Indian Society's Fair-Skin Obsession.” Homegrown, Homegrown, 24 Sept. 2018, homegrown.co.in/article/802958/dark-lovely-is-a-powerful-take-on-indian-societys-fairskin-obsession. www.ETRetail.com. “Johnson &amp; Johnson Will Stop Selling Skin-Whitening Lotions - ET Retail.” ETRetail.com, 20 June 2020, retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/personal-care-pet-suppliesliquor/johnson-johnson-will-stop-selling-skin-whitening-lotions/76479520.
CASTEISM IN INDIA
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/india/India994-04.htm Bayly, S. (2001). Caste, society and politics in India from the eighteenth century to the modern age. Cambridge University Press. Jha, P. K. (2012). Indian politics in comparative perspective. Dorling Kindersley. K A Shaji & V Senthil Kumaran / TNN / Updated: Nov 8, 2. (n.d.). Hindu: Dalit houses torched, caste violence in Dharmapuri: Coimbatore News - Times of India. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Dalit-houses-torched-caste-violence-inDharmapuri/articleshow/17144263.cms SECRETARY-GENERAL, IN ADDRESS TO "WOMEN 2000" SPECIAL SESSION, SAYS FUTURE OF PLANET DEPENDS UPON WOMEN | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. Sen, S. (2020, September 29). 'Four Dalit Women Raped Every Day': Why Caste Matters In Sexual Assault. Retrieved from https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/awareness/dalit-women-sexual-violence/ Sharma, R. S. (2016). Śūdras in ancient India: A social history of the lower order down to circa A.D. 600. Motilal Banarsidass Private Limited. Shudras. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ancientindia1.weebly.com/shudras.html
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